I recently read an article written by David Murrow asking whether livestreaming would kill the local church. He compares local churches livestreaming their worship services to the NFL broadcasting football games. He brought up some interesting points.
Do you livestream your worship services? If so, why do you do it? If not, is it because you made a strategic decision, a financial decision, or was it because you haven’t considered it yet?
Many pastors choose to livestream their worship services as a form of inreach. They make the services available so that their homebound or absent church members can continue to engage in worship despite the circumstances keeping them from gathering. Other pastors choose to livestream their services as a form of outreach. They anticipate people will come across the video and will be drawn to Christ or the local church. Of course, they would prefer the stranger be drawn to a specific local church!
Whether or not you choose to livestream your worship services, I recommend that you only do so with clearly defined purposes and goals. Know why you are doing it, and be prepared for any unintended consequences.
What are your thoughts on livestreaming?
