Recommendations for Online Worship

We only have one shot to hit the bullseye…DON’T MISS!
 

  1. Excellent camera placement and operation is a MUST!!!
  • The visual of looking up someone’s nose is a turn off
  • ‘Fuzzy’ is not cool
  • If there is a transition between shots, please make it a smooth transition
  • Handheld cameras need to be operated by people who have steady hands
  1. Inspirational music MUST be done with excellence!
  • Hymnsing with everyone’s mic on…NO!
  • Soloists need to be able to ‘bring it’ (i.e. elicit tears, joy, emotions)
  • Ensembles should have rehearsed BEFORE the Sunday morning worship
  1. Preaching MUST be relevant, hope-filled & inspirational!
     
  2. Visual cues should be rehearsed with musicians/liturgist/preacher BEFORE the worship experience!
     
  3. People on camera MUST dress for the audience they want…not the audience they have, so avoid:
  • Wrinkled shirts/tee shirts/jeans and sneakers coupled with a clerical top
  • An unshaven or ‘just rolled out of bed’ appearance
     
  1. Eliminate distracting movements behind the liturgist/preacher.
  • People should not be entering/departing the choir stand and/or pulpit while the liturgist/preacher is standing and speaking
  1. Prior to start of worship running a video loop of community presence and opportunities to serve is a ‘hook.’ Please avoid using just announcements intended for ‘insiders’ to grow your audience.
     
  2. Provide more than one option for giving (i.e. snail mail, church app, website, bill pay, cash app, recurring giving thru bank, etc.)
     
  3. Publicity of online worship opportunities is key!
  • How we get the word out key determinant in who/how many engage. Remember to use a multi-platform approach; announcements issued on one platform are useless, a waste of your time and ineffective!
  1. Have enough bandwidth to prevent ‘hiccups’ in the video feed. The bandwidth in your house/apartment/condo may not be equal to what is present in the church house. Pick a location with near flawless reception. 
     
  2. Be heard! Sound technicians must ensure there is NO distortion on the mics…very distracting
     
  3. Provide more than one platform for viewing/experiencing the worship. Aim for as many as possible, including Facebook, Vimeo, your church webpage, YouTube, etc.
Communications