Jim Tomberlin shares best practices for churches delivering digital sermons to their online audiences or satellite campuses. He highlights how simple adjustments to language and camera strategies can make those not in the room feel valued and included.
Most of the 300,000-plus Protestant churches across America offer some sort of online church experience. Additionally, one-third of the estimated 8,000-plus multisite churches in North America deliver their messages primarily by video, and another third are hybrid, delivering their messages with video and in-person. With so many churches using digital communication, I reached out to Jason Morris, product manager at RESI, the leading all-in-one church streaming service provider, to learn what he is seeing among online communicators. Here are some best practices we see among churches delivering sermons online.
1. Omit references to time, day, and weather.
The most difficult thing to remove is all references to time of day, day of the week, and the weather. Avoid “tonight” or “Saturday.” Better to use words like “today” or “weekend.”
2. Avoid references to the worship team.
Referring in the message to worship leaders or vocalists by name can be awkward or meaningless because they are different at the other locations.
3. Place the camera well.
Position the camera where it is the easiest and most natural for the speaker to look directly into it. Cameras positioned at eye-level are best for the communicator. Don’t make it awkward for the speaker by forcing them to crane their neck to peer into the camera or look up to a balcony above the main room. Use camera lights in a way that the speaker will know which camera is the live camera. Sometimes it’s good to have an online camera that’s slightly off to the side of the stage. Make it easy for the speaker to look straight into the camera to address a campus or online audience like they were speaking to an individual.
4. Keep the camera shot tight.
Stay with continual close-up headshots (video images need to feel larger-than-life), minimizing the number of full-stage and full-body shots. Avoid camera shots that remind viewers that they are not there, such as audience reactions, audience cut-away shots, or side-shots of the speaker.
5. Eyeball the camera.
Looking directly into the camera makes a video audience feel included. It’s very powerful to look directly into the camera periodically near the beginning, during, and at the end of the message. Especially when addressing the online audience, off-site campuses and at drive-it-home moments, eyeball the camera.
6. Don’t divert attention with distracting backdrops.
Make sure the backdrop behind the speaker is not a distraction. Remove anything that’s not essential and keep it uncluttered and simple.
7. Include images and quotes that correspond with speaker references.
Make sure the videocast includes anything the speaker references (For example: “That’s her picture you’re now seeing on the screen.”) Even better, make images a split screen or right two-thirds. Place quotes and key points on the right side or lower third of the screen. Don’t leave images or quotes up too long (10 seconds max).
8. Treat everyone as equals no matter where they are.
Avoid words like “satellite” and “main” campus. They connote inequality.
9. Use inclusive language.
When praying or making applications, include references to the people online and in off-site locations. It’s only necessary to do this once in a message to make hundreds of people sitting in an auditorium miles away feel included in their own church. Replace geographically bound phrases like “Isn’t it great to be here!” with something like “Isn’t it great that we can gather as one church across our city, nation, world …”
Here are some other tips to make everyone feel included:
- Look at the online chat before you get up to speak and greet online worshipers like you would worshipers from another campus, even mentioning where they are watching from.
- Digitize all calls to action so everyone can participate the same way. For example, “Scan this QR code for the free ebook with more on this topic.” instead of “There are books in the lobby.”
- “Go to this link to sign-up” is better than “Go to your campus lobby to sign up.”
10. Smile as much as possible.
Smiling helps connect you to your audience and keeps people engaged. Smile a lot and be sure to look into the camera when you tell a joke.
11. Speak to the primary online audience “before a live studio audience.”
Effective online communicators today recognize their audience is bigger than the onsite room they are speaking in. Before recording or livestreaming the service from the broadcast location, invite the onsite audience to join you in engaging the larger online audience as a “streaming (or recorded) event before a live studio audience.” Make everyone in the room feel they are a part of something bigger than themselves. This will give you permission to look into the cameras instead of the onsite audience.
Be mindful as you prepare messages that you are speaking to an audience that encompasses more than those in the room with you. They see you as their pastor and spiritual leader. They feel connected to you. They love you. They show up onsite and online because of the spiritual teaching they receive from you. Practice these habits and you will become a better and more effective digital communicator.
12. Make sure every speaker knows these guidelines.
Be sure to give these guidelines to any guest speakers so that they too can make the most of your church’s video delivery and become better digital communicators.
This article originally appeared in Outreach Magazine. Used by permission.
Related Resources
- Digital Ministry Trends and Perspectives featuring Jim Keat — Watch the Leading Ideas Talks podcast video | Listen to the podcast audio version | Read the in-depth interview
- 4 Steps for Developing a Digital Community Strategy by Denna Bartalini and Claudia McIvor
- Does Your Church Need an Online Campus? by Jim Tomberlin
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