Using Facebook Live to Enhance Your Worship Experience

Not too long ago, churches who wanted to broadcast their worship services had to spend carefully budgeted dollars to buy radio or television time. Today, however, the Internet — and specifically Facebook Live — makes it possible for churches to expand their reach without spending a single dollar.

Discover why your church should consider going live on Facebook to enhance your worship service and reach more people — and find out how to get started.

Get Your Message in Front of New People

The easiest way to reach hundreds (or maybe even thousands!) of people in your community who have never visited your church building is through Facebook Live. Consider these people to be “virtual walk-ins,” and imagine the possibilities if your church service hits their Facebook news feed and they pause to watch.

Bonus: If you do have money for advertising, you can create a few simple and cost-effective ads to be pushed over Facebook at the time of your church service and direct people to join your service via Facebook Live.

Reach Those Who Can’t Physically Attend

To reach people in your church family who are home because of chronic or seasonal illness, broadcast your services on Facebook Live. Consider the elderly, for instance, who are unable to leave home, or think about moms who are home caring for sick children.

Now they can participate in the service even when they can’t be present. Imagine the encouragement they would feel to hear you praying for them via Facebook Live. They could feel connected to the church even without setting foot inside the door.

Communicate When Services are Cancelled

The safest way to conduct a church service when weather conditions are poor is with Facebook Live. Instead of asking your congregation to brave ice or snow, encourage them to stay home and tune in to Facebook Live on their computer or mobile device.

Even if staff can’t make it to the church building, a pastor or member of leadership can greet the church family and bring a message of hope from their home office or living room chair.

Bring in Virtual Offerings via Online Giving

The most convenient way to allow church members to contribute to the offering even when they aren’t present in the service is through a personal invitation via Facebook Live to use mobile or online giving. With Givelify, for example, online giving becomes a simple, effective way to give to the church from anywhere, at any time.

To make the process even easier, you can include a link on the Facebook Live post that takes viewers directly to your organization’s online giving profile. In doing so, you allow everyone watching to participate in giving — a very real and essential part of the worship service.

How to Use Facebook Live During Services

Now that you know how Facebook Live can benefit your church, you probably want to know how to use it. One huge plus: your church won’t have to invest in any new technology. The most cost-effective way to stream a service on Facebook is to use a tablet, iPad, or smartphone already owned by someone on your staff.

To start using Facebook Live at your church, follow these steps:

• Download the free Facebook Pages Manager app (Available on the App Store and Google Play) on the smartphone or tablet you will be using to stream the service.
• Sign into your church’s Facebook page in the Pages Manager app.
• Tap Post like you would to create a new post,
• Choose Go Live
• Add a video description/title
• When service is about to begin and you are ready to begin streaming, face the device in the direction you’d like to show and tap Go Live again.

People on Facebook will now be able to instantly watch the footage that you film, as it happens. Anyone who has “liked” your church Facebook page will receive a notification letting them know you are streaming live, and they can even share the footage with their own followers.

As technology continues to change at the speed of light, so do social media platforms, tools, and trends. The most authentic thing you can share online is a live video, and Facebook Live enables churches to allow members or visitors to worship along with the congregation from anywhere they happen to be.