In some way, many churches are involved in missions. Some help fund individual missionaries or give to organizations that feed multiple missionaries. Other churches raise up and send missionaries. Then you have mission trips, both youth and adult. The bottom line is that, in some fashion, our churches are sending people out into the world to spread the gospel. In doing so we normally request that they keep us in the loop with updates on their adventures. These updates can come to you in different ways: a letter, email, phone call, or even a video. But what if you could just talk to them live? What if your congregation could be in on it as well?
Google to the Rescue
This post builds upon last week’s Live Streaming on a Budget. You don’t have to be running a setup as described last week, just a laptop or other computer will do… but let’s work with the assumption that you’ve setup for live streaming. If you want to discuss alternative methods, just hit me in the comments. While this is not a normal purpose for a Google+ Hangout, we do offer some tips to pull off the best hangout here.
Ok, so you already have your camera, computer, mics, and internet connection all cranking away for your services, so let’s do something new with that.
You’re going to need some way to share your computer’s display with your congregation. If you’re already using projectors or TVs for service media then you’re good to go. If not, you’ll need to figure out something. Have some specific situation that you want help on? Leave your situation in the comments!
If your streaming computer is also your projector controller, then you’ve already won half the battle! Though I would not recommend running this way on a normal Sunday, this Sunday is special as your missionaries are going to visit virtually! Once you have your live stream running on the projector computer, simply make sure that the stream is displaying to the audience.
Another option is to just use your stream URL in your media software that you use to run your graphics for service. You’re making the data run a few more laps around the internet, but it should be fine. Expect a little bit of a delay, similar to what you hear on the news when the multi-billion dollar news network is talking with a correspondent halfway across the globe. (and you’re doing the same thing for next to nothing!)
Whichever way you decide to display the Hangout to your viewers (online and in-person) make sure you test it first. There is no better way to invite Murphy onto your media team than to have a brilliant idea and run it for the first time in front of your audience. Test, more than once if possible.
Getting your missionary into the Hangout is dependent on them having some type of streaming device (computer with a webcam, tablet, smartphone, etc.) and a reliable internet connection. You may have to talk them through the process of logging into the Hangout, possibly even with setting up a Google+ account. Your testing phase is a perfect time to do this!
There are Alternatives
Skype will let you do all of this as well. If you’re not setup for live streaming via Google+ Hangouts on Air, then Skype may be your best option. Skype is a very popular video chatting platform and chances are that your missionary may already have an account and be familiar with its operation. My recommendation stays with Google however, due to the fact that you can display the chat not only with your physical audience, but out to the web as well.
Then there’s always Apple’s Facetime… ::thumbsdown:: (That’s just my opinion, you do what you got to do)
I see this as an internal ministry tool. Your congregation is sending these missionaries, not your visitors and certainly not the unreached. As always, this is an idea spinning around in my head which means it ain’t perfect. Let’s talk about it! Contact me however you like, we’ll discuss the kinks and try to find solutions.
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