Returning to normal, remembering that in most cases ‘normal’ is decreasing numbers in church attendance.

British public turn to prayer as one in four tune in to religious services’

So stated the headline in the Guardian a few weeks into lock-down and there was no doubt that people in their hundreds were tuning into services when many had not crossed the threshold of the church doors for years.

The article went on to say ‘A quarter of adults in the UK have watched or listened to a religious service since the coronavirus lockdown began, and one in twenty have started praying during the crisis, according to a new survey.
The findings of the poll reinforce indications of an increase in the numbers of people turning to faith for succour amid uncertainty and despair’.

An opportunity for church leaders and a necessity for those that wished to continue to serve their communities. Many acted quickly to ensure that their online presence was welcoming, friendly and informative as well as comforting in these difficult times for many.

However not all suceeded well in this challenge. Placing a camera at the back of a place or worship and paying little attention to the sound quality is not a great example of successful live streaming, and many did just that. Basic broadcast guides say that if you cannot see the lips the person speaking and clearly here them you will quickly lose interest in what they have to say.

And for those who see their purpose is to evangelise this was a huge missed opportunity ‘The survey of more than 2,000 people, commissioned by the Christian aid agency Tearfund and carried out last weekend, found that a third of young adults aged between 18 and 34 had watched or listened to an online or broadcast religious service, compared with one in five adults over the age of 55’

A failure to deliver a quality live-streamed service was we believe a complete oversight for evangelists and for what can be planned and delivered for just a few thousand pounds is it an opportunity that you cannot afford to miss.

In an age where most churches can easily meet again whist sticking to social distancing guidelines (and by that we mean that most churches have very small congregations compared to the size of their buildings) do you really wish to go back to ‘normal’, where normal is simply people leaving church in their droves.

read that again ‘a third of young adults aged between 18 and 34 had watched or listened to an online or broadcast religious service’ do you really not want the opportunity to engage with these people at a time when they are showing a real interest?

Here at PH Production Services Ltd we have been helping a number of organisations obtain quality live streaming solutions within a wide range of budgets and we are always happy to discuss your requirements with no obligation to purchase.

We have recently helped successfully deliver this years Methodist Conference as well as helping a number of churches stay in touch with their congregations.

Our advice is always free of charge.