Will Live Streaming Hurt Church Attendance?
By Jim Bask
From StreamSpot blog
A common question I often answer when working so closely with the video production teams at many churches in my profession and as a volunteer in my local church community is, “Why would I want to stream my service? Won’t providing the ability to watch it online keep people from coming in person?”
It’s an acceptable concern and reflects many hesitations with new media and the convenience with which it is delivered. If we look deeper into the matter, we can see that not embracing new media such as streaming could hinder leaders from not only providing new ways to integrate and communicate to their flock, but possibly holding back a way to reach new members with the word and the great commission to “go and make disciples.”
As streaming continues to grow at a rapid pace, no truly comprehensive study currently provides (or could keep up with) statistics relating to attendance upon a church’s move to live streaming, but as an expert constantly working with new churches as they begin streaming, it’s been reported back to me time and time again that with the adoption of live streaming, attendance holds steady to keep current members involved, and in some occasions, even increases attendance at churches. Why is this?…[continue reading]