Hello Friends,
Okay, deep breath.
It's only been days yet it feels like months.

If you feel a bit overwhelmed, you are not alone.
This is uncharted territory.
The people you lead are looking for steady, compassionate, fearless leadership.

Let's tackle 4 important questions every church leader is wrestling with right now:

1. How do you set up an online service that is low cost/ no cost + high quality?

2. How do you keep people engaged at your church when they can't meet physically?

3. How do you keep paying the bills when you can't receive a physical offering?

4. What do you preach on in the middle of all of this?

1. How do you set up an online service that is low cost/ no cost + high quality?

Research from LifeWay Research conducted last fall found that just 22% of churches livestream their entire service while about 10% livestream their sermon only.
Some 41% of pastors admitted that they don't post any portion of their church service online.  

Just as the outbreak of persecution in Acts 8 served to actually spread the gospel’s reach; I believe God will also use this current crisis to advance the Church into the new frontier of the internet!

Here's the good news: If you have a Smartphone, you already have a built-in broadcast device in your back pocket!  

Pro-Tips for your Broadcast Space:
 

• Set a regular time for livestreaming, let your people know to tune in ahead of time (via Instagram teasers, etc).
• Create a space to broadcast from.  Lower ceilings and smaller spaces produce better results (less echo).  Shrink your space!
• Lighting, lighting, lighting.  Make sure you are well lit.  You can diffuse lighting and make it look more natural with a shower curtain.
• Prop your camera up high so that there is a downward angle looking down on you (more flattering).  
• Keep it quiet on the set.  
• DO NOT WEAR WHITE OR YELLOW SHIRTS.  On camera, the lighting will make you look like Bright Heavenly Jesus.
• Bonus if you are able to add an External Microphone to eliminate background noise and hums.
• If possible, use a 5 or 10 minute Countdown Video to start your stream; this allows more viewers to find you before diving into your teaching content.

Solutions to create a professional, glitch-free worship experience online:
 
1) Facebook Live
2) YouTube Live -- You can embed the YouTube code have it livestream onto your website too (see examples of ours here).
3) Stream Monkey Pro Plan and Wirecast Encoder.  No hardware needed; 30 Day Free Trial.  Allows livestream to go simultaneously to Facebook, website, and YouTube.  
4) Vimeo Premium, which includes Livestream options.


Bonus benefits of livestreaming?
You have the potential to help people who are searching for answers and it will eventually grow your church -- Just help people find community online.
Speak into people’s fear with faith; encourage people to eclipse their worry with worship!
Lean in to God and lean out to love your neighbor.
Remember to leverage Humor over Hammer.

2. How do you keep people engaged at your church when they can't meet physically?

• Be Pro-Active -- Jesus always walked toward people, not away.    
• Be High Tech AND High Touch:  High Tech is your on-going online teaching ministry; High Touch is actively reaching out to households that call your church home.
• Pick up the phone!  This costs you nothing and goes a long way toward building trust and meeting felt needs.
• Publish family-centered Bible Studies on your website.  Give your sheep fresh green grass!  We’ve had great success with this: LifeChurchMichigan.com/lifekidsonline

3. How do you keep paying the bills when you can't receive a physical offering?

Charitable giving is going to drop like a rock!  
Create Spending Restrictions NOW.  
Learn to say “No” to things now so you can say “Yes” to ministry opportunities later.

Meet people’s needs online now -- become a relevant part of their daily lives!  
As you provide hope and value, you will earn the right to be honest about your non-profit’s needs heading into the future.

Make sure you have easy on-ramps for online giving.  
Buy an easy-to-remember domain name (ours is LifeChurchGive.com).  Make it as fast and simple as possible for someone in your church to make a 10 second donation.



4. What do you preach on in the middle of all of this?

Here are some sample outlines you can use at your church:


3 WAYS TO BATTLE FEAR

1. Live By Faith, Not in Fear -- John 14:27 NLT
        - Jay-Z said, "The genius thing we did is we didn't give up!"
       - Stop putting quarters into the fear machine.
      - Be the Claw Machine: Grab onto faith and don't let go!
     - Don't allow setbacks to become camp-sites!
2. Be Sacrificial, Not Selfish (Philippians 2:3-4)
     - This isn't TLC's Hoarders
     - You are most like Jesus when you live open-handed.
3. Shine the Light, Do Not Hide It (Matthew 5:14-16)
     - Everyone's afraid of the dark - be a matchlight in the darkness!
     - Leverage your social media to encourage, pray for... Be Switzerland!

HOW BIG IS YOUR GOD?
1. Psalm 46:1-3
  - Texting with Emoji's can be confusing sometimes.
  - What if God texted you an Emoji of someone sick.  What is God up to?
  - Because God is relational, He enters into our calamities.
  - This theme in Scripture helps me interpret God's actions in this calamity.
  - Isaiah 45:5-7 = God will do whatever it takes to get our attention.
  - Deuteronomy 8:2-3
2. Psalm 46:4-7
  - 'Pain is God's megaphone to rouse a deaf world' (C.S. Lewis)
  - Because God pursues me (vs 1 - 3), I am free to respond back to God (vs 4-7).
3. Psalm 46:8-11
  - God leans in toward us, We lean in toward God in full surrender, and now we can lean out toward others!
  - Pick up the phone and check in on people you know; send encouraging cards in the mail; be a voice of hope!