Why Your Ministry Needs A Weekly Webshow

People are watching more video (Check out the stats here) which begs the question, “How does that impact your ministry?”

Video is a highly effective method of communication. People are visual and it’s something you can access on the go.

For the past two months my coworker Amy and I have been using video via Facebook Live to communicate to parents. What originally started as an experiment has become something bigger. We’ve learned through this webshow that:

WE HAVE BECOME MORE APPROACHABLE

People who watch get to know us because they see our humor, listen to our banter and get use to our tone. This gives them better insight on how to approach us to ask certain questions face to face.

PEOPLE ARE COMING TO OUR CHURCH THAT DIDN’T BEFORE

It’s become an evangelization tool. Our followers have the ability to share it with their family and friends. They can learn about our church and programs without stepping in the door.

OUR EVENTS AND PROGRAMS ARE GETTING MORE ATTENTION

Even though we’d prefer people disconnect from social media it’s where a lot of people spend their time. Having a webshow puts us out in front where a pulpit announcement and bulletin gets forgotten.

If starting a webshow is something that intrigues you then I say, “Go for it!” But, you might not know where to begin. My suggestion is:

PICK A PLATFORM THAT WORKS FOR YOUR AUDIENCE

When we decided on the “All In Webshow” we chose Facebook because that’s what the majority of our parents use. If we were trying to reach teens we would have considered Instagram Stories or YouTube.

Which platform you use will not only depend on your audience but what you feel most comfortable using. Do the research before you commit.

PARTNER UP

Unless hosting the webshow is your full time job it’s going to be hard to maintain on your own. I knew that if I wanted to reach parents consistently I had to partner up with our Director of Family Ministry, Amy.

You don’t have to just have one cohost but I wouldn’t get any more than three. No matter who you choose they need to be people you have a rapport with or else it will appear stale.

Before you go live be sure to go over what you want to say. That way the conversation is more structured and people won’t be wondering, “When’s this going to be over?”

ALWAYS RECAP AND LOOK AHEAD

Whether you are speaking to parents, teens or volunteers make sure you have an agenda. A basic one is to recap what’s been happening at the parish and looking at what’s coming up.

When you recap make sure you touch upon highlights and things that will build momentum. When you look ahead make sure you are giving them no more than 2 action steps.

Again, take time to prepare ahead of time. Essentially you want to answer the questions:

What do you want them to know?

What do you want them to do?

KEEP IT SHORT AND MAKE IT FUN

Webshows are a great communication tool when they are done well. If you drone on with information people are going to lose interest.

Make the webshow fun by adding banter or incorporating contests. Help others feel like they are part of the conversation you are having with your cohost.

Above all else, keep it on the shorter side. If you are going beyond 10 minutes you’ll lose your audience and people will check out. Have fun, but make sure you respect people’s time.

JUST GO FOR IT

Don’t spend too much time overthinking this, just give it a try. It’s going to be messy until you find your flow and that’s okay because your audience will love the journey.

Give it at least 2 months before you decide whether or not it’s worth your time. Just remember consistency is key to building momentum.

Have you created a webshow for your ministry? If so what have you found that works?