The COVID-19 outbreak has placed churches in a bind and impacted worship services and board meetings. Fortunately, there are ways to conduct virtual church meetings. Sarah E. Merkle, senior editorial adviser at Church Law & Tax and author of Your Complete Guide to Virtual Church Meetings, will discuss the options available to churches.
Video conferencing
If you are looking for a way to hold meetings over the internet, video conferencing can be a great option. This is especially useful for ministries that have teams working from different locations, or those who do not have the time to travel. With the rise of camera-ready devices and other applications, video conferencing is becoming increasingly simple and accessible.
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To maximize the effectiveness of your virtual meetings, you should be aware of some important tips before implementing video conferencing. For example, make sure that you log into the service early and that you use a clear and uncluttered background. Also, remember to set up prompts that tell participants to stand and move around the room.
A good video conferencing tool for virtual meetings between church staff members is Zoom. This service is free for up to 100 people. Be aware, however, that it does not offer live streaming services. If you need to host a meeting with more people, you should upgrade to a $15 or $20/mo plan.
Evernote
One of the best ways to manage your virtual church meetings is to use Evernote. Its easy-to-use features make organization a breeze. It also allows you to share your notes with others across various platforms. This helps you to prioritize tasks and avoid missing deadlines. There are many other ways to use Evernote for virtual church meetings, including recording voice memos, creating to-do lists, and storing important records.
You can even save email subject lines to your notebooks. Evernote allows you to move content from one notebook to another without losing context. In addition, you can share your notes and notebooks with others. It also allows you to convert your notes into full-screen presentations. You can also add comments to each note and discuss them in real-time.
Evernote can also help you keep track of your weekly service preparation. For example, your music director can send in information about the choir, the pastor can send in the title of his sermon, and the secretary can gather the announcements and prayer list. As long as you have Evernote installed on your computer, it can be accessed on your phone, tablet, or desktop. The software also makes it easy to sort notes by date and chat with others, including your pastor.
Facebook Live
Facebook Live can be a great way to broadcast a virtual church meeting for your congregation. The platform allows you to create a live chat session during your virtual church meeting and invite viewers to participate. Whether the live chat is a general question or a topic that relates to the church’s mission, viewers will find that they can ask their questions on Facebook Live. It is also a great way to engage with members of your congregation who may be skeptical about your church.
Once the recording is completed, Facebook will save it as a recorded asset for future use. To start a Facebook Live virtual church meeting, simply navigate to your church’s Facebook page and click the “Start Live Video” button. You can then choose whether to broadcast the meeting or just broadcast the video.
While many churches are already using Facebook Live for virtual church meetings, it can also be used for other events. These events can include online prayer groups, seasonal events, fundraisers, Bible studies, and small group sessions. Facebook Live allows you to reach a much wider audience than ever before.
Text In Church
With Text In Church, you can hold virtual church meetings on your smartphones, and not have to worry about setting up a big venue. The software offers a variety of tools to help you connect with your church family and invite new members. For example, you can send mass texts to your congregation or bible study groups. It also lets you connect with other church-related apps, such as Planning Center and MailChimp.
One of the best features of Text In Church is its ability to create a more personal experience for church members. The platform allows you to easily send messages to your church members, so they feel more engaged in the church. You can even include photos and videos. You can also keep your church members updated with the latest church news. This means you can increase your church’s engagement and generosity.
Creating a relationship with your church members is critical in building a strong community. While many churches rely on weekly bulletins, announcements, and newsletters to communicate with their congregations, text messages can boost engagement. Research shows that more than ninety percent of text messages are read and responded to, making them an excellent means of communicating with your church members. Additionally, you can create automated workflows and integrate with Zapier to streamline communication for your congregation.