Zoom church meeting is a virtual platform used for Bible study, church meetings, home groups and even worship. It is similar to a live streaming service on Facebook but has more features such as breakout rooms.
Unlike a live stream where anyone can access the service Zoom meetings have to be invited and have an ID and password. This gives you control and allows for better security.
| Have you tried Meetn, the new online meeting platform? It’s turning out to become a decent alternative to Zoom and to the other major platforms. |
What is it?
Zoom is a video conferencing platform used to bring people together online for virtual meetings and services. Churches can use it for everything from large group gatherings to small groups, prayer meetings and staff meetings. It has also enabled churches to reach homebound members and those with nontraditional work schedules by streaming live services.
Many churches have experienced the problem of nefarious members crashing their Zoom meetings with video screen shares of pornography and other inappropriate content. This is known as ‘Zoom bombing’ and can be a traumatic experience for participants. By using a simple procedure for entering the meeting and using good security settings churches can avoid this issue.
In addition, requiring the meeting to be attended by people with a password helps protect meetings from being hijacked by unwanted participants. It also helps to ensure that only participants with parental permission or those invited to the meeting enter the call. This is particularly important if the meeting is involving children or vulnerable adults.
How do I use it?
Zoom is used for a variety of church activities such as Bible studies, small groups and prayer meetings. It is also a good choice for services as it can be password-protected and can allow up to 100 people in a meeting for free (other tools such as YouTube Live require paid accounts and more expensive equipment).
Zoom can be joined via a web browser or by downloading the app, although most use their phone to call in and use their microphone. It is recommended to mute attendees on entry to avoid ambient noises disturbing the participants and then unmute them once the meeting begins.
Sharing the Zoom link with your members can be done by email or using a church messaging app such as PastorsLine. It is a good idea to edit the automatic email that Zoom generates so that it makes clear what the meeting is about. Alternatively, you can share the link with a private group and invite them directly.
How do I set up a meeting?
Zoom is designed to be as easy for a meeting host and participants as possible. Click the + icon to create a new meeting and fill out the details on the pop-up window that appears. The app will then save the meeting to your calendar and provide a link that can be copied and pasted into emails or a chat message for attendees to use to join the Zoom session.
When prompted, select whether your meeting will be recurring (which will generate a unique meeting ID each time) and set a password for the meeting that participants will need to enter in order to join. There are also several advanced options that can be selected depending on the type of meeting and its purpose, including muting everyone upon joining and automatically recording the Zoom session on the local computer.
How do I invite people to a meeting?
Zoom can be used to conduct church meetings in a variety of ways, including Bible study groups and virtual worship services. Some churches may choose to have their meetings open to the public, while others will prefer to limit attendance to church members only.
When a meeting is scheduled, the Zoom application automatically generates an invite link that can be sent via email or other means. The link is also a good option for sharing on social media, or including in chat apps like Slack.
Upon clicking the invite link, participants will be prompted to log on to the meeting with their zoom account or download the Zoom app. Alternatively, you can manually copy the meeting invitation text to your clipboard by clicking Copy Meeting Invitation. To add attendees to the meeting, click on Add Attendees and select an individual from your list of contacts, or type a contact name into the search bar.