How to broadcast church service online

The growing popularity of church live streaming

Even though going to church in person will make most worshippers feel more connected to their fellow worshippers, 27% of U.S. adults regularly watch religious services online or on TV. 

While this might have been originally caused by enforced social distancing during the 2020 pandemic, there are also other benefits gained from live streaming your services, such as:

• Expanding church outreach beyond their local areas in a cost-effective way.
• Providing convenient access to those who cannot attend physically.
• Collecting online donations.
• Connecting with former members of the community that have moved away.
• Allowing the church to create a library of past services for on-demand viewing, which is useful for those who miss a service or want to revisit a particular message.

Why should churches use animated overlays in their live stream?

Animated overlays offer several benefits for the church, including the following:

Keep virtual services engaging

Overlays can enhance the viewing experience for those watching remotely, making the stream more engaging and informative. Animated overlays can smoothly introduce or remove information from the screen. This creates a more polished and harmonious viewing experience.

Highlight the heart of your service

Animations can draw attention to crucial details like upcoming events, donation information, key scriptures, and lyrics.

Welcome more people with greater accessibility

Animated overlays can be used to display closed captions or translations more effectively. They can help highlight speaker changes or important announcements for viewers who are hard of hearing.

Build a  community

Animated overlays can be used to highlight social media interactions or community events more effectively. This can foster a sense of connection among people joining the service virtually.

Setting up a live stream church service with OBS and overlays

Live streaming setup has become more and more easy these days. Here’s how to launch a live stream church service on YouTube with overlays in a few minutes.

1. Create a YouTube account, verify it, and enable the live-streaming function.
2. Prepare your equipment such as microphones, cameras, a computer, and also a high-speed internet connection. Having a Stream Deck will make it more convenient for you to switch between scenes while streaming.
3. Set up OBS or any streaming software that supports real-time animated overlays.
4. Add the animated overlays designed for church service or create them manually.
5. Go live.
6. Manage your live stream by monitoring the chat for engagement and the live stream performance.

Common overlay types for church live streams

If you’re wondering what type of overlays you should use in your church service, here are some popular types.

• Lower thirds: Show the names and titles of speakers, pastors, or musicians to introduce people during new segments. 
• Social media handles: Display the church's social media information to help people stay connected to you.
• Donation information: Provide multiple ways for viewers to send their donations.
• Branding elements: Display the church's logo.
• Scripture references: Show Bible verses or other religious texts being discussed or read.
• Lyrics display: For live worship music or hymns, help viewers sing along by displaying song lyrics.

You can also apply other types of overlays available in your overlay software for specific uses.

Overlay templates for church you can use right now

If you don’t want to create overlays manually from scratch, uno has a library of overlays that look professional and easy to use. Our overlay templates in the spiritual category can be applied to church live streaming in a few clicks. Start using uno for free and reach more people now.