On the 184th episode of Speedify LIVE we are joined by Cavalry Baptist Church Red Bank’s Rusty Greer for a discussion about church media tech and livestreaming church services to reach more people!

We chat about whether churches should go online and what it costs to keep the streams consistent, while we also get some tips from Rusty for those that may just be starting out their streaming journeys.

Here are or 5 takeaways from our Church Media Tech Talk:

1. Rusty joins us from their Church studio setup: with a number of screens and cameras set up to show announcements, previews, and all the angles; with multiple computers for streaming, slides and editing; they use a Mac running Vimeo’s software Livestream Studio and an ATEM switcher for all the cameras they have set up; using SDI cameras to 4K Panasonic cameras on the church floor. 
2. When it comes to costs, we learn that they’re lucky enough to be a medium-sized church that is able to cover all media concerns. Rusty says they have many people that tithe into the church, allowing them to take care of what they need, whether it’s a sound card, SD card or just a USB drive. 
3. Rusty says that regardless of the size of your church, going online is a good choice! Because of how the internet works, you never know who you’ll reach, as many may not watch the service live, but rather the recording later on. 
4. In regards to starting out on a budget, Rusty says you can easily start with an iPhone and a cheaper mic! He says he sees a lot of YouTubers use Rode Go mics, which are a good option if you want better audio; while he suggests starting with Instagram or Facebook Live to test things out and see what works for you. 
5. Being a YouTuber himself, Rusty says then with video, it’s good to become a Subject Matter Expert! He says that with video it’s obvious if someone knows what they’re talking about, so it’s good to have product knowledge, and script things out beforehand so you can plan, record and edit efficiently.