The Coronavirus pandemic forced pastors to take livestreaming seriously. Phil Cooke shares important tips on how to livestream and maximize online engagement for pastors and their media teams. Free download at https://cookemediagroup.com/streaming or visit https://philcooke.com   Subscribe to My Podcast for more good advice for leaders and creatives: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/phil-cooke-podcast/id1439369056   Prefer video? Watch the YouTube edition here: https://youtu.be/BfaI-pWU3w0   Do you have a message or story the world needs to hear? As a Hollywood producer and media consultant, I offer advice for leaders and creatives each week on filmmaking, digital media, publishing, strategy, communication, leadership, culture and faith – to help you get from where you are to where you want to be in your career. Sign up for my blog and get a free eBook https://www.philcooke.com   Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel if you haven’t already at https://www.youtube.com/c/philcookeofficial?sub_confirmation=1   Follow me: Twitter https://twitter.com/philcooke Facebook https://www.facebook.com/philcookepage/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/philcooke/ Podcast https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/philcookes-podcast/id1439369056  Find out about Cooke Media Group here: https://www.cookemediagroup.com   Other Great Resources: Schedule: New episodes are uploaded every other Tuesday. Make sure to Subscribe and hit the Notification bell to be notified when they go live.   **More about this episode: How to Maximize Your Livestreaming Services** Get more in-depth notes at https://www.philcooke.com/notes-on-sundays-live-streamed-church-services/ Church leaders are finally taking live streaming seriously, so to hopefully encourage pastors and leaders to get online and make it more effective, here are the main points to consider before your next online service. Make it easy to find! Whether your building is closed or not, this is the time to make the live stream button BIG and prominently positioned on the home page. Send out a reminder text right before the service starts. Give the earlyviewers something to watch. When the service starts, consider having the pastor begin with a greeting and/or prayer.Do it just for the online viewers and it will make them feel more a part of the church family. If you’re just starting online because you can’t meet in the building, I wouldn’t introduce new worship songs. If you don’t have a live audience, don’t fake it.Talk directly to the camera because that’s where your audience is. It may take a little practice to be comfortable, but it’s worth it. If you have multiple cameras and no audience, you’ll most likely need to move the cameras from their normal positions to maximize the online experience. Focus on creating an intimate space between the speaker and the viewers on camera. Speaking of the audience, during challenges like the Corona Virus, when your church is physically closed, even if you have your staff acting as a small audience I wouldn’t show them on camera. Use graphics!If you have a graphics capability, add scriptures, sermon points, and other notes to help the viewer. So fire up your ProPresenteror other graphics tools and get more helpful information on the screen.