CouncilCorrespondence202204LiveStream

Link to CouncilAgenda20220421 > CouncilMinutes20220421

Doing more with Live Stream

Hi all, I share this to spark action and conversation - not back to me, but to the congregation.

I was (again) recently approached by members of GWUC with their views, feelings and ideas on how we can do more things in streaming worship.
  Not all of them understood that the new Digital Mission was more than our worship streaming.
  But the focus of these discussions were related specifically to the streaming component that I co-ordinate.

Their questions were fair, relatively simple, but more complex underlying:-

• Can we be more inclusive with our services by welcoming people in multiple languages both on screen and in other ways in worship;
• Can we be more inviting of pastoral care and encouraging them to attend worship and support our congregation at both the beginning and/or end of the worship screens;
• How can we encourage them to attend AND offer a financial contribution without being “over the top”.
• Can we use the pre-worship time for more than just acknowledging first peoples elders and service start times, and advertise all our church activities.

I thanked them for their feedback, but I did pose some questions back to them for which they had difficulty responding.
   My questions/comments on the above issues back to them were:-

• Which languages - Chinese Mandarin, Chinese Traditional, Indonesian, Indian, Korean, Japanese etc etc  - They had assumed Chinese ONLY (no they were not of Chinese dissent);
• What format would you like our offer of help to be, like “Beyond Blue” with a special phone number or email and we will call you.  Their answer was just - Yes, and more. They have never seen the comments at the end of worship inviting people to call.
• I explained that we have to be careful if we “Monetise our stream” as we will then have to pay royalties for almost all of our music and non bible readings and prayers. 

Less than 20% of all our music is Broadcast Public Domain and can be used without licence in our stream.  We do not hold broadcast rights in every country of the world to even the hymns in the Hymn book that we sing now.   Other churches may ignore this law - I will not.

• Yes (advertising material) - Good idea - who is going to create it each week and maintain the material and give it to the Tech Team to show?  
• Who is going to determine the content of this information?  
• How often do we change it? 
• I also added, just as the Tech Team do not select hymns, songs, bible readings, flowers or other items on display or determine what is said in the Message, we do not control these elements of worship. Our job is to stream it.

So who is going to do that work?? (Someone)

My last comment, to only one of them, as others did not understand the church structure, was that I do not make those decisions. 
  I lead the Tech Team, who’s task it is to show what we are asked to show.

• Communications committee is responsible for GWUC published material and advertising - not the Tech Team.
• Church Council is responsible for the focus of our “Mission” - not the Tech Team.
• Ministry Team and Church Council are responsible for the “Digital” mission which is more than our streams. Streaming is one small part of that mission.
• Church Council, Treasurer, Finance Committee and others are responsible for Planned Giving appeals - not the Tech Team; and
• To whom we focus our streaming ministry is a Church Council and Ministry team matter facilitated by the Tech Team. They should put their thoughts direct to Church Council.

They were all good questions, but it is not the Tech Teams responsibility to decide what the answers will be AND what material is to be published before and after worship.
This needs to be developed by those responsible with the Tech Team.  It takes many hours to put together any streaming material just for one service, let alone 2 or more.

These are all valid ideas by the parishioners, and we need to discuss, consider and implement what is agreed.
  But they are looking for much faster action. They wanted me to change them “this week”.

Oh - and none of them felt they could help doing it for one reason or another.:):):)

Your In Christ

WarrenGreenwood