Ministry – APCCS

Improving online altar calls and prayer

@dm1n — Tue, 01 Dec 2020 11:20:31 +0000

The key lies in making transitions into the prayer room welcoming and seamless

Isn’t it wonderful that we can tap on technology to connect in times when social distancing measures are in place? Here are some simple ideas for pastors and prayer teams to keep in mind while ministering to people via Zoom.

1. Welcome participants before they step into the Zoom

Smooth transitions are helpful in encouraging people to take that step of coming (or clicking!) “forward” for prayer. For instance, if your church provides Zoom prayer after your main online service, include a slide that clearly shows the Zoom link or QR code as the service draws to a close.

At the same time, the pastor or team leader in charge of the Zoom prayer can also consider posting a friendly invitation in the platform’s chat box, along with the Zoom link. That personal touch goes a long way in transitioning a person needing prayer from the outside, and then into Zoom.

2. Make long links user-friendly

Make long Zoom links appear more manageable by using free URL shorteners such as Bitly, TinyURL or Rebrandly. Visually, the links look less fiddly, which is helpful especially for older folk who may find technology daunting.

Another idea is to minimise the number of steps (or literally, clicks) that take people right into Zoom. If your altar call period is relatively short (about 15 minutes or less) you could consider doing away with the password into the specific Zoom call altogether, so that a single click on the Zoom link takes people right into the Zoom call (or Waiting Room).

3. Talk participants through what they can expect

Another critical place of managing transitions is at the point where people dial in to Zoom and hang out in the Waiting Room, if you decide to have one at all. This is where you can share brief points in the chat box on what they can expect when they are let into the main Zoom “lobby”.

4. Have a “Behind-the-scenes” prep

Organise who does what – Minimally, besides the prayer team, there should be a a) prayer team leader or chairing person b) a team member to help with the administrative details of letting people in from waiting room, taking care of any screen shares, assigning breakout rooms etc.

Decide what materials you’ll need – Is there going to be an explanatory slide for participants to view when they’re in the Main Lobby? Is there going to be music as participants wait in the main zoom lobby? Are there other online follow up forms that you’ll need them to fill?

Pre-assign the prayer team members 2 or 3 people (rather than just 1 person) to a breakout room for accountability purposes.

Debrief – After ministering to participants, prayer team members can return to the main Zoom lobby for a debrief with the team leader or chairing person. It’s also a good practice to have brief notes from each prayer team member about who and what was being prayed for. Again this is for accountability, but even more importantly, for follow up purposes so that people can receive the care they need (if needed) after that single session of prayer. This can be done via email or an online document sharing system e.g. Google Drive, Microsoft One note, Dropbox etc.

Getting started on livestreaming

@dm1n — Sat, 28 Nov 2020 11:17:17 +0000

Covenant Vision Christian Church started livestreaming in October 2020 to accommodate both an online and onsite audience as the church returned to physical worship services. Aaron Khoo, Head of Media & Communications at CVCC gives a run-through of what they’ve had to prepare in their ramp-up.

First things first – have a dedicated laptop or computer

To be able to livestream, we had to acquire a dedicated PC that we now use solely for the livestream feed. Our video mixer is still the same, but we now feed the video and audio source to YouTube using a dedicated PC.

If the PC is not powerful enough, it might cause intermittent dropping of frames, which we do not want; if the online audience deems the video to be of low production quality, they will either drop off, or avoid returning.

Basic software

The PC is running Open Broadcaster Software (OBS), which is a free and fairly easy to use interface. It works well with YouTube Live and Facebook Live, though it can only feed through to one channel at any one time.

There are workarounds, but it gets more complicated, or you’d need to purchase additional software. So to keep things simple, we choose to run our livestream services on YouTube Live.

Visual capture

We also purchased 2 new PTZ (Pan Tilt Zoom) cameras, and a remote joystick. This allows us to control both cameras and the video switcher from the control room. So instead of having 3 volunteers, we reduce the team down to 1 person on a given Sunday.

The PTZ camera also helps to control the speed of the camera movement, allowing for a consistent pan/tilt/zoom movement.

Investing in a video switcher

If you do not have a switcher, I would recommend the Blackmagic ATEM Mini Pro. Given the price, it is the most affordable video switcher in its class.

The machine has enough functionality to handle a decent livestream, or even recording. It even has DSK (downstream key) abilities so that you can have lyrics in the lower thirds, making it look very professional. And at a price tag of $900+, it is super worth the investment.

Audio capture

Our audio capture remains relatively the same. We have a HDMI feed (audio + visual) that is going out to all the TV screens in our sanctuary and to the multi-purpose hall. So all we do now is to tap the same HDMI feed and send it to the dedicated streaming PC that sends the overall feed to YouTube.

However, our sound crew does have to pay more attention to the sound that is going to the HDMI feed. Therefore, they have to mix the sound separately for the house and the HDMI feed. So they will constantly need to monitor both mixes, making adjustments accordingly to both if there is a need (i.e. echo, feedback, etc).

We always do a comprehensive sound check before the service to hear the sound that is coming out of YouTube. So we will “Go Live” on YouTube, setting the video to Private. Once we have recorded the “live” session, we will play back and listen to the audio in the video and see if any further adjustments need to be made. Once everything is set, we still monitor the sound via an iPad / iPhone that is streaming the Live Stream Feed.

Final tips on production

Understanding your equipment is actually more important than it may seem. Sometimes when we want a specific effect, or if we see something that someone else is doing, we assume that we will need new equipment to be able to achieve that intended effect.

However, once you understand your existing equipment properly, it may be able to do the same thing, just in a different way.

Learning about your existing equipment in depth may also allow you to stumble upon functions that you didn’t previously know it had.

So you will be able to add in additional effects without spending any additional money.

Finding good angles makes a difference. So we raised our cameras so that they are at eye level with the speaker and worship team. Previously we had a camera positioned from a bottom-up angle, so this may have caused some unflattering views of the speakers and other people on stage.

We added a filter in OBS to tweak the colours of the visual as it is being processed and streamed out to YouTube. This is an in-built function in OBS and it allows us to create more contrast and depth of colour to the visual.

Normally visuals that are straight from camera have a tendency to be flat or washed out. So adding a custom filter helps to improve the visual without any additional cost.

Communicating with parents during COVID-19

@dm1n — Mon, 20 Apr 2020 22:38:31 +0000

4 empathetic things to say to parents who are bearing the brunt of managing work and family fronts

Parents all across Singapore may find it tough this circuit breaker period. Having to juggle work (or quieten fears of a potential job loss) along with their kids’ home-based learning can be extremely difficult.

If you are a pastor or small-group leader, here are four empathetic points you can include in conversations or a text/ email message to parents who are feeling stretched this season.

1. You’re not in this alone

If you’re trying to juggle working from home and overseeing your kids schooling at home, WE FEEL YOU and we want you to know that you’re not in this alone.

We want to know if your job or business has been at all affected by the recent social distancing measures. We want to know if anyone in your family is unwell or if you have any physical, financial or medical needs or need help navigating anxiety or mental health challenges.

2. Make the best of this time, but it’s not about perfection

All of the other kids and families are in the same boat, this season isn’t about perfection, it’s about making the best of what we’ve got and loving each other along the way

3. Draw near to God and to one another

Now is the time to draw near to God. Praying first thing in the morning, praying at the end of the day, making sure you’re taking time to journal, read your bible and pour out your feelings and worries to God. Let’s fill our houses with worship music and be standing on the word of God!

4. This, too, will pass

This season won’t last forever and God is still in control. God isn’t surprised by COVID-19, and God is still here for us and our lives are still safe in his hands even in the midst of this storm. God still cares for you and your family and he is our ever-present help in times of need!

There you have it… four simple points to help convey empathy and provide direction during an uncertain period.