As many church services go virtual in response to COVID-19, we discovered two simple but important problems.
1) How do we show slides in addition to our livestream? Most churches do not know how to use advanced software to add slides to a video stream.
2) How do we help people access the service? The URL for a YouTube or Facebook livestream changes for each stream and Zoom calls require several steps before people can join the call.
In response to these questions, we burned the midnight oil to push out a new feature!
Starting today, you can show your slides and a YouTube or Facebook livestream side-by-side through spf.io. Here’s an example of what it can look like on a phone:
(side note: the text at the bottom is for captions/translation; you can embed captions in the video too)
(also, if you need more hands on help taking your church virtual, check out the Virtual Church Bootcamp)
A simple way to show slides and video
Two advantages of using this feature are:
1) You have a stable URL to share each week for worship (e.g. https://<yourchurch>.spf.io/z). It’s easy to share and remember. There’s no complicated steps to access it.
2) People can follow along since they see the slides and the livestream at the same time. Otherwise they’d have to switch apps on their phone or open two different things on their computer.
How to show slides and a video livestream
1) Get the link to your YouTube or Facebook Livestream.
2) Upload your slides (instructions).
3) Create a session (instructions). Set the playlist/slides for the session.
4) Go to the Video tab (it’s under Resources) and follow the instructions in the image below.
5) Release a slide from the slide controller.
6) When you’re done, you can see the final result by opening your audience view (e.g. https://<yourchurch>.spf.io/z). You should see the livestream and slides. Share the link with your congregation so they can join your virtual worship service!
Even though coronavirus is disrupting our lives, this is an exciting opportunity to discover how to effectively use technology to glorify God and love one another, especially when we can’t meet in person. Spf.io is just one tool that can help. If you’d like to try it out for your next service, get in touch!