chaos herder.

More huge things to consider before going multi-site in a small town. part 3

Questions #1 and 2, are here. This one is HUGE, especially if you are a video venue. If not, adjust the question to fit your context.

QUESTION 3: Is the primary teacher(s) transferable on video?

And YES, video works in small towns. I would rather watch a video than not so great preaching live any day. It took us years (literally) to buy into it, but we drank the kool-aid and it has paid off. Even our campus in China uses 100% video and they love it. God's Word transcends culture, race, creed, language and media form!

If you are not that great live (but other things make your ministry blossom) then don't think without supernatural intervention that video will be any better. You have to be well above average live if you think you will make it on video.

If you have secondary teachers that don't have as high a gift, make sure that they teach shorter and that you help them understand the dynamics of video. (Move around a bit, eye contact with the cameras, use props, etc.)

And this is just as important: YOU MUST HAVE EXCELLENT EQUIPMENT AND PROCESS! Don't short-cut this! If you do, it will look like a great "Christian" film, and we all know how great those are (did you see Left Behind? Sorry guys...). Every short-cut, oops and technical miscue such as poor audio and lighting hurts twice as bad on video.

Couple other things: Ease them into video by piloting with your crowd. We did the "Nooma" type outdoor teachings many times before going to just a "sermon on the stage."

And when I teach, I demand 9 times out of 10 that we film the first 2-5 minutes outdoors or somewhere on video so that we all start "at the same place" before making the transition to the stage. Check out any of our teachings recently to see this modeled. It makes the transition that much easier.

People laugh, cry, react, raise their hands, and most importantly, hundreds have trusted Christ watching a video sermon...so take the above and use it for GOD'S HONOR AND GLORY! It's a heck of a risk, it takes a ton of time and resources, but the pay-off is worth it!

back tomorrow for part 4. peace!

Labels: multi-sites

posted by chazzdaddy @ Tuesday, November 18, 2008