“What’s up, my YouTube subscribers? So in today’s video, I’m gonna show you something spectacular at the end of this video. Make sure you click the subscribe button and the notification bell for all the latest updates.” 

Sound familiar to you?

The chances are you must have heard these similar opening spiels from some random YouTuber who has amassed a decent number of views and followers. That’s because YouTube has significantly changed how we experience watching videos and even immerse ourselves online.

While there are several video streaming websites, billions of people still turn to YouTube as the go-to place for video content while engaging online. For churches, YouTube serves as a great source of inspiration. 

Are you looking for a worship song and its lyrics and melody? 

Do you need some new ideas for your sermons?.

Have you been seeking tutorials on how to set up your church choir?

As a church, you can’t help but say, ‘It’s on YouTube!’    

How can YouTube help churches?

There’s no question that churches can similarly use the power of YouTube to their advantage! 

Churches can create their online channels on this platform, engage followers—believers or not, and most importantly, share about Jesus Christ. However, the competition for views and engagement is tight. Video content is becoming more complex. Viewers are more cautious of clickbait. Sometimes, your niche is already saturated.

The problem for most YouTube creators is that they run out of ideas or settle for the same old content without making the necessary changes. We also notice that the same issue applies to churches scaling their online ministries.

Now, if your church is leaning towards using YouTube or you have already been using YouTube for some time, this begs the question: what can you do uniquely for your church on YouTube?

If there’s one lesson we can learn from YouTube’s growth and all the content creators’ creativity, is that it must resonate with the audience and truly engage them.

So, in this blog, we’ll show you the top five ideas you can use for your church’s next YouTube video.

1. Livestream Sunday Service and Major Church Events

Let’s start with a staple use of YouTube for churches—Livestreams.

It’s 2024, and churches must take advantage of YouTube’s technology that allows churches to stream their Sunday Service for free! You can design your live broadcasts both for church members and non-members.

Let’s face it—church members are challenged with being present on all Sundays of the year. They have valid reasons for not making it to church on some Sundays, so it would be best if they still get to witness and participate online. That way, they remain connected to the church.

On the other hand, broadcasting church services and events also means reaching out to non-members who may develop an interest in your church. Perhaps, some random netizen needs the comfort of the church, and they chance upon your live stream, you still got to serve that person. 

You can read more about the importance of livestreaming your church services by reading this article, Why Your Church Absolutely Needs to Livestream Services.

If you’re ready to take your church’s livestream experiences to the next level, you can embed Tithe.ly Sites Live Stream on your website through YouTube. 

2. Engage with YouTube Shorts

The power of short-form video content is here! 

Watching video content on YouTube is as easy as swiping left to right or scrolling up and down. Not everyone on YouTube is there to watch 5 to 15-minute videos.

Many users would often be absent-mindedly scrolling their feed and only stop to view content that is as short as 30 seconds to a minute or those that have scroll-stopping captions.

Churches can use these YT Shorts to deliver concise, meaningful content for everyone. Here are some ideas you can use:

• Sunday Service/Weekly Recap- Have a montage of the highlights of the activities at church last week. Emphasize the theme of the Sunday Service. Use the necessary creative features.

• Daily Morning Prayer- The first thing most people do now is open their mobile phones and scan their news feed. How about you take that opportunity to inspire them with a bible verse or record a prayer of blessing for everyone? And it doesn’t have to be that long.

• Podcast Snippets- If your church is producing podcasts or similar products, you can take highlights of the interview and use them as YT Shorts. These can serve as creative previews of the podcast.

You can also check out some of the latest podcast episodes fromModern Church Leader for inspiration. 

• How to Hacks- These are often scroll-stopping content because they concisely deliver a ‘life hack,’ which is helpful. You can spice up your YT Reels with content like ‘How to Welcome an Atheist at Church’ or ‘3 Things You Never Knew About Moses.’

3. Power Up Discussions with Vodcasts

There’s something totally different when you listen to fellow Christians and see their faces. It helps you connect with them and follow the conversation.

That’s what distinguishes vodcasts (video podcasts) from regular podcasts! 

You can even make your vodcasts stand out on YouTube by incorporating strategies like creating attractive YT Thumbnails, bringing in experts and guests for the conversation, sharing church testimonials, and discussing practical life topics discussed from a Christian perspective.

Of course, you can do a live vodcast session, a recorded episode, or a combination of both. Make sure to constantly engage your audience by including Q & A portions or giving shout-outs.

In case you’re unsure how to begin your church’s podcasting journey, check out our guide, How to Start a Church Podcast Step-by-Step Guide.  

4. Create Your Church’s YouTube Series

Many people love to binge-watch television series. They spend countless hours streaming the latest episode of a TV series..

The church can’t be very far from producing its own YT Series. 

Don’t worry because we’re not talking about motion picture production here. Your church’s YT Series could be about the history of your church, a narration of your church’s recent outreach activities, or the transformation of some church members.

All this would require would be the essentials like your computer, camera, microphones, and a solid storyboard. Then, you can break the whole story into episodes which you can schedule at regular intervals.

That’s one way to have an engaged following on YouTube, for they will look forward to every new episode and hopefully do their binge-watch with the church.

5. Narrate Your Church’s Behind the Scenes (BTS)

People are not only interested in what’s happening on screen. Recent trends on social media have shown that one way to engage with the audience is to give a preview of what’s happening behind the stage. 

This helps you build authenticity with your online audience, and they will love it.

Showing the BTS doesn’t mean that you have to reveal every bit of detail that happens at church. Instead, you can work around BTS concepts like ‘A Sunday in the Life of Head Pastor’ or ‘Afternoon Delight with the Church Choir Leader.’ 

Find the interesting facets in these narratives. That may even inspire church members and non-members to serve the church in their capacities.

Over to You

Video content is compelling in these digital days, and churches must also leverage its power to help spread the message of God’s love. 

The ideas for video content on YouTube continuously evolve. It’s easier to capture and produce videos today compared to what it was many years ago. Uploading these videos on YouTube is even made simpler now.

However, churches cannot rest on the apparent ease that YouTube offers because what still matters here is the planning, designing, and execution of digital content that reflects Jesus’ message. The quality of these videos must reflect excellence, for they mirror the church.

All these attempts start with one spark of a bright idea to bring Jesus Christ to the world, particularly in these digital spaces.

Tithe.ly is here to help your church translate your ideas into meaningful digital content. Today is the best time to get your church level up its digital presence.