Hurrah for a landmark event.
Last Sunday evening our church hosted its first simulcast, the Family Research Council (FRC) I Pledge event. We met in the sanctuary and viewed nationally known speakers on the big screen. Over 40 people attended; a number equal to about 30 percent of our recent average Sunday attendance. Included were guests from other churches, new attenders and those who have attended church infrequently but were very interested in this topic, applying Christian values to political decision-making. The FRC program was very well received. In addition, one of our technical whizzes, Josh Basile, made our first simulcast work flawlessly.
Upgrades made it possible
Over the years since we first caught the vision of using a screen in church for song words, video clips, PowerPoint, etc. we have gradually been upgrading our capabilities. When this opportunity came along, we realized that we now had the ability to host such an event.
Simulcasts may become a significant ministry
I believe that hosting simulcasts will now become a significant means of ministry for our church. National speakers frequently organize such events and ask churches to host them. The cost is usually modest because the speaker wants to get their ideas out. But in our celebrity conscious world, famous speakers and hot topics can definitely draw an audience. The bottom line is, if chosen carefully, I believe such programming can strongly influence people in our area to follow Jesus.