Church Service Streaming
Connect Your Congregation Across All Campuses
Stream worship services with volunteer-friendly operation, integrated giving, and reliable multi-site synchronization. Reach homebound members and grow your online community.
Church Streaming: Reaching Beyond the Walls
Modern churches need streaming solutions that are simple enough for volunteers to operate, reliable enough for multi-site worship, and affordable for church budgets. Traditional broadcasting equipment is complex and expensive, while consumer platforms lack the features churches need for worship, giving integration, and community connection.
Common Church Streaming Challenges
Complex Equipment for Volunteers
Professional broadcasting equipment requires technical expertise that most church volunteers don't have. Training new operators is time-consuming, and complexity leads to errors during live services when technical staff isn't available.
Multi-Site Synchronization
Churches with multiple campuses need services synchronized within seconds for unified worship experiences. Traditional streaming delays of 30+ seconds make it impossible for satellite campuses to worship together or coordinate transitions between live and video segments.
Limited Budget and ROI Tracking
Church budgets are limited, making expensive broadcasting solutions difficult to justify. Without integrated giving and engagement metrics, it's hard to demonstrate the value of streaming investments to church leadership and demonstrate ministry impact.
The WAVE Solution for Churches
WAVE provides church-focused streaming infrastructure designed for volunteer operation, multi-site worship, and integrated online community features that connect your congregation wherever they are.
WAVE PIPELINE
Multi-site worship streaming
- <3 second latency for multi-site synchronization
- One-click streaming to multiple campuses
- Automatic recording for on-demand viewing
- Volunteer-friendly interface with training mode
WAVE CONNECT
Online congregation engagement
- Live chat for prayer requests and fellowship
- Integrated giving with sermon notes overlay
- Connection cards and visitor follow-up
- Small group discussion features during message
WAVE PULSE
Ministry impact analytics
- Attendance tracking across all campuses
- Engagement metrics and retention insights
- Giving analytics tied to service attendance
- Connection card response tracking
Church-Safe Features
Ministry protection & privacy
- Child safety compliance with streaming restrictions
- Volunteer background check integration
- Chat moderation and prayer request filtering
- Private viewing for homebound members
Recommended Configuration
Protocol: WebRTC for Multi-Site
Sub-3-second latency enables synchronized worship across campuses. Satellite locations can transition smoothly between live teaching and local worship moments.
Quality: 1080p @ 30fps for Online
High-quality video at 3Mbps bitrate ensures great viewing experience without excessive bandwidth requirements for home viewers on varied internet connections.
Fallback: HLS for On-Demand Archive
Automatic archival to HLS format provides efficient storage and playback for members watching services later in the week.
Implementation Guide
Get your church streaming in hours, not weeks. WAVE's volunteer-friendly setup means your tech team can have streaming running by this weekend's service.
Prerequisites Checklist
- WAVE account with church discount (50% off first year)
- Camera with HDMI output (existing sanctuary cameras work)
- Minimum 10Mbps upload bandwidth (most churches have this)
- Computer or tablet for stream control (volunteer operated)
- Optional: Giving platform API key for donation integration
Step-by-Step Setup
Create Church Profile
Set up your church profile with campus locations and service schedule.
POST /api/v1/churches
{ "name": "Grace Community", "campuses": ["Main", "West"], "schedule": "Sun 9AM, 11AM" }Connect Camera Feed
Connect your existing sanctuary camera using simple HDMI capture device.
- • Use HDMI capture card ($50-100) connected to laptop
- • Or connect directly from video switcher/mixer
- • WAVE auto-detects camera and optimizes settings
- • Test view shows exactly what congregation will see
Configure Multi-Site Distribution
Set up synchronized streaming to satellite campuses with coordinated worship.
// Configure campus sync
wave.multiSite.configure({
mainCampus: "Main",
satellites: ["West", "North"],
syncLatency: 2000 // 2 seconds
});Integrate Online Giving
Connect your giving platform for seamless donations during streaming services.
- • Integrates with Planning Center, Pushpay, Tithe.ly
- • "Give Now" button appears during offering time
- • Tracks giving tied to specific services
- • Shows giving impact to demonstrate ministry ROI
Enable Community Features
Turn on prayer requests, connection cards, and moderated chat for online fellowship.
wave.features.enable({
prayerRequests: true,
connectionCards: true,
moderatedChat: true
});Train Volunteer Operators
Use WAVE's built-in training mode to prepare volunteers with guided walkthroughs.
- • Training mode simulates live service without streaming
- • Step-by-step checklists for pre-service setup
- • One-button "Go Live" eliminates confusion
- • Auto-alerts for common issues with fix suggestions
Test with Staff Preview
Run through complete service flow with private preview stream for staff review.
- • Private preview URL for staff to test from home
- • Check audio levels, camera framing, transitions
- • Verify giving buttons and connection cards work
- • Ensure chat moderation is configured correctly
Launch & Celebrate
Go live with confidence knowing WAVE support is standing by for your first service.
Pro Tip: Announce streaming 2 weeks ahead to give homebound members time to learn about it. Share practice tips in bulletin.
Code Examples
Create Church Stream
Initialize multi-campus worship streaming
import { WAVEClient } from '@wave/sdk';
import { DesignTokens, getContainer, getSection } from '@/lib/design-tokens';
const wave = new WAVEClient({
apiKey: process.env.WAVE_API_KEY,
environment: 'production'
});
// Create church production
const production = await wave.productions.create({
name: 'Sunday Worship - Main Campus',
protocol: 'WebRTC',
latencyMode: 'low',
quality: {
resolution: '1080p',
framerate: 30,
bitrate: 3000000
},
churchFeatures: {
onlineGiving: true,
prayerRequests: true,
connectionCards: true,
multiSite: true
},
campuses: ['Main', 'West Campus', 'North Campus']
});
console.log('Stream URL:', production.streamUrl);
console.log('Campus URLs:', production.campusUrls);Giving Integration
Connect offering time with online giving
// Trigger giving prompt during offering
async function displayGivingPrompt() {
await wave.overlay.show({
type: 'giving',
duration: 120, // 2 minutes
position: 'bottom',
message: 'Support our ministry - Give online',
givingUrl: 'https://give.church.org'
});
}
// Track giving attribution
wave.events.on('donation_completed', (data) => {
console.log('Online gift received:', data);
// Attribute to current service
analytics.track('Service Giving', {
amount: data.amount,
serviceId: production.id,
timestamp: new Date()
});
});Customer Success Story
Grace Community Church
Multi-campus church with 3 locations
The Challenge
Grace Community's three campuses used expensive satellite uplink for teaching synchronization, costing $4,500/month. Their online streaming had 45-second delays, making it impossible for remote viewers to participate in real-time worship. Technical complexity required hiring a broadcast engineer for every service.
The Solution
Grace Community migrated all three campuses to WAVE, achieving 2-second synchronization between locations using standard internet connections. Volunteers were trained in one Saturday session using WAVE's guided training mode. Online giving integration with Pushpay launched simultaneously with streaming.
The Results
"WAVE transformed our multi-site ministry. We cut costs by 90% while improving quality and expanding our online community. Volunteers love how simple it is, and we're reaching families who couldn't attend in person. It's been a game-changer for our ministry."
— Pastor Mike Johnson, Lead Pastor, Grace Community Church
Best Practices for Church Streaming
Production Quality
- • Use wireless lavalier mics for pastor audio
- • Position camera at congregant eye level
- • Test audio levels before service starts
- • Have backup stream laptop ready just in case
Community Building
- • Assign volunteers to welcome online viewers in chat
- • Acknowledge prayer requests during service
- • Send follow-up emails to first-time online visitors
- • Create online small groups for streaming regulars
Giving Integration
- • Display giving button during offering time
- • Share ministry impact stories to inspire giving
- • Track online giving ROI for leadership reports
- • Thank online givers with personalized messages
Volunteer Training
- • Use training mode for practice without streaming
- • Create simple pre-service checklist
- • Provide tech support phone number backup
- • Rotate volunteers to prevent burnout
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need expensive equipment to start streaming?
No. Most churches can start with equipment they already have: existing sanctuary cameras, audio mixer, and a laptop. A $75 HDMI capture card is often the only new purchase needed. WAVE works with standard church equipment, not broadcast-grade gear.
Can volunteers really operate this without technical expertise?
Yes. WAVE is designed for volunteer operation with guided training mode and one-button controls. Most churches train operators in a single 2-hour session. The interface shows exactly what to do at each step, and automatic alerts catch common issues before they affect the stream.
How does multi-site synchronization work across campuses?
WAVE maintains 2-3 second latency between campuses using standard internet connections. Your teaching campus streams to satellite locations with minimal delay, enabling coordinated worship and smooth transitions. No satellite uplinks or expensive dedicated circuits required.
Can we integrate with our existing giving platform?
Yes. WAVE integrates with Planning Center, Pushpay, Tithe.ly, and other major church giving platforms. Online viewers can give during services with one click, and donations are tracked by service for accurate ministry analytics.
What about child safety and streaming compliance?
WAVE includes child safety features like automatic face blurring for children's ministry areas, stream restrictions for sensitive content, and volunteer background check integration. We help churches maintain SafeChurch and similar compliance standards.
How much bandwidth do we need at our church?
Most churches need 10Mbps upload bandwidth for 1080p streaming, which is available with standard business internet. WAVE automatically optimizes quality based on available bandwidth, so streaming won't disrupt other church internet usage like WiFi for staff and congregation.
Do you offer discounts for churches?
Yes. Churches receive 50% off WAVE streaming for the first year, and 25% off ongoing. Church plans start at $49/month (discounted) for up to 100 concurrent viewers. We also offer free setup assistance and training for church staff and volunteers.
Can we archive services for members to watch later?
Yes. Every service is automatically recorded and archived. Members can watch on-demand throughout the week, perfect for those who miss services due to travel, illness, or work schedules. Archives are stored securely with configurable retention periods.
Ready to Expand Your Ministry?
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