![]() “With our pre-recorded video, we could already see that we were attracting viewers beyond our core membership,” explained Bauman. Editing the pre-recorded services also required a specialized skillset, limiting the number of volunteers who could help, while the huge file sizes made it difficult for more than one person to work on it each week.”Īt the same time, there was a growing realization that online video could play a key role for Mill Plain UMC even after the pandemic subsides. “Initially it took 40 hours per week to produce each service, and while we got the production time down, it still took a lot of time not only for the editor, but also for the parishioners and lay leaders recording and contributing messages and music. “While pre-recorded video provided increased capability over our audio-only stream, producing each service was very time-consuming,” said Bauman. Bauman took the lead on editing video and audio clips into pre-recorded services on his personal Apple laptop. In April 2020, volunteer Chris Bauman suggested that a pre-recorded, video-based approach would provide a better sense of familiarity and "normality" for followers. Mill Plain UMC started first with a live-streamed worship service from a single handheld smartphone via Facebook. Owning no video equipment other than an old projector and laptop used to display lyrics and graphics through Media Shout software, the church needed to quickly find a way for the pastoral team to continue connecting with followers. ![]() While state-imposed gathering limitations would reduce attendance to fewer than 50 people, in practice the church's small sanctuary could accommodate less than 25 worshipers while maintaining six-foot distance between them. ![]() Like most churches with small physical spaces, the physical distancing restrictions necessitated by the pandemic had a massive impact on Mill Plain UMC's ability to host its congregation. The church has a total membership of over 300 followers, with approximately 150 of them attending in-person worship services each week prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Founded over a century ago, Mill Plain United Methodist Church (UMC) in Vancouver, Washington has a welcoming, intergenerational congregation of seniors, families, and everyone in between.
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