We see many churches on national television these days, and for pastors who feel they have a message beyond their own communities, I’m all for reaching out through TV. In a media driven culture, I’m interested in exploring any media platform that engages today’s culture with the message of the gospel. However, many pastors only think about a national program and never consider how much a local television broadcast can help their church.
Many of our clients at Cooke Media Group have both local and national television outreaches. I always look at both broadcasts individually because they have the ability to accomplish different things. In other states beyond your own, viewers will rarely visit your church, so I generally want to move them deeper into your teaching, either through the website, your livestream, books, audio resources, and more.
But for the local audience, I want to focus the program on driving them to the church. Time after time, when we design the local television broadcast toward encouraging people to visit the church, we’ve seen spikes in attendance. After all, a local television program can give people a glimpse into what your church is like, see it’s activities, and hear your message.
A new local church member is always better than a TV viewer or supporter because they’re more immersed in the local church, become part of the community, and engage on a much deeper level. And if you’re already live streaming (particularly with multiple cameras), you’re far closer to having a broadcast TV ministry than you think.
A local TV broadcast of a church service gives thousands of people in your city who might never think about visiting a window into your church. In a world where people are hesitant to actually show up, it’s a fantastic opportunity to break down the walls and give them an insiders look at your worship service.
If you have questions about how to make that happen, drop us a note here at Cooke Media Group, and we’d love to help.