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Merry Christmas!
This may be a day of celebration for you, and I hope it is, what ever your faith may be.
But celebrating in the Christmas season may be a challenge for those who can’t get to church for some reason. Perhaps some are housebound and are not well enough to attend in person. Or maybe some have a newborn they don’t want to expose to others’ germs. Or maybe some are traveling far from their home church. Or perhaps the roads near them are icy and treacherous.
You still may be able to attend your home church by watching a live streaming video. Church services are available to watch live online and through apps.
Not all churches live stream their services, but you may be able to watch from afar if your church has live streaming available.
How to Find Out Whether Your Church Has Live Streaming Available
Your first stop in discovering whether your church has live streaming available is to head to the church website. Look for a link or a video that shows you how to live stream services.
Increasingly, churches are offering live streaming videos so those who can’t attend in person can still worship from afar.
If your church is interested in offering live streaming videos of its services, check out Capterra Church Management Blog, A Beginner’s Guide to Church Live Streaming.
Here are some sources for live streaming church services.
Sunday Streams
Sunday Streams is an app and website that lets churches live stream their services. People can watch these church services using both computers and mobile devices.
You also may be able to watch videos of past services in the archives section. Archives let you watch past services if you want to be reminded of especially moving services, or if you’re not available to watch during the time the service is live.
Archives also may contain special services, such as Christmas concerts, so you can enjoy them online, whether you were able to attend or not.
Ways to Watch Sunday Streams
Sunday Streams is available to watch on computers, phones, tablets, and on TVs. All versions of watching are free to watch but you must have a log in code to watch a church service.
Churches pay a monthly fee to stream their services on Sunday Streams. The church website can then provide a log in code to watch the service.
Computer
Sunday Streams lets churches stream videos through their websites so people can watch on their computers. Go to your church’s website to see whether there is a link to watch the service online.
You can watch full screen by clicking on the arrows in the bottom right corner of the video, or keep the video open in a smaller size on your computer.
Hover your cursor over the video to see icons for sharing, giving to your church, and getting the Roku Channel.
App
Sunday Streams has free apps for:
After downloading the app, you will need the Stream ID from your church to log in. Check your church’s website to find out whether they use Sunday Streams and, if they do, what the Stream ID is for them.
Social Media
Sunday Streams also lets churches share their live stream services using social media. Churches can share their videos live using Twitter, Facebook and blog posts. Check your church’s social media sites to see whether a live video stream is available.
TV
You can watch Sunday Streams on your TV by using the Sunday Streams app on an Apple TV or the Sunday Streams channel on Roku.
Bible
The Sunday Streams app also has a section with the Bible. You can follow along in the service with Bible readings by going to the Bible section of the app.
Included in the app are different versions of the Bible so you can follow along with the version your church uses.
You can also search through the Bible by chapter. The chapters are organized chronologically or you can sort them alphabetically.
More Information
You can find more information about Sunday Streams at the Sunday Streams website.
Other Ways to Watch Live Streaming Church Services
Churches also have live streaming services available other places, such as Facebook and YouTube. Search for your church’s Facebook page to see whether live streaming video is available on Facebook.
You may be able to watch your church service on YouTube Live. Either search YouTube for your church name or look at your church website.
Other websites and that offer live streaming services include Periscope on Twitter, streamingchurch.tv, and Dacast.
Check your church’s website to see whether live streaming options are offered for their services.
YouVersion Bible App
If you’re far from home, you can use the Bible app to find church services near you. The YouVersion Bible app has a section to help you find church services near you. By allowing the app to access your location, you can see which church services near you are having services and follow along in the app.
Links to the Bible app can be found at the YouVersion Bible website.
The app can show you which scriptures are being read in the service, notes from the sermon, upcoming events and times for church services. Some churches let you listen along to the services as they happen. You can add your own notes to the app and save information for later.
To find church services on the Bible app, tap the More icon (three stacked lines), and choose Events.
You will be asked to give the app permission to access your location. If you agree, you will see a map with a list of services near you.
A red Live box will appear next to church services near you that are currently having services. You can also search for keywords, if you want to find a specific church name or denomination.
The YouVersion Bible app also has plans for reading the Bible in a year and videos about the Bible.
See Holy Bible, Holy Tech! to learn more about the YouVersion Bible app.
Your Thoughts
Have you ever been unable to make it to church? Have you ever watched a live stream version of your church service? Does your church use Sunday Stream? Have you ever wanted to find a church service near you when you were away from home?
Share your thoughts in the Comments section below!
*Church photo (edited) courtesy of Lauren Manning via Flickr and Creative Commons
