Worship

Tools for Live Streaming Counseling, Small Groups or Corporate Gatherings

You have likely heard about instances of “Zoom-bombing” or hijacking Zoom meetings occurring to such a frequency that the FBI has gotten involved. The danger is largely related to how Zoom is being used more so than the security of the software itse…

You have likely heard about instances of “Zoom-bombing” or hijacking Zoom meetings occurring to such a frequency that the FBI has gotten involved. The danger is largely related to how Zoom is being used more so than the security of the software itself. If your church is sharing your meeting links publicly such as on a website, then you will need to take a greater level of precaution and apply meeting controls which will eliminate the ability of attendees to share their screen or take control of the meeting. If you are keeping your meetings private to small gatherings, less precaution is required.

See here for an informative article written April 1, 2020 by Mike Snider at USA Today. We have copied tips from the article for using Zoom at the bottom of this resource page as well.

How to Livestream Your Sermon this Sunday Webinar hosted by Send Network. Download the slides to the webinar here.

How to Livestream Your Sermon this Sunday Webinar hosted by Send Network. Download the slides to the webinar here.

Want personalized help setting up a Zoom account for your TCT church? Contact our Director of Operations, and he will share insights from TCT’s use of video conferencing over the past five years and also help you setup your own account.

Want personalized help setting up a Zoom account for your TCT church? Contact our Director of Operations, and he will share insights from TCT’s use of video conferencing over the past five years and also help you setup your own account.

How to Livestream Your Church Service: A Practical Guide by Phil Thompson, TheGospelCoalition.org

How to Livestream Your Church Service: A Practical Guide by Phil Thompson, TheGospelCoalition.org

These brief video tutorials will help you understand how to use Zoom, a reliable, affordable video conferencing software.How To Join a Meeting (the download portion will only be required the very first time you use Zoom)How to Use Zoom

These brief video tutorials will help you understand how to use Zoom, a reliable, affordable video conferencing software.

How To Join a Meeting (the download portion will only be required the very first time you use Zoom)

How to Use Zoom

Tips to control your Zoom meetings¹

  • Don't make meetings or classes public. You can require participants to use a password, or the meeting manager can make participants first appear in the waiting room and be admitted individually.

  • Invite with care. Do not share links to your meeting on social media. Email or text them directly to participants.

  • Limit screen sharing. Hosts can prevent others from posting video by changing the screen sharing options to “Host Only.”

  • Lock the door. You can close your meeting to newcomers once everyone has arrived. Hosts can click the Participants tab at the bottom of the Zoom window to get a pop-up menu, then choose the Lock Meeting option.

  • Use your silencer features. You can disable video for participants and mute an individual or all attendees.

  • Cut out the chatter. The host can disable the ability to text chat during the session to prevent the delivery of unwanted messages.

  • Boot the uninvited. Hosts can remove a participant by putting the mouse over that name and choosing the Remove option. Allen says you can block people from rejoining meetings if they were removed.

  • Preparation. Make sure participants have the latest version of Zoom's software, which was updated in January. That update added meeting passwords by default and disabled a feature allowing users to randomly scan for meetings to join.


¹ Snider, Mike. “Zoom Issues: People Hijacking Streams, Possible Security Flaws.” USA Today, April 1, 2020. https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2020/04/01/zoom-demand-zooms-but-problems-coronavirus-drives-stay-home-video-chats-zoom-has-issues-beyond-deman/5102150002/.

Additional Resources

Family Worship Guide

The following originally appeared as a blog post written by TCT Member Pastor Lance Parrott of Christ Fellowship Church in Bowling Green, KY on March 23, 2020.

The following originally appeared as a blog post written by TCT Member Pastor Lance Parrott of Christ Fellowship Church in Bowling Green, KY on March 23, 2020.

We are living in interesting days. These days are like nothing that we have ever experienced. The good news is that the Lord is not surprised by these circumstances. He didn't wake up last week wondering "Where did this virus come from?" The Lord is and always will be reigning on his throne. He is always bringing about his providential purposes for his people.

One of the purposes that I have been pressing is to "be still and present with your family." The Lord in his kindness has given us more time than ever to be present with our families. We have the opportunity to be intentional with our spouses and our children like we never have before.

We want to provide this resource to Christ Fellowship families every week. Maybe family devotions are unsual for your family. That's OK. Use this guide below to help your family focus on the Lord this week. It should take less than 10 minutes. It would be a great tool for around the dinner table or in the living room before bed. 

Day 1. Monday.

  • Discuss these questions as a family:

    • What are the ways that the Lord spoke to his people in the Old Testament?

    • How is Jesus the clearest and fullest revelation of God?

    • What do we learn about who God is and what God is like by looking at Jesus?

  • Close in Prayer: Ask the Lord to show us more of the beauty and glory of Jesus.

Day 2. Tuesday.

  • Discuss these questions as a family:

    • What does it mean that "he upholds the universe by the word of his power?"

    • How do you feel knowing that Jesus is in complete control of everything?

    • Why is Jesus being in control better than you being in control of your life?

  • Close in Prayer: Ask the Lord to give us peace and trust that he is in control.

Day 3. Wednesday.

  • Discuss these questions as a family:

    • What did Jesus do to make you and me clean from all our sins?

    • How does it give us hope knowing that Jesus is seated at the right hand of God and is reigning as our King?

  • Close in Prayer:  Thank Jesus for his sacrifice for our sins and for him being our King

Day 4. Thursday.

  • Discuss these questions as a family:

    • Why is Jesus more worthy of praise than anything else in the world?

    • What are some things that we worship more than Jesus?

    • How can we as a family focus on Jesus being most important in our lives?

  • Close in Prayer: Ask the Lord to bring about worship of him above everything else in this world.

Day 5. Friday.

  • Discuss these questions as a family:

    • How can we as a family humble ourselves under God's mighty hand?

    • What are the worries and cares that you can "throw on the Lord once for all?"

  • Close in Prayer: Ask the Lord to take our worries and to carry all of them for us.

Additional Resources

4 Steps to Help Small Churches Implement Online Giving

Saturating the World with Eternal Joy

Hyper-Calvinism & Christian Hedonism

TCT National Call with John Piper

TCT National Call with John Piper

On September 4, 2019, we sat with Pastor John via video conference call and he shared some thoughts on maintaining wonder in pastoral ministry and answered a variety of personal questions from TCT pastors and planters.