Two things are obvious in our world today: Church attendance is declining drastically and social media consumption is exploding exponentially. Where then should churches go to reach out and share our faith? The answer is obvious—to social media hubs of all sorts, preferably through short videos, such as YouTube Shorts and TikTok videos.
I am not a multimedia expert. None of my videos have gone viral or get impressive numbers, but I am reaching hundreds more people every week through my TikTok and YouTube channels than I can reach in a year through the classes I teach at church.
Even if you only have minimal computer skills or don’t have someone on staff to handle your church’s social media, creating powerful short videos from resources you have available can be done very simply.
Basic Steps
Let me explain to you how I do it. First off, I don’t have fancy equipment. I simply use the camera in my computer (a Dell desktop) and a USB microphone.
I start with a lesson I that record in Camtasia—though you can use any video recording program or just speak into the camera to create your initial video. I then save the video in MP4 format. (You could also start with an already-recorded sermon.)
From the long MP4 video, I create video clips using AI-powered software. The two programs I use most are Vidyo.ai and Vizard.ai. My favorite feature in Vidyo.ai is if you choose to post your clip directly on TikTok, the AI will create editable captions and hashtags for you. My favorite feature in Vizard.ai is that it allows you to edit your video shorts using a text transcription of them, which is much easier than trying to edit a waveform. Both of these sites offer free trials.
Other programs that do similar things include GetMunch.com, Repurpose.io, Qlip.ai and Opus.pro.
Once the clips are done, I upload them to various social media channels.
How These Programs Work
Let me break down the process even further.
- Upload your full-length MP4 video file of a sermon, Sunday school lesson, devotion or whatever you have recorded onto the website you have chosen.
- Using AI, the program will create a selection of video clips from your longer video. This is the key part of the process. It does in minutes the work that would have taken many hours of complex video editing if you tried to do it yourself.
- Subtitles are automatically generated.
- You can then edit the videos or add images, music and outros, or do nothing extra at all.
- Post the videos directly from the program, or download and individually post them to your church’s various social media accounts.
I know this can seem intimidating, but it is very easy to do. Don’t worry about how you look or sound when creating the recording. Just jump in and share the words of eternal life wider and in ways you never imagined was possible.
Yvon Prehn is founder and primary communications creator for Bible805.com and EffectiveChurchcom.com.