Lori Stevens, PhotoLore Photography
Typically, churches that contact us about exploring satellite as a delivery option for their multi site campuses have previously tried multiple delivery options yet – for one reason or another – have been dissatisfied with the results.
I just read a very informative blog by Pastor Jim Elgi, where he walks through the process of effectively integrating the message across his own Vineyard Church of Central Illinois’ multi site campuses. Using this experience, he succinctly lays out the pros and cons of delaying your main campus message to multi site campuses by a week, a day, or a few minutes. It’s a great read – check it out here.
Obviously, we’re big fans of live satellite delivery at Link Up. In his blog, Elgi raises two “cons” that lead me to believe that his church chose Internet as their live delivery system. His points?
The technology to do this is not cheap and requires adequate bandwidth at every point in the delivery system.
Lori Stevens, PhotoLore Photography
Live satellite delivery is not “cheap”, either, though surprisingly affordable compared to multiple terrestrial deliveries. Satellite is comparable in cost to the high-end HD theater projectors that you may already own. The cost varies, depending on the features and benefits that your ministry requires. You determine if your delivery system is standard or HD, single or multi screen, live or tape delayed.
Unlike Internet delivery, “adequate bandwidth” is not an issue. With satellite, the bandwidth your church is using is dedicated – committed to YOUR live delivery.
YOU control the points where there is a potential for failure. The uplink, as well as the downlink equipment is YOURS. You control satellite costs by purchasing just the amount of space you need. Share the Gospel on Sundays – not bandwidth!
If the technology fails, the campus pastor is going to have to step in.
Over the last few years Link Up has designed and integrated a satellite uplink delivery system for several churches in North America. We design commercial grade satellite systems, which are robust and reliable – highly resistant to weather or atmospheric conditions. Combine this with redundancy and your campus pastors are off the hook.
Satellite is simple – easy to operate. Satellite gives you the flexibility to locate downlinks in campuses located in schools, office buildings – even strip malls. Once your system is installed, there are no additional operating costs when adding new campuses. No matter the number of sites, the cost of satellite space on Sunday morning remains the same.
Jim Elgi refers to the process of choosing a video system as a “journey”. No doubt that, given their specific needs at the time, every video system utilized by his church was functional. But I think Pastor Elgi would agree that there comes a point in every multi site ministry’s journey where there is an urgent need for MORE – more flexibility, reliability…more bandwidth for the buck. If finding the best live video delivery option is a journey, SATELLITE is the destination.