Using Video and Animation to Engage Parishioners

Churches all over the world are tapping into the power of video and animation to engage their members, build community, and share the Gospel. We’ve collected some ways to regularly harness these tools for your parish. 

• Facebook and Instagram Stories/Reels
  The story and reel features on your church’s Facebook and Instagram profiles are a great choice for incorporating video and animation because the editing software you might need for your video clip is included right there in the apps. Simply upload a video you want to use and then follow the app’s prompts for editing. You can also use their tools to add animated stickers, music, captions, links, and more to make your post stand out. 

• Make Your Website’s Hero Image a Video
  Our designers suggest using a hero image on your church’s homepage to capture the attention of viewers visiting the page right away. Consider using a video clip of your community during Mass or your pastor greeting parishioners as this hero image. We recently designed a website for St. Patrick Catholic Church in Hutto, TX that does just that! Our website building tool, WeConnet, can make adding a video as your hero image easy for you.

• Clips from your Livestream Masses and Event
  If you currently livestream Mass or other special events, consider taking segments out of the full livestream recording and repurposing them as video clips to post to your social media or website. Viewers might enjoy seeing — 
• The amazing job your choir did on a song at Mass, or a great solo
• Father’s joke during his homily that landed just right
• A special moment during a cultural celebration
• Special blessings for groups like catechists or graduating high school seniors
• Youth acting out the Gospel at a special children’s Mass

• Accompany Mass Announcements with Video or Animations
  If your parish uses video screens inside of your sanctuary, videos and animations can be a fantastic way to help people stay engaged during your Mass announcements. Even simply using a little animation in the digital slides that accompany the spoken announcements can help people remember what has been shared.
  
  Hearing from those involved in an upcoming event via a short video interview about the merits of the event or the work that goes into holding the event, is another great way to make a Mass announcement more memorable. This can also be useful as a back-up announcement if those who are supposed to make the announcement in-person are unable to. Rotating between a parishioner making an announcement and a video announcement at the end of Mass can also be engaging!

• Parishioner Testimonies
  Consider making a few 2-minute videos of parishioners talking about their faith journey or what they like about your parish. These could be uploaded to YouTube, put on your church website, or used on your social media feeds. Don’t forget to acquire parental permission first before posting any videos featuring a minor. 

• Priest Engagement
  What might help your parish get to know your pastor a little better? He might be interested in being featured in short clips about why he loves the parish, a book he is reading, stories from his childhood, or current events happening at your church. These types of videos make great social media content and can also help your church feel more welcoming when featured on your homepage. 
  
  

Keep video clips short. The longer the video, the more of your audience you will eventually lose as it plays on. For social media sharing, aim for 1 minute or less.

There are many free or low-cost video editing programs out there, but some computers and smart phones already come with editing applications pre-loaded. Check your apps to see if there is already an editing solution waiting for you on your device. If not, a simple search in your device’s app store will pull up plenty of great options.

Use your parishioners! Some of your community members might already be skilled at creating and using video and animation content. Ask them to volunteer to help the church staff learn or to take charge and dream up new content. This may prove to be a useful way to engage with the young adults of your parish.

Updated on 03-13-2024