• Why does Pastor Kenny record online messages in his house? Why not just live-stream the service?
I get asked this question more than any other. The answer is actually pretty simple. Recording from my home was born from several realizations I had while making videos during the 2020 pandemic.
 
1. You’re watching our video from your home. How personal, I thought, to invite you into my home! Rather than watching me speak to a group of unseen people… from a stage… in a building that you aren’t sitting in… with zero eye contact… what if I spoke directly to you, as if you and I were having a conversation in your living room?  A conversation that just so happened to coincide with my Sunday morning message?
 
2. Recording a separate online message also allows me to accomplish other things as well. It not only helps us retain the privacy of those asking for prayer (sometimes people don’t want their requests shared publicly), it helps me to tailor my message to two distinct groups. The needs of those walking in the doors of a church on a Sunday morning are occasionally very different than those of people who are homebound, ill, recovering from surgery, or traveling. Having a separate online message allows me to better consider and incorporate where you are, what’s going on with people like you and the challenges you face, just as keep my in-person message separate allows me to better speak to them.  
  • Why do you sometimes show your in-person worship music and sometimes show online lyric videos?
We have two separate ministries that contribute to the making of our videos: our music ministry, which focuses on our in-person service content, and our online ministry, which produces and presents material for those watching from home. Our music ministry team enjoys sharing things with you that give you a glimpse of what they do in a Sunday morning service. Our online ministry team enjoys sharing their unique gifts and talents: video and audio creation, artful productions and other content. Together, these teams allow us to keep each video fresh and unique and provide a variety of opportunities for people to be involved and to serve.
  • Why do you share online communion sometimes? Isn’t an in-person service required to have communion?

You don’t need to be in a service to participate in communion. While it may seem strange to have communion in the privacy of your home, communion is something between you and God; not between you and your church. Its true purpose is to connect us with God, allow Him to search our hearts, give us the opportunity to examine our relationship with Him, and help us remember what Jesus accomplished on the cross. I can do that from my home, my car, a hospital bed… anywhere that I can take a piece of bread (or anything bread-like) and reflect on what his broken body meant and continues to mean, and anywhere I can take a cup of juice (or any liquid really) and reflect on what the new agreement between God and man — signed and sealed with his shed blood — meant 2,000 years ago and continues to mean to me today… I can take communion. 

As to why we share communion once a month, it’s simply a means by which I can lead people in the process; people who might not remember otherwise, or who might not feel comfortable conducting it on their own, without the guidance of a pastor. Also keep in mind that many people who watch our videos are people from our congregation who are homebound for weeks or months at a time. They don’t have the opportunity to share in communion with other believers, and this helps them get a little bit of that.

  • Have you considered making shorter videos?
My online messages average 20 minutes. While an average TGSM video is closer to 35 minutes, this is due to worship music, opening and closing prayers, special segments like communion, and additional content. Rather than determine what is useful or engaging to everyone, we offer a bit of everything and trust you will fast forward through anything that isn’t pertinent to you or your family.