Southwest Congregation Invests in Digital Evangelism

Matthew Lucio

9 hours ago

1 min read

One of the new Canon CR-N300 PTZ cameras

Matthew J. Lucio

Assistant to the President

for Communication

The Southwest church in Orland Park recently decided to upgrade its livestreaming equipment so online participants can feel closer to the people in the pews.

By investing in digital evangelism, such as livestreaming a service, a small congregation like Southwest is able to exponentially expand the reach of the congregaton beyond its neighborhoods. Tuning in to the livestream is also a great way for someone to "visit" a church before stepping through the door.

Southwest replaced an old camcorder with two Canon CR-N300 PTZ cameras, an ATEM Mini video switcher, and a Canon PTZ controller.

Before COVID-19, livestreaming was a relatively uncommon practice among American congregations. The pandemic transformed it into a mainstream ministry tool. By 2022, 84% of Protestant churches were livestreaming worship services, and as recently as 2025, congregations reported 20 median weekly participants online.

You can watch Southwest church's livestreams on their YouTube channel.

Please send any news items of what God is doing around the Illinois Conference to communication@ilcsda.org.