MediaShout 5 was released last year and has just received its biggest update so far. Why is it the biggest? Previous updates to Version 5 dealt more with bug fixes and functionality improvement to existing features. 5.1 is a nice leap due to its addition of 3 new features.
Twitter Deck
5.1 comes with a system to display tweets in a church’s service or event. A church can use this for Q&A, prayer requests, etc. This can really make services interactive and increase congregational engagement. I’d suggest choosing a hashtag that attenders could use during service or perhaps after the service for the following week. You’ll want to make sure you are comfortable with people using their phones during service to begin utilizing this feature.
Horizontal Pages
You can now arrange viewing slides within MediaShout in a horizontal grouping to save space. This should allow those running slides to be able to easily see everything in a single song together, and provide an easier time when needing to move around. Users can still use the traditional timeline view but this just gives more flexibility for different users who might work best with a horizontal view.
Volunteer Mode
This is by far the biggest feature 5.1 has and the one MediaShout has the most to say about. This new feature allows a church to create a special space for volunteer use, locking some of the more ‘pro” features you may want to leave to your staff team. Creating an environment where a volunteer is more likely to succeed will keep them from having the dreaded Media Team anxiety and more likely to not burn out. Check out their video explaining the new feature!
How is your church using the new features?
Cory lives in Richmond, Virginia with his wife and 3 beautiful children. He loves getting to serve local churches and pastors in his role with Salem Church Products.
