Posted on March 14, 2025

The Crisis Facing Churches Using Facebook Live

If your church has been using Facebook Live to stream services, you need to be aware of a critical policy change that could erase your ministry's digital history.

Facebook is now automatically deleting all live videos older than 30 days.

This isn't a future change or something to prepare for—it's happening right now, and many churches are already discovering years of content has vanished without warning.

What Exactly Is Happening?

Facebook has implemented a policy that automatically removes all live video content after 30 days from your page. This includes:

• Sunday sermons
• Special services (Christmas, Easter, etc.)
• Testimonies and baptisms
• Ministry updates and announcements
• Worship sessions

The notification about this change was buried in Facebook's admin settings, causing many churches to miss it entirely until they noticed videos disappearing.

Why Is Facebook Doing This?

There are several reasons behind Facebook's decision:

1. Storage costs: Video content, especially high-definition livestreams, requires enormous server capacity and costs Facebook significant money to maintain.
2. Viewing patterns: Facebook's data shows that most video views happen within the first few days after posting, making older content less valuable from their perspective.
3. Platform priorities: Facebook is increasingly focused on recent, trending content rather than serving as an archive or library.

While these reasons make sense from Facebook's business perspective, they create a serious crisis for churches that have been using the platform as their primary ministry archive.

The Impact on Churches

The consequences of this policy change are severe:

• Lost sermon archives: Years of teaching and preaching suddenly unavailable
• Erased special moments: Baptisms, testimonies, and meaningful events gone forever
• Vanished ministry history: The historical record of your church's journey disappears
• Wasted resources: Content that took thousands of hours to create and share is deleted

Many church leaders have expressed frustration at having built their digital ministry on a platform that can change the rules at any moment.

Where to Check Your Facebook Settings

To confirm this setting on your church's Facebook page:

1. Go to Page Settings
2. Navigate to Videos
3. Select Live
4. Look for the notification about the 30-day retention policy

Your Options for Saving Your Ministry Content

Option 1: Manual Downloads

You can download each video manually before it expires.

Pros:

• No additional cost
• Complete control over which videos you save

Cons:

• Time-consuming process
• Easy to forget and miss videos
• Creates storage challenges for your team
• No automated workflow

Note: Facebook does offer bulk downloading and an option to extend the retention period to 6 months, but this is just a temporary solution. You could also move over to YouTube, but will it happen there too?

Option 2: Automatic Saving with SermonSend

SermonSend (by Sermon Shots) is a tool designed specifically for this problem.

Pros:

• Automatically connects to your Facebook page
• Saves videos before deletion without manual work
• Stores content in your preferred cloud storage
• Creates podcasts and transcripts automatically

Cons:

• Higher monthly subscription cost
• Requires initial setup

You can try SermonSend using my affiliate link for a trial.

Option 3: My Personal Service - Let Me Handle Everything!

I'm excited to announce my NEW service at reelslice.com!

What I offer:

• I'll be your human AI sidekick
• Pricing: $20-$50 (Limited Time Offer)
• First 3 clients get 50% off
• I handle everything without you lifting a finger
• Complete assistance with your current videos, including storage solutions

This is perfect for churches who want a completely hands-off solution from someone who understands ministry needs. Contact me directly through our website.

The Critical Question: Who Actually Owns Your Ministry Content?

This situation raises an important question every church should consider: Who actually owns and controls your ministry's digital content?

When you build solely on platforms like Facebook, you're essentially renting space on someone else's property. They can change the rules, alter algorithms, or even delete your content at any time.

Creating a Content Ownership Strategy

Forward-thinking churches are now developing content ownership strategies that include:

Primary hosting on platforms YOU control

• Your own website
  
• Dedicated ministry platforms
  
• Self-controlled storage solutions
  

Using social platforms for discovery only

• Share to reach new people
  
• Always direct back to your owned platforms
  

Implementing automatic backup systems

• Regular archiving processes
• Multiple storage locations
  

Multi-platform distribution

• Don't rely on a single channel
  
• Diversify your digital presence
  

Don't Wait Until Your Videos Disappear

The time to act is now. Here are the immediate steps every church should take:

1. Check your Facebook settings immediately
2. Download any critical videos ASAP
3. Explore the options above
4. Reach out for help if needed

Your Ministry's Digital Legacy Matters

Your church's digital content represents more than just videos—it's your ministry's legacy. The sermons you've preached, the testimonies you've shared, the worship you've led—all of it deserves to be preserved and available to those who need it.

Too many churches have already lost years of content because they didn't know about this policy change or didn't act quickly enough.

Don't let that happen to your ministry.

How I Can Help

I'm passionate about helping churches navigate digital challenges. Whether you need:

• Guidance on which solution is right for your church
• Help implementing a content saving strategy
• Complete management of your video content through my new service

I'm here to help. Contact me today.

Let's protect your ministry's digital legacy together.