Here are some of the questions we often hear from people as they encounter Altar Live for the first time. Don’t feel you need to become an expert. You can share and refer to this FAQ as needed. 

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General Questions about Altar Live

What is Altar Live?

Altar Live is an online platform designed for faith communities to host interactive and engaging events and services. Our simple, intuitive platform gathers your people together online where they can worship together in watch parties, freely socialize at virtual tables together, and find private places to pray with each other.

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How hard is it to use Altar Live?

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Altar Live is simple and intuitive. Designed with your volunteer staff in mind, you can create an account, learn the basics of the system, and set up an event in under 10 minutes.

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‍How do you invite people to an event?‍

Copy and paste the event URL and send it to anyone. People can join the event with one click, no login is required. People can also access your events through your community landing page.

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Does someone have to log in to participate?‍

No, if you set the event access to “Anyone”, the event is public. Anyone who clicks on the link can join the event and watch the live stream, without having to download anything.

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Why do people have to have an account to use some features?‍

Altar Live ensures your services and events are accessible to anyone, but keeps participants secure from unwanted online attendees by requiring email authentication before having access to more interactive features such as chat, watch parties, and the lobby.

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How does somebody sign up to create an account in my community?‍

People can create accounts in several ways. An admin can invite people by adding them as a member in your community with their name and email or send everyone in their community a self-registration link for members to create their own accounts. People can also sign up to join your community during an event. When they enter the event, they can choose to create an account at any time without having to leave the event.

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Can you remove someone from an event?

Yes, if an online participant, whether a visitor or logged-in member, is becoming disruptive or dangerous, the designated Hospitality Team has the ability to immediately remove them from the event and lock them out.

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‍If I use Altar Live, can I keep streaming to other platforms?

Even with Altar Live, your church may want to continue to post livestreams and recorded videos to Facebook and other social media. Using Altar Live is not exclusive. You can also stream or post to other platforms using our multi-stream capability.

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‍What if someone just wants to watch and worship without notifications or disruption?

‍Some people want to sit with others during a church service.  Others prefer to concentrate on the worship and preaching without distractions from their seat neighbors. Altar Live supports both modes. An online attendee can click on the bell icon at the bottom left of the screen to disable notifications and watch and worship quietly by themselves.

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What else can I use Altar Live for besides my Sunday service?

‍Altar Live allows you to create flexible space for your community to gather and be present with one another online. The functionality of the platform can be used for far more than just Sunday services: meetings, Bible Studies, Sunday School, and more. The cost of the software is commensurate with the cost of serving coffee and providing hospitality to members and visitors, approximately less than $1/per person per month. 

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Is Altar Live compatible with all the hardware and software technology we already have?

Use what you already have, and integrate Altar Live! The good news is Altar Live uses all the same audio and video equipment and live streaming software and services you already use, and adds a layer of interactivity on top of it. 
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Are you still curious about the community and engagement Altar Live values? Check out: What Does it Mean to Have an Interactive Church Service?