During the Covid-19 pandemic, online church became the order of the day. As a part of our response to the pandemic in 2020, nearly all Protestant churches provided streaming services (96%), according to research by the Barna Group.
Now fast forward. Many local churches today continue their online church ministry even though they have resumed in-person worship. But how do Christians feel about virtual worship in this post-pandemic era? According to Barna’s survey, 32 percent of Christians would be disappointed if their church was solely online. Moreover, 40% say they would likely not attend their church if virtual worship was the only option.
For those involved in the survey, how they felt about online church was not a hypothetical question. They all were participants of digital church during the pandemic. Hence, they knew firsthand what virtual worship looked like and felt like.
As for preaching, three in 10 Christians felt that listening to a sermon via online church or in-person was about the same. Fifty-seven percent said listening in-person was more meaningful.
Reasons Christians Preferred In-Person Worship over Online Church
We know the church is not a building. Rather, the people of God collectively is the church. The church can worship God in a church building or away from a building. We all did the latter during the pandemic. But for me, some things were missing during the virtual worship experience.
Based on the series of surveys by the Barna group, many others feel the same way I do. Christians overwhelmingly favor in-person worship over online church. Of course, online church can still play a relevant role in the ministry of the church. Every local church that can should leverage the power of digital technology to impact this highly digital and mobile generation for Christ.
In the survey, participants were asked, “As a Christian church, for each of the following, do you think it is more meaningful in person or online?” Some of the responses were as follows: Children’s ministry (in-person, 72%; online, 10%), meeting people’s physical needs (in-person, 72%; online, 10%), welcoming visitors (in-person, 71%; online, 10%), emotional support (in-person, 71%; online, 9%) and ministry to the elderly (in-person, 70%; online, 12%).
When the People of God Gather
The overwhelming favor toward in-person church is due to benefits that are unique to the church being gathered together. That reality is echoed in the following biblical verses:
“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
Hebrews 10:24-25, KJV
These verses admonish believers to motivate each other to love and to good works. Moreover, Christians should exhort one another. These activities are better accomplished through in-person worship. Gathered together, fellow Christians can more effectively exercise their spiritual gifts to pour into each other and meet other needs within the body.
It is these kinds of interactions that resulted in participants in the survey overwhelmingly favoring in-person church over online church.
Copyright © 2023 by Frank King. All rights reserved.