In a pre-pandemic world, when people mentioned attending worship, I assumed they were speaking of an in-person experience. This assumption in no way minimizes the many ways in my lifetime people have heard and/or seen services of worship without being physically present - from the days of audio cassette tapes to the more recent options of livestreaming. I was taught that these supplemental approaches worked well for niche audiences, such as those who were homebound, ill, or traveling. Since Read More …
online
Giving Up Worship in Indoor Sacred Spaces (#1920)
For Lent, I’m giving up something big: the church I always knew. And, unlike past Lenten disciplines that ended on Easter, this change is one I expect to be permanent. Indoor Sacred Spaces as Primary From birth through childhood, adolescence, young adulthood and into middle age I have participated in weekly Sunday morning worship almost every week of every year of my life. At least 98% of those worship services occurred indoors within the walls of congregations I Read More …
Not Comfortable Returning to In Person Worship (#1877)
According to a June 2020 survey conducted by the American Enterprise Institute nearly 2 out of 3 Americans (64%) are not comfortable returning to in person worship at this point in the COVID-19 pandemic. Group Differences Interestingly, this research found that white Evangelical Protestants are the most ready to return to in person worship. The percentage who responded that they were either somewhat comfortable or very comfortable attending a worship service in person by religious Read More …
Required Digital Detox (#1395)
In the Spring 2014 edition of Facts in Trends Marty Duren, manager of social media strategies for LifeWay, suggests that everyone needs to engage in a digital detox. According to Duren, a digital detox involves completely abstaining from "everything online for a period of time" (p.45). While stopping short of prescribing the interval at which detoxes are required or the duration he recommends, Duren clearly believes that everyone who participates in the online world needs to take time Read More …
Online Church Shopping (#1319)
David Odom, Executive Director of Leadership Education at Duke Divinity School, recently blogged about the increasing tendency of shoppers, including church shoppers, to shop online. When it comes to those who are looking for a church, Odom notes that they "frequently visit the congregation online by watching services, reading about services and asking questions." This activity is a part of the screening process many now use in making a decision about whether or not to attend Read More …
Moving Sunday School Online (#1305)
For as long as I have been in ministry there has been discussion about how best to reform the Sunday School experience for children. I spent many months doing research on this topic nearly a decade ago as a part of my doctoral work. I continue to be intrigued by and appreciative of those who are on the front lines of innovating this important ministry of faith formation. Day Smith Pritchartt's recent blog post is one great example of how a congregation might choose to replace the Read More …
Online Communion? (#1234)
As online worship grows in popularity, churches are increasingly tasked with struggling with significant theological issues relating to this new way of being present (virtual presence) in worship. One obvious area in need of consideration is communion. More specifically, can Holy Communion / Eucharist / Lord's Supper be a part of an online worship experience? While independent congregations are free to decide the matter for themselves, most congregations who are affiliated with a Read More …
A Progressive Seminary First (#1228)
Recently I wrote about the changes made by the Association of Theological Schools that allows seminaries to offer accredited Master of Divinity degrees comprised of coursework that can be completed 100% online. Chicago Theological Seminary is now marketing that they are "the only progressive seminary to offer an accredited MDiv completely online." So What? For the future of seminary education to change as a result of going online, such an education must be available for would be students Read More …
Learn Together (#1173)
Seth Godin is the author of twelve books that have been bestsellers around the world and changed the way people think about marketing, change, and work. He is also the master of saying a great deal using relatively few words on his blog. Recently he wrote about the power of togetherness in learning. Godin affirms that mere access to educational opportunities is not adequate. Completion rates from MOOCs are among the strongest recent data backing up this argument. Given this Read More …
Your Church Can’t Ignore (#1131)
Carey Nieuwhof, lead pastor of Connexus Community Church, recently shared a list of cultural trends of significance to churches. His list includes: online as the new default, the death of checks, and declining trust in authority and institutions. So What? Churches cannot live in bubbles. Local congregations must be aware of and adapt to cultural norms insofar as how people live. If people can't experience your church online, are expected to give financially Read More …