In recent months I've seen hundreds if not thousands of images of empty sanctuaries or other sacred spaces used for worship shared on social media. And, I've seen nearly as many images with just a few people who are leading or preparing to lead virtual worship services during the COVID-19 pandemic. While average weekly worship attendance has long been among the common statistics used to communicate the size of a congregation that statistic usually stands on its own with no mention of how Read More …
worship
Most Have Not Returned to In Person Worship (#1889)
On Sunday I posted the following question on Facebook: When did you last attend an in person worship service? Responses I was surprised this post received nearly 250 comments. 116 people sharing when they last attended an in person worship service: Last attended in February or March: 61Last attended in August or September: 55 10 of the 55 (18%) of those who have attended a service during August or September noted that the service occurred outside. Since I did not Read More …
Welcoming Newcomers to Virtual Worship (#1884)
Warm Welcome Nearly every congregation thinks it provides worship services that are warm and welcoming. In reality, effectively welcoming and engaging newcomers is a growing edge for most congregations. While I recognized this challenge during my years in congregational ministry, I only began to grasp how widespread the issue was more recently. During the five years leading up to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, I visited more than 50 congregations in the greater Dallas-Fort Read More …
Should Churches Offer in Person Worship? (#1883)
Perhaps no issue is as controversial in church life right now as the question of whether or not to offer in person worship. Yesterday, Pew Research published the findings of their survey of 10,211 U.S. adults conducted July 13 to 19, 2020. Notably 7 of 10 (70%) respondents who regularly attend worship believe the operating status of their congregation should be open. Readiness Varies by Group Opinions on whether churches should be open (like normal or with modifications) or closed Read More …
10 In Person Worship Experiences from 2020 (#1880)
It has been over four months since I last attended a worship service alongside hundreds of other people. And, I have no idea when I might next have a similar - recognizing in a COVID-19 world that any future in person experience will be unlike what I knew prior to COVID-19 - experience. Today, I'm sharing ten images of worship experiences I had earlier this year at First Presbyterian Church in Fort Worth and Cathedral of Hope United Church of Christ in Dallas. (All images were originally Read More …
40 New Online Worship Experiences (#1864)
Online worship is what many are calling the new normal. Earlier today I asked my Facebook friends to share links to the online services they planned to participate in today. I was overwhelmed by the response! The following list is comprised of the first forty replies I received that included online English language services available on Facebook, YouTube, or the congregation's website. While I recognize that many congregations provide worship on multiple platforms, Read More …
Church Changes in the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic (#1863)
Nearly every American church has implemented significant changes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The surveys mentioned below offer data about changes that have occurred and changes people would welcome in the future. Each statistic comes from a different survey. 3% of Americans planned to attend an Easter worship service in person (PRRI survey conducted April 6-11, 2020)29% of churches have stopped offering communion for the time being (Barna survey conducted March 20 - April 6, Read More …
Worship In the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic (#1857)
I am one of more than 16,000 members of a Facebook group called Things They Didn't Teach Us in Seminary. While I had an excellent seminary experience, I did not learn about every possible ministry experience. And, I certainly wasn't required to take a course or even complete a project about ministry during a pandemic. Just a few weeks ago, no one imagined schools closing for multiple weeks and no one used the terms "social distancing" or "COVID-19" in everyday Read More …
Another Decade of Major Decline in The Episcopal Church (#1823)
Earlier this week Episcopal priest Tom Ferguson wrote a piece titled "The Collapse is Here," exploring The Episcopal Church's recently published statistics on Sunday worship attendance from 2008 to 2018. Ferguson offers several high level observations about what has happened and what the Episcopal Church looks like today: Average attendance dropped 25% (24.7%) between 2008 and 2018. Average attendance in 2018 was 562,529.There are now more parishes with an average attendance of less than 10 Read More …
Walking to Worship (#1793)
The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. The fastest way to get to any local destination is by automobile. I learned these simple truths early in life, and rarely questioned them. Traveling to Church As a lifelong churchgoer I made my way from home to a house of worship exclusively by automobile for the first 40+ years of my life. Last year when my wife and I moved to downtown Fort Worth, we started rethinking our reliance on vehicles. And, we've adopted walking Read More …