Doing digital church: Can we really meet without meeting?
In spring 2019, long before Covid-19 was in the national consciousness, I wrote an article exploring Church in the digital age.
But I must admit that for me, as for many people, digitised church services have always been something on the periphery of church life. They were a comforting plan B if we couldn't physically make it to church. In the article, I encouraged churches to invest their time exploring them, but I didn't imagine they'd play such a crucial role in the lives of the majority of churches a year later.
Well, of course over the past couple of weeks reality has changed swiftly. Right now, digital church is the way that many are choosing to continue operating. And although in the past I've tuned in to life groups and prayer meetings remotely many times, last week I had my first fully digital life group – by which I mean every single attender was in their own home and addressing the others through Google Hangouts. We also had a digital service on Sunday and the children's pastor will be recording a message for the kids to replace the children's groups.
So how does church activity in this format compare with physical meetings, and why should we invest in them more?
I mentioned several pros and cons of digital activity in my earlier article and some of those still hold true. But right now, online activity is actually the best expression of community we have, and is helping to stave off feelings of isolation and loneliness rather than encouraging them.
It's digital platforms that are meeting our needs for community, encouragement and sharing in faith. For my own group, we were able to pray together, chat and share thoughts on a message pretty much as normal. We watched an online video about the day's topic and even worshipped together – it was much like listening to a worship song on YouTube and singing along, except we were still in community as we could see each other.
Another message that this online-only season is really hammering home to me is that the church isn't a building or a place, it's a people. We may have heard this many times, but it's more important to remember that now than ever. We may not be able to gather together or even set foot in a church building for weeks, but we don't have to let that prevent us from being church.
Matthew 18.20 indicates that as few as two are needed to form the church, and God's presence isn't so limited that it requires physical proximity. So stay safe – but stay connected.
Hannah Stevens is a writer and works for a Christian charity
Source: christiantoday.com