4 Myths About Online Church
Online church has never been more important or accessible than it is today. However, that doesn’t mean that it’s an easy conversation or decision.
Especially as churches start letting people back into their buildings, churches have to decide: Do we lean IN to online ministry, or lean out and just go back to where we were before?
A lot of times, there are some unwritten assumptions about online church that hold people back about embracing it, so I decided to debunk those myths below.
4 Myths About Online Church
We’re Just Giving In To People’s Laziness
This one bothers me, because there’s a presumption here that it’s morally beneficial to drive to a building to worship God, and morally negligent to do the same thing anywhere else. Do some people not want to show up at your church building because they don’t want to get dressed and drive there? For sure. But is that really the only reason you can think of?
I can think of a dozen high-quality reasons someone wouldn’t show up at your building on Sunday at 10am (or whenever it is you decide they can worship with you): illness, fear of illness, trouble getting there safely or consistently, family travel, work travel, youth sports… I honestly could go on.
This is the reality: the average American churchgoer who considered themselves a “regular attender” showed up in-person 1 out of 4 Sundays, according to Barna. If you think that refusing to go online is going to change that trend… good luck to you. But how about we adapt to a changing world and give people the opportunity to worship with their church even when they can’t be there in-person?
2. It’s Not Authentic Ministry
Whether you know it or not, what you’re really saying if this is your belief is: “It’s not the same as in-person.”
And I would 100% agree with you.
HOWEVER-
That does NOT mean it’s not effective ministry. There are elements of church that translate well online, and others that do not. It’s the same with large group gatherings and small group gatherings - they’re not the same, but that doesn’t mean you invalidate one or the other.
You can’t have true community in a room of 3,000 like you can in a home with 8 other people…. But you also can’t sing with 3,000 other voices and see God’s power and presence through a worship and production team in your living room.
The same goes for online. I can hear a life-changing message, I can receive worship and have my heart changed, and I can even connect with someone and ask for prayer, share what’s going on in my life, and start a relationship with Christ. But no, I can’t sing with other voices, I can’t shake someone’s hand and look them in the eye, I can’t experience the ambiance of the building and the welcome team.
That doesn’t mean it’s not church. It just means it’s different.
My guess is that if you’re digging your heels in about online not being “real ministry,” you’re also a church leader who sees congregations numbering in the thousands and thinks they’re automatically a fraudulent church for that one fact. And I’ll be honest - if that’s you, that’s arrogant.
If you lead a small church, God bless you. I hope that’s not you I just described, and I know that the majority of church leaders out there lead smaller churches and have a great heart, a great perspective, and a generous disposition towards the other churches in their city, so please don’t hear me as being against small churches.
What I’m against is a small mindset, that refuses to acknowledge the necessity of changing ministry to connect with a changing culture, and instead prefers to identify itself with a MODEL of church ministry, and not the MISSION of the church.
3. You’re Abandoning In-Person Church
You’re not. You’re giving people another opportunity to worship God and grow spiritually outside of showing up at your building at a specified time that works for your staff. That’s all you’re doing.
People know that you can’t replace in-person church - you don’t have to tell them this. It’s the same as thinking that by putting football games on TV, you’ll never see another fan in the stands. What’s the reality? You actually build loyalty and a habit of connecting MORE regularly with the people in your church than if it’s in-person or bust.
Not to mention, the growth opportunity for you to allow people to see what a worship service with you is like in the safety of their home is astounding. Some people still don’t know what modern church services are like, and they’re terrified of showing up and being singled out as “the new couple.”
If you can provide content and worship opportunities to people during the weeks they don’t show up, they’re going to be MORE likely to show up when they’re available. Especially when it comes to kids and youth ministries, people are going to want to show up. People need other people… but don’t confuse THAT with, “People need to worship in our building every Sunday.” They are different.
I’d prefer my church members to faithfully attend their small group community every single week and watch church online, than to show up in-person every Sunday but never engage in a small group. Church isn’t about the building, it’s about the people… and if you create opportunities for people to gather in creative ways, they will.
4. It’s Only For Megachurches
It was 20 years ago, because the equipment needed to broadcast church on TV cost nearly a million dollars if you wanted to do it right. Today? It’s unbelievable how affordably you can be online in an effective way.
The revolution in digital camera technology over the past decade and a half can’t be overstated. The fact that you can buy a 4K camera with broadcast capability over HDMI for $1,000 or so is stunning.
Here’s the deal: You can have a 3-camera setup, with a pro video switcher and a second production computer, for $10,000 or so. Is that a lot of money? Yes… but does it pay for itself 10 times over in terms of impact? You better believe it.
I’ve helped churches of 250 people who didn’t have a ton of resources or people, but make it happen every weekend with 1 additional volunteer and 2 cameras. And they’ve got plenty of room to grow their setup as their church grows.
If you’re smaller, you do have to be smarter about what you purchase to make sure you’re maximizing your investment, but make no mistake about it: If you’re committed to online ministry, God is going to honor your commitment. He will help you find ways to make it happen, because He’s about reaching people and spreading the liberating message of the gospel to every soul on earth. I don’t bet often… but I’ll bet on that.
Now since you read this whole post, I want to let you know that Church Video School exists to help you accomplish your live-streaming and online church goals. Every week we have new churches join the Online Church Accelerator program, and start getting incredible clarity about how to do online church effectively.
If that’s something your church wants to talk about, schedule a time to talk with me today by clicking here. It’s not a high-pressure sales call, and if you’re not a good fit, I’ll let you know. But if you want to start seeing consistent quality and consistent life-change through your online church, schedule your free call today.
