As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
By Brian Richard
For pastors, the last decade has presented a perfect storm of cultural upheaval, societal trends, and accelerated change. Pastors constantly face difficult and pressing questions about how to “do church” in the twenty-first century. Since the internet has fundamentally changed almost every aspect of our lives, many ask, “Why shouldn’t the church change too?”
“Some 17% of U.S. adults regularly attend religious services in person and watch them online or on TV….Roughly three-quarters of this group…say they prefer attending in person” - Pew
“nearly 2 in 5 Protestant churchgoers (39%) say they have watched a livestream service instead of attending a church service in person on more than five occasions over the past year.” - Lifeway
“Two years into the pandemic, more religious institutions are asking themselves what a hybrid approach can and should look like.” - RNS
“While we certainly anticipated that many church members would return to in-person worship attendance after the quarantine, we were not prepared for the magnitude of decline in digital services. And this decline took place regardless of the platform: Facebook, YouTube, and others.” - Rainer
“Studies have shown that most millennials want to view 6 live streams of your church services before deciding to visit your church. That is a huge difference between the way we did church when I first started out in ministry compared to now.” - C.Leaders
“We probably have three times more people participating now than before,’ said Parsley, who in addition to preaching each Sunday hosts a noon devotional on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.” - BPNews
“AGTV not only features both American Gospel films (and will feature future films), but other solid films and series which share the same goal; guarding the gospel and exalting Christ. It’s also a platform for pointing people in the direction of recommended ministries and biblical teaching.” - Challies
“It is a very team-focused software that makes preparing for worship seamless, thanks to real-time updates and editors. You also get access to more than 5,000 free church graphics, 25 bible versions, and integration with other software programs, including Planning Center, Logos Bible Software, and Graceway Media, to name a few.” - C.Leaders
“Having written already about preaching to a camera alone at the beginning of quarantine, I hope to share some of what my team has learned now in this present awkwardness as we film a sermon during the week for online viewers and then preach the same sermon to those who reserve spots in our limited outdoor services.” - F&T
Discussion