Platforms, apps, and networks once built as a supplement to in-person gatherings have become the primary point of connection for millions.
More Christians worshiped, prayed, and shared Scripture online in the last week than ever before, as coronavirus precautions shut down in-person church gatherings across the US and around the globe.
Bobby Gruenewald would know. His team at Life.Church developed the popular YouVersion Bible app as well as the Church Online Platform, which was used to stream worship to more than 4.7 million devices last weekend, quadruple its typical reach.
These technologies have existed for well over a decade, and about a quarter of Protestant churches in the US already livestream services in some format, according to LifeWay Research.
But what happened starting last weekend was unprecedented.
Churches across traditions took advantage of the technology and met over YouTube, Facebook Live, Zoom, and outlets like Church Online, which saw 8,800 new churches join in the past seven days. It’s a free platform that supplements a typical service video with administrative tools on the backend so congregants can participate in sermon discussions and leaders can connect with individuals who need prayer.
Gruenewald said when they built Church Online 14 years ago, they imagined it would help tech-savvy churches get their messages to a new crowd, allow services to go on in the aftermath of natural disasters like tornadoes and hurricanes, and provide a way for Christians to gather in places where their activities are restricted.
“But we didn’t anticipate a time where in our country nearly every church’s doors are closed. That was unthinkable,” Gruenewald said. “It’s like there’s an ark being built, and we didn’t know it would rain.”
Churches’ digital resources typically supplement in-person gatherings, ...
from Christianity Today Magazine https://ift.tt/33zZUpo
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