In Person vs. Online Spiritual Growth
Since the global COVID pandemic hit in 2020, I have had many conversations with people about whether small online groups and online church services are effective means of facilitating spiritual growth.
Since the global COVID pandemic hit in 2020, I have had many conversations with people about whether small online groups and online church services are effective means of facilitating spiritual growth. In my experience, this idea resonates and is more acceptable to those of a younger generation, while those who are older feel it is leading to the decline of the church.
In this post, I argue that online spiritual communities can effectively complement traditional church gatherings by offering unique advantages for spiritual growth. I will also address common concerns about digital ministry. One of the most common arguments against meeting online instead of face-to-face was that an online gathering is impersonal, and people would not participate. However, I saw the exact opposite in the groups I took part in. There is something freeing about not having to speak in front of a crowd, no matter the size. The number one fear for most people is public speaking, and I would venture this is more prevalent in the church, where individuals often feel they are not as equipped as they should be or might feel their opinions differ from those in the group. At younger ages, the people did not seem to have a problem switching from traditional church meetings to online ones as they interacted freely with their friends.
Online vs. Traditional Worship
Although churches have now resumed traditional services, congregants would still benefit from more online communities the church offers. I feel that many established churches, run by older pastors and elders, are missing out on an incredible opportunity to better meet their members’ needs. Some of the older people I have spoken to believe it is impossible to grow spiritually online, but I have always maintained that this is incorrect. After reading Ecologies of Faith in a Digital Age, I can now strengthen my argument.
One thing we see in online communities today is deeper communication.[1] In an online community, one is not limited to “an hour on Sunday” or a one-way lecture. Communication can be richer, more interactive, and enhanced by video, sound clips, or imagery. I have found there to be more communication, whether with online education or small group meetings. Besides more communication, I have also experienced better communication because there is usually a structure to the communication, and people do not have to worry about talking over one another or asking the audience to remember what “so-and-so” said 5 minutes ago. Online communication is better facilitated because one person can quote another to respond to a point or ask for clarification.
Another fear I have heard from older individuals is that moving more of the church online will lead to a place where a traditional service is no longer needed. Yuang Han Kim echoes this view in the book when he states, “This increasing phenomenon will result in a certain wearing away of the historical institutional churches and worship.”[2] I don’t see this as an “either/or” but a “both/and” situation. A traditional worship service absolutely must still be offered, but it should take advantage of online communities to help connect its members. Churches in my area typically organize small groups by age. However, the church could add these based on a specific interest, including apologetics, studying parables, or a book of the Bible. These should not take the place of traditional small groups but would enhance the overall community of the body. As plants provide for their ecosystem, so do people, especially in the church.[3] If the church wants to continue to meet the needs of its congregation, it must explore different avenues of connecting people. The knowledge and experiences gained from and by people in these online communities would then be taken back into the more traditional communities, thus benefiting everyone.[4]
The use of online communities, especially within the church, is bound to cause some controversy. I know a few people who believe that Facebook is “of the devil.” While I agree there are some things that should not be on there, I don’t believe that it is evil in and of itself. When we think of technology today, we should imagine what Paul could have done with social media. Social media and online communities are just another tool we can use to help spread the Gospel. I am sure that there were people 2000 years ago who believed that teaching everyone to read and write would be a problem because they could then begin writing their own sermons and opinions, which would take away some of the influence from the rabbis and priests.
My point is that we should use every tool we have available to help spread the Gospel to everyone. We have more information readily available than we know how to utilize. Opponents of Christianity use social media and information to spread their knowledge and attacks against the church. We should be prepared to respond as well.
Church as a Commodity?
A lot of the pushback with focusing more church resources on online ministry and social media is that some pastors see these tools moving the church into more of the commercial realm, as we have seen with many prosperity ministries. Part of the problem is that for so long, these “prosperity gospel” types of preachers were the ones primarily using technology as a form of personal branding and ministry. I have seen several pastors who use their own names in all their video channels instead of the church at which they pastor. This seems more of a personal branding message than a Christ-sharing one. The focus needs to be on Christ first and not the preacher. Whenever I see a head pastor promote his own YouTube channel or social media pages, that immediately gives me a negative impression. Everything might be legitimate, but to me, it looks like they want personal glory.
Another area of pushback from pastors is the concern that if churches move a lot of their ministry online, people will leave when they find a better preacher. I know of several families that have either switched or stopped coming back since the pandemic. This has led me to wonder about the reasons why they did so. For some, it is just too easy and too convenient to watch church online at any time and not have to worry about showing up for the service at a prescribed time. I was part of this group. I am not a morning person, so I preferred watching the service later. However, right after the pandemic, my family and I moved to a new church. Now, I really feel I am missing out when I don’t attend in person. Is that a change in me, a change in the church, or both? At the start, it was a change in the church that made me feel this way, but now, I feel it is more a change in myself and my growth and calling. I had to learn that the worship service is not about me but about God. I have had to re-train myself as to what worship entails. This is what truly motivated me, and I am glad to have that in-person experience.
What is funny is that I see the exact opposite in my school preferences. I have always found it amusing that in online education, there is always some sort of discussion component to help make it feel more like traditional courses. This is hilarious to me. During my undergraduate work, I did not make friends with the people in my courses or even really talk to anyone unless I was taking a class with a friend. There was practically no interaction on my part because I am an introvert and just not that outgoing. In my online studies, I have interacted with more people regularly than I ever would have in a traditional course. It is this interaction that I see as one of the biggest advantages of online learning. I find that the “forced” interaction in my online classes has really helped me grow in ways that I would not have in a traditional course. I don’t know if that is a result of the format of the class or my maturity since my undergraduate work, but I definitely feel more connected to the people in my online classes than I ever did in my traditional courses.
What Can We Do?
I understand that embracing digital spiritual growth is not an easy task for most churches and that most pastors do not know where to begin. My suggestion is to start slowly and work with purpose. Here are a few thoughts about how to embrace online tools to enhance the community within your church.
1. Start an Online Interest-Based Small Group
Since most people are starved for time and may not want to commit to another Bible study during the week, it makes sense to start an online group. Start with an interest-based group that is not limited by age. Keep it small, like a life group. The focus could be centered around a subject such as prayer, a book of the Bible, or any number of topics that interest the people within the church. Post a video “lesson” at the same time each week and let the members discuss. Since this group is not bound by typical time restraints, there is potential for deeper discussions and different trails of thought that may distract from a typical study on Sunday mornings. Although it is online, do not hesitate to offer in-person meetings from time to time to continue building relationships.
2. Intentionally Connect Online and In-Person Experiences
Another thing churches can do to embrace digital growth is to better align the online and in-person experiences. At the church I currently attend, we use different cameras to “look around” and focus on different people during the worship service. This is similar to being in the congregation and being able to look at various people and things during the service, such as the choir, praise team, and pastor. The idea is that this can help draw people into the worship experience no matter where they are. However, more can be done.
At the end of each service, there is a time of invitation so people can respond to what they have heard. For our online service, we typically exit after the first verse is sung and play a video encouraging people to text if they have made a decision. Why? Why do we not have someone live during that time to pray with an online viewer or discuss salvation with them? What if we did this for our in-person gathering? Instead of an invitation, let’s just display a phone number on the screen and see how many people connect. There does not need to be a disconnect here, but too many pastors see online services as a “less than” approach or something “tacked on” to the real worship service.
3. Communicate Online with Purpose and Intention
I see too many churches using social media only to promote their worship services. In a previous post, I mentioned the typical posting schedule of many. Instead, we should use social media to connect with others. Yes, we should invite them to worship, but we should also reach out to meet them. People are hurting and need what we can provide. I understand this requires time and effort, but if we are to minister to people, we must go to where the people are. We must recognize that we have tools to reach those that have never been reached before.
One way churches can do this is by explaining why they are putting on that large Easter service with egg hunts or having a Bible conference. Why are these things important? Most people in America likely understand what church is, but why is this particular event beneficial for someone to attend? What makes Easter special? Why should I, as a Christian, attend a Bible conference or revival? We need to not just promote events but explain their importance.
The Results
Remember, Christians are commanded to “go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19, New Living Translation). Again, we go to where the people are. They are online. Online ministry is something that will not go away but will only continue to grow. As churches and Christians, we must adapt to the changes and these tools in order to reach more people. The enemy is online, and we must be there to shine our light. Rather than viewing traditional in-person and online spiritual growth as two competing approaches, the church today has an opportunity to embrace both. This would create richer environments where people can learn and share their faith. Make no mistake, we need to be a part of a local congregation. However, we are no longer limited to meeting only on Sundays and Wednesdays. We can now use online tools to build smaller communities within our local body that can minister to everyone help people grow spritually both online and in-person.