Sofa Church Comes Up Short, Sanctuary Church Wins Out
By Movieguide® Contributor
It is true that attending religious services in physical places of worship has traditionally been the preferred method for many Americans to practice their faith. However, with advancements in technology and the rise of the internet, online services have gained popularity, especially after the pandemic.
Pew Research Center conducted a survey that indicated people were able to connect with churches via video live streaming. However, the online experiences were still lacking.
The survey showed that Americans liked to worship together in person. More than that, regular attenders stated they felt extremely satisfied with the sermon (74%) and the worship music (69%).
Additionally, online viewers are less likely to feel connected to other believers over a computer screen. About two-thirds of in-person attenders said they felt connected to other believers while at church.
Online viewers said they felt they were watching without truly participating in church (32%).
Faith Family Church shared on Facebook, “why church on the sofa would never be the same as church in the sanctuary.”
“You can’t serve from your sofa. You can’t have community of faith on your sofa,” they wrote. “You can’t experience the power of a room full of believers worshipping together on your sofa. Christians aren’t consumers either. We are contributors. We don’t watch. We engage. We give. We sacrifice. We encourage. We do life together.”
“The church needs you. And you need the church…Yes, church on the sofa is nice. But it’ll never be the same as church in the sanctuary,” the post concluded.
Overall, attending church in person offers many benefits for an individual which include: a sense of community and fellowship, shared worship experience, physical presence and sacred space, pastoral care and personal interaction, and accountability and discipleship.
As we move forward, it is likely that a combination of in-person and online services will continue to be popular among Americans. Religious organizations may continue to provide online options to cater to a broader audience, including those who are unable to attend in-person for various reasons.
Movieguide® previously reported on church attendance rising:
“More Americans Will Attend Church This Easter Thursday, April 14, 2022,” they wrote on Twitter of the survey. “As life returns to normal following the COVID-19 pandemic, slightly more Americans expect they’ll celebrate Easter Sunday in church.”
Moreover, a new study from Christianity Today revealed that more millennials attend church now compared to before the pandemic.
“More millennials attend church weekly now than before the start of the pandemic. According to a Barna group survey of 13,000 adults, roughly 16 percent of regular churchgoers have not returned to services at all in 2022, but weekly attendance among those born between 1981 and 1996 has risen from 21 percent to 39 percent this year,” the report found.
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