For many churches, the past four weeks have been filled with a massive transition of in-person to online. Meetings, services, small groups are moving to video conferencing and live streaming.

Whether you’ve been streaming online for years or have just started, here are three lessons I’ve learned from the shift to moving Sunday services exclusively online.

Presence is Everything

More than ever, people are feeling disconnected. Social distancing has pushed some into social isolation. Taking a service online isn’t enough to connect congregants – it’s incredibly easy to be anonymous on the internet.

Being present is more than just playing a video. Your staff team needs to mobilize to be present in the chat of your live feed. Just as you’d welcome attendees as they enter your worship space, give them opportunities to give and offer to pray for them – you should do so online.

Replication has Shelf Life

With the average length of a YouTube video at 12 minutes and the average visit taking a user to 6 new videos, you’re stepping into new territory when it comes to engaging your congregation. Simple repackaging your in-person Sunday service online is not a sustainable long-term plan.

The length of your service will make or break your longevity online. Should all services be 12 minutes or less? No. Should you look to provide a concise online experience that maximizes the time your attendees spend online? Absolutely. Chances are, your in-person service had elements that weren’t necessary, to begin with.

Simple is Better

If replication doesn’t work, then what’s the way forward? Keeping things simple. Simplifying the process not only lightens the load for your team so they can focus on engaging with people but makes the process of Sunday online gathering much less labour intensive.

No one in your church needs you to look like the megachurch down the road. If they did, they probably would have left by now. What they need is you. They need to connect to familiar faces that offer hope in a bleak situation. That probably means stripping back the “fluff”. Be mission-oriented, not method-driven.

How are you adjusting to the changes? I’d love to hear what your church is doing.