Covid five years on …
By Kelly N S Woods
To think that it has been almost five years since the beginnings of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While some of us are left baffled at how fast time passes, others are asking whether this time was able to bring any new learnings to the Church and its people. One of these thinkers is author James Emery White.
In his book, Hybrid Church: Rethinking the Church for a Post-Christian Digital Age, White reflects on how the church needs to adapt if it wishes to survive in a digital world.
Though the pandemic may have forced these adaptations on us, it is important the Church understands these five lessons and continues to seek their implementation.
Lesson one
Moving from weekend services to week-long engagement
Traditionally, churches focused on a weekly gathering, often with the understanding that this was the primary way to engage their congregation. Moving away from a one-day-a-week message has been an obvious need well before the pandemic struck, however, the pandemic made it clear that church engagement couldn’t be limited to just one day a week. It is no longer enough to host a Sunday morning service and hope people would stay connected the rest of the week. To remain a relevant part of the wider community, churches need to shift to a more consistent, seven-day-a-week approach. No longer can we believe that a building will be enough to foster connection and access to community. Whether it is one-day-a-week or more, the church needs to integrate itself into asynchronous ways of discipleship, community and meaning-making; otherwise these areas of spiritual growth will be found elsewhere.
Lesson two
Moving beyond a website
The days when a church’s website could serve as its main digital presence are gone—and we have not even mastered this. Many of our church communities have out of date information on their websites, or they do not have the required information that people are seeking. In his book, White argues that churches must move beyond static websites and establish an active online presence across multiple platforms. It is true that simply having an online service isn’t enough, nor is it what makes online worship apart of your church’s ministry. We need to move to an active online presence because that is where their people are—on social media, streaming platforms, and other digital spaces. Unfortunately, step one is being ‘findable’, and having a building no longer makes you seen by the community. The steeple of the digital world is about communication, and that means having up-to-date information for people to access. The Church needs to harness effective communication, and that means having a fit-for-purpose website. Once we have tackled this, we can then tackle the question of what it means to have an active online presence.
Lesson three
Social media as the new communication network
Perhaps one of the most significant shifts in the digital age has been the realisation that social media is no longer just about connecting with friends. It’s the primary communication tool of our time. Social media allows people to interact with organisations, stay up to date with news and events, and form connections outside their everyday circles. For many churches, the importance of social media as a tool for ministry was a revelation. It wasn’t just a place for sharing announcements or inspirational quotes; it was where people were connecting, engaging, and forming communities. The church can no longer afford to ignore these platforms; however, it first must address what it means to even be online before it can hope to form an active presence across the socials.
Lesson four
Innovation became a necessity
What became obvious during the pandemic was that churches were forced to innovate quickly—and in many cases, to do so with little preparation. As onsite gatherings became impossible, churches had to pivot fast so that people could access their services via digital connection. White stresses that the focus of this lesson was not about adopting new technology, but rather it is about rethinking how the church engages with its people and its mission. Churches were pushed to get creative and experiment with new ways of doing ministry, often with limited resources and expertise.
Lesson five
Reevaluating the purpose of Sunday services
What is the true purpose of our Sunday service? What is it we’re trying to accomplish with these weekly gatherings? During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic many churches were forced to rethink how to approach worship, teaching, and fellowship. For some, this meant emphasising smaller, more intimate connections. For others, it led to a complete reimagining of how church can happen in a digital-first world. In the end, it raised the critical question: What is the mission of the church in a world where Sunday services no longer look the same?
We cannot think we no longer need to ask this question, as the Sunday services no longer look the same as they did when their structures, function and purposes were imagined.
Conclusion
Despite the urgency of these changes no longer being forced on us through a global pandemic, many churches continue to miss the necessity of adapting, and struggle to keep up with the language and methods of the current age. The question can no longer be whether the church should embrace technology, but rather, it’s how quickly the church can adapt before it’s left behind.
As White suggests, the digital shift isn’t just about technology—it’s about rethinking how the church connects with and serves its community. It’s about asking deeper questions of mission and purpose in an age where what is digital and what is physical are no longer seen as opposites. It is not just a passing trend—it’s an integral part of modern life. It continues to reshape everything from communication to commerce, and if we do not adapt to these social shifts the church risks becoming irrelevant. However, do not misunderstand me.
What we’re risking as the Church is not whether faith remains a relevant part of society; faith will always continue to be active and sought out, however, it does mean the Church may cease to be the place where people go for meaning-making, spiritual growth and discipleship.