Between the pandemic and the spread of virtual meetings, congregations – like other organizations – are left to wonder what it means for people to ‘attend’ services. Attendance numbers can’t be deduced by counting the ‘butts in the pews,’ so YouTube views and Zoom participants have to be added to the mix. But what are people experiencing when they ‘attend’ in their fuzzy slippers from home?
Those are questions the Faith Communities Today survey asked in late 2024 and early 2025 – not quite 5 years after the COVID-19 pandemic upended the world. Part of Hartford Institute’s EPIC (Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations) project, more than 24,000 churchgoers, across Christian denominations, were asked about their connections to their congregations and how they have changed since that fateful year. The full report is titled “The Place Means Everything to Me.”
That reflects the generally positive picture the researchers saw in the results – participation and attendance is stable or growing; personal religious practices are strong; giving and volunteering have rebounded.
But those measures of traditional participation come alongside a variety of fascinating revelations about how people participate.
- 85% of the surveyed congregations offer on-line worship options – up from 45% prior to 2020.
- While most people say they prefer in-person worship, 60% participate virtually at least some of the time.
- Attending online is primarily a matter of convenience and accessibility, with health, young children, and work schedules cited by online attenders.
That online experience isn’t completely detached and remote, either, although most people admit that they sometimes multitask during the service. But as odd as it may feel to worship by way of a screen, over half say they watch with others, and they read and pray and even sing along.
The online experience isn’t completely detached and remote.
Perhaps the most startling finding in this survey is the fact that almost half (46%) say they ‘regularly’ participate in other congregations – some just virtually, but many attend in person, as well. And this doesn’t seem to have a detrimental effect on their home church commitment.
These findings from a national survey open up important questions for every congregations. How and why are people participating in your online offerings? What are they gaining when they visit other congregations? What brings them back to the sanctuary for in-person worship? What keeps them connected? These are questions that focus on the changing culture of your congregation. Might a survey of your congregation be useful? You might also want to check out the Discussion Questions at the end of EPIC’s report.
