Coronavirus & the Church: A Survey About Church Worship Services Pt. 1

Coronavirus and the Church Part 1 Blog Header
by Jaymey Hardin

COVID-19 has affected us in countless ways and so much has changed in our daily lives and activities. The church is no exception and has undergone a number of changes as well. In fact, there probably isn't a single area of ministry in your church that hasn't felt the effects of COVID-19. We've gone from canceling in-person gatherings to streaming our services online. From missing those familiar faces to finding new ways to fellowship and stay connected. From meeting at reduced capacities and observing social distancing protocols to re-thinking what our worship services will look like for the foreseeable future.

By now, most of us know someone (or know of someone) who's contracted the virus - and far worse, some have lost loved ones in the pandemic. One thing is certain, we've all been impacted by COVID-19 to one degree or another. And we can benefit from our shared experiences as we navigate through these difficult times.

To better understand the impact COVID-19 has had on the church and our worship services, Discover Worship recently conducted a survey to get input directly from worship leaders from our member churches. And you responded in a BIG way! This was hands down the largest response to a survey we've ever had! Thank you for participating and sharing your thoughts. Below are your responses:

Is your church meeting in person?
88% - Yes
12% - No

If you're not already gathering in person, do you feel optimistic about being able to gather again in the near future?
46% - Yes
14% - No
40% - I have mixed feelings

Do you require masks to be worn in your church services?
72% - Yes
28% - No

Does your church engage in congregational singing?
62% - Yes
38% - No

Are you streaming your worship services online?
86% - Yes
14% - No

If you are streaming, which of the following platforms are you using?
68% - Facebook
46% - YouTube
42% - Church Website
4% - Vimeo
18% - Other

Which of the following are you using in your worship services?
83% - Pianist/Vocalist
50% - Worship Team
35% - Guitarist/Vocalist
26% - Performance Tracks
21% - Ensemble
12% - Choir

Are you planning for a Christmas musical this year?
16% - Yes
84% - No

If not a musical, what are you planning for your Christmas services this year?
We received so many responses to this question and wanted to share as many of those with you as possible. There are some creative and vastly different approaches to Christmas this year! Most are scaled back, some are very simple, others are quite imaginative, but one thing that's consistent throughout is a determination to persevere through the challenges and find ways to worship together as we celebrate Jesus' birth. And that was very encouraging to see! We'll share a large cross-section of those responses with you in Part 2 of our survey!

In your words, tell us how Discover Worship can best help you during this time?
To summarize the flood of responses we received for this question would be nearly impossible! Instead we'll share many of those with you in Part 2 of our survey.

Next time, we'll dig a little deeper, learn a bit more from each other, and reveal further insights directly from worship leaders in their own words. Be sure to check it out; I believe you'll find encouragement in the words of others who are walking through the same things at the same time. We are not alone, we're going through this together, but more importantly... we will come through this together.

Check out these other Discover Worship blogs about Coronavirus and the Church: