Churchgoers believe some reasons for watching a livestream service rather than attending in person are more valid than others.
As many churchgoers continue watching livestream church services at least occasionally, they also recognize limitations in its validity and utility.
According to a Lifeway Research study, nearly 2 in 5 Protestant churchgoers (39%) say they have watched a livestream service instead of attending a church service in person on more than five occasions over the past year. Meanwhile, 1 in 5 (20%) have not watched a livestream service in the last year.
Today, watching livestream services at the highest frequency (18 times or more in a year) is about half as common as it was in February 2021, during COVID (15% v. 32%). Still, churchgoers today are nearly four times as likely to watch church services online 18 or more times in a year than they were in 2019, before COVID (15% v. 4%).
Keep reading this article on Lifeway Research.