In the spring of 2020, as much of the United States began enforcing social distancing measures to prevent the global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the overwhelming majority of churches accordingly closed their doors; Barna polling in late March showed just 3 percent of churches remained open for normal use, while 73 percent were completely shuttered at that time.

Ministries shifted quickly to digital services, and, as of September 2020, three-quarters of churched U.S. adults (74% of Americans who typically attend church at least once in six months)—including 82 percent of practicing Christians (a subset of churched adults made up of Christians who typically attend church at least monthly and say their faith is very important in their life today)—tell Barna they have watched a church service during this pandemic period.

Faith leaders and congregants have encouraged each other with the reminder “Church is more than a building”—but can digital ministry become more than a sermon? 

Most adults who have attended churches that provide online services through the pandemic (60%) say this is the only digital activity their church offers. From another angle, when presented with a range of digital and in-person ministry options they might have engaged with during these months, 43 percent of churched adults (including 38% of practicing Christians) indicate they’ve participated in none of these ways. Where streamed services are available, it’s usually either the only online innovation churches have embraced or the only one people are participating in.