Online services.....a "sort of" rant

HeDied4U

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Due to vision issues making it unsafe for me to drive, I have been doing church online since last July, so I'm used to the whole church online "experience." My church has two Sunday morning services (9:00am & 10:30am) which are streamed on Facebook and also on their website (I "attend" the 9am service). I understand the need for two services in "normal" circumstances as the building can't accommodate everyone at one service. What I can't understand in this time of social distancing and keeping gatherings to under 10 people is the need to stream two services when it's just the praise team, the pastor(s) and the tech gurus in the building. Since everyone else is at home, just pick one time for the service and everyone can "tune in" then. I know some folks might say that 9:00 am is too early for them or some might say 10:30am is too late for them. Well, in a case like that, compromise and say that one service will start streaming at 9:45am. To my way of thinking, streaming two services, or more, depending on the church (I know of one church that will be streaming all four Sunday services) from a pretty much empty building is a somewhat wasteful use of resources.

What are your thoughts? Just one streaming service, or multiple services during these times?

:)
 
I agree that streaming 2 services are dumb.
 
What are your thoughts? Just one streaming service, or multiple services during these times?

Our church pre-recorded the service on Saturday, and starting Sunday at 10 am made it available on demand. It's not tied to any particular service time, though the 10 am release time splits the difference between our first and second services (maybe coincidentally, maybe not).
 
Sounds like justification for starting a new denomination and pretending its the one God really loves most. Just like every other denomination out there.
 
What are your thoughts? Just one streaming service, or multiple services during these times?

It sounds as if they’re just keeping things as normal as possible in these days of nothing being normal.
And ‘resources‘ required would be minimal. If they stream their services on FB live it becomes available on demand anyway. After we live-stream a service, it automatically becomes archived on our website as well.

There’s something about being ‘live’ that appeals to some people as opposed to watching a recorded service.
For the record, our plans are to only live-stream one service (at 10:15) as opposed to our normal 2 service schedule.
 
Sounds like justification for starting a new denomination and pretending its the one God really loves most. Just like every other denomination out there.

I'm fairly sure that between "churches are streaming services due to pandemic concerns" and "churches are trying to start their own denomination," there's an awful lot of logic missing.
 
I am probably not the best person to ask because I am pretty old-school, though I am glad for streaming services for people like yourself for sure! Having said that, I think Tarheel touched on one element of the attraction and that is that some people prefer to tune in for a live service to keep things a little more organic.
 
I'm fairly sure that between "churches are streaming services due to pandemic concerns" and "churches are trying to start their own denomination," there's an awful lot of logic missing.

Human being have never been logical and churches have been started for less. Pick any denomination in existence and there never was "logic" involved in its formation.
 
I am probably not the best person to ask because I am pretty old-school, though I am glad for streaming services for people like yourself for sure! Having said that, I think Tarheel touched on one element of the attraction and that is that some people prefer to tune in for a live service to keep things a little more organic.

"Organic"? What exactly does that mean in the context of preferring a live service?

Personally, I don't understand the difference if you're not going to participate.
 
"Organic"? What exactly does that mean in the context of preferring a live service?

Personally, I don't understand the difference if you're not going to participate.


I might watch the Super Bowl remotely rather than from the 50-yard line, but I am far less likely to enjoy the experience if I'm watching it via DVD or VHS.
 
I think it is kinda funny that the fundys, who have always preached it is wrong to stay home and watch streaming services, are now streaming their services. Ironic.
 
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Sounds like justification for starting a new denomination and pretending its the one God really loves most. Just like every other denomination out there.

The Methodists were working on that, but the COVID 19 thing shut down this year's general conference because the Minneapolis venue cancelled all events for the summer.
 
What are your thoughts? Just one streaming service, or multiple services during these times?

:)

If the services are identical, it's just silly.

Many churches have one service that is contemporary and another that is traditional, and that could make sense to continue to have two streamed services.
 
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