A church “pundit” recently said that “online church is here to stay.”

Sure, you can allow people to view your services online. You can even have a position where someone says hello in a chat each week and answers questions.
But that isn’t “church.”

ἐκκλησία / church is defined as “a calling out, i.e. (concretely) a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation.”

It is understood to be “a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly.”
Online “church” is the opposite. It is a staying home, a lack of assembly. With online church there is no being called out in public, no concrete declaration of intention that is visible, tangible or relational.
Viewing something that others are participating in is not the same thing as doing that activity or joining that gathering yourself. For example:

If I watched a sports team play their game on tv, wore the jersey, held the ball in my hand and remained on my couch the entire time only to later insist that I was part of that team, on the roster, present in the gameplay, and had a part and role in their victory…people would say I was delusional.
“But I watch every week!”
That doesn’t make you part of the team.

• Are you working out w them?
• Did you actually take part in running a play?
• Were you in the locker room?
• etc…

A new example:
Let’s say you invite me to look at pictures and video from your recent vacation. As you’re showing me the pictures and as I’m watching the video I begin insisting “Yes, I was there.“ and “That was so much fun, I’m so glad we got to do that.“ and made other statements indicating I believed I was taking part in your vacation, even though I was at home and nowhere near what you were doing.
Would you agree that I was on your trip with you? Just because I saw the pictures does that mean I get to claim I participated?
No, of course not.
Would it be kind to enable that misconception?
No, of course not.
So why do we do it with church?
Why do we let people labor under an impression that they are doing something or part of something that they plainly are not?
So, what’s the alternative? What do we do?
How can we really help the sick and shut in -be- part of the church, and how can we encourage and direct the non-committal to come and take part?

There are thousands and thousands of people every week who stay at home, not because they can’t get out, but because they’ve been told that watching is the same thing as participating.
They cannot serve anyone, putting their faith into practice.
They cannot take place in the beautiful “one anothers” we are given in scripture.
They cannot join in communion.
They will not be able to look someone in the eye who appreciates their presence because they get to hear them worship alongside of them.

And the effectiveness of the church is decreased because they are not there.
We’ve all heard the sermon illustration about the coal being removed from the fire, how its heat and glow dwindles and dies.
We’re not meant to fly solo.
There is no “church on my own” or “church online” because those phrases are inherently and irredeemably paradoxical.
The church is the gathered people -NOT- the service.
The church is the gathered people -NOT- an “experience.”

We do more harm than we can account for by telling people they can stand apart yet be a part.If someone is sick and cannot come, fair enough. Take 2-3 people, the communion elements and your sermon notes and go minister to that person until they are well, or until Christ takes them home. That makes them part, and everyone is blessed in performing the “one anothers.”If someone is mentally or emotionally unwell, and groups are scary. Then go and do the same thing for them, minister to them.

But if someone is able bodied, and sound in their mind/emotions, and just won’t come to participate, then they need to be lovingly led back into fellowship. Their growth and health in Christ is in danger the longer they just watch and stay apart.I’m not speaking theoretically here. I have spoken to thousands and thousands of people who “just watch from home” over the last 4.5 years. And I can tell you definitively, not one of them is better for it.

Not one.

The church gathers.
The church goes out to minister.
But there is no such thing as “church online.”

So, Pastors, what do we do? We can’t put the cat back in the bag can we?

Can we?

First: People being able to check out a sermon online is a great tool for communicating the gospel, so we don’t want to get rid of that.

Second: People moving into town looking for churches get a “peek” into the life of your church by letting them see an example of your methodology and doctrine. (Whether this is helpful, or if removing the element of human interaction is wise is something to be debated.)

Third: We can reconsider how we interact with people in our online spaces. We don’t want to leverage through guilt, even for a moment, but we do need to communicate with people honestly and openly that an “online campus” shouldn’t be viewed as a long-term option if they are able bodied and mentally/emotionally healthy, and even then, those who struggle with their mental or emotional health would still benefit from time in a smaller group as a transition point back into the life of the church.

Connection through Invitation and Pastoral Care:

In their book “The Great Dechurching,” Jim Davis & Michael Graham note that 51% of people who have left the physical gathering of the church would return if someone, anyone, would just issue a personal invitation. And there’s no denying that a physical attendee makes a bigger kingdom impact than a passive viewer. We can open this door for an invitation by:

• Making a special, weekly repeated bumper that only the online viewers see that emphasizes the availability of the staff, and the desire for deeper connection with them.
• Create a 1-Step-to-Access requirement before joining the stream or watching a video.
  • Enter email & zip code with option for prayer needs entered
  • Email is automatically sent with sermon notes and daily devotionals/readings for the week and access is given to the video.
• In a live stream, the moderator gives a link to a lander page that provides that same info.
• Follow up comes from staff and/or lay-leaders for each viewer with a personal invitation to services, small groups, join a team. If someone is shut-in/sick then a set of deacons, elders or a visitation team schedules time to go visit them for prayer, communion and to assess any needs.

Here’s a few more to consider:

• Virtual Small Groups Transitioning to In-Person: For those who are nervous about attending large gatherings, offer small online groups that regularly meet in person as a “next step” once relationships have formed. This gives people an accessible way to grow their comfort level with in-person engagement.
• Buddy System for Newcomers: Some churches pair online viewers who express interest in coming in person with a volunteer who serves as a familiar face, helping ease the transition from online viewing to in-person participation.
• In-Home Church Kits for Shut-Ins: For members who are shut-in or homebound, some churches provide monthly or biweekly “church kits” that include communion elements, a written sermon summary, and a prayer list. Teams are encouraged to make personal visits to engage them more actively, as you suggested.
• Follow-Up Team for Special Needs: A team that reaches out to online viewers who have specific needs, offering direct assistance, prayer, or additional resources that might help them transition from viewers to participants, even if only in a limited way.
• Service Project Invitations: Extend specific invitations for hands-on service projects to online viewers, helping them connect in tangible ways with the body of Christ, particularly when they’re hesitant to join worship gatherings right away.

Do you have any other ideas? Have you seen any good examples in place that are drawing people from an online/passive viewer to an in-person, active part of the church? Let me know in the comments!