In the wake of recommendations to suspend large gatherings to stop the spread of COVID-19, the Church Online Platform saw record-breaking attendance for the weekend of March 14–15. The tool helped churches in countries around the world stream church services to a total of 4.7 million unique devices, which is four times the average total attendance for one weekend.
“Certainly at times like this, it’s critical that the church is present, connected, available and engaged in ministry more than ever before,” says Bobby Gruenewald, Life.Church pastor, innovation leader. “While hospitals meet physical needs, the church needs to keep its doors open, digitally, to meet spiritual and emotional needs—especially during social distancing.”
Throughout the last week, the Church Online Platform has seen more than 6,000 new churches sign up to use the tool. As a result, online church attendance is expected to be substantially higher this coming weekend.
“We’re encouraged to see such an overwhelming response from churches around the world who refuse to let anything keep them from sharing about God’s goodness and faithfulness,” says Gruenewald.
The Church Online Platform was created by Oklahoma-based Life.Church in 2006 and serves more than 20,000 churches worldwide. The tool enables churches to stream their own church services and build community online by using the chat and one-on-one prayer features. It’s free and easy to use. In fact, churches can use a smartphone or camera to record their sermon, upload it to a site like YouTube, and begin streaming in less than an hour.
For more information about launching an online ministry, visit churchonlineplatform.com.