Is an online church service a valid way to do church?

Since the birth of the internet in the late 20th century, Christians have sought to use it to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. Just as followers of Jesus used innovative technologies in previous eras, like the printing press and the radio, to teach the Bible, ministries today use websites, YouTube channels, and smartphone apps for the same purpose. In recent years, more churches than ever are taking advantage of the internet’s accessibility and reach to stream their Sunday-morning services. This trend raises important questions for Christians.

There is nothing inherently wrong with Christians using the internet to teach, pray, and worship, and this includes streaming their Sunday services. Scripture itself illustrates the wise use of technology and media for ministry. For example, the apostle Paul used letters to communicate with people. Although he used parchment and ink—and not computers and Wi-Fi—he made use of the media available to him. Paul taught, prayed, and worshipped in his letters. In this way, he sought to connect with people who weren’t physically present.

One example of this today is churches live-streaming their services. They do this because it allows people to watch them in real time. A church that makes its entire service available online, not just the sermon, enables viewers to watch and participate to an extent. Someone watching live at home can sing with the congregation, pray with them, and listen to the sermon along with everyone else. This degree of engagement, even if limited, helps viewers to connect with a church even when they can’t attend in person.

Although online church services aren’t sinful, they do have downsides. One important limitation is the lack of in-person fellowship (Hebrews 10:25). The New Testament contains several examples of Paul longing to see people face to face. In 2 Timothy 1:4, he writes, “Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy.” Likewise, in 1 Thessalonians 3:10, he writes, “Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.” Paul used letters to support his ministry, yet he still longed to see people in person.

Another drawback to online church services is the loss of physical touch. Making comments on videos isn’t the same as shaking someone’s hand, hugging them, or laying hands on them during prayer (Acts 6:6; Romans 16:16). Furthermore, churches cannot properly baptize online viewers or serve the Lord’s Supper to them. There is also the challenge of online viewers not using their spiritual gifts to build up the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11–16; 1 Corinthians 12:12–27). Creative churches may find ways to address some of these challenges, yet limitations remain.

Style over substance is another potential downside. Some viewers may choose to watch a famous pastor’s online service even though their church is somewhere else in the country or the world. Although it’s not wrong to watch such a service, it’s important that believers support the local church (Matthew 18:20; Hebrews 13:17; Revelation 2–3). On one hand, the internet has blessed Christians by making excellent Bible teachers widely accessible to anyone with an internet connection. On the other hand, supporting a local ministry helps spread the gospel within the viewer’s community.

Another concern viewers should be aware of is that some churches may have large budgets to bolster their online presence, or they may excel at digital marketing and promotion. However, these capabilities don’t necessarily mean they teach sound doctrine. A church can have excellent video production with first-rate editing, sound, and graphics, but if its Bible teaching is weak and its worship is superficial, its technological sophistication doesn’t ultimately matter.

There are also advantages to online church services. For instance, watching Sunday morning worship is helpful for people who can’t attend in person but still want to see and hear their church family. Examples of this include the sick, the elderly, those who are traveling, students away at college, and men and women in the military.

Another benefit of streaming services is the ability to access recordings later, which can benefit individuals as well as small groups and Bible studies. Building an archive of services could even become a helpful discipleship resource for a church.

The gospel doesn’t lose power because a church uses media to proclaim it. While Paul hoped to see the Romans in person (Romans 15:22–24), he still powerfully explained the gospel to them in a letter (Romans 1:16–17). The German Reformer Martin Luther used the printing press to spread the gospel. Evangelists like Billy Graham used the radio and television to preach the message of salvation (Mark 1:15). The gospel of Jesus Christ is good news for sinners, and God calls churches to wisely steward technology and media to share it.