The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed faith communities, leading to changes that will outlive the pandemic. For houses of worship, the most impactful change is the move toward providing virtual services.
As the pandemic hit, many houses of worship were already broadcasting video content over digital platforms. Others had to scramble to provide virtual forms of worship. But whatever the digital capabilities of their local congregations, communities have embraced virtual worship. In the US, for example, 57% of regular worshipers watch religious services online — according to the Pew Research Center. These numbers are higher in Singapore, where 90% of church-goers regularly attend online services — as revealed by Salt & Light survey data.
In this article, we explore why houses of worship will continue providing remote, video-based services far beyond the COVID pandemic. But to understand why remote worship is here to stay, we must first unpack how remote worship works.
Faith on TV? What Remote Worship Looks Like
From posting religious talks on social media platforms, to live streaming services on your website’s video player, online worship can take many forms. But by leveraging the power of video broadcast platforms, worship has become as easy as turning on your favorite show.
Remote worship isn’t restricted to video services. To foster an engaged community, houses of worship create virtual spaces that bring people together. These online spaces are used to organize activities, offer counseling, share blog posts and daily readings, and provide a forum for conversation. By combining video broadcasts with virtual forums, houses of worship turn remote worship from a passive to an active and community-centered experience.
What Are the Benefits of Remote Worship and Using Video Broadcast Platforms?
While online services and gatherings replicate in-person experiences, remote worship should not be seen as a replacement for physical congregation. Rather, remote worship is an extension of your service that offers unique benefits. These benefits include:
- Serving your homebound community — in an age of pandemic-related lockdowns and safety concerns, virtual worship allows you to serve your community without compromising on health and safety. Online worship also opens up access to the elderly and congregants with chronic conditions that make it difficult to attend in-person sessions.
- Connecting worshippers at scale — remote worship allows you to connect a larger group of people than would be possible on a physical premises. Without physical limitations, you can easily reach global audiences or host speakers from other houses of worship.
- Creating a content library — why not record every video stream and make it available at any time and from anywhere in the world? Once you have a content archive, you can create playlists for topics, events, or even concerts.
- Facilitating your community — by crafting virtual spaces, you can facilitate other forms of worship that range from informal meetings and discussing scripture to connecting with other churches in different locations.
- Meeting the expectations of modern congregations — a Cisco whitepaper forecasts that, by the end of 2022, 82% of all internet traffic will be spent watching video content. In fact, video content is so popular with modern audiences that people are increasingly expecting video streams from their houses of worship. Remote worship enables you to fulfill this expectation.
Alongside these gains, remote worship helps congregants maintain a sense of community that they can access from the comfort and convenience of their home. These benefits ensure that remote worship is here to stay.
How Caton Technology Can Help
At Caton Technology, we provide next-generation high-quality video streaming, recording, and publishing solutions.
Our services include:
- High-quality video streaming to any device and social media platform
- Data transmission technology that maintains broadcast-level quality
- Effortless video and audio streaming and recording
- End-to-end encryption for utmost security
Are you looking to kickstart or upgrade your remote worship video setup? Click the button below to talk to a member of the Caton team. Let’s discuss how our video services and advanced video over IP technologies can help you overcome your unique challenges.
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