What will the church look like when the Covid-19 lockdown has finally finished? Will church buildings be empty, given the popularity of YouTube services? An impossible question, as almost all the needed information is unknown! What are some of the issues?
Streamed services prove popular. YouTube, Zoom, Skype, etc. services have been popular. Will churchgoing people continue to prefer to watch these or attend ‘real’ services after churches are allowed to open again? One survey found things would gradually go back to normal, but that may well not be completely true of churchgoers. While most under 65s, say 95%, will probably continue to go to church, maybe only half, 50%, of 65-and-overs will continue to do so, as the other half find the comfort, ease, and no necessity to travel, strong reasons for staying at home to participate electronically.
Is age important? Yes. Of English churchgoers at the start of 2020, 990,000 were 65 or over (36%). These divide into two broad groups: those who do not have the facilities, technological skills or motivation for digital expertise, and those who do. Say 80% of the tech-savvy 65-and-overs return to church, and 90% of the non-tech-savvy folk return, being especially keen to have the actual physical worship and fellowship.
