Why Church Live Streaming Is Fading

Hey, it’s Brady,

It’s not 2020 anymore.

So, what is the state of church live streaming?

Let’s ask the three biggest questions:

#1. Is Online Church "Replacing" In-Person Worship?

• People who rarely attend in person are not substituting with online services. [Pew]

• Instead, there’s a smaller group of highly engaged individuals consuming both.

“There is no crowding out effect. Virtual worship is mostly an add-on for people already engaged in religious life.” - Ryan Burge

🔍 Interpretation: Online church is widely seen as a convenient supplement, not a replacement.

🟩 Conclusion: The fear of widespread abandonment of in-person church is unfounded.

#2. Does In-Person Attendance Reduce Online Participation?

Surprisingly, no. In fact, there's a positive correlation:

• Only 6% of people who never attend in-person also watch online. [Pew]

• Among those who attend multiple in-person services per week, 57% also watch online.

🔍 Interpretation: People highly engaged with in-person worship are more likely to engage online too.

🟩 Conclusion: In-person worship drives online participation, not the other way around.

#3. Who Watches Online Church the Most?

• Not younger people, as commonly assumed.

• 35% of online attenders are retirement age, 12 points above the total sample average.

🔍 Interpretation: Older individuals may have mobility issues, health concerns, or travel constraints.

🟩 Conclusion: Online church is a meaningful alternative, especially for older adults - not a mainstream substitute for the masses.

Key Takeaways

1. Online church is not stealing in-person attendees.

2. Most people prefer in-person worship across all demographics.

3. Online attendance is often a supplement for the highly engaged.

4. The largest group of online-only viewers are older, not younger.

Application

1. I remain an advocate for not live streaming your church services. Alternatives? Publish a podcast, publish the video versions of the sermon, and continue to make the full service available on private feed for those that are travelling, unwell, or have mobility issues.

2. Consider the first impression your live stream may make on people if it's not of high quality.

Want to dive deeper? Here’s the full podcast conversation about the state of live streaming in 2025.

Forget Attendance Goals - Track This Instead At Church

A church in Arizona has shared its goals for the year - and surprisingly, not one of them mentions attendance.

So what are they focusing on instead?

And should your church take a similar approach?

In this episode, we break down their strategy and what it could mean for your ministry.

Get the answers here.

Thanks as always for your time, attention, and trust. - Brady Shearer