More than a month into virtual services, ministers are finding ways to engage with their congregants, even if services are watched in living rooms amid real-life distractions.<\/p>\n
Online worship services can provide a sense and value of authenticity, said Alan Sherouse, senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Greensboro, North Carolina.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a powerful reminder about the way the holy and sacred meet the everyday or ordinary,\u201d he said. \u201cThose little interruptions have been a reminder that God meets us right in the midst of all these hard circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n
Increased virtual ministry efforts allow congregants who are unable to attend in-person services due to work schedules, health issues and now social distancing an opportunity to participate in a worship service.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been encouraged to see that the people we have been wondering about are really loving to be connected to the church through online worship instead of in a sanctuary,\u201d Sherouse said.<\/p>\n