It is often understood that as times change, so does technology. And so we find new ways of doing old things. For example, communication is not new, but with today’s technology we have countless ways of doing it. Few letters are being mailed today, but hundreds of emails are sent in a single day. Shopping has shifted from a physical experience of entering a storefront to scrolling on a webpage and clicking items into a virtual cart. And even then, some online stores pride themselves on a personal experience, trying to get back to the human interaction that was so characteristic of the shopping experience in the past.

But what about ancient institutions like the church? Many churches were already live streaming their services online even before the pandemic. But when lockdowns happened, all of that went into overdrive. Churches that already had an online option were prepared, and other smaller churches had to think creatively about how to minister to their congregations online. But all of this did not come without its growing pains. Questions, doubts, and concerns about the viability of online church were brought to the forefront of ecclesial conversations.

In this episode, we ask: What do we do about “virtual church”? Where does the church go from here? All that and more on this edition of the podcast.