Surprising Survey: Midweek Church Attendance Spikes Due to COVID-19

Church technology company and makers of Logos Bible Software Faithlife recently released results from a survey of church leaders across the country revealing that 15% of participants noted increased engagement in online midweek services and small groups.

“We believe that increased midweek attendance during this pandemic is significant for several reasons,” said Faithlife Founder and CEO Bob Pritchett. “We know by now that many people at home, both Christian and non-Christian, have been tuning into church services remotely, and that is wonderful news. But to see midweek attendance spike so sharply is encouraging because it shows that more and more people are seeking to not simply check off their Sunday service box, but truly engage with God’s Word and connect with the church.”

In addition to increased midweek attendance, results from Faithlife’s survey showed that 40% of participants have seen their services reach a broader audience, including non-members, non-Christians, individuals who have never been to church in addition to those who have not gone for several years.

“I believe we are seeing Romans 8:28 play out in real-time during this unprecedented season,” said Pritchett. “Amid all the tragedy in the world, God is very clearly still at work. Prayers are being answered that this pandemic would be used to point people toward Christ and our need for Him.”

Additional data from the survey showed trends in technology use during this pandemic, including:

—Less than 25% of churches reported that they had a live streaming solution in place prior to the pandemic, while a whopping 54% said they implemented live streaming because of the pandemic.

—Compared to 2019, churches without online giving saw an average giving decrease of 19% during Holy Week. Churches with an online giving solution saw much less of a reduction, decreasing 5.5% on average.

—While attendance overall was down for churches on Easter Sunday, those that streamed live or prerecorded services tended to see less of a drop in attendance than those that used a web conferencing solution.

—When asked, 36% of pastors said they need help with staying connected with the congregation, especially those who don’t have internet access or are not online, and 32% worry about the well-being of their congregants. {eoa}

To learn more about the Faithlife survey, visit faithlife.com/newsroom.

About Faithlife: Faithlife Corporation, based in Bellingham, Washington, has been using technology to equip the church to grow in the light of the Bible for more than 25 years. Since 1992, Faithlife has developed multiple tools including church presentation software, academic study resources, e-books and Logos Bible Software. For more information, visitfaithlife.com/about.