This cartoon has been shared on various social media recently,and I had a conversation with a friend who said ' we watched Xx Worship on Sunday'. I began to think about the term watching and wondered when did we stop 'worshipping with' and start ' watching worship'?

Does online worship hinder our active participation? Is it too easy to sit and watch T.V. or our laptops?

Is this a feature of all online expressions of church? Currently there are many platforms being used, YouTube, Facebook Live, Zoom, or even discussion groups on Twitter and Facebook. Online church has existed for a while, particularly for those who are unable to attend a physical Church.

I have been involved with a Twitter Bible Study group since before lockdown and followed some of Disability with Jesus Worship. I find both of those participatory and I wonder if that is because I am engaging on my own and there are ways of joining in. I think the success of these expressions is the ongoing contact, the sense of community they foster. Its not just Sunday's but everyday.

So how do we create participatory, engaging online worship that enables us to say I joined X worship instead of I watched x worship?

I decided to consider what makes up a 'normal' service and how do they translate online, consider what is missing and what could be done. Also we need to consider how to ensure within all this that everyone, of all ages and abilities, can engage. Some churches are aware of members with additional needs and try to cater for them and they mustn't be forgotten in the online environment.

The key in my opinion, is there has to be some sense of participation. Most services of Worship have these elements :

• Notices

• Sung worship

• Prayer

• Scripture readings

• Sermon

• Breaking bread

• Response

• Fellowship

I've looked at each area and considered how these translate online and what may make them more participatory. Its important to remember, these are my thoughts, and everyone has different expectations and traditions, I'm not an expert nor have done extensive research.

Notices

How we communicate these varies, many churches already use email as a way of letting everyone know what's happening and news. A screen with them on before service starts is another way, remembering notices need verbalising for those who can't see or read.

Sung Worship

I don't understand the issues surrounding copyright and recording/ streaming songs and hymns. That is not for my discussion, I am going to assume those issues are addressed.

How is sung worship facilitated online? There seems to be different options:

• Pre recorded sung worship by Church worship leader/ team

• Videos put together by other groups such as Hillsong, New Wine, some choirs, and music played over images

• Live sung worship, either from worship team or service leader singing unaccompanied.

Some churches do not have any sung worship - just a said service.

The sung worship - how do we join in? Can we sing along - are there words on the screen? What about those who cannot see the words - how do we enable than to be able to feel they are part of the sung worship?

For some people, singing on their own along to music is something they feel comfortable with, others need to feel less conspicuous and need people around them. Is there the sense of awe and wonder when sat at home? Is it the time to introduce new music or stick to what is familiar?

Trying to replicate the traditional hymn sandwich may not work, maybe now is the time to have reflective worship, to centre ourselves ready to hear the word - the rousing worship at the end?

Perhaps the best thing is to ask congregational members what helps them worship, ask for some feedback, without promising to change, get see how it is experienced by many different ages and abilities.

Prayer

Just as with sung worship, prayer comes in many forms and each church does things differently. Praying at home, whilst sat in front of a screen with pets, children and other family members can be a challenge and online church needs to recognise this. Many churches with children have the formal prayers when the children are in thier groups- now the prayers need to engage and include everyone.

Liturgy : For some, liturgical prager that is formal, and familiar is a way of joining in. Something as simple as saying the Lords prayer together can foster that participation that is needed. Do we need to use our familiar words - which we all know and can have printed out at home maybe away to join in. My experience of joining an online prayer session where words on the screen and everyone joined in was chaotic. No one on mute, all saying words at a different rate, but still felt as if we were part of something together.

The ability to join in is important, especially if the service has a lot of liturgical prayer. for example, those services where it is just the minster reading prayers, bible reading and sermon can be very samey and become something watched not participated.

Putting words on screen may not help everyone, those who cannot see need audio description.

Intercessory Prayers : These can be a challenge, sharing personal prayer requests during online services can breach GDPR regulations and cause people some distress, as they may not want the details shared outside of church family. This is a great opportunity for interaction and participation. Different people could lead them, we could encourage creative ways of prayer, using drawings, stones, touch, for example. If these are being used then people need notice to get the things they need, an email before service and announcement at the begining.

Open prayer : this is more challenging,and probably difficult to do in the way that normally it would be done. Whilst it encourages participation it may be a chaotic distraction.

Prayer as a response: Often, in many churches, there is the opportunity for people to go for prayer at the end of the service, or in response to the sermon. How can this important ministry occur online? It may be a email that is monitored during the service so someone can ring the person and pray over the phone, the option to stay behind when the service finishes on zoom or other online platforms. Creative ways need to be thought of to continue this ministry. Personally I haven't as yet seen any offer of this during online services.

Whatever is offered it is important to remember pre recorded services may be accessed at a later date.

Scripture

The reading of the Bible during warship is one of the important parts of our services. We need to ensure that people have time to get their Bibles and find the passage.

An observation though, if services are available online to be accessed at any time, it may be that people don't have a Bible at home, so should there be an option for words on the screen ?

One benefit of online church may well be an increase of people reading Bible at home, families reading together and studying together.

Participation is increased by asking others to read the readings, either pre recorded or live,and especially ask children and families to do this.

Sermon

This is hard, preaching is not easy when face to face, but for those preaching, now having to preach to a camera wah out any interaction from others is even harder.

Those using a platform like Zoom do see others and it may be helpful, although I also suspect can be distracting as people move about, chat etc.

Visual aids are still important, how to still use powerpoint or other visuals may be more complex, but can still be very useful for many. Sermons may be shorter, it's hard to sustain preaching for 20-30 mins without any interaction .

Interactive worship, all age worship, intergenerational worship will be a lot harder online but with planning can be achieved.

It's easy to become a spectator at this point, sitting ( on our sofas) listening, perhaps introducing discussion questions to be discussed either in family groups, or in breakout rooms would be a way of keeping participation. Facebook live and others have chat functions where people can respond 'live'.

What is important to have are ways of someone being able to respond to the sermon. How do you do an Altar call for example? Some of the suggestions for prayer response maybe helpful.

Fellowship

This is a challenge of online church, how to foster a sense of fellowship with others. The post/ pre service tea or coffee is obviously not happening so how can we continue to be able to be with people?

Breakout rooms are an option but how they are allocated,who is where, how big they are all present challenges.

Contact through the week is also important,perhaps more so as people are in isolation.

• Virtual coffee/ tea drop-ins

• Bible groups

• Cell groups

How do we ensure people are not dropping off the radar? How do we pickup those who are struggling? How do we welcome new people into church when we can't meet?

There are lots of questions, the answers which are different for each church, but I think we need to get this right, so people still have a sense of community . One thing I notice from my online church with those who have disabilities is the ongoing engagement between 'sessions' comments on social media, discussions and even space for people to 'vent' and be heard. This is something to be explored more by online church.

Breaking Bread

Some denominations are allowing a form of communion ' Where people have the elements at home and join in. Other denominations are not allowing this, only the priest can celebrate the Eucharist on their own and we watch!

I find this very hard its 'watching' not very participatory.And, in my opinion, not what Jesus meant when he shared the last Supper!

I'd love to see people returning to breaking bread regularly together at home, as a family ) remembering Jesus and this sacrifice, for us.

Response

These are questions that I don't have answers for. But feel, as I've highlighted earlier it is an area as online church we've slightly forgotten.

How do we respond?

How do we ask questions?

Who (and how) do we contact?

What if you're new and want to know more?

How does the preacher get feedback?

Where do prayer teams meet?

A lot of this is very person heavy, perhaps now is a time to encourage others to use their gifts and skills alongside the usual ministry team.

There is so much new happening and at a challenging time, it is great to see. I think, hope, church has changed, and we need to keep an online presence in the future as part of the 'new normal'.