The Emergence of Livestreaming
The 2020 global pandemic has changed a lot of things for all of us. In many ways, this COVID-19 outbreak has thrust us all out of our comfort zones and into new challenges. The church has been no different.
With quarantine restrictions being placed worldwide, churches saw their gatherings shut down all over the world. Sunday morning started to look very different. Instead of meet and greets, we turned to chat logs. Instead of “Amens” we turned to “Likes.” Instead of communion trays, we turned to saltines from the pantry.
“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” –Isaiah 43:19
What happened next surprised us all. Social distancing may have stolen from us some hugs and handshakes, but it did not steal our ability to fellowship and chase after Jesus. Churches began to innovate. While some met in parking lots and had “drive-in church,” others streamed their services over Facebook Live or YouTube. Worship teams were even able to lead worship in harmony while being in different homes (and in different cities, in some cases).
In West Monroe, Louisiana, the home of One Kingdom and White’s Ferry Road Church, we began seeing a surprising growth in numbers during a time where physical buildings were locked down. Around the globe, One Kingdom representatives took to Facebook, YouTube, and continued broadcasting on World Radio-sponsored programs to get the Gospel out in any way possible.
In places like the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Colombia, Benin, Greece, India, and Nepal, Facebook became one of the best methods to preach the Gospel and stay connected to the body when everything else was shut down.
What’s great about the message of Jesus Christ is that the Gospel never changes. It is of first importance—as Paul writes to the Corinthians. However, the way we get that message out does change over time.
Paul, when trying to communicate to the Corinthians, had only one way to get his message out—a written letter. But over time, the medium has changed. Inventions such as the printing press, AM/FM radio, television, internet and email have improved our ability to communicate with other human beings.
The way we do church on Sunday mornings has changed, but this isn’t the first time. When I was a kid, I can remember adults in the church I attended debating over whether or not we could use a projector to project the worship lyrics onto a screen. Technology has continuously improved over time and offered new ways to worship our Creator. Innovations in computers and cameras now allow us to reach corners of the world that we never thought we could reach.
In many impoverished nations, it’s not uncommon for people to have phones and, in many cases, Facebook accounts. The world is getting smaller and easier to reach thanks to technology. But again, the message must stay the same.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” –Hebrews 13:8
Now in 2021 it’s more important than ever that we remember that. We’ve had to adjust. We’ve had to make changes. Many of us were forced into learning new skills in order to continue the work. Sometimes it takes an extraordinary event for us to experience true growth and change. In our case, it was a global pandemic.
As the verse in Isaiah says, God is doing a new thing. He makes a way where there is no way. In what we thought should be a wasteland, he produces streams. Sunday mornings may look different than what we’ve been used to, but God is doing something new. The question is, do you see it?