Church hopes online viewers become visitors

May 29, 2020

 Church hopes online viewers become visitors

St Aiden's Church, Remuera, hopes online boost will translate to bigger congregation this weekend. Photo: Caitlin Ellis

The vicar at a Remuera church is hoping for a congregation boost this weekend after online worship numbers doubled during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Churches are opening this weekend following the level 2 rule change allowing congregations of up to 100 people, after most were forced online during the level 4 lockdown to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

St Aidan's Anglican Church in Remuera now plans to continue the livestreaming of services following the lockdown success, says vicar Glen Ashworth.

The church usually has 150 visitors over two services on a Sunday but this number has more than doubled since moving online, where it has held 2 services per week via Facebook during lockdown with 364 views at their most recent.

Rev Ashworth said he hopes to see new people through the doors on Sunday but is unsure whether the number of viewers will translate to physical visitors.

“I think it's really difficult to walk into a random church building you know, where you don't know anyone and all that so we fully appreciate that.”

He said he knows of someone who got in touch with the church over lockdown after following the livestreams and wants to connect in real life.

Live streaming is an easier way for people who don't have a church background to get involved, said Rev Ashworth.

“It’s really easy to watch online, you know you’re anonymous and you can just have a look and see what you think.”

The interest has encouraged the church to keep live streaming services throughout all alert levels and into the future.

The church has capacity to fit 80 people with social distancing measures in place and after running a survey of their email subscribers around that number replied saying they would be attending once level 2 rules allowed it.

Rev Ashworth says the church has a slightly older congregation many of whom would be staying home as they are at high risk.

It would follow the advice given by the Anglican Diocese on how to operate in compliance with social distancing rules.

This includes one metre distancing, contact tracing, no paper, two services to allow for everyone to attend and communion with no wine or bread.

The four-stage alert level system was imposed by the government in New Zealand since March 2020 due to the covid-19 pandemic, we are currently at alert level 2.

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