Research Proposal

Title: Online Worship Services: The Degree of Satisfaction to the Worship Experience of

Churchgoers in Selected Metro Manila CAMACOP Churches.

CHAPTER 1

1.1 Background of Study

1.2 Statement of the Problem

This study answered the question:

Does Online Worship Services significantly influence the degree of satisfaction of

the churchgoers’ worship experience?

1.3 Significance of the Study

This study provides information to churches, church workers and leaders, and researchers in

the worship experience of churchgoers in Online Worship Services. The study will help evaluate,

plan, and create new ways to provide an excellent worship experience to the church members.

This study is significant to the following:

CAMACOP Churches. This study will help churches see and understand the members'

feedback towards the quality of their online worship services. It will also serve as the church's

statistical reference with concerns on the worship ministry. Also, this study can help churches

evaluate their worship services. Finally, this study will help churches see the different

advantages and disadvantages of online worship services.

Pastors and Church Leaders. This study is also helpful to the ministers and leaders

involved in the church's worship department and services. This research will enable them to

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create or improve and provide better ways to help the members/churchgoers have a meaningful

worship experience.

Researchers. Data and findings will serve as a basis for further study.

1.4 Scope and Delimitations of the Study

This study focuses on the worship experience of churchgoers towards the online worship

services of selected CAMACOP churches in Metro Manila. It determined whether online

worship services have a significant influence on the worship experience of the churchgoers. The

following churches were Alliance Christian Gospel Church, Commonwealth Christian Alliance

Church, Pasay Alliance Church, Silverland Alliance Church, and San Juan Alliance Church. For

the study respondents, researchers have selected approximately 50% (not sure) of the total

number of worship churchgoers of every church.

CHAPTER 2

In the early 2000s, Online Worship Services began gaining popularity in many churches,

especially in the present pandemic context that the world in. Since online and virtual

technologies are progressing and developing for decades now, it became a tool to expand many

churches' ministry. However, many Christians or churchgoers have a different perception of the

topic and have a massive discussion on attending church services. By this, a platform or worship

place plays an essential role in a person's worship experience. This chapter provides various

information from books, articles, journals, surveys, and other references that support this study's

focus.

2.1 Review of Related Literature and Studies

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Church Worship Services and Worshippers’ Experience

One of the church worship services' objectives is to provide an effective way for people

to have a meaningful experience as they worship God. Many churches keep on improving their

worship services to give excellent worship to the Lord. 

Barna Research Group1 (2001) surveyed the list of necessary church-based experiences

and found out that among six fundamental faith practices—worship, evangelism, discipleship,

fellowship, stewardship, and compassionate service—the majority of the churchgoers embrace is

worship. On the survey, three-quarters of all adults and 92% of all church adults make worship

their top importance of faith practice. Next is learning about their faith (63%) and experiencing

moral and spiritual accountability (59%). 

Following Barna's survey and researchers' observation, people come to the church not

just to have fellowship as a body of Christ but to experience meaningful worship to God. Though

some of the faith practices are essential, worship is the primary objective of the church. Hence,

church worship development must take place.

In the paper of Epps, Choe, and Alexander 2 (2020) towards designing worship services to

cater the African-American people living with dementia, they found out that as the population of

African-American older adults living with dementia increases and that the church must

understand how they can support these individuals in continuing their engagement in religious

activities. Their study revealed that worship services should include components concerning the

following categories: "simplicity," "support," "imagery and sound," and "music." 

1
https://www.barna.com/research/worship-tops-the-list-of-important-church-based-experiences/
2
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10943-020-00993-x

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 In-line with this, churches continue thriving in providing quality worship services. They

constantly improved their music ministries, sermons, worship leading, and other parts of the

worship services to help people have meaningful worship with God. 

From Offline to Online Church and Worship

Religious practices or worship services in different forms, has its own platforms. Whether

it is a building or a virtual platform, it represents the identity and beliefs of a religion,

organization, or denomination. Platforms that are used in worship services have a significant

impact on the people or audience. In the Christian community, church buildings are a significant

place where the community of faith gathers, fellowship with each other, and worship God.

Through these platforms or places, people gathered to have public worship to God and

experience His presence as a community. Thus, it plays a significant role in every church's

worship services and to the worship experience of a believer.

In the Bible, there is a metamorphosis happening in the public act of Israel's worship to

God, especially in their worship places. From patriarchs onward, scholars recognized the

developments that take place in four periods. First, the Tabernacle. Though we know a little

information on worship's actual performance, the Tent of Tabernacle became Israel's place of

worship to God.3 It is a dwelling place of God's Presence, a place where meeting and revelation

happens, and a place where sacrifices and atonement of the people occur. For the people of

Israel, it became a symbol of God's presence dwelling in their nation.4

3
 Zondervan All In One Bible Dictionary
4
History and Institutions of Biblical Worship. https://www.worshiplibrary.com/library/the-biblical-
foundations-of-christian-worship/history-and-institutions-of-biblical-worship/

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 Second, the Temple. Israel's worship became highly organized in the temple. The priest

and Levites' role and the elaborate ritual and system of sacrifices were highlighted in this place

of worship.5 People bring their sacrifices to the temple, and the priest and Levites will perform

the rituals and practices for worship. 

Third, the synagogues. It is much different from the worship in the temple. Synagogues

became a prominent institution in society in the New Testament and felt to replace the temple.

Compared to the Temple, the synagogue's activities are unique and different. It is a place where

people gather for prayer, communal meetings, reading of the Torah, and tax collections. 6 Thus,

people in the New Testament have high regard for Synagogues. 

Lastly, the Church. The New Testament church is a house church where believers met for

worship in small groups in other believers' homes, particularly those who are wealthy or have

larger houses. Early believers met in houses and synagogues for their gatherings or worship

services.7 After persecution in the early church and as the gospel spread across the nation,

Christians established church buildings for their public worship and activities. They create their

worship services, which are probably based on synagogue activities. 8 As the years go by,

different worship places were established and developed to benefit the community of faith. 

Through biblical considerations, the place of worship has a different influence on

Christians' spiritual life and worship experience. Though people have personal or private worship

in their respective places, worshiping in church buildings gives different perspectives and

5
 Zondervan All In One Bible Dictionary
6
Later New Testament and Its Development
7
https://www.worshiplibrary.com/library/the-biblical-foundations-of-christian-worship/history-and-
institutions-of-biblical-worship/
8
Milestones in Religious History: Or Tent Temple, Tabernacle, Synagogue, and Church, pp. 17-23.

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experiences to a believer. It does not just provide a place for communal gatherings but also a

place that everyone can focus on God and His presence.

One of the significant developments in the post-modern era regarding church worship

services is its accessibility to its members through technologies. As digital technologies

introduced and developed, churches open its doors and embrace the digital realm to bring God's

presence an ministry to its people. Jazen9 (2019) commented that the internet gave churches

opportunities to expand their ministries beyond the church building walls. Churches today have

an option to Livestream their services and hold online services for multi-site churches.

Moreover, by that, there is an opportunity to participate anywhere in the church's worship

services. 

From a physical platform, the church embraced online platforms for their services and

ministries. It is a remarkable transition for the church to expand its ministries not just in physical

but also through digital technologies. According to White (1994), it is not surprising that

technology will significantly contribute to Christian worship because both are historically and

intimately connected.10

Campbell11 (2014) used the process "inculturation" to study how online and offline

worship negotiate with each other. This word was often used to discuss the dynamic nature of

worship in Christian churches. It is used to describe when Christian worship is adapted to

different cultures. It highlights the compound relationship between God and human culture. She

stated that "the online church represents the kind of new cultural context into which Christian

worship is inculturated.

9
https://firescholars.seu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1122&context=honors
10
Christian Worship and Technological Change, Susan J. White (Abingdon Press 1994), 176pp, £11.99pbk
11
Studying Technology and Ecclesiology in Online Multi-Site Worship

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 Though many churches openly accepted it, many scholars and critics disagree and

discourage churches from doing online worship services. It became a divisive topic due to the

different theological viewpoints of Christians on the matter. Somehow, it became an exciting

discussion between traditional church worship and online church worship.

Looking at church influence of online worship services, Barna's survey 12 (2009) shows

that many churchgoers are moving to online worship, and many churches are creating and

utilizing online opportunities to meet the needs of those worshippers. In numbers, 64% of

Americans are "completely open" to pursue their faith in an environment different from a typical

church service. Another Barna's survey13 (2008) says that 23% of adults in America said they had

not attended a traditional church service. Some of these use religious media but have no personal

interaction with the regular-convened-community of faith. 

In Campbell's (2014) case study of "Northland: A Distributed Church," she discovered

the congregation's positive response to the online church's online worship services. It also

increases the growth of the membership and expansion of the ministry. She added, "technology

becomes a tool that shapes the worship environment, allows for personalized worship

engagement, and construct a bridge between the sites to promote a common and shared worship

experience."

Another, LifeChurch14, which was based on Oklahoma, created an online congregation

that allows people to express their faith, personal, and group. Most of its ministry is done online.

Last 2012, the church had more than 26,000 members and created 15 campuses in America in

2015. They also broadcast more than 40 worship experiences that include sermons, praise and

12
https://www.barna.com/research/americans-are-exploring-new-ways-of-experiencing-god/
13
https://www.barna.com/research/new-statistics-on-church-attendance-and-avoidance/
14
https://www.life.church/

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worship, discussions, and online resources for spiritual growth. They were able to materialize

this through the help of technology.

According to the work of Hutchings 15 (2016), since the 1980s, online communities have

been describing themselves as 'churches.' Researchers and Christian critics had been describing

and evaluating the appearance of new forms of ritual and ecclesial community of these online

churches. One of the significant discussions on this is the significance of physicality, specifically

the body, as a church practice component. Thus, most Christian commentators pointed out that

online community and online worship are disembodied and spiritually dangerous for believers.

Furthermore, Hutchings discussed how online worship interacts and distance itself from

the physical world and how it affects worshippers' spirituality. He added that the sociologist of

religion argues that online worship cannot be compelling because it lacks physical engagement.

Also, he quoted O'Leary and Dawson's observations stating that online worship is 'inherently

flawed by its separation of the body. Dawson (2005) suggested that the Internet 'is ill-suited to

the mediation of religious experience,' 'a too exclusively ocular, image-driven, textual, change-

oriented, individualistic, detached and disembodied medium.' 

In his book, Cyberchurch, Patrick Dixon16 (1997) encouraged Christians to use the

Internet as an opportunity to share the message of God but also reminded them that it can never

replace face-to-face human relationships and never a substitute for the fellowship and Christian

community. Dixon feared that a superficial kind of Christianity which centered on human

preferences would be developed. 

15
https://books.google.com.ph/books?
hl=en&lr=&id=PGU3DAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA37&dq=church+worship+and+online+worship&ots=KSu1rxde
lB&sig=-WGJA3gt2N6utVsuFohyBbQFF9w&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=church%20worship%20and%20online
%20worship&f=false 
16
https://www.amazon.com/Cyberchurch-Patrick-Dixon-1997-03-02/dp/B01K16LJSO

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 Additionally, Cybernauts Awake by Church of England Board for Social

Responsibility17 (1999) responded to a new online church that was formed in 1985 in which they

claimed that 'for the first-time people could worship in spirit and truth and not be distracted by

others who might be 'fat, short, beautiful or ugly. People are pared down to pure spirit.' The

author's response turns in the physical: we listen to the body language in our communications,

and Christians participate bodily in worship.

Catholic Church18 (1999) published two reports on The Church and the Internet. They

identified the Internet as a gift from God and augmented the Church, but a faithful believer must

lead one another 'from cyberspace to true community':

The virtual reality of cyberspace cannot be a substitute for the real interpersonal

community, the incarnational reality of the sacraments and liturgy, or immediate

and direct proclamation of the Gospel. Even the religious experiences possible

there by the grace of God are insufficient apart from real-world interaction with

other persons in faith. (Foley et al. 1999:3-4)

Nonetheless, there will be churches and churchgoers who prefer online worship to

traditional worship and vice versa. Both have significant advantages and disadvantages.

Discovering the degree of satisfaction of churchgoers' worship experience requires further study

considering the church's context and members' culture, orientation, and condition.

2.2 Related Studies

17
http://www.starcourse.org/cybernauts/
18
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/pccs/documents/rc_pc_pccs_doc_20020228_chur
ch-internet_en.html

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Looking into the worship experience, Broaddus19 (2011) conducted a research study that explores

the lived experiences of online worshippers. He researched from a paradigmatically qualitative

perspective using the qualitative method of the extended interview. Through the three long

interviews that were made, several themes were developed based on churchgoers' worship

experience. Here are some several themes that occurred during the interview:

1. Substitute for traditional worship. Online worship became a flexible substitute for

traditional worship and often used due to illness, being out of town, or issues surrounding

children. 

2. Desires for connection and anonymity. While some churchgoers consider online worship

an effective avenue to connect with others, others prefer traditional small group worship.

One of his respondents answered that while online worship became a way of connecting

to others, it also a way to avoid judgment. Online worship makes them feel connected

and stays anonymous.

3. Social Media and interactivity. The use of social media was the norm in all online

worshippers. Worshippers use essential features of social media applications such as chat

boxes to reach other worshipers online. 

4. Music and delivery. One of the problems of online worship is that worshippers did not

participate in the singing. Many responses pointed out that they have a different

experience in attending church worship in person compared to online worship.

19
 https://trace.tennessee.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1010&context=ccisymposium

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 5. Online worship and Children. A theme of discontentment with online worship options for

children was found. On the contrary, they have positive regard for the children's program

in the traditional church.

6. Connecting to staff. Interviewees were able to identify the pastors and staff of the

church. 

In the discussion of his study, with the themes that came up during interviews, Broaddus stated

concluded that:

 "a theme of individuals connecting with God was not found in the experiences of these

online worshippers.", 

 "A theme of individuals connecting with others was present, but often was superficial in

online environments…",  

 "God was not a theme in these online churchgoers’ experiences." Broaddus added, "the

experiences of online worshippers…showed the theme of comfort and convenience as

lived experiences."

In the final statement of his study, he stated, "Themes in this study suggest these worshipers are

exercising their control and crafting a more tailor-made worship experience that is not focused

on communication with God."

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 2.2 Conceptual Framework

This section of the study presented the two variables used in this study, the dependent

variable, and the independent variable. Considering these variables, researchers will be able to

formulate the ideas and prepositions surrounding the study's issue.

Online Worship Churchgoer’s Degree

Service of Satisfaction

Age
Years of Membership

The diagram exhibited the connection between two variables and the factors that

influences them. The left side presented online worship services as the independent variable. The

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middle presented the extraneous variable, which indicates the factors that affect the two

variables. Lastly, the dependent variable indicates the churchgoer's degree of satisfaction on

his/her worship experience.

2.3 Statement of Hypothesis

This study meant to answer the statement of hypothesis in a null form, which states that:

The online worship services do not significantly influence the degree of satisfaction to the

churchgoer's worship experience.

2.4 Definition of Terms

Several terminologies that researchers used and highlighted in this study:

Online Worship Services. It refers to the church’s worship programs every Sunday on

an online platform. It does not include prayer meetings, small groups, and other church

ministries during the week.

Traditional Worship Services. It refers to the physical or face to face worship services

of churches in their respective places.

Worship Experience. It refers to a person’s total observation in his/her engagement in

the Sunday worship service. The observation includes emotional, mental, and spiritual reflection

to the whole duration of the service.

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 Degree of Satisfaction. It refers to the churchgoer’s sense of fulfillment, both in

emotional, mental, and spiritual, in his/her engagement in worship service. 

Churchgoers. It refers to the regular worshippers of the church.

CHAPTER 3

3.1 Research Design

3.2 Research Participants

3.3 Research Instrument

3.4 Research Locale

3.5 Data Gathering Procedure

3.6 Statistical Treatment

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 Chapter 4

Presentation, Analysis and Interpretation of Data

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