Online church sees big audience boost

Hits have‘skyrocketed’since kirk closed doors

Perth Kinnoull Parish Church is live streaming services and meditation sessions which are being enjoyed by a wider audience, housebound because of coronavirus.

Rev Graham Crawford explained that the church had been live streaming worship for over a year but since the kirk doors were now closed to aid social distancing, he was noticing the audience “sky rocket” for the 20-30 minute service of meditations and prayers broadcast live every Sunday at 10.30am.

“We would ordinarily get about 100 people attending the Sunday service and at least that number or more taking the live feed,” he said

“But since coronavirus, the online hits have skyrocketed. I’d say we had 1000 hits last Sunday, more in one day as previously in a month and a half.

“There are people I know of watching from California (my son’s girlfriend’s family in LA for one, with an eight-hour time lag) and several other parts of the States as I have made many connections from 12 years living there and not forgetting my wife, who is from South Carolina.

“As well as the people who listen in Perth, I know of a residential home in Ayrshire and another in Stirling where relatives of our community have asked to watch the Kinnoull service from their care home. We get onlookers from London and even Australia.”

Rev Crawford speculated on why watching church and joining meditation had greater appeal right now: “People are looking for answers, comfort, a centre that will hold.

“Hopefully they will find that through what we are doing.

“I also know such turmoil in the world will bring difficult questions for many people.

“Personally, I have found my faith to be very reassuring.”

While some churches have started to share services online to keep in touch with scattered parishioners, the Kinnoull Parish Church £15,000 set-up has the technical edge.

“Before this we filmed the service and sent out copies on DVD to housebound people and those in nursing homes,” Rev Crawford added. “This wasn’t quick enough for key times like Easter and Christmas, people waiting to get a copy was not ideal.

“The trustees at Kincarrathie

House, where I am the chaplain, were enthusiastic that we improve the system and they gave a donation which helped offset the main cost.

“We were able to get a 15-channel sound desk, laptops, microphones, remote control cameras - basically a lot of electronic wizardry.”

The Sunday service is available for the whole week after through the ‘watch again’ feature on www. kinnoullparishchurch.co.uk - click on ‘worship’ and follow the links.

Rev Crawford is also doing a midweek ‘thought for the day’ and meditation through the church Facebook page, ‘Perth Kinnoull Parish Church’.