The shift to online worship in 2020 occurred so quickly that there was little time to consider how best to capture online “attendance” numbers. Thus, the 2020 Parochial Reports only require attendance data for January 1 through March 1 of this year. (See related article here.) However, the General Convention Office has issued the following guidance on how to capture this information going forward in 2021:
Record online participants separate from in-person attendance numbers. For in-person services that are also streamed, record two counts – those in the building, and those joining you remotely.
Count online views that occur within 24 hours of the service. Do not include views that accumulate over the subsequent days and weeks.
For services available via Zoom or a similar meeting platform, count the number of participant devices logged in. For services available via Facebook, YouTube, or another social media platform, count views of longer than one minute by unique devices. Consult the support resources for your specific platform for instructions on how to obtain these numbers.
Also, recognizing that the availability of online worship can serve as an entry point for online giving, the General Convention Office recommends that, in 2021, parishes track online donations separately from standard pledging units.
We will be sure to share any additional guidance that becomes available. In the meantime, if you have questions regarding the recommendations above, contact the Rev. Canon Kimberly Karashin (kkarashin@episcopalpgh.org) or Executive Assistant Andy Muhl (amuhl@episcopalpgh.org).