Church membership may be declining, but many churchgoers are double-dosing

After Becky Hope left the evangelical church she had been attending in Portland, Oregon, four years ago, she began watching online services at an ecumenical church in New York City—just for a little while, she figured, until she found something closer to home.

But after a few months, Hope, 40, found that the digital experience was as fulfilling as any she has had, especially after the church—Good Shepherd New York—began a small group for people watching online from the Pacific Northwest.

“I just fully fell in love and found a community within the digital space, which was not expected,” said Hope, describing Good Shepherd as a place where she has felt “seen and known.”