Most Christians agree that gathering together on Sunday is a must. But what counts as a good reason to miss — or even to cancel — a service? That is the question at the heart of a new video roundtable from Christianity Today, published October 24.

The discussion brings together three pastors: Mike Ashcraft of Port City Community Church in Wilmington, North Carolina; Caleb Morrell of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C.; and Nicole Guns of First Baptist Church in Gary, Indiana. Christianity Today features editor Kristy Etheridge moderates the conversation.

Together, they weigh the theology — and the practicality — behind decisions churches face every year. Is it acceptable to cancel services for a blizzard? For the Super Bowl? To give church staff a break? Each scenario tests how a congregation understands the purpose of the weekly gathering.

The roundtable also takes up a question that has grown sharper since the pandemic: are online services a legitimate way to have church? For many congregations, livestreams became a lifeline when in-person meetings were impossible. The pastors discuss where online worship fits now that doors are open again — whether it can stand in for gathering, or whether it serves best as a bridge back to the pew.

Behind those practical questions sits a deeper one about rhythm. Sunday worship has marked the life of the global church for 2,000 years, and the pastors reflect on what that long rhythm means for believers deciding when an exception is warranted — and when it is simply convenient.

The full conversation is available as a video through Christianity Today. It offers no single rulebook for every church, but it gives pastors and congregations a thoughtful framework: weigh safety, weigh stewardship of staff and people, and weigh what the gathering itself is for before deciding to set it aside.