Easter online

Good Friday and Easter are typically known as a time for worship, Easter egg hunts and gatherings of friends and neighbors. But this year, Easter services will look a bit different as Christians celebrate what they consider to be the holiest days of the year.

To work around Governor Kim Reynolds’ advisories against gatherings of ten more more people, members of area churches – which normally gather for weekly worship services – found a solution at their fingertips.

In Creston, churches are taking their services to streaming platforms such as Facebook, Zoom and YouTube; parking lot services and drive-through gatherings. As church members watch from home, churches have shifted from a place of worship to a backdrop for spiritual leaders attempt to sustain and engage a seemingly invisible congregation over the internet.

Pastor Chuck Spindler of Crest Baptist Church said his church had planed a drive-in church experience, but with Sunday’s high forecast at 45 with rain, Crest Baptist will deliver its Sunday service online at 10 a.m.

“It’s been very good, but it does not replace the gathering which is really what church means,” said Spindler.

Spindler said his congregation has used Facebook live for worship services, which has allowed church members to interact with each other.

“Throughout the message, people are hitting the like or love buttons, so that pops up while you’re watching, so people can get a sense of interaction,” said Spindler. “We don’t have the ‘Amens’ or anything like that going on, but people probably get more response through those icons than we normally get through a public worship service.”

Spindler said he also encourages people to take selfies of themselves worshiping at home.

“It’s been fun to see and we encourage people to use a hash tag like #crestchurchiowa, or something like that, to make it accessible to others to see as well,” Spindler said.

Spindler said he, and others, miss he face-to-face interaction.

“It’s certainly not the same as gathering, but we’re trying to foster those continued connections through this time of separation,” he said.

Father Adam Westphal has taken a similar approach by streaming services for Holy Spirit and St. Edwards catholic churches online through YouTube.

Today, Westphal will deliver a Good Friday service online at 3 p.m. before a drive-by veneration of the cross at 4 p.m. in front of St. Malachy School. Easter service will be streamed 10 a.m. Sunday online at https://bit.ly/3ebgLnm and aired 10 a.m. Sunday on 101.3 KSIB FM. Westphal said the combination of online streaming and radio has helped his congregation stay connected.

“We’ve heard a lot of people are connecting this way and it’s also allowing families to connect throughout the state. Either they are from Creston and moved away or have families in other places,” said Westphal.

While it’s not an ideal situation, Westphal said there have been additional benefits.

“We have also seen a noticeable uptick in our Facebook traffic,” he said.

Westphal, who has been actively implementing more technology use at Holy Spirit, St. Edwards and St. Malachy School said the current situation helped expedite the church’s initiative to become more engaged online and plans to continue it beyond the gathering ban.

“It probably wont be as in depth as what we are doing right now, but there will be some continuing presence,” said Westphal.

(Editor’s note: Some area churches were not available for comment. For information on area Easter services and worship schedules, check Wednesday’s edition of the Creston News Advertiser.)