(NBC News) – With bans on large public gatherings due to the coronavirus pandemic, the faith community has had to find other ways to celebrate Easter this year.
Bob Pritchett is the CEO of Faithlife, a company that makes tech tools for churches.
“Every church is interested in live streaming, every Church wants to improve their website now, and find ways to keep in touch with people digitally,” he says.
Kyle Idleman is preparing for an online Easter service for his congregation of 30,000 in Middletown, Kentucky.
The church expanded its digital offerings in recent weeks, adding social media prayers and crisis support on its home page.
“We’re finding that we’re able to connect with even more people through some Zoom recovery groups,” Idleman says.
Catholic parishes across the country will live-stream Easter mass this year, with some slight changes.
“We won’t have the blessing with holy water, no baptisms,” says Father Nicholas P. Melo of Christ the King Parish in Wethersfield, Connecticut.
Others are finding creative ways to meet in person, while still keep their distance.
“I pulled out the old bullhorn,” laughs A.J. Johnson of Urban Hope Refuge Church in Hartford, Connecticut.
Many are meeting in large parking lots and spacing vehicles more than six feet apart.
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