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Churches expand reach online but look forward to meeting again

The Church at Horseshoe Bay

The Stations of the Cross, such as the outdoor one at The Church at Horseshoe Bay, reminds Christians of the path Christ took on his way to his crucifixion. Staff photo by Daniel Clifton

Easter is one of the most important Christian holidays and traditionally fills the pews. But not this year.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, when social distancing is vital, churches are having to adjust.

“Things have changed, that’s for sure,” said the Rev. Malcolm McQueen of The Church at Horseshoe Bay, which put together a pre-recorded 10-minute online service for Good Friday and is working on an Easter Sunday service of about the same length with songs and worship.

In Burnet, First Baptist Church is live streaming Easter services on Facebook and YouTube.

The Rev. Doug Lindley said the Burnet church is also using technology and social media for regular worship services and weekly prayer meetings.

Cross View Baptist Church of Marble Falls is holding a drive-in Easter Sunday service at 10:45 a.m., maintaining proper social distancing protocols. The Rev. Brian Boothe said ushers will direct vehicles to park in a semicircle with space between each.

The church is located at 501 12th St.

“We’ll sing, we’ll have a sermon,” he said. “It will certainly be a service that would not have come about any other way.”

Another drive-in Easter service is a collaboration between three Marble Falls churches and will be held at Marble Falls High School on Sunday.

With the spread of COVID-19, a respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, some churches are in new territory as the internet becomes the best way to communicate with their congregations, occasionally in unexpected ways.

During a recent online service, The Church at Horseshoe Bay held communion. Ministers laid out a table with all of the elements and encouraged congregants to do the same at home.

The Rev. McQueen was happily surprised when people emailed him photos, even short videos, of their at-home communions. 

“One even came from a couple in Annapolis, Maryland,” he said.

Lindley experienced something similar when the pastoral staff hosted communion on Palm Sunday. Like The Church at Horseshoe Bay, the Burnet church encouraged people to set up communion tables at home.

“I’ve had several say how meaningful it was,” Lindley said. “Several sent pictures of the setup.”

The pastors have noticed a greater reach through social media and internet services. An online Wednesday prayer service for First Baptist-Burnet had more than 800 views. The in-person service usually attracts 40-45 people. More than 1,200 people watched the live stream of a recent Sunday service, which typically draws 300 congregants to the church.

“It’s astounding to me,” Lindley said. “We’ve literally had hundreds, even thousands, of people view our videos.”

However, the pastors agree it’s still important to maintain personal connections. They all exercise a time-tested method for checking on their congregants: the telephone.

“We’re asking all the members to look at their name in the (church’s phone) directory and then call the three names above theirs and the three names below theirs,” said the Rev. McQueen of The Church at Horseshoe Bay.

But online streaming and phone calls can’t replace the essence of worship: gathering as a community and body of Christ.

“This is the first time in the history of our country where during some kind of crisis the church is separated from the churchgoers,” said the Rev. Boothe of Cross View. “At any other crisis in this country, people flocked to the church, but not this time.”

That’s one reason his church is holding a drive-in service. Even though attendees will remain in their vehicles, a sense of community remains.

All three pastors look forward to the day congregations can once again meet as one body, but they’ll take lessons from this time, especially on using social media and online streaming to reach people.

But it’s by no means a replacement for in-person services. In fact, the biggest lesson each of the pastors cited was learning just how important worshipping together as a church is.

“I think we won’t take the church for granted anymore,” said Lindley of First Baptist-Burnet.

McQueen had a similar revelation.

“I think one of the things that will happen after this is a reaffirmation of community, even a stronger sense of how important community worship is,” he said.

“During this time, it’s an example of the sense of loss you feel when you’re separated from your brothers and sisters in Christ,” Boothe added. “One of the things that will come out of this is the value of the church, the value of getting together as a church.”

For more on how COVID-19 is affecting the Highland Lakes, visit the DailyTrib.com coronavirus resources webpage.

daniel@thepicayune.com