Southern Heights Church Lead Pastor Todd Eckstein remembers freezing as he and others filmed the Easter service live stream last year.
“We were doing everything we could to cut expenses because nobody was in the building,” Eckstein said. “So, there were a couple of space heaters next to me while we were filming worship and it was cold in here, like we were freezing until you were standing in front of the camera.”
Once the pandemic began, Eckstein and Executive Pastor Jeff Baas committed to live streaming every Sunday for the Kalamazoo congregation. They didn’t have fancy equipment, but Eckstein said their smart phone video and tripod were enough to provide consistent spiritual support.
RELATED: When congregations can’t congregate: Pandemic forces Michiganders to rethink church
Last year’s Easter excitement was dampened by the pandemic, but Eckstein said even if he can’t see more than the congregation’s eyes, the ability to get together in person this year will be exciting.
“We’re to the point where the older folks who most need to be around and feel the presence of family in the room with them, most of them have been immunized at this point,” Eckstein said. “(They) are starting to feel a little different level of comfort and being able to come back and be with us.”
Church services take place in a sanctuary with tables spaced six feet apart, Eckstein said. Worship is done completely masked.
As a pastor and a citizen, Eckstein said everyone has the mindset of making the most of it. In the most difficult times, people are driven into churches but the pandemic has prevented that.
This time around, Southern Heights will offer a live stream as well as in-person worship.
Many skipped Easter celebrations last year and don’t want to disrupt the holiday again, said Emily Toth Martin, an epidemiologist and associate professor at the University of Michigan.
“Last year everybody thought that this would be the only one event that they’ll have to miss, and so there’s a feeling, people don’t want to miss it again,” Toth Martin said.
There is a sense that the pandemic is winding down despite the current surge, Toth Martin said. However, there is some middle ground.
“We have learned a lot about how to do things safely. And we don’t want to take that desire to get together and then start throwing caution to the wind,” Toth Martin said. “We still need to be distancing, we still need to be using masks, trying to hold things outdoors when we can, rather than just totally giving up.”
RELATED: Michigan’s active coronavirus outbreaks are up 14% in March 29 report
Much like Southern Heights, Central United Methodist Church held Easter service completely online last year, but this year, they’ve added a few options for their members, said Kim Burch, communications coordinator.
At limited capacity, the church located in Traverse City is offering two sunrise outdoor services and two indoor services, Burch said. They will also run a live-stream.
“We’re hoping that people will take the opportunity to gather in person outdoors,” Burch said. “... Normally in a non-pandemic year we might get 20 people at that sunrise service because you know oftentimes it’s cold, it’s early, but we’re hoping that more people will take advantage of that outdoor opportunity.”
Pastors, musicians and the generosity of their congregation allowed Central United Methodist Church to record services with new cameras and equipment throughout the pandemic, Burch said. The church has also built plexiglass barriers around the pulpit for in person safety and musicians sing through their masks.
Members who come to worship in the sanctuary are given pool noodles to ensure their group is six feet away from others, Burch said.
“So, things look different inside,” Burch said. “...But as far as the actual service itself, the flow of the service, we hope to be able to provide what we had done pre-pandemic.”
Other Easter festivities like seeing the Easter bunny have also changed. Stephanie Boyd, youth services librarian at Willard Library, dressed up as the Easter Bunny for a free drive through event on March 31.
16
Willard Library, located in Battle Creek, typically hosts crafts and stories for the holiday. Boyd said she and her coworkers didn’t want to go two years without celebrating.
If a student can’t be the Easter Bunny, Boyd gladly takes on the role.
“I love how it makes the kids smile,” she said.
Children are able to wave at the Easter bunny and receive a goodie bag, Boyd said.
For Easter celebrations at home, people should host dinner outside or open their windows if indoors, said Ryan Malosh, an epidemiologist at the University of Michigan. People should also opt for outdoor church services.
Even though CDC guidance says gathering with other vaccinated people is OK, Malosh suspects a lot of people will interpret it’s not as risky to gather regardless of their vaccination status.
“We’ve seen these spikes around every holiday so far, so it’s my guess you’ll see an additional spike around Easter,” Malosh said.
Read more on MLive:
Vaccinated people can gather without masks, CDC says in new guidance
COVID-19-related reasons no longer acceptable to get Michigan unemployment
15 things the pandemic changed for now -- and maybe forever
"gather" - Google News
April 02, 2021 at 08:16PM
https://ift.tt/3sPsoac
Easter events adapt to another pandemic holiday, health officials say to gather safely - MLive.com
"gather" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2Sqdbwp
https://ift.tt/2Yjhqxs
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Easter events adapt to another pandemic holiday, health officials say to gather safely - MLive.com"
Post a Comment