PORTLAND, Ore. — Easter Sunday across the country and around the world was celebrated in an unprecedented way. Easter services went virtual.
Because of the coronavirus, instead of physically going to church, people went online in order to maintain social distancing.
Even Pope Francis held Easter mass in an empty St. Peter's Basilica.
While the event usually attracts many thousands of people to the Vatican, this Easter mass was live streamed.
"Here we are man, Easter Sunday when everyone goes to church and everyone is not going to church," said Isaac Maddox, a pastor at Activate Church in Camas. His Easter service was live streamed over Facebook.
It's been quite a transition for his church and many others as they’ve had to figure out how to move services fully online.
But it's not just the services they've had to change.
Activate Church's usual big Easter egg hunt that's normally held in Vancouver's Esther Short Park turned into a drive-thru egg hunt in the church parking lot this weekend.
"We've never done it before. We're just trying new things. We had 568 families come through yesterday," said Kari Maddox. She is Isaac's wife and one of the lead pastors at Activate Church.
Those families grabbed Easter packets with candy-filled eggs, bible verses, and even coupons to local businesses.
"It's a time to get creative, adapt a little bit," Maddox said.
Maddox said he's convinced that as hard as this time is for a lot of people, we'll all get through it and be better for it.
"I think a lot of us, when we return to normal are gonna be more thankful, less judgmental, more loving, full of compassion," Maddox said.