Churches that suspended Sunday services earlier this month are finding new ways to reach out to their congregations.

For the past two weeks, pastor Dana Pareard at Haines Presbyterian Church has been livestreaming a church service on Facebook that includes him and musicians Al Giddings and Sam McPhetres – at the recommended, six-foot separation distances.

The virtual service, which takes place the same time as regular services each Sunday morning, appears to be working, said Holly Davis, who follows along with her family at home. “It was very encouraging. We could see while we were watching the little number on the screen showed 30 other families tuned in. That’s potentially a lot of other people watching church on Sunday morning.”

Pereard encouraged church members to pray with each other over the phone, but he said he still hasn’t figured out an acceptable way to distribute communion.

Communion also is a concern at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, where parishioners have been emailed links to sites where they can watch and follow along a mass each day.

“This has never happened,” said longtime parishioner Carol Flegel. She said she wondered whether the church couldn’t have an outdoors mass on Easter Sunday, if weather allows.

Father Perry Kenaston said the church building remains open but all public masses have been postponed. He was awaiting direction from his bishop on how to adjust to coronavirus protections, including the future of communion. “Communion is only available through the celebration of mass. Other methods are not valid or licit,” Kenaston said.

Kenaston said the telephone is one way he can continue to minister to parishioners.

Assembly of God co-pastor Jane Cowart said last weekend she and husband Wayne Cowart posted on YouTube a 15-miute video of them preaching at the church. A technical glitch cut the recording off.

“We’ll be doing it again this Sunday, but it will be longer than 15 minutes,” she said. The couple also has been sending out group texts with inspirational scripture messages and checking up on older church members.

At Port Chilkoot Bible Church, pastor Matt Jones says he’s using a mix of methods to reach out to church members.

“I didn’t want to just preach to an empty church and make it look like some kind of bin Laden cave video,” Jones said.

Jones is using video programs through Right Now Media, a kind of Christian Netflix, to reach families. Youth programs also are available through the service.

In addition, twice a week he emails out devotionals with local and personal messages. He encourages members to watch videos and comment back on them via email, creating an online discussion.

He said 65 percent of his membership is watching the videos, and he’s hearing requests from others.

“This has kind of pushed us out of our comfort zones, but now we’re reaching people we maybe wouldn’t have. It stinks but we’re learning something new and we’re encouraging people to embrace it and deal with it positively,” Jones said.

Communion isn’t an issue for his church, he said. “We’re free to who can administer that. Our opinion is that you can buy some grape juice and crackers and do it on your own with your family,” he said.