"We are reaching out to share the message of hope,” says Rev. Rebecca Trefz, who serves as the executive director of ministries for the Dakotas Conference. “This is a time, more than ever, that we need to be reminded that hope is still there. Even in the darkest, worst times, light and goodness can prevail.” Trefz invited people across South Dakota, northwest Iowa, northeast Nebraska, and southwest Minnesota, during an interview on KELO-land Living, to view an Easter worship broadcast on TV. View the full conversation here.

Bishop Ough delivers the message, "Hold On", during Easter worship on TV. Photo by Dave Stucke, Dakotas UMC.

Easter was not canceled.  A message of hope was delivered as worshippers gathered around computer screens, mobile phones and tablets, televisions, radios, and parking lots. “More than ever before, we now understand that nothing can separate us from God,” said Bishop Ough, delivering a message over TV.

Television worship

Thousands of worshippers across Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota celebrated the resurrection by viewing a televised service with Bishop Ough delivering the message, “Hold On.” “As the frightened and astonished women left the empty tomb, running to tell the other disciples what they had witnessed, the risen Jesus suddenly appears and greets them. And what do they do? They take hold of Jesus’ feet. They take hold of Jesus’ feet and worship him,” said Ough. View the full worship service here.

Residents in western North Dakota and eastern Montana celebrated the risen Christ by viewing a worship service, prepared by a team of clergy from the Bismarck and Mandan area, broadcast on KFYR-TV on Easter morning. “Today and every day is a day of hope, because of God’s victory over death,” said Rev. Bruce Adams, as he shared with viewers during the service. View the full worship service here.

Cars line up for the Easter parade at the United Methodist Church in Bowman, North Dakota. Photo courtesy of Pastor Ray Sherwood.

New worshippers online

“Our worship attendance is growing with online worship,” said Rev. Ray Sherwood, who serves the United Methodist Church in Bowman, North Dakota. Online worship services are averaging more than 150 viewers each week. The congregation typically has 50 worshippers for in-person worship.

The Bowman congregation, with other churches in the community, invited people to have an Easter parade of cars. More than 30 vehicles, with 125 people, showed their Easter spirit.  

Rev. Marv Winstryg typically sees 80 people at in-person worship at the United Methodist Churches in Steele and Tuttle, North Dakota. Online worship is bringing more than 100 viewers each week.

More than 130 congregations celebrated Easter by worshipping online in the Dakotas. View the directory of online worship here, with direct links to view the worship services. If you celebrated the resurrection in some way online, and we do not have your information listed, please e-mail the information to us here.

Rev. Ray Baker delivers the message in the parking lot on Easter at Faith UMC in Fargo. Photo courtesy of Fargo Faith UMC.

Drive-in and radio worship

Several congregations held drive-in worship services on Easter Sunday. In Fargo, North Dakota, Faith UMC built an outdoor altar, transmitted audio on a dedicated FM radio transmitter, to deliver the Easter message. On Sunday morning, cars pulled into the church parking lot for worship. “All of these things make Good Friday seem more real than ever before,” said Rev. Ray Baker, who serves Faith UMC. View a news story here and the full worship service here.

Easter worship was on the radio at Trinity UMC in Lead, South Dakota. “We had hoped to do a community drive-in worship service. We had things ready to go, and then it snowed, so I had to make other plans,” said Rev. Peggy Hanson, who serves Trinity UMC. “I set up things in my living room. I was able to share the service live on Facebook, and the local station broadcast the audio file.”

United in Faith parish in Burke and Herrick, South Dakota, and the United Methodist Church in Winner, South Dakota, also provided audio worship through FM transmitters. “The weather stopped the drive-in part of our Easter worship, but people could still listen on the radio,” says Pastor Clay Lundberg, who serves the United in Faith parish.

The weather did not stop Pastors Molly Leger and Mark Tracy from celebrating Easter in the parking lot at Webster UMC. View a video clip from the drive-in worship service here. 

The congregations at Edgeley, Ashley, Lehr, and Ellendale, North Dakota, continue to worship over the radio station out of Oakes, North Dakota. They also provide a live stream worship option; you can view their Easter service here.

“The reality of how we relate to our neighbors, work, play, shop, even worship has changed,” says Bishop Ough.