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From the livestream Mass to church in a box, local churches are getting creative while they heed the advice of health experts and cancel in-person services.

And it looks like churches will need to stay creative. On Friday, March 20, Gov. Brian Kemp advised Georgians to limit gatherings to 10 or fewer people for the next eight weeks. That period stretches almost into mid-May — well past Easter Sunday coming up April 12.

Christ Place

Christ Place Church in Flowery Branch has closed services at its 3428 Atlanta Highway location to the public. The church is streaming services online, according to an announcement about its COVID-19 response online.

Christ Place has a schedule of livestream services on its website, christplace.com/live.

Grace

Grace Episcopal Church in Gainesville canceled its upcoming services until further notice while Georgia rides out the coronavirus outbreak. 

All services and activities at the church, including its half-day day care, are also canceled. The Gainesville church is at 422 Brenau Ave. near Brenau University.

Leadership at Grace has been posting updates online at gracechurchgainesville.org, including links to its Facebook livestream services and weekly bulletins.

Lakewood

Lakewood Baptist Church services remain online through March and in-person activities are canceled.

Members can watch services online instead of coming to the church at 2235 Thompson Bridge Road. Lakewood has been updating members about the COVID-19 situation at lakewoodlife.org/covid-19/

Free Chapel

Free Chapel at 3001 McEver Road in Gainesville has canceled public attendance at its services through March and has been updating members online at freechapel.org/coronavirus. Services will be streamed online instead.

The Archdiocese

Catholic churches in North Georgia have followed directives from the Archdiocese of Atlanta and canceled in-person services through the beginning of April.

Catholics are dispensed from attending services during that period, though priests will continue to offer Masses in private. Some churches have been streaming services online, and the archdiocese is keeping a list of those churches at archatl.com/covid-19/broadcast-or-livestreamed-mass

Churches in Hall County include St. Michael Catholic Church at 1440 Pearce Circle NE in Gainesville, St. John Paul II Catholic Mission at 2410 S Smith Road in Gainesville and Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Flowery Branch.

12Stone

While services are canceled on its campuses, the Gwinnett-based 12Stone Church has been uploading devotionals and other videos to its YouTube page at youtube.com/user/12StoneChurch. It’s also been communicating with membership on its Facebook page.

Chestnut Mountain

Chestnut Mountain Church in southeast Hall County has canceled in-person services until further notice, according to a post on its website at chestnutmountain.org/covid19

The church is located at 4903 Chestnut Mountain Circle in Flowery Branch.

Services are being streamed on Facebook and online at chestnutmountain.org/live.

First Baptist

Gainesville’s First Baptist Church on Green Street is keeping its buildings closed to the public and church activities until further notice, according to an announcement online at fbcgainesville.org/church-updates.

The church at 751 Green St. NW has been streaming services online at fbcgainesville.org/livestream.

Gainesville First UMC

Gainesville First United Methodist Church has canceled in-person Sunday services and church activities through March, according to a notice at gfumc.com/blog.

At the moment, services are set to resume April 5. The church preschool will remain closed through April 13.

In the meantime, services will be shown online.

LDS

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints canceled services globally “until further notice” as of Wednesday, March 11.

The denomination has a church in Gainesville at 1234 Riverside Drive and in Flowery Branch at 4735 Cash Road. Services remain suspended until further notice.

The church has been updating members online at newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/coronavirus-update.

McEver Road UMC

McEver Road United Methodist Church has suspended all in-person activities and worship services through Sunday, March 22.

Services will be streamed online and on the church Facebook page.

Corinth

Corinth Church has canceled in-person services and activities and is moving services online through March 31. Members of the church at 3590 Thompson Bridge Road can find services online at corinthchurch.yourstreamlive.com.

The church office is open on Mondays and Tuesdays. Staff is present to answer calls on Wednesdays and Thursdays, but the building will be closed to the public.

Sermons can be found at corinth-baptist.com/sermons.

Riverbend

Gainesville’s Riverbend Church at 1715 Cleveland Highway has canceled its in-person service Sunday, March 22, and for now is taking it “week-by-week,” said the Rev. Joe Payton, lead pastor of the church.

Riverbend has set up links to its livestream services at riverbendchurch.life, which includes streaming on the website and on Facebook.

But the church is giving its members a more direct connection to Sunday service with “church in a box.”

Payton said members can pick up a packet each week that includes sermon notes, worksheets and crafts for kids, lessons for teens and other material that they would normally have during a conventional service.

“We’re a fairly young church, but we have a lot of people who aren’t tech savvy so this also gave us a way to get something into a senior adults’ hands,” Payton said.

The packets also line up with online services and lessons.

Northlake

Northlake Baptist Church at 4823 Thompson Bridge Road near Murrayville has canceled in-person services through the end of the month.

A notice posted online at northlakebaptist.org states the church will be recording services and posting audio recordings on its website. Services will also be steamed to the church’s Facebook page. 

Montgomery Memorial

Montgomery Memorial Baptist at 1210 W Ridge Road in Gainesville has canceled in-person services through April 1 “or until such a time as a threat in our has subsided,” according to its Facebook post.

Services will continue to be streamed on Facebook.

New Liberty

In Braselton, New Liberty United Methodist Church will be streaming its services on its Facebook page.

In-person services are canceled through March 28, according to the church at 17 Thompson Mill Road in Braselton.

The latest

Follow The Times’ coverage of the COVID-19 outbreak in Georgia at gainesvilletimes.com/coronavirus. You can also follow the daily list of the number of cases in Hall County and statewide, along with our daily headlines we keep updated throughout the day.