Name: How local churches are handling Christmas Eve services during the pandemic
Uploaded: 2020-12-24T06:07:44-0500
Duration: 113101
Description: Christmas Eve is one of the busiest nights of the year for many local churches. Some congregations will gather in-person tonight; others, will hold virtual services.

25 NC counties are under alert, including Cumberland, Harnett, Moore, Sampson, and Lee counties.

We also hear how a man helped a driver escape before an Amtrak train collided with his car. We’re also tracking waves of storms bringing isolated tornadoes and hail threats. Watch WRAL-TV at 5 p.m., and search for these and other stories on WRAL.com.

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Christmas Eve is one of the busiest nights of the year for many local churches. Some congregations will gather in-person tonight; others, will hold virtual services. 

MISSION THEY SAY THE CDC GUIDELINES ARE BEING FOLLOWED.>>> THE FIRST CHRISTMAS EVE OF THE PANDEMIC AND TRADITIONALLY, CHURCHES ARE PACKED FOR THIS YEAR AS THE PANDEMIC CASTS A CLOUD OVER WHAT SHOULD BE A BRIGHT HOLIDAY SEASON YOU WILL FIND CHURCHES ARE HOLDING SERVICES IN DIFFERENT WAYS. NIA HARDEN JOINS US FROM HOPE CHAPEL APEX WITH MORE, TO EXPLAIN WHAT'S GOING ON. >> Reporter: A LOT OF CHURCHES DURING THIS TIME OF YEAR, IT'S ONE OF THE BUSIEST CHRISTMASES ABOUT THE BIRTH OF JESUS. MANY OF THE CHURCHES ARE REALLY EXPECTING TO HOLD SOME TYPE OF SERVICE AND SOME TYPE OF CAPACITY AND HOPE CHAPEL COME THERE HAVING TO DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY WITH THEM HAVING IT IN PERSON COME FOR THE CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE. THEY SAY IT WILL NOT LOOK LIKE LAST YEAR'S. THEY WILL BE HAVING SECTIONS FOR PEOPLE WITH MASKS, TICKETS WILL BE LIMITED AS WELL AS LIMITED SEATING, TWO SERVICES ARE IN PERSON AND THEY WILL ALSO HAVE A VIRTUAL SERVICE. RELIGIOUS SERVICES DO NOT HAVE TO FOLLOW THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER. OASIS IN HOLLY SPRINGS IS CHOOSING TO DO CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES ALL ONLINE. THE PASTOR SAYS IT TAKES LONGER TO PUT SOMETHING LIKE THIS TOGETHER AND HE UNDERSTANDS OTHER PASTORS DECISIONS ON BOTH SIDES. >> WE CAN PRODUCE SOMETHING ONLINE AND CAN BE EXCELLENT, IT CAN BE PERSONAL AND IT CAN BE POWERFUL. AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'VE DECIDED TO DO IS CREATE THIS ONLINE EXPERIENCE. BECAUSE WERE ABLE TO. I COULD SEE WHERE A CHURCH THAT MAYBE DOESN'T HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY OR THE EXPERTISE WOULD BE SO INTIMIDATED BY THAT THAT THEY WOULD GATHER IN PERSON. >> Reporter: AHEAD, WE WILL TELL YOU MORE ABOUT HOPE CHAPEL PETE WE TALKED TO THE PASTOR

Nia Harden

Heather Leah

How local churches are handling Christmas Eve services during the pandemic

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Get the latest WRAL WeatherCenter Forecast whenever you need it, including the DUALDoppler5000 and the 7-Day Forecast.

<p>A meteorologist, Elizabeth Gardner, checking out what's happening. We are tracking this cold front. We've been watching it all week. This is the same one that did a lot of damage across the plains and Midwest. And you can still see that there's a lot of activity out ahead of this front. We've had a few thunderstorms even early this morning in the mountains of North Carolina and a couple of sprinkles showing up in our southern counties this morning. But the best chance for strong to severe thunderstorms come later on this evening, we do have a level to risk for severe storms both today and tomorrow. It's a little bit of an unusual weather pattern for us. It's the usual threats, damaging winds, isolated tornadoes, heavy rain and hail, but it's the timeline of this. That's a little unusual. We'll see that beginning this evening tonight lasting overnight and into the first half of the day on Thursday, typically these storms will die down after midnight and then redevelop in the afternoon. Instead, this is going to be an ongoing overnight and tomorrow morning kind of event. So keep that in mind again, damaging wind, hail, isolated tornadoes maybe even a little isolated flooding with these waves of storms and maybe even some spotty power outages. So here's a look at Futurecast. We're looking at mostly cloudy skies for today, some sunshine trying to peak through here and there. Um, once we get into the evening, the thunderstorm to begin to develop and you can see those 7 to 9 o'clock continuing there at midnight and overnight, look at that 6 a.m. with a good chance for scattered storms and then some waves on and off through the morning with it eventually moving out by around lunchtime or so, uh, looks mostly dry for the afternoon. Couldn't rule out an isolated shower or thunderstorm. And then another round most likely on Friday afternoon and evening check in what it looks like across the area. We get a mix of sun and clouds for us. Temperatures in the mid seventies, it is really warm and sticky. It feels just like July out there. We'll see a high of 92 and Raleigh 91 in Durham and 93 in Fayetteville. Our heat index mid to maybe even upper nineties in some places. This afternoon, we're sitting at steamie right now. We'll jump to tropical tomorrow making it feel also like low to mid nineties. And then after that, a nice break as we get into the weekend, so less heat, less humidity, a pretty weekend for Mother's Day. But for tonight and for much of the day tomorrow you're going to need to be weather. We make sure that you're tuning in to us on TV, as we're tracking these storms for you.</p>

WRAL WeatherCenter Forecast

Daytime Pick 3 and Pick 4 drawings are held at 3 p.m. daily. They can be seen as live or on-demand video.

Hey there. Good afternoon. I'm Noah Klein. Welcome to this afternoon. Join us for Wednesday, May 8th 2024. Let's get started here with Carolina pick three. That first number is three. Second number is zero. Third number is two, pick 35. Ball number is two. Joining me for this afternoon's draws are auditor from mcconnell and Jones L LP. Now let's move to the Carolina pick four. That first pick four. Number is nine, second, number one. Third number is five fourth number nine. And our pick for a fable number is five. The North Carolina Education lottery has contributed over $10 billion education. Thank you for your support. Get your running numbers each day at 3 p.m. and again, 11:22 p.m. right here on your exclusive station for the North Carolina Education Lottery.

Daytime Pick 3 and Pick 4 Drawing

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Nightly N.C. Education Lottery drawings during the 11 p.m. News.

Good evening. I'm Tina Soldan Cash with the night time lottery drawing for Tuesday. May 7th, 2024. 1st winning pick three tonight is seven, followed by eight, third pick three is six and our pick three. Fireball number is eight. Joining me for tonight's drawing is our auditor from mcconn Jones L LP. Now it's time for the Carolina pick four, check your tickets. Good luck. Eight is our first winning pick four followed by six, third pick for tonight. Another six fourth winning number is zero and our pick for a fireball number tonight is three. Let's turn now to the Carolina cash five. If no one matches all five numbers to win the jackpot tonight, tomorrow's top prize is an estimated $493,000. Good luck. Six is our first winning cash five number tonight followed by seven. Third winning number is 19. Our fourth cash five tonight 11 and our final winning number is 15. The North Carolina education lottery has contributed over $10 billion to education. Thanks for your support and get the winning numbers right here every night. Thanks for playing

Evening Pick 3 Pick 4 and Cash 5

Tuesday and Friday Mega Millions Drawing.

>> ACROSS AMERICA WITH MEGA JACKPOTS, IT'S MEGA MILLIONS AMERICA ON TIME. CODE IS TUESDAY MAY 7TH AND TONIGHT'S MEGA MILLIONS JACKPOT IS AN ESTIMATED A NEW TIES 306 MILLION DOLLARS DOING THAT JACKPOT. YOU MUST MATCH THESE 5 WHITE. PLUS THAT GOLD MEGA MALL. NOW, LET'S SEE IF I CAN MAKE YOU A MILLIONAIRE TONIGHT. OUR FIRST WINNING NUMBER TONIGHT IS 63 FOLLOWED BY 28. UP NEXT, WE HAVE 36 YOU NEXT NUMBER IS 66 IN YOUR FINAL WHITE BALL NUMBER FOR THIS EVENING IS 26 NOW FOR THE MEGA BALL NUMBER THAT IS 15 AGAIN. TONIGHT'S WINNING NUMBERS ARE 63. 28. 36 66. 26 IN THE GOLD.

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