Cindi Weatherly and her daughter, Aimee Ballentine, laugh at a joke that the pastor made while watching Beech Haven Church's service livestream on Sunday, February 9, 2025, at their home in Watkinsville, Georgia. Weatherly is unable to attend the church services in person due to health issues, so she and Ballentine, along with Ballentine's sons, watch from home every Sunday.
Five years ago, as the world began to shut down, staff members at Beech Haven Church in Athens met at a local Mexican restaurant to discuss how they would continue to offer church services if their congregants couldn't leave their houses.
Like most churches during the COVID-19 pandemic, Beech Haven decided to start livestreaming their worship services. Today, they still livestream one of their two services every Sunday morning.
Beech Haven is just one of the many churches that continues to offer livestreaming, even after their congregations began meeting in person again.
In fact, Beech Haven recently renovated their worship hall to better accommodate the technology they use to livestream their services. They have also invested more than $100,000 in equipment.
“All these things, five or six years ago, we weren’t thinking of, hypothesizing, at all,” said Chris Orr, the worship pastor at Beech Haven Church. “We got thrust into it.”
Livestreamed services allow families to stay connected to their church, even if they are unable to attend in person due to illness, vacation or something else.
“We don’t believe it’s a substitute,” Orr said. “We believe that it’s a tool for people who can’t come on a particular week.”
Aimee Ballentine reads her bible while watching Beech Haven Church's service livestream at her home in Watkinsville, Georgia, on Sunday, February 9, 2025. Ballentine watches the service from home every Sunday with her mother and sons.
Buddy and Nick Ballentine prepare breakfast on Sunday, February 9, 2025 at their home in Watkinsville, Georgia. The brothers, along with their mother and grandmother, watch Beech Haven Church's service livestream every Sunday from home.
Cindi Weatherly used to go to Beech Haven Church every Sunday, before health issues and family commitments kept her from going. She started staying home after her husband became ill and hasn’t been back since.
Despite this, she is still able to tune into Beech Haven’s Sunday service every week.
Nick Ballentine helps his mother turn on Beech Haven Church's livestream in their home in Watkinsville, Georgia, on Sunday, February 9, 2025. The Ballentines watch the service from home every Sunday.
Cindi Weatherly's dog, Manny, sits wrapped in blankets on the floor of their home in Watkinsville, Georgia, on Sunday, February 9, 2025. Manny lay at the foot of Weatherly's armchair throughout the entire church service livestream.
Weatherly’s daughter, Aimee Ballentine, stays home with her in case she needs help with anything, along with Ballentine’s sons, Buddy, Nick and Jonathan. Ballentine’s sons often have to help their mother and grandmother pull up the livestream on their television.
Cindi Weatherly reads her bible while watching Beech Haven Church's service livestream on Sunday, February 9, 2025, at her home in Watkinsville, Georgia. Weatherly is unable to attend church in person due to health issues, but watches the service from home every week.
Family photos, religious items and other decorations are found throughout Cindi Weatherly's home in Watkinsville, Georgia, on Sunday, February 9, 2025. Weatherly, along with her daughter and grandsons watch their church's service livestream from home every Sunday.
Weatherly is planning on going back to attending in person when she feels well enough, but for now she is happy that she is still able to stay connected to her church. She hopes to start attending in-person bible study on Tuesdays soon.
Cindi Weatherly and Aimee Ballentine watch Beech Haven Church's livestream service in their living room in Watkinsville, Georgia, on Sunday, February 9, 2025. They are unable to attend church in person due to Weatherly's health issues, but watch the service from home every week.
Members of the Crumbley's Life Group pray on Sunday, February 16, 2025, at Beech Haven Church in Athens, Georgia. The Crumbley's Life Group meets at 11 a.m. on Sundays.
Jordan Crumbley and her family also prefer to attend Sunday worship in person, and usually do so, saying that they enjoy the community and are more engaged when they are at church.
Lydia and Abbie Crumbley play together in their home before leaving for church in Athens, Georgia, on Sunday, February 16, 2025. The Crumbleys try to leave for church by 9 a.m. on Sundays.
Jordan Crumbley helps her son, Ezra Crumbley, put his shoes on in their home in Athens, Georgia, on Sunday, February 16, 2025. The Crumbleys try to leave for church by 9 a.m. on Sundays.
Daniel Crumbley buckles his son, Ezra Crumbley, into his car seat in their driveway in Athens, Georgia, on Sunday, February 16, 2025. The Crumbleys try to leave for church by 9 a.m. on Sundays.
But when Crumbley was battling cancer last year, she also often utilized the livestream.
“I could stay home and still be a part of it,” Crumbley said. “So that offered that, whereas six years ago, I couldn’t have done that.”
Jordan Crumbley has her notebook ready to take notes during Sunday Worship at Beech Haven Church in Athens, Georgia, on Sunday, February 16, 2025. The Crumbleys regularly attend Sunday Worship in person.
Daniel and Jordan Crumbley pray with the pastor during Sunday Worship at Beech Haven Church in Athens, Georgia, on Sunday, February 16, 2025. The Crumbleys regularly attend Sunday Worship in person.
The Crumbley family have been able to go back to attending church in person and are very involved. Jordan and her husband Daniel lead a Life Group on Sundays after the 9:30 a.m. service and their children, Lydia, Abbie and Ezra attend the children’s ministry. Jordan, Lydia and Abbie also sing in the choir on Sunday mornings.
“Community at church and gathering together to worship is really important,” Crumbley said. “We are leaning on each other and being community to each other when we show up on Sundays.”
Jordan Crumbley sings in the Worship Choir on Sunday, February 16, 2025, at Beech Haven Church in Athens, GA. Crumbley and her family try to arrive at church by 9:15 a.m. on Sundays to practice with the choir before the service.
Jess Gillespie carries Lydia Crumbley down the hall at Beech Haven Church in Athens, Georgia, on Sunday, February 16, 2025. Gillespie is Crumbley's aunt and they both attend Beech Haven Church regularly.
