Churches turn to drones, skydiving bunnies for Easter outreach

close

Video

Steve Doocy tours Dallas church as Gen Z attendance surges

‘Fox & Friends’ co-host Steve Doocy visits Watermark Community Church in Dallas to examine how Gen Z is finding community through faith.

Churches in America are turning to drone shows, skydiving bunnies and helicopter egg drops to celebrate Easter this year. 

Last Saturday, Compass Church in Salinas, California, held a Great Helicopter Easter Egg Drop with a skydiving bunny. 

"Compass Church presents The Great Helicopter Easter Egg Drop," an announcement on the church’s website said. "The sky diving bunny returns this year with double the excitement!"

WHITE HOUSE MARKS HOLY WEEK, EASTER WITH DAYS OF PRAYER CENTERED ON RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

Children enjoying outdoor activities in the park, including a run to collect Easter eggs.  (Getty Images )

The egg drop with the skydiving bunny includes 100,000 Easter eggs, bounce houses, games, photos with the Easter bunny and food for purchase.

Similarly, Cultivate Church in Alabama partook in a Great Big Helicopter Easter Egg Drop.

"Join us as thousands of candy and toy-filled Easter eggs fall from a helicopter," Cultivate Church said in an announcement on its website. 

AFFORDABLE EASTER TABLE DECOR THAT MAKES HOSTING EASY, STARTING AT $8

Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Christ on the cross.  (iStock)

On Good Friday, a coalition of churches in Tennessee held an Easter drone show and fireworks. 

"Hundreds of drones will illuminate the night sky in a breathtaking display, synchronized to a powerful narration broadcast on Grace 107.7," an announcement on the website for The River Community Church in Cookeville, Tennessee, said. "Through light and sound, the story of Jesus will come to life — celebrating hope, resurrection, and new life.

"If you can see the big white cross next to I-40, you’ll have a great view as the drones soar 200 feet above it. The evening will conclude with a stunning fireworks finale over Prayer Mountain, making for a powerful ending to this unforgettable experience." 

In a video announcement on Facebook about the event, the lead pastor of the church, Steve Tiebout, said over 20 churches in the area are involved in the event.

NIGERIA'S CHRISTIANS ON EDGE FOR EASTER AFTER PALM SUNDAY MASSACRE

Hands folded in prayer on a Holy Bible in church. (iStock)

"Bring people that never go to church. This will be something they’ll want to see, and then you can have those conversations afterward to share with them what Christ has done in your life," Tiebout said in the video announcement.

Compass Church Pastor T.K. Anderson said in a statement to Fox News Digital: "The Great Helicopter Easter Egg Drop is more than a celebration, it is our way of reaching out to our community with a message of hope in a world that often feels divided. In a time when we see so much separation and uncertainty around us, we believe there is one message powerful enough to bring people back together, the love of God revealed through Jesus Christ."

The Bible teaches us that Jesus came not only to reveal God’s love to us personally, but to restore our relationships with one another. The great message of the Gospel is reconciliation, God reaching down to humanity with grace, forgiveness, and love. That is why we say, the ‘Cross Equals Love.’ The cross stands as the greatest demonstration of God’s love for the world. This is the hope of the Gospel."

At the same time, we recognize that every community needs moments of joy, safe places where families can gather, children can laugh, and neighbors can come together. The Great Helicopter Easter Egg Drop provided a safe, fun, and free family event for our community. It brought together more than 6,000 families for an unforgettable day that included 100,000 Easter eggs, the Easter Bunny skydiving into the stadium, two helicopter egg drops, along with a festival filled with food, fun, and activities for all ages. The Great Helicopter Easter Egg Drop is one small way we blessed our community while sharing the greatest message the world has ever known."

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Brandon Matthews, lead team pastor at Cultivate Church said, "Our goal is always the same. We want our community to know we want something for them, and nothing from them. Jesus said in John 13:34-35 that the world would know that we belong to Jesus because of our love, and this event shows the love of Jesus, no strings attached.

Matthews added, "Each year hundreds of people with that in mind serve around 20,000 people across our county through the Egg Drop. Everything is 100% free (not even donations accepted). We have multiple helicopter drops where it flies over the crowd and drops thousands of eggs for each hunt. We grill free food, free drinks, inflatables, a sensory area for special needs, pictures with the Easter Bunny, and more. There are people serving our event guests with parking, registration, translation, and the event itself. It's a great day. Our ultimate hope is that people see Jesus through us and that attracts them to Him." 

Fox News Digital also reached out to The River Community Church for comment. 

At a time when America is wrestling with declining church attendance, a recent Barna Group study suggests that attendance has increased among Gen Z and millennial men, showing signs of a return to church that surpasses older generations. Gen Z and millennials' attendance has had a resurgence in general, according to conservative Gen Z influencer Bo Loudon. 

"This is the result of a generation that's had a lot of stuff going on. You know, we had to go through COVID, we've had a bunch of wars and, you know, not so great presidencies. But we're in a great presidency now, and we have a great president that's made it very open for us to talk about God and speak about our faith," Loudon told Fox & Friends recently. 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP