Prior to the Coronavirus pandemic, our church met at a local elementary school just like every other church in the city of Eastvale. The reason why almost every church (with the exception of one) gathers at a school is because Eastvale is a fairly new city that was incorporated back in 2010. Currently there is only one church building in a city with an estimated population of 60k. We began our 6th year back in November but in March we were “kicked out” of the school due to the quarantine shutdown as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic that hit the world in 2020.
For a while, we were only running Zoom and Livestream but after much prayer and consideration, we decided it was safe to have an open outdoor drive-in service. This is allowed under current California restrictions for Riverside County. You might be wondering if there are any pros and cons with a drive-in service. Here are some of my thoughts what they may be.
Pros
- This is adjusting to our current context and that is important. Even if the world stops, the church must move forward in preaching the Word and reaching the lost. Jesus commands the church to continue to go, win, baptize, and teach (Matthew 28:19-20) and we are also encouraged to lift each others up through gathering together in fellowship (Hebrews 10:23-25).
- Our church family has been encouraged enormously through these outdoor drive-in services. We’ve had multiple people state that were so thankful there was a church that was continuing to preach and worship (albeit adjusted settings) and reaching the community.
- We can safely gather together outdoors with social distancing. Those that are more cautious of gatherings can still attend church by staying in their cars and tuning in to the radio station that we’ve set as an audio transmitter during the service. Others can bring their own chair and sit outdoors with their families.
- We can still run our auxiliary ministries such as the Youth and Children safely outdoors. This has been especially encouraging for our teenagers. Our Youth Group prior to the pandemic was a gathering of around 15 students. Now we’re gathering outdoors under an open space and we’re seeing almost 20 students come consistently per week. Mental health is a huge factor for this age group and it is important for them to see their friends and have fun (safely of course with social distancing and mask). Message me if you’d like more details.
- Novelty. This is new and different. We have new visitors that have joined us the past few months that were intrigued by the idea of having church outdoors as a drive-in service. To be honest, this is exactly how the early church gathered in many ways… without the cars of course haha.
Cons
- Weather. This is a huge factor that can potentially stop your drive-in service. I don’t think a hot day would prevent having service outdoors but it may be difficult to have a service outdoor when you have “bad” weather like rain, snow, heavy winds, etc.
- Distractions. There are many things that may get in the way. Cars that are passing by may be distracting, especially the ones with the extremely loud exhaust! Birds flying and flies buzzing around especially on a hot day may be annoying. Sometimes the sound system isn’t up to par with what it is supposed to be and that can be bothersome.
Neither
- Comfort. I’m not going to sugar coat it but it is not comfortable setting up and having service outdoors. It’s uncomfortable sitting outside with all the noise and distractions. It’s annoying when the sound system doesn’t work as you want it to work. Yet when you take a step back, perhaps this was needed. It may be possible that we had to be taken out of our comfort zone to actually focus and zoom in (pun intended) on the Lord in our worship.
So if you are thinking about an alternative to your usual indoor service, try an outdoor drive-in service. How do you have a drive-in service? Here are some important reminders:
- Get a location: this can be your church parking lot or outdoors at a community park (you need to seek permission from the city). Be creative in where you can gather but also be sure you are following the rules and regulations regarding where you can gather a congregation.
- Logistics and Preparation: You need to have outlets for your sound system. It will be difficult to have a projector so I would avoid any visual aid at the moment unless you have a large enough television screen. You can rent a generator from Home Depot or Lowes for a fairly low daily cost or simply purchase one if you have the finances for it. Keep in mind that hot weather can tear up your sound equipment so I would suggest preparing to cover those up with an umbrella or a canopy.
- FM Transmitter: Try and purchase this especially for those that are staying in vehicles. Basically this will allow you to tune in to a radio station (if you are within the radius) and hear the service while still in their cars.
- Reminders: Sent out mailchimp, reminders, youtube, social media, etc. to everyone in your church that you will be having an outdoor service. You can allow them to sit in their cars or bring their own chair to sit outdoors with their family.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to give me a call or ask and I’ll be glad to help you and your church!