Worship on wheels: Drive-in churches offer sense of community on Easter – By Nicki Gorny (The Blade) / April 11 2020
When the seriousness of the current coronavirus pandemic was becoming clear in mid-March, St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Bowling Green was one of countless houses of worship that considered its options.
“The one thing we said was non-negotiable was that we were going to continue to provide worship,” the Rev. Rob Spicer recalled of his weeks-ago conversations with church leadership. “Online worship is great, but it’s not the same as coming together.”
So they found a way to come together: With the help of a radio transmitter built by one member and donated by another, they’ve been inviting parishioners to drive-in worship in their parking lot since March 22. The pastor sees it as an in-person but still socially distant complement to the streaming video services that they additionally make available on YouTube and Facebook.
They’re holding services at 8:30, 9:45 and 11 a.m. Easter Sunday. They’ll be one of a handful of regional churches turning to the drive-in model for a needed sense of community on Easter.
“I think it’s fantastic,” Brian Bushong said of drive-in worship at St. Mark’s. He’s the council president at the church, and he and his wife, Sara, have been consistent attendees.
Continue to article: https://www.toledoblade.com/news/religion/2020/04/11/worship-on-wheels-drive-in-churches-offer-sense-of-community-easter-northwest-ohio/stories/20200412003
