Drive-in Church

When I was growing up our church used to help conduct worship services in the summer at the local drive-in movie theater. Our congregation got to lead worship one Sunday morning every summer. The service was set up for those folks in the community who might be on vacation or otherwise did not want to dress up on Sundays in the summer.  So people came to the service (they really did!) but stayed in their cars, which was the basic concept. Crazy, I know.  The concession stand was not open, not even on Communion Sunday. Hymns were sung – I think there was some type of portable organ. I was in the choir and we led the singing from some wobbly scaffolding near the front of the lot.  People sang along in their cars, or so we hoped. The pastor’s message was pumped into the cars through those heavy drive-in speakers you attached to your window. An offering was taken when the people drove out – there was a guy with a bucket for offerings at the exit. But now that I think of it, we never knew that guy. We were told he was from the district. But he could have just been some guy with a bucket. 

Fast forwarding into the 21^st century, if you go to a movie at the drive-in some Friday or Saturday night and there’s some dude singing hymns in his car, tell him he’s got the wrong day, maybe the wrong era. Better yet, let him sing, and maybe, just maybe, he’ll give you some money at the exit on his way out!