Local churches adopt drive-in services

LACONIA — Caught up in the social disconnection caused by the response to the coronavirus pandemic, Pastor John Sanborn wondered if there was a way to bring his parishioners at the Faith Alive Christian Fellowship church together safely.

Sanborn decided to offer a drive-in service where worshipers would come to the church on Primrose Drive, remain in their cars, roll down the windows, and listen as he led the service from the deck of a flat-bed trailer in the church parking lot.

The first such service was on Easter Sunday — two weeks ago.

“We had 32 cars on Easter. It was a big success,” Sanborn said.

Worshippers sing from their vehicles, and instead of shouting “Amen” when they hear something in the sermon they like, they honk their horns.

“That took some getting used to,” Sanborn said with a chuckle.

Faith Alive is also doing online services, and Sanborn is posting a mini sermon every weekday morning.

“It’s nice to have the online services,” said Steven Arbo of Gilford, who belongs to Faith Alive along with his wife, Barbara. “But you’re still alone, isolated. You lose that sense of community.”

“We get to see our friends,” said Mary McKeen of Sanbornton, another parishioner who has attended the drive-in services.

Sanborn has shortened the typical service for the drive-in format. His sermon now runs about 30 minutes, compared to the usual length of 45 to 60 minutes, he said. The drive-in service runs about one hour, a half-hour shorter than when the congregation is gathered in the worship space.

For Arbo, who has lived in other parts of the country including the West Coast, the drive-in service is deja vu.

Many years ago the Arbos were in Orange County, California, and on one Sunday went to the Crystal Cathedral, founded by the televangelist Dr. Robert Schuller. In addition to the church itself, which could seat 2,250, the glass wall next to the pulpit could slide back so people seated in cars in the parking lot could also listen to the service, Arbo recalled.

When he heard about Sanborn’s plan for the drive-in service at Faith Alive, Arbo thought, “This isn’t original, but it’s a great idea to pull out of mothballs.”

Most area churches have shifted to online services of one sort of another during the pandemic.

For some churches, the services are offered live on an internet stream. Others prerecord them for later viewing.

At Gilford Community Church, services go out over the internet, but they are using a drive-up approach for Communion.

On the first Sunday of the month those who wish to receive Communion can pull in to the church parking lot where the Rev. Michael Graham, assisted by a couple of deacons, hand the faithful a sealed container with a wafer of bread and a thimble-size shot of grape juice.

Seventy people took advantage of the novel Communion on April 5, Graham said. The church is planning to do the same thing on May 3, he added.

While the drive-in or drive-up services allow churchgoers to experience more of a spatial connection with their fellow congregants, it is not the same as being gathered in the same room.

“It works until we can get back into our church,” McKeen said ruefully.