Pastor John Anderson, leads drive-in worship at Spirit of Faith, in Woonsocket, South Dakota.

“Some of the churches are becoming a community church through online worship and drive-in worship,” says Rev. Roger Spahr. He serves as the Southeast District Superintendent for the Dakotas Conference. “Congregations like Woonsocket are seeing new people during this time. More people are coming. It seems like it may be less vulnerable, during this time of COVID-19, to attend.

One congregation that is seeing new people attending, despite this time of uncertainty and social distancing, is Spirit of Faith congregation in Woonsocket, South Dakota. The congregation and the community is worshipping in the parking lot, drive-in theater style. Pastor John Anderson leads worship, standing in the back of a pick-up truck, in front of the church building. Watch a television news story here. 

“A lot of people’s needs are being met. We find that people are coming from other churches and towns,” says Anderson. “Many shared how wonderful it was to see their church family and that this was exactly what they needed. I realized quickly it was also exactly what I needed. We are going to continue with the drive-in style as long as we can safely do it. We have many others watching our live stream online. The response has been great!” 

Members of Spirit of Faith worship at the lumber yard. Photos courtesy of Spirit of Faith Facebook page.

The experience of worshipping outside the church building is not new for Spirit of Faith. In 2018 the congregation closed two older buildings—an Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, and a United Methodist Church, to build a new home for Spirit of Faith, a congregation comprised of members from two denominations—ELCA and United Methodist.

A team of the pastor and two lay members went to a conference in Texas to begin thinking about how to do ministry without a building for several weeks. The plan turned into community worship throughout the summer months, reaching people in new ways. Here is where the congregation found themselves worshipping:

• At the lumber yard where the worship focused on building up God’s Kingdom.
• At the swimming pool, those attending worship renewed their baptism.
• At the lake in the middle of town, which coincided with the community fishing derby, those in attendance and fishing in the derby, learned about how God is fishing for people, and how we can catch with him.
• At the ballpark, community members were invited to have hot dogs, peanuts and cracker jacks and that 1-2-3 you are not "out" with God.
• At the local telecommunications business, those worshipping discovered ways we are talking with God.
• At local restaurants and bars, community members were invited to worship up and down the main street and to be people of prayer.
• At the grocery store, where those participating in worship talked about feeding God’s people.
• At the local ice cream shop or drive-in ice cream stop, people that worshipped discovered how to have fun with God in a carnival-like event.
• At a local farm, those worshipping celebrating God’s harvest.
• At the local nursing home where those attending celebrated the many gifts of the residents.
• At the building site for the new church building, where people planted seeds of hope for all of God’s people.

Members of Spirit of Faith and others worship at the local drive-in restaurant.

“It takes work to prepare the hearts of people to worship outside the church,” says Pastor Rhonda Wellsandt-Zell, who served Spirit of Faith during the building process. “Once we left the building, we became the church in a new way. We were a living body of Christ in the community.”

As congregations make plans for in-person worship, Spirit of Faith is making plans to worship in the community and online. How will your church plan to be the church in new ways? Is it time to contemplate ways to swing the doors open, let go of the past, and let the Holy Spirit guide you?

“This will make us rethink how we do church. Churches like Spirit of Faith are seeing new faces and new numbers. It does change the church,” says Rev. Spahr.