St Michael’s Church, Stoke Gifford, in Bristol, England, hosted a drive-in church service on Sunday 26 July, in the Sainsbury supermarket’s car park.

Organisers reported that there were over 100 cars were in attendance, with an estimated total of around 300 people, and the store was very helpful and made the team feel really welcome.

Singing from the car

The restrictions for church meetings have now eased in the UK, to allow acts of public services inside churches, but singing is still not permitted indoors, so that St Michael’s decided to make corporate worship with singing possible, from the car.

Right before the meeting, stewards led the attendees to their allocated spaces for the service, so that they could listen to the sermon, join with the worship and respond in prayer from within their own vehicles.

Revd Tom Benyon, a member of St Michael’s clergy, spoke from a stage at the front of the parking lot, and the church worship band played live music.

Many who attended commented on how moving it was to worship alongside others after such a long time apart.

“We have really missed meeting and worshipping together as a church family”

According to Benyon, “like so many churches across the country, we have been producing stacks of online services over lockdown, but we have really missed meeting and worshipping together as a church family”.

“We were delighted to be able to hold a drive-in service. It was a really vibrant, joyful event, full of hope. We got together safely, sang some songs, heard about the good news of Jesus, and all from the comfort of our cars!", he added.

The Archdeacon of Malmesbury, Revd Christopher Bryan, pointed out that “churches have been doing amazing things during the pandemic. The church’s life carries on, even when buildings are closed”.

“I have heard about work with food banks, offering pastoral care, and lots of different ways of worshipping together. St Michael’s have been wonderfully imaginative and creative in offering the drive-in service”, Bryan underlined.

St Michael’s hopes that this won’t be the last drive-in church experience that they put on.