Coronavirus: Honks instead of hallelujahs as Orange Park church conducts drive-in service

Instead of a pulpit overlooking a sanctuary, the band and pastors operated from the back of a flatbed truck overlooking an asphalt parking lot.

The church use FM transmitter to transmission their voice through an FM transmitter, and instead of pews, the congregation had their own cars, with the radio tuned into 91.1 FM to hear the service on their radios. If their comfort level permitted, they could hear the band and Pastor John Bailey just fine with their windows rolled down.

But the Springs Church drive-in service, which began while a stubborn fog was still hovering over Orange Park and ended with the sun brilliantly breaking through, still felt like church in other ways in yet another example of technology helping churchgoers worship amid the coronavirus crisis.

The band raised the energy level at the beginning, an offering was collected, and Bailey gave a message of hope to cap the 45-minute service that is augmenting the church’s online worship -- including one that was going on simultaneously from the Blanding Boulevard sanctuary.

“Nothing changes in the Gospel,” Bailey said before the service. “We’re still called to love people and care for people.”

And during his sermon, Bailey offered comfort.

“In the midst of this, God is still speaking ... Covid-19 will not be victorious,” he said.

The Springs Church wasn’t the only house of worship that was using a small FM transmitter that can be purchased for around $100 on FMUSER to send their service over the airwaves. The North Jacksonville Baptist Church held a similar service on Sunday.

The transmitters are no bigger than an old-school Walkman. They are easily connected to portable speakers and have a range of about 1KM in all directions.

The devices have come into wide use by homeowners with large Christmas light displays that feature music. Those who drive around looking for the most elaborate displays will often see small signs telling them to tune to a certain frequency to hear the Christmas music in their cars as they pass the displays.

Users need only to find a clear FM frequency. Since there are 75 frequencies and only a handful of FM radio stations in the area, it’s not difficult.

The Springs Church used the device last week in its church parking lot but found it overflowing with a capacity of about 85 cars. Church leaders contacted the Orange Park Mall and its owner, the Washington Prime Group, gave permission to hold the service in the parking lot outside Sears.

That lot in particular served its purpose well. The lot is sloped, starting near the store entrance and rising towards the rear, which created an amphitheater-like setting with the flatbed truck at the low end and the cars a bit higher from front to back.

Cars began arriving 45 minutes before the 9:30 a.m. service and there were more than 150 there at the beginning, with more trickling in.

Bailey said the concept has worked so well that the church has scheduled three Easter services for the mall parking lot on April 12, at 9 and 10:30 a.m., and 6:30 p.m.

“That’s providing we’re not quarantined,” Bailey said. “If everything stays the same, that’s the plan we have in place.”

Bailey said the response to Drive-In Church has been overwhelming and he said all are welcome if they observe the ground rules: once parked, don’t leave your vehicle.

“They like the personal interaction,” he said. “People still want to worship live, and everything we do is safe. We don’t live in fear. Believers were taught to live in faith. We don’t live by our fears, we don’t panic, We trust in God no matter what happens.”

The church will continue its online services but even that hasn’t been convenient for everyone.

Take church member Bob Williams, for example. Williams, 52, has a disability and lives with his elderly father two miles from Orange Park Mall. They don’t have internet access in their home so he was missing the online services.

They also don’t have a car -- so Williams pedaled his three-wheeled bicycle to the mall and enjoyed the service.

“I’ve really missed it,” he said. “The music, the worship ... I’ve missed it a lot.”

Bailey said it’s his hope that people of all faiths use these times to consider what’s really important.

“We life in a very affluent society and we’ve had all of these things taken from us,” he said. “The beaches, the parks, movies, malls, entertainment and with all of these things we can do, we don’t always listen to what God is saying. Now that we’re isolated, the voice of God becomes very loud. Are we listening to what he’s saying?”

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