- Church strengthening
When COVID-19 hit, Sylvan Way Baptist Church in Bremerton, Washington, faced a decision to either wait it out or see where God was leading us. We viewed this “stay-at-home” time as an opportunity instead of an obstacle — a chance to innovate and create while reaching people for Jesus.
Before the lockdown, we were primarily a traditional church where Facebook was an afterthought and being online wasn’t needed. We averaged about 100 hits on our website every six weeks. However, things have changed. Now, we are seeing thousands of views on Facebook and hits on our website each week.
Every traditional church became contemporary the day the country shut down. In this season of innovation, we embraced God’s leading us online. Now, we see a reach for the gospel we never expected. Hundreds of people in our community are engaging with us on Facebook. Many people from the four corners of the U.S. are watching our Sunday service, and our international views are growing weekly.
God continues to lead us into new areas. On Sunday, May 10, Sylvan Way launched our drive-in service for the community. Not knowing what to expect, we built a stage and set up for Sunday in the parking lot. Once again, God was faithful. More than 100 cars packed the parking lot well before the service began. Drivers and passengers participated in church from the comfort of their vehicle while listening to the worship team and pastor on FM radio.
Some may ask, “Why a drive-in service?”
We noticed that the people in our congregation and community were feeling stuck. Many felt trapped by the current crisis. Drive-in church creates an opportunity for people to get out of the house. Getting out creates movement — a sense of not being stuck. Movement creates hope. What better hope could people have than going to church and hearing about Jesus.
We want to hear what God is doing through your church during the coronavirus pandemic. Tell us about it.
