By Jennifer LeClaire
Growing up, I loved drive-in movies. There was something adventurous about sitting on top of the car and eating popcorn while Luke Skywalker battled Darth Vader.
Retro drive-ins are back en vogue in some cities, even as newfangled drive-in churches are also emerging in others. No, I’m not talking about drive-through prayer services that offer petitions on the go. I’m talking about full-blown drive-in churches where cars park on the lawn of the church.
Could this be the answer to church decline? A way to woo the lost to church? Or is it just another gimmick that’s distracting from the gospel? Are we focused too much on making churchgoers comfortable? Or should we do whatever it takes—even offering a drive-in church—to keep attendance up?
NPR this week reported on , explaining that people park in rows on the grass facing an altar on the balcony of an old drive-in theater. They turn their radio on to listen to the sermon.