COLUMBUS, Ind. — With rising COVID-19 cases locally and statewide, many Columbus area houses of worship are deciding this weekend to revert to online-only worship services — or to switch to other formats such as Westside Community Church’s drive-in parking lot service transmitted via 87.9 FM radio frequency on Sunday and the remainder of the year.
That includes Advent and Christmas.
“I have moved our lectern out in our lobby in front of our large, front window where I can see all of our cars out in the parking lot,” said Pastor Dennis Aud. “At least it feels like I am preaching to people, and not a big, empty room.”
Westside first did parking lot worship in the spring, including an Easter Sunday service on April 12 that featured Aud preaching to the car-comfy faithful from the bed of a pickup truck so people could see him.
Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop met with about 30 local pastors via Zoom Wednesday to request, not require, that spiritual leaders revert to the online-only approach that most spiritual bodies of believers used in the spring during the lockdown period in order to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
“The request seemed well received,” Lienhoop said.
For more on this story, see Saturday’s Republic.
