Naples church sets up drive-in Sunday service at its new community park

With the coronavirus pandemic still impacting a lot of our plans, many are having to figure out new ways to do normal activities – like going to church.

Emmanuel Lutheran in Naples found one way to help people worship: They turned a 40-acre plot of land into a drive-in church. Everyone will be able to worship from the comfort and safety of their cars simply by tuning to 99.7 on their car radios.

The pastor said this can be a new way to worship for years to come and a good way to include older or less mobile people.

Emmanuel Lutheran purchased the 40-acre plot nearly 13 years ago, and they hope to turn Emmanuel Community Park into more than just a site for worship.

“It’s a space open for everyone, not even people who believe in God per se, but for people who need a space for respite, for leisure, to just think, decompress, because it’s a crazy time right now. We want to have food trucks out there, kind of make it a whole day, take back Sunday in a sense,” said William Kittinger, associate pastor.

Sunday’s service begins at 10 a.m. at Emmanual Community Park, 2770 Oil Well Rd. A drive-thru farmer’s market will be open at the site after the service.