Church hosts drive-in Easter Sunday service at Collier County fairgrounds

Despite social distancing, churches in Southwest Florida have managed to get people together safely.

Destiny Church Naples held a drive-in Easter service Sunday morning at the Collier County Fair & Exposition grounds.

Sharon and Waldo Malan told us they aren’t letting COVID-19 stop them from celebrating Easter.

“We’ve been robbed of the last couple of weeks of not being able to get together,” Sharon said.

The Malans along with hundreds of others worshiped a little differently this year.

“I’ve been to the drive-in before because I’m old,” Rick Alford said. “But I’ve never been to a drive-in service before.”

“It’s sort of recalls days gone by, you know drive-in movies,” Waldo said. “And now we got drive-in church. I think it’s absolutely brilliant.”

In fact, that’s what pastor Greg Ball of Destiny Church Naples had in mind.

“What we’re doing is practicing social distancing, asking everyone to stay in their cars and to separate with a good distance between them,” Ball said.

From listening on the radio, to praising from the roofs of their cars, Ball said he was happy with the turnout from worshipers.

“My heart was filled with so much joy,” Ball said. “Everyone waving to each other in the cars and smiling.”

These congregants told us, during a time of uncertainty, they’re keeping positive

“You can either focus on fear or faith,” Alford said.

Ball says the church has been doing their part to practice social distancing. Since the outbreak, the church has been holding all of their services online, and its viewership has gone up.

“It’s s all gonna work for the good,” Ball said.