Strasbourg church to hold Easter service virtually after SHA raises concerns with drive-in

A drive-in service on Easter Sunday will not be happening after all at the Strasbourg Alliance Church.

Pastor Brian Tysdal said the church was contacted by the Saskatchewan Health Authority, which had concerns about the event, which they considered to be a mass gathering.

With the help of local MLA Glen Hart, the church consulted with the government and ultimately decided that the service would not go ahead.

“We certainly want to honour the health and safety of our community. We want to be perceived as supporting our front-line workers and the fact that this COVID-19 pandemic is a very serious issue,” Tysdal said, when reached by phone on Friday.

“We didn’t want to be perceived at all, or contribute certainly, towards the furthering of that pandemic.”

The drive-in service was supposed to be the best of both worlds, where congregants could meet in the same location – the church parking lot – but stay apart by remaining in their vehicles. Tysdal would lead the service with music played from the back of a pickup truck.

On a typical pre-pandemic Sunday, church service was drawing about 100 people. Drive-in service was bringing about 30, although that number was growing.

“It seemed to have a little bit of momentum behind it. It was a good atmosphere,” he said.

Tysdal said the SHA was also concerned about their ability to enforce physical distancing.

With the drive-in service ruled out, the church will turn to “innovative ways that we can get the good news out there.”

That’s going to include at least a livestream on Sunday, but Tysdal acknowledges video doesn’t quite replicate corporate worship, which is a core part of Christian liturgy.

“It’s significant. I think people are realizing when they were coming to our drive-in church services. Even though they were isolated from each other, they were still in the same physical space and seeing each other made a big difference,” he said.

“Virtual is good and any church that is depending on that as a primary means of communicating, I still feel it’s valid. But we are built for human interaction that’s more than just virtual. It is a challenge. There’s no doubt.”

The pastor insists there’s a need for some kind ministry that meets people where they’re at, physically. If not a drive-in, then perhaps a drive-by. Tysdal said he’s been parking outside people’s houses, praying, and offering messages of encouragement over the phone.

“We still have a role to play in spiritual health in our community but we certainly want to be respectful and contributing positively to the physical pandemic aspect of things as well.”