Celebration Church in Boston has found a unique way to attract first time guests to worship: through a Sunday morning car wash!  Pastor Joe Souza tells the story.

Not the kind of activity you would see on a typical Sunday morning in the parking lot at Celebration Church in Charlestown, where it becomes hard to find a parking spot after 9:30.  On Sunday, June 24^th, a lot of cars were not only moving around but also being washed by members of our church, while the people who waited for their cars to be washed were offered an opportunity to participate in the worship service. 

Not everyone was excited about going upstairs to the main auditorium, so we took the service to them by setting up a live video feed in the waiting area downstairs.  Not only were people watching the service from outside and in the cafeteria, they were also interacting.  Live footage was being transmitted to the auditorium by a camera crew, with a reporter interviewing people as they left their cars to be washed. 

As I preached the message, I also talked to people who gave their impressions as their cars were being washed.  Each topic of the sermon, which was about serving one another, was enriched by the thoughts of our workers performing the service and also by the people who were the targets of our service.  Most of the passers-by were quite impressed when they learned that the worship service was going on at the same time as the car wash.  And most had something positive to say.  Remarks such as "this is totally awesome" and "I can't believe you guys are doing this for free" were quite common.  Not to mention the "I'm coming to this church next Sunday," which may not be totally true, but at least expresses appreciation for what was being done.  People were invited to have burgers, hot dogs, fries and refreshments during the wait, and our reception crew was available to keep their plates full and hand out invitations for our normal activities and upcoming summer events.

Some of our members seemed a bit uptight about combining a car wash with normal Sunday morning worship.  But as the service progressed, everyone was able to see the kind of impact that was being made, not only upon the visitors but among our own congregation as well.  Many people who had never volunteered before were excited about helping control the line, wash, vacuum, greet, cook, or carry out the trash.  Mobilization was a must and created a desire for doing more of this type of service.  Our technical crew was delighted to see the results of their hard work during the week, preparing the audio and video equipment to function  flawlessly during the event.  Many first-time volunteers were active not only washing, but also in preparing the food, which was all donated by a new believer who was impressed at the idea of showing our love for others in such a practical way.  More people have volunteered to help in crucial areas of the church where a shortage of people hinders important ministry accomplishments.

Overall, this experience proved to be tremendously inspiring and motivating.  The sermon became a hands-on reality not only to those who were working but also to the ones watching.  The topics I preached about came to life in the parking lot and on the screen: serving is a biblical mandate, our faith has to be an action, and the concept of grace.  The excitement level of making a positive impact on other peoples' lives has resulted in the expectation within the congregation of doing this type of activity more often.  If that's what it takes to involve the church in a practical way to live the love of Jesus, I'm all for it.

Anybody up for a free car wash and some food?