What happens when those traveling down the highways and byways of life have little interest in coming into a church building to hear the gospel? One idea might be to take the gospel to them—out on the highways and byways. That’s exactly what the saints from the Tavistock Bible Chapel (in southwestern Ontario) have been doing for more than fifteen years.
Every Sunday night during the summer months, they hold a drive-in gospel meeting just off Highway 59, between Tavistock and Woodstock (see map). Leaflets are passed out in the community and advertisements appear in the weekly paper announcing the event. Drivers pull in and tune in on their radios to 91.7 FM and—in the comfort of their own cars—they hear the Good News that can change the course of their eternal destinations.
Ninety-two year old John Martin, one of the men involved in starting this gospel effort in 1987, has observed that the lost just aren’t coming out to the assembly like they used to.
“Years ago, we’d have gospel meetings for weeks on end. We would get lots of people out. Now, it seems there are so many other attractions out there.” Mr. Martin continues, “So, you just have to sit down, scratch your head and pray for some other ways to reach them with the gospel. You try this, that and the other, and I think the drive-in gospel meeting is one thing that is working at the present time.”
On average, there are 40 to 50 cars that show up each Sunday night, with about 50% of the people being from the Tavistock assembly. That means the other half may well be heading down the broad highway that leads to destruction (Mt. 7:13). Mr. Martin notes that “these are people who would likely never come to the chapel.”
While there haven’t been many who have professed salvation as a result of these efforts, that coming Day will surely yield many glad surprises. “When we did drive-in gospel meetings out near the Wallenstein assembly (in the late 1940’s),” says Mr. Martin, “we didn’t find out until years later that several people were saved as a result of those efforts.”
So, as the folks pull out of the parking lot, the Spirit is still busy at work. He’s either driving home the gospel in them or, at least, driving it home with them. And in time, God will look after the results.
Written by Brian Cretney