We try to put resources on this blog that aren’t dated or time sensitive so you can access them year round without confusion or need to adapt. However, in an effort to come alongside you in the need to physically distance and wear masks for the protection of all, we are bringing you DRIVE! THRU! CLUBS!

Drive-thru clubs? You mean watch a movie outside with kids in our cars?

No. Well, maybe, if that’s the route you take, but that’s not our first intention.

Drive-thru club will likely need to look different depending on what regulations are in place where you live, but here are some basic concepts:

Kids in vehicles. Whether a leader safely picks up students, or a parent brings their family / their child and friends, club will be experienced from the inside of the vehicle and immediately surrounding it. This will help naturally group people and create safe physical boundaries.

One at a time. Spread your game stations out in a park’s drive or parking lot – similar in style to a drive-thru Christmas lights display. You might use cones to create a path for vehicles to follow. Vehicles will line up at the start of club, and someone should direct traffic when it’s time for the next car to roll through the games.

Game stations. You may come up with games that can be played inside the car or games that include quickly exiting the car for some purpose. Remember, middle school kids make better participants than spectators, so try to get everyone involved. Think: up-front games (without the audience for now) OR collaborative style games, especially games that don’t involve exchanging anything between the leaders and kids  – trivia games, charades, name that tune, etc.

Give-away and food. Don’t forget a fun raffle and snack of some kind – these are growing kids! You might want to save the food to be the last station so kids can eat on the car ride home. Offer hand sanitizer and napkins. (Store bought packaged food would be better than homemade cookies in light of Covid-19 even though nothing beats the taste of homemade cookies!)

The Gospel. There are so many ways to share the Gospel with kids in this setting, it just won’t likely be the way you’re used to doing it. (But hey! Maybe you set out socially distant seating and a sound system and make it happen!) Otherwise… Can you have leaders share a Gospel story at the end of the line in 1 minute to each car that comes through? Maybe leaders / parents get a list of “cabin time” questions for the drive home. Will you make a club talk video for everyone to watch on their personal device in the parking lot (in the vehicle) while they chow down on pizza? Here’s where you can be creative!

Other tips:

• You might live-stream this on whatever platforms you use, inviting more kids to continue coming “until club is over.”
• Depending on the size of your club, you might have identical stations set up on two sides of the road for two lines of vehicles. This will move people through club quicker!
• If you’re driving kids, consider partnering with another area or your high school leader team, asking them to run the stations so you can be with kids.