With Florida now giving the green light to opening churches in the state, most Beaches religious organizations are still in the caution zone. Live streaming and Facebook remain the outreach method for most.
A small number of Beaches congregations are moving ahead in creative ways. Perhaps the first to do so was the Church of Our Savior, an Anglican congregation with its sanctuary at 2092 Beach Blvd.
The church owns the property between its building and Adventure Landing. It is on that property that the church leaders created a drive-in worship service, beginning before Easter. At 9 a.m. on Sunday, the Rev. David Ball stands on a platform out on the grass and presents the message, which is broadcast through an FM transmitter to congregants’ vehicles.
“There is music and a message,” he said, “and the response has been wonderful. People can safely worship.”
The musicians share the platform with him, observing the required six-foot separation.
He said the average attendance is 115 people or 50 to 60 cars.
“We keep it short,” he said, “35 to 40 minutes.
“We plan to continue to do the drive-in as well as live streaming an 11 a.m. worship service from the sanctuary which worshipers can tune into at home.”
Christ Episcopal Church, 400 San Juan Blvd. in Ponte Vedra Beach, begins a walk-through outdoor service May 31.
Worshipers, individually or in family groups, will move along the garden path to stations. The path makes a circuit and does not double back. Each station will have a staff member, in mask, leading its intended function. The stations are: welcome; two stations with prayer focus; a reading from the Gospel; the Lord’s Prayer; communion using prepared elements provided in sealed plastic; goodbye; and a blessing.
Worshipers will not meet other worshipers and will be asked to wear masks. Families may stay together, but friends are asked to separate and walk individually.
Community Presbyterian Church, 150 Sherry Dr. in Atlantic Beach, will soon begin an open sanctuary service, but with several limitations. Members will be welcomed, but with social distancing in place. There will be no printed bulletins, no use of hymnals and no passing of an offering plate – all recommendations to limit possible spreading of infection.
St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Jacksonville Beach, is holding mass in its gymnasium. Worshipers bring a chair and wear a mask, and observe enforced social distancing. With four masses on Saturday (noon, 2, 4 and 6 p.m. ) and masses every two hours on Sunday (from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m), space has been adequate and “no one has had to be turned away.”
Bread-only communion is celebrated. Missalettes are available, but you “take it and keep it.”
A Roman Catholic missalette is a liturgical book outlining instructions and prayers necessary for the celebration of the Catholic Mass.
First Christian Church of the Beaches, 2125 Oceanfront, started an outside service on its ocean front lawn on May 24. This property faces the ocean and is located behind the Neptune Beach Church.
The service is at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday. Worshipers are asked to bring their own chairs, masks, hand sanitizers and communion elements, if possible. The program is live-streamed to this audience. The service is 30 to 45 minutes. All are asked to maintain social distancing.
A 10 a.m. service will continue to be live-streamed to those at home.
For more information on these programs or other churches, contact the church or synagogue directly.
June 15, 2026
