Trinity Episcopal Church celebrated Ash Wednesday with a curbside service, so to speak.

For the second straight year, the Rev. Bill King, Rector of Trinity, as well as the Rev. Deacon C.J. VanSlyke, met passersby near the curb outside the church to offer the practice of placing blessed ashes on foreheads.

King said the practice of churches having drive-through Ash Wednesday services is becoming more prevalent.

“More and more churches are doing it, all over the country,” he said. “We do outside things. It’s taking the church outside.”

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten season in the Christian faith. Lent is the 40-day period before Easter, symbolizing the 40 days Jesus spent praying in the wilderness. It is meant to be a season of penance and reflection before the celebration of Christ’s death on Good Friday and resurrection on Easter.

Ashes are a symbol of penance, and the act of placing ashes in the form of a cross on the forehead serves as a reminder of the verse Genesis 3:19 which states, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

King said the goal of the drive-through service was to bring the church to those seeking the faith, instead of making them come to church.

“We see the church changing dramatically,” he said. “There are people who won’t come in but will meet us on the curb. It’s so important for the church to go where people are comfortable in their own skin.”

King said the idea for a drive-through service on Ash Wednesday came from hearing about other churches in the area attempting it.

“I heard someone else was doing it,” he said. “It makes so much sense.”

King said the event, which took place 11-11:30 a.m., and then again from 5-5:30 p.m., has had a positive response from the community, even if those passing by don’t stop.

“We’ve gotten 6-7 cars,” he said, after the morning service. “If we got only got one to stop, it would be worth it.”

King also said he wanted to make sure people felt welcome in the fellowship of Christianity, no matter where they wanted to meet.

“We’re not bashful about going out,” he said. “What would Jesus do? You never (see) in the gospel where he said, ‘Meet at the synagogue.’ He never said that. He just went to where people were.”