You and Jesus can share the wheel as you pull up for a quick faith pick-me-up at Southwest Florida’s Estero United Methodist Church‘s (EUMC) drive-thru service, the latest spiritual craze to hit the southern state, according to The Christian Post.
Smiling and waving church members wearing orange safety vests are strategically placed at a certain point on nearby U.S. Highway 41 so that motorists can clearly see the large signs they’re holding that read, ”Need Prayer? Turn Here.” The signs direct the drivers to dozens of church volunteers who are waiting patiently to pray with them.
According to EUMC’s drive-thru prayer leader, Pam Sebby, the idea has been quite a hit. “You’d be surprised by the tears of joy from people when they come through, because they know God’s there for them and He is listening to their concerns. It’s really neat,” she told The Christian Post.
The church’s prayer warriors offer services for motorists every Wednesday and the number of those seeking spirituality from their vehicles has only increased. Sebby notes that the dedication and drive of the church’s volunteers fuels those who are seeking prayer as ”It is our mission to reach, connect, nurture, disciple and commission ourselves for the Lord,” she enthused. Most of the drivers who pull up for a dose of spirituality are in need of guidance for their heartfelt dilemma, Sebby points out.
There are those who question whether EUMC created the service to increase its membership. John Halley, EUMC’s discipleship director, said that’s not the case. “Our drive-thru prayer is simply a service, not an enticement to join the church that boasts about our 1,100 members…it’s not a church-growth strategy for us, it’s really an outreach to share God’s love with our community,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sebby and her prayer warriors are hopeful that other churches will soon follow their drive-thru prayer blueprint stating, “We hope this spreads throughout the entire United States of America. A lot of churches can do this. Spreading prayer is a great start and is what it’s all about.”
Source-News1
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