Years before the pandemic amplified drive-thru services to the level where people could receive free food, school materials, hardware store orders and coronavirus tests while sitting in their vehicles, Gateway Presbyterian Church realized the value of quick, convenient pickup.

Lorrie Werner founded the Drive-Thru Prayer ministry in 2016 at the small west-side church after her husband read an article in a national publication about a Catholic church in California doing such a thing.

The idea seemed interesting and over the years has become what Gateway Presbyterian is known for in the community, Werner said.

The congregation of about 125 members will host its seventh annual “Drive-Thru Prayer” event next week.

“It’s ‘God on the go,’” Werner said with a chuckle.

With world strife and unrest, sustained high prices on consumer goods and uncertainty about economic and political conditions, many people simply need someone to listen and provide comfort, she said.

And Drive-Thru Prayer delivers.

“Our lifestyle at this time is such that people want to have their drive-thru coffee shops, banks, cleaners, so why not churches?” Werner said. 

While during the height of the global pandemic and state-mandated church closures, some Christian and Orthodox churches provided outdoor services a la drive-in movie theater style and a few offered handed out drive-thru Communion or religious holiday supplies, Gateway’s Drive-Thru Prayer has remained a constant before and after COVID-19 because it’s wildly popular, its founder says.

“Most people have problems every day, but they don’t always have someone to pray with,” Werner said.

From 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at the church at 731 Castle Road, motorists can pull into the west parking lot, either off Fillmore or 30th street, for a few minutes of prayer with people who understand.

A team of 26 volunteers act as “prayer hops,” asking drivers and passengers how they can pray for them. 

Prayer-seekers unburden various woes, from family and relationship problems to worries about work, finances, health and where their lives are headed, Werner said.

Past requests have included prayers for a relative who was drinking too much, a miracle in a custody case, a job search to go well, comfort for a grieving family after a suicide, healing a medical concern, safety during military assignments, wisdom, peace and to know God.

“Some people don’t know how to pray, other people just want to thank God,” Werner said. “They’ll say, ‘I have so many blessings to be thankful for.’”

Many passing vehicles honk, give a thumbs-up, or yell “Bless you!”

The event is not intended to drive membership or donations, Werner added — it’s meant to be a service to the community. 

“So many churches have been closed, and this is an open door for people,” said Werner, who’s been a member at Gateway for 21 years.

One of the team’s most touching memories is a woman who was homeless and had twin 4-year-old boys in the back seat of her car.

“She just didn’t know what to do,” Werner said. “She didn’t know how to pray, so we prayed with her.”

For the heavy lifts, church volunteers refer people to other resources, such as places to get food and shelter, counseling and assistance with substance addiction.

Volunteers find the event rewarding, Werner said, and every year look forward to being there.

From believers and doubters, tourists and locals alike, “You can’t imagine how many people stop and need prayers,” she said.

“We take our faith beyond our four walls and reach out in a caring way to let people know they are loved, and there is hope.”