Wesley United Methodist Church firmly believes that we are all God's creatures.

Wesley will hold its first Blessing of the Animals on Sunday, Aug. 24, from 1 to 3 p.m. in the parking lot behind the building, which is located at 40 W. Main St., Strasburg.

It will be an informal process with the parking lot set up as a drive-through for pets and their owners to receive a blessing. "Come as you are," Wesley UMC associate pastor Eddie Adams-Santiago said.

"Someone suggested that people could bring their dogs, cats, fish, hamsters, rabbits, birds and they could drive through, and we could have a moment where we'd bless the animal. And equally important, ask if the owner has any prayer requests, as well," Wesley UMC lead pastor Bob Garvey said.

Visitors may also bring a photograph of their pet so the animal can be blessed, and children are invited to bring their stuffed animals.

Wesley UMC and West Willow UMC will be collecting supplies and cash donations for cats and dogs in shelters. The churches are seeking toys, treats, catnip, paper towels, blankets, towels, bleach, glass cleaner, storage bags, and clumping litter.

"We focus on a mission of the month where we're looking at how we can bless different parts of our community," said Garvey. "One of the ideas for mission of the month was to support the Humane League of Lancaster County, so that was the tie-in. Pets are a very important part of people's lives, and so supporting their welfare and their care certainly falls under the area of ministry. It's twofold. One, how can we be a blessing to people and literally pray over their animals? And then two, as an outreach."

The Blessing of the Animals will also serve as a way to introduce people to Wesley UMC. "There might be people who don't go to church, who are wary of church and might be a little bit intimidated," Garvey said. "We thought this was a very easy outreach that people might say, 'I don't know if I'm quite ready to go to church with those folks yet, but I'll bring my pet by in a parking lot and get it blessed.' It's kind of like a very easy outreach to folks that might be interested in church but aren't quite ready to step into it."

Adams-Santiago added, "First and foremost, I think it puts people in a place of community. There are going to be other animals and pets here. Who doesn't want to be surrounded by other animals and pets? It's a great way to get to meet other dog owners and cat owners. Outside of the blessing itself, there's going to be people packed out in that parking lot who then get to communicate and connect with each other and kind of really be a part of something bigger than themselves in Strasburg. I think it's just a very unique thing, and it is providing a different flavor of ministry."

Garvey noted that from a practical point of view, it can benefit the entire church community when members feel comfortable enough to share a prayer request. "If a parent has dementia, and someone is really worried about it and doesn't know what to do, we can certainly pray over them and ask for God's presence," he said. "Oftentimes, there will be somebody in the congregation who says, 'I went through that. Let me walk alongside you. Let me tell you what I learned from that experience.' I could see somebody bringing their pet in and say, 'My dog is sick and somebody's saying, 'Hey, I had the exact same thing. We have this vet who specializes in that problem.'"

"I think we can't doubt God on the fact that He could do something so little to create lifelong transformation in someone's life," said Adams-Santiago. "Maybe that breaks down some walls that of resistance to joining church community. And they're like, 'Hey, maybe these people aren't so bad. They like dogs.' We want to care for people in the ways that they need their needs met. Meet them where they're at because what did Jesus do? He met people where they're at and said, 'If you care about this, I care about this.'"

Kay Graybill, who heads Wesley UMC's mission of the month program, said, "Some people experience spirituality through their pets and encounters with God's creatures. The bond between a person and their pet is very special and full of love. We can celebrate that with a pet blessing. It often invokes spiritual guidance to wish animals good health, happiness, and protection."