News You Can Use: Outreach with Horsepower

Cheap gas draws crowds

Heartland Community Church in Lawrence, Kansas, attracted attention all across the region when they offered gasoline at a local service station at a 40-cent discount. During a two-hour “buy down” on a Saturday, more than 300 cars lined up for the price break. Volunteers washed windshields and served free snacks with the church’s contact information. And they answered the question, “Why are you doing this?” by saying, “We’re showing God’s love in a practical way.”

Heartland budgeted $1,000 for the buy down, plus $1 per person for refreshments. The station owner sold the church the fuel at wholesale, and the church made up the difference. Average savings per driver, $4.50.

And the church received a lot of free publicity, good will, and new contacts with people in their community. “We actually had the opportunity to tell people about God’s love for two straight hours,” said pastor Paul Gray.

—from Outreach (July/Aug 2004)

Valet parking at church

Abundant Life Church in Grapevine, Texas, has taken ushering a second mile. Now they’ll park your car and give you a cup of coffee before the worship hour, and return the car with a smile afterward. Valets Ron, Vic, and Mike started the service when construction made the church’s parking lot inaccessible. It caught on, especially with senior adults. These guys are the real deal, with matching shirts, claim checks, and a key vault donated by a hotel. Finally, valets you can trust.

—from Fort Worth Star-Telegram (8/16/04)

Hot Rod Church

This is the church for sinners, according to the advertisement painted on the side of pastor Brian Bent’s 1954 two-tone Chevy truck. Bent hadn’t planned to be a pastor when he started his rockabilly band, The Pioneers. But when Bent added studies from “the owner’s manual of life” to his gigs, it turned into Hot Rod Church. This Mission Viejo, California, church draws about 70 fans of rockabilly, ‘rods, and Jesus to its Sunday gatherings at Santora’s Pizza and Hot Wings. Visit the website (hotrodchurch.com), if only for the music. Sample “Me and My Lord and My Hot Rod Ford.”

—from info from Outreach (Nov/Dec 2003)