Church Publicity Stunt?

I saw it on the news this a.m. and my only thought was that I wished it had happened up north!

I think it was a good thing, publicity aside. There were some people that had to push their cars up to the pump since they were completely out of gas and lots of people lately have to choose between buying food or buying gas to get to work - so at least for this week they *can* buy food.

:)

I do not like FACEBOOK...but since you are familiar with the site, you would get more attention, response, and possible satisfaction there then you will will here.

My opinion, any one or organization who would like to give Americans some relief at the gas pump can't be too evil.

All communities be they rich or poor should be allowed to help their peers.
I'm neither poor nor rich but a free tank of gas would be a blessing to most no matter what their financial situation is.

When God "moves" he moves for all. "Well off" people shouldn't be discriminated against, many worked very hard to get where they are.

Well, I looked up the story and this is a tough one. Everyone needs Christ in their lives, and if this is a way to show them the love of GOD, so be it. Remember to remove the plank from your own eye........

Whether they were handing out gas cards of free meals (both great things in a time where money is tight) either way I guarantee it made an impact on at least ONE person. Maybe it was a single mother who needed that gas to get to work or whatever it may be, to that person the L. and compassion of Christ may have been revealeved to them and they were able to see how God provides :)

Why do you assume that people driving certain cars and living in certain neighborhoods are actually well off? How do you know they're not actually in debt up to their eyeballs? How do you know they're not actually renting those fancy cars? How do you know they're not scraping by month to month in order to pay their mortgages and put food on the table?

In other words, don't judge a book by its cover.

Also, who the fricking frick CARES if it was a publicity stunt? It was a pretty darned AWESOME publicity stunt! Gas is so insanely expensive and gas station owners aren't making money hand over fist at all. This had to have been a wonderful boost for their business this week.

I'm sure it also helped a lot of people who were trying to decide between filling the tank to drive to work to put food on the table versus putting some food back on the grocery shelves "until next trip" or even playing some bills off of each other. Gas is so ridiculously expensive that one single gas card, even for one of those fancy cars in one of those well off neighborhoods, would be greatly appreciated.

The Church deserves some positive publicity for once. It's certainly better to hear about stories like this than some Methodist, Catholic, or Baptist minister involved in some sex scandal. I'll take a gas card publicity stunt any day for a church.

A church my husband and I used to go to did something similar. Once a quarter we'd do "The Church has Left the Building" where we were supposed to go out and serve "our community." Our community was not poor, but not the wealthiest. I'd say it was about average. Ideas:
- pass out water bottles with church logo on them at busy intersection or at the local park/playground
- car wash
- $5 gas cards
- pop in quarters for someone to do their load of laundry at local laundromat

So I think the church's idea was that the LOCAL church was serving the LOCAL community (not the poor side of town). Your situation with the Mercedes and the TV crew sounds awfuly suspicious. Perhaps you can share your displeasure for the whole idea/situation and tell them your solution about carpooling to a different part of town where the money could be put to better use. I think I'd be a bit pissed if I were you too. I mean you are right - $10,000 (part of which your family contributed?) going to the greedy guy in the bmw? Not my idea of charity. If my $20 donation fed the mouths of 2 kids and 2 parents I'd have been much happier than filling half the tank of a guy who can actually afford a car.

I don't know. There are a lot of people in churches with good intentions. Most have probably never managed a charity or worked with the destitute. So they are clueless about the BEST way to do the BEST deeds. But at least they did something instead of doing nothing.

And, I always try to keep things in perspective. God's ways our not our own, and God uses our work (regardless of our good or ill intentions) for the good of those who love the Lord. Put those together and you see some crazy things sometimes... remember Joseph? Was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers who had nothing but ill intent for him. Doing so resulted in that same brother saving their entire family from famine years later. None of them could foresee how their actions would affect their lives and the lives of many others years later.

So maybe the folks in the line getting the free gas cards didn't need it as much as somebody else from another part of town... Who knows what it might prompt those "better off" people to do for someone else, though.. Think of it as a "pay it forward" moment. Every one of those people who received a free gas card were feeling pretty blessed. Usually, when people feel that way, they want to spread it around...

And, maybe you can't tell anything about the people who go the cards by the car they were in. Maybe they bought it used or inherited it from a recently deceased relative. Maybe it was a rental b/c their paid for car was just totaled and they were shopping, or borrowed it from someone until they could find what they could afford to purchase. Maybe a LOT of people who really DIDN'T NEED the gas card, didn't go get one!

I do understand how this can be bothersome. There is a lot about evangelicalism that twists and taints what Christianity is. But, what they did didn't hurt anybody. This giveaway didn't damage anybody's faith.
And when it comes to faith, we are ALL beggars.

I haven't heard about it, but to me it's self gratification if they have the media out there.

And like you it sickens me to think that they are giving gas cards out to people who really don't NEED them, but just want to get something for free. I am sure there are a lot of people in poorer neighborhoods who could have used those cards for gas to get back and forth to work and still be able to put food on the table.

If I fb'd I'd put a nasty note on their page.

You might want to check and see what other ministiries this church does that don't get the publicity this event did. You be better able to judge if you know that may they raise 2x that much at christmas time for the food pantry. Or maybe they don't ,it's hard to say with out getting close and finding out.

I used to have a hard time with our free vbs program and all the kids whose parents just dropped them off each day for a week and you never saw the kids or families anyother time of the year. But I've come to realize if even one of those families or chldren learned something about God then it was worth it.

My hope with your example would be that each of those well off people would pay it forward until many many many others would be touched.

So it would have been OK if it would have been a gas station off of K-7 & Harold?

Added:
I guess it's all a matter of perspective of 'rich' and 'poor' neighborhood or part of the city. I lived in Olathe (the city where this happened) 20+ years. Grew up south of there and live east now. So I'm very familiar with the area and the history of the city.

When I lived in Olathe, Persimmon Hill was "the" rich neighborhood of the city and it was WAY west of where this took place. Shoot, Cedar Creek (talk about wealthy) is technically considered Olathe, or used to be. And it's on the 'poor' side.

The area that the gas station is in, is on the east side and sure, there is some new growth, but neighborhoods right around that area are 30 years old. It also is pretty much right across the street from the 'original' Walmart and just down the street of a Hy Vee and Kohl's stores that have been there at least 15 years. So I don't see it as a 'well-off' area of the city.

I did see the news coverage and really didn't give it a S. thought. But it really drives me nuts when I'm watching a national news show and have to listen to one more story about a Kardashian, or Lindsey Lohan, or some other spoiled 'well-off' person that really shouldn't get a S. of air time. There is much more pressing issues in this country than their life!

Well if their only motive was a publicity stunt wouldn't it have been more effective to do it in a poor neighborhood? It seems that since it doesn't seem well thought out their only crime was not thinking it out, ya know?

Some of this stuff is just stupid, there is no other explanation.

We had a group of students south of here. The school wanted to teach them the value of gas so they went and begged money out of their parents and gave out gas cards. What do you really think those kids learned, how to get money out of their parents, which is their good side to show for the camera?

So my question is:
Did the Church, itself or the Pastor..... call the local media and harken them to their Church to televise and advertise this for them???
If they did not, then no, they are not purposely doing a publicity stunt.

They bought the gas cards from a local gas station (it does not matter that this is in a well-off neighborhood), because owning & running a gas station in any neighborhood, is difficult in and of itself. So they gave this gas station some business... and bought $10,000 from that gas station... it then gives that gas station income to pay for and sustain their own business and pay off rent/mortgage/debts/loans and pay their employees. And it gave many people gas.

Did the Church itself, do their own media coverage and publicity and hold a news conference about it and brag about it?
You don't know... how or why the media was involved or who tipped them off to this event. Nor who called them in the first place.

Or maybe that Church, had a connection to that particular gas station or knows it Owners or decided in advance, that they would purchase $10K of gas cards from them, in order to just profit them.
Who knows.

Churches do not always make good decisions or assumptions.
Just like people.
Some do and some don't.

It sounds strange, I can see handing out gas cards in a poor neighborhood (the poor are feeling the high cost of gas more than the rest of us) not sure why they would hand them out to anyone else?
Looking for new members, perhaps?
I live in a wealthy community and our churches focus on ministries in Mexico and Afghanistan. They contribute somewhat locally but that's where most of their larger fundraising efforts go.

Just because someone drives a Lexus or a Mercedes does not tell you whether or not they have a lot of money. Some people, especially with our current economy, are in debt up to their eyeballs because they have lost their jobs and are living on credit cards to keep up appearances.

Besides, have you checked to see if they have any outreach programs that help poor people? Many, many churches have benevolence funds specifically for helping people in need. Some have clothes closets for people who need clothes. Some participate in the Angel Food Ministry that provides meals at a very low cost to anyone. You never know.
And yes, churches like publicity because it helps them reach more people.

publicity stunt for sure.
naturally any of us would love a free tank of gas. but with so many in this country hurting so badly this seems like a skewed value.
WWJD?
khairete
S.

Seems odd. I cant imagine anyone would join this church because of this, or even visit for a Sunday. Makes them sound less then bright, like maybe they just aren't aware that there are poor people in their area with desperate need.
I would go to their FB page and very nicely and respectfully ask why they chose to spend the money that way and not feeding hungry children or supporting habitat for humanity or ...Maybe they will say they spend much more on charities already???

I think I would call the church and ask to talk to the pastor or some other staff. I would be open and honest about asking about the charity activity. The person on that committee who decided where to do this may have not really realized how this would come off. I would probably think the same thing as you did and I would have left a comment.

Being in the public eye they really needed to think this through. I agree that it does not look great.

BUT, I drive a Mercedes. It is a 1980 and was a gift from a friend. It is in bad shape due to having water inside it.

I have had people confront me about going to free meals in town when we drive a luxury car. That does not mean they have money. It may also mean they do. Appearance is everything.

So that is why I would point this out to a staff member at this church. SO they would know there are people out there who took this the wrong way, so they will know there are people out there who thought this was the wrong way to show publicly a charity event.

Next time they need to be seen giving to obviously poor people.