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Jesus had just trumped the Sadducees in another of their attempts to trip him up when a Pharisee, who happened to be a law expert, approached Jesus and asked a loaded question. The Gospel of Matthew captured the scene this way:
Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" (Matthew 22:34-40, NIV). The response of Jesus was as profound as it was simple. What are we commanded to do? Love God. Love people.
New Church Needs Community Presence As we have prepared to start our new church in Towson, Maryland, we’ve had many discussions with our launch team about what the fulfillment of these two commandments actually looks like. In other words, how, practically, are we to love God and love those around us? Amidst the analyzing came a determination to do something as a young church that would reflect selflessness on our part and an intentional outward focus. Instead of the church being about us, we desired (and continue to desire) for us to be about others. As we love God, we naturally look for ways to express that love to those around us. Such a conceptual framework gave birth to hosting a “Gas Buy-Down” event in our community. The results, as we sought to live out the words of Jesus in Matthew 22, were, well, pretty exciting.
On Saturday, August 16, 2008, TLC hosted a "Gas Buy-Down" event at a local BP gas station here in Towson. The concept was simple:
1. We recruited help from some other area churches, and, on that Saturday afternoon, approximately 20 of us gathered at the gas station.
2. We arranged with the gas station management to have them lower their price per gallon of gas (all grades) by 20 cents from 4-6 p.m. that afternoon. Our church then agreed to make up the difference to the station at the end of the event, so that the station wasn't out any money at all. The station got their full amount, customers got gas at a 20 cent discount per gallon, and we were given the opportunity to pump the gas for the customers, wash their window, and engage in some great conversations.
3. The station allowed us to give to each customer during the two-hour period a simple business card that simply stated:
So why are you getting cheaper gas today?
Because we know it's a tough time economically, and we just wanted to help our neighbors in the Towson area.
It's as simple as that. We love our community and want to serve in practical ways the people who live and work around us.
We're here to help. Have a great day.
The Life Church Towson, MD (443) 231-4556
In two hours, we pumped 1,468 gallons of gas and personally served 150-160 cars (or, as I like to think of it, we touched 150-160 families). Our service to each customer included pumping the gas for them and washing their windshield.
Andrew, our launch team member who organized the event for us, contacted the local media, and Fox 45 came and interviewed me and took video of the event, and broadcast it on their 10:00 pm newscast that night.
Our total cost of the event equaled less than $2 per family that we served. We did zero marketing of the event. This was by design because we assumed the "viral" nature of event would sell itself. Lower gas prices + a location on a busy road + cell phones in the hands of drivers = lots of customers. We guessed right about the marketing.
And we received a lot of positive feedback from those that came. Though lines of cars were often 7 and 8 deep, most seemed very patient and willing to wait to get the discounted gas. Many, many people asked for more information about the church. We were able to talk to them about our launch plans, where we meet, and extend a personal invitation.
If It Worked Once . . . On Friday, September 5, 2008 we again met at the BP station in Towson, this time from 4:30-6:30 p.m., and offered a 30 cent discount per gallon. This time we served 205 cars over 2,000 gallons of gas. We had a number of people say they’d definitely be at our upcoming kickoff service (on Sunday, September 14, 2008).
It’s important to note that these events were designed to give back to the community, not hook a customer into attending our church. As a church just starting out, do we want people to come to our services? Of course. Will some attend because of what we’re doing for them? Perhaps. But fulfilling the commandments of Matthew 22 was meant to be without expecting earthly benefits or gain. I’m afraid such “hooks” tend to unintentionally de-humanize people in our minds and can inadvertently cause us to present a gospel that is something other than entirely Christ-centered. Our desire was to practically fulfill Christ’s commandments—just because. No strings attached. We’re convinced nearly any group or congregation can execute a similar event in their community. To find out more information about our Gas Buy-Down event, including some tips and recommendations about how your local congregation can host a similar event, check out this audio post from my blog.
Jesus’ words in Matthew 22 were meant to answer a question asked with a wrong motivation. The irony is that His pitch-perfect answer, spoken to a detractor, still echoes down the halls of history to those of us who are genuinely motivated, for the right reasons, to affect the world for Him.
Love God. Love people. Can it really be that simple? Yes.
ninetyandnine.com
© 2008, Todd Gaddy
-------- Todd Gaddy lives with his wife and two daughters in Towson, Maryland. Since moving to Maryland from the Midwest earlier this year, he has discovered what the mascot of the University of Maryland—a “terrapin”—actually is, and in addition to launching The Life Church in 2008, plans to run in the Baltimore Marathon in 2009.
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