Gas buy-down quells residents' suspicions of new church in Sebastian

Courtesy photos

Coastal Community Church in Sebastian provided 25-50 cents a gallon to anyone buying gas Sept. 2 at a Shark Mart Mobil gas station in Sebastian. Subsidizing the cost and helping to pump was the church’s effort to let people know they care.

SEBASTIAN (FBW)-As gas prices neared the $3 mark earlier this month, Coastal Community Church in Sebastian offered its neighbors discounted fuel in a community outreach effort Sept. 2.

Although some customers were initially suspicious of the church's motives, the goal of the gas buy-down was simply to "communicate who we are as a church," according to Pastor Seth Goldsmith.

"We long to be so much more than a place to gather on Sunday mornings," he told Florida Baptist Witness. "We want to make an impact on our community each day of the week."

To promote the fuel discount, church members placed signs in their yards, and local media covered it on air and in print. Goldsmith said he got the idea for the gas buy-down from a church leadership website, and "knew it was perfect for us."

"Our leadership team was immediately enthusiastic about the potential," Goldsmith said.

The one-year-old congregation partnered with the Shark Mart Mobil gas station in Sebastian to provide a 25 cent per gallon discount to anyone who stopped to buy gas before a 4,000 gallon limit was reached. Each customer was limited to 20 gallons. To finance the discount, Coastal Community paid $1,000 from its promotional budget and contributions from "some of our faithful partners," Goldsmith said.

Since the stated purpose of the event was to "love outside of ourselves," the discount was not intended for church members.

Church members Sept. 2 began pumping discounted gas at 11 a.m. After 2,000 gallons had been sold, the event organizers realized although the pumps were busy, pumping 4,000 gallons would take another five or six hours. Coastal Community then doubled the discount to 50 cents. With gas at $2.31, business picked up dramatically with cars lined up down the street waiting to purchase the "cheap" gas.

"Chaos ensued," Goldsmith said. "One hour later we had sold out."

Courtesy photo

A Sebastian resident thanks Coastal Community Church Pastor Seth Goldsmith (right) for his church's providing discounted gasoline for community residents in a gas buy-down Sept. 2.

On Labor Day weekend and with pre-Tropical Storm Ernesto preparations already in full swing, most customers did not need a full tank of gas.

"Many people needed only 6-10 gallons to top off their tanks," Goldsmith said. "That gave us the opportunity to serve even more people."

By the end of the day, church members had serviced 250 vehicles with a fill-up and windshield wash. Each customer received promotional pieces about the church. They were not asked to complete prospect information cards, although many asked, "What's the catch?"

"We wanted to be generous without an obnoxious selfish motive," Goldsmith said.

On the Sunday after the gas buy-down , seven families visited with the 70-member congregation for the first time at the Sebastian River Middle School. Those families, like all first-time visitors, were thanked for coming in an e-mail on the day of their visit, and church members deliver freshly-baked cookies to their home on Sunday evening. Children and youth teachers sent letters to the children of the families. Those who visited a second time received a phone call from the pastor.

One week after the gas buy-down, the church hosted a community block party at Riverview Park. Inflatable games, music, family games and free food entertained the crowd of 300. On the Sunday after the party, two more families visited the church for the first time.

To view video of the gas buy-down on the church's website, go to http://blog.coastalchurch.info.