the financial impact of the gasoline-driven church
June 18th, 2008 @ 6:33 am
mike wrote an interesting post yesterday about how much gas is used to get people to and from church gatherings.
now, i am not a mathematician by any means so i didn’t double check the numbers, but he has made some very fascinating calculations (which only take into consideration one trip to church per week):
he says,
*Say 3000 people attend your church.
*Average family of four equals 750 vehicles.
* Average fuel economy: 26mpg…but we’ll assume 20mpg for in-town driving, SUV’s, idling, etc.
*Average miles to place of worship? We’ll assume 15 round trip. Conservative.
That’s 750 vehicles traveling 15 miles, divided by 20 mpg: 562.5 total gallons for fuel burned.
At 4 dollars per gallon, that’s $2,250 dollars per week. or $117,000 per year for the congregation.
puts a whole new spin on the “consumerist” mindset, huh?
based on those numbers, it seems like it would cost the average american church-going family $3/week or $156/year to drive to church.
i realize megachurches are the minority, so you here’s the math…(and yes, my head hurts from trying to figure this all out!)
church of 100: $3,900
church of 250: $9,750
church of 500: $19,500
church of 1000: $39,000
and for kicks, i thought i’d do lakewood church…since i have been on a joel osteen kick and all.
church of 40,000: $1,560,000
just to drive to church…
gas prices were something chris and i took into consideration for our move to nashville. we feel very fortunate we found a home that is within walking distance from my office (also the church family we will be a part of). that alone will save us at least $200/month in gas (and i drive a rather fuel-efficient compact car).
has the price of gas impacted your daily decisions? do you think it will shape the way we “do” church in america? is this being culturally responsible? for those of you in other countries where it has been high for a while, how does it affect your work/leisure/living?
Church · Current Events
patrowland said,
June 18, 2008 at 6:56 am
gas affected our decision on where to buy a house just recently. We had to choose to give up some things we wanted so that it would be a closer commute for me and Mandy.
patrowland said,
June 18, 2008 at 6:59 am
It amazes me that we’ll give up vacations and leisure activities because of gas prices, but when it comes to giving $ to the church, missions, para-church, etc. People will say they can’t figure out how to do that. Rising gas prices are going to affect everything and it will continue to impact giving to mission organizastions, churches, etc.
Kyle said,
June 18, 2008 at 7:36 am
I drive a 2002 GMC Yukon.
5.3 liter V8.
Fill up = $100
1 tank of gas = 1 1/2 weeks
Monthly Fill up = $300+
Yes, it is changing what I do. I do much of nothing anymore. It’s way to expensive.
My next purchase however?
A Scooter!
100mpg
Fill up = $4.50
1 tank of gas = 5 days
Monthly Fill up = $30
http://www.vagabondrunn.wordpress.com
Monica said,
June 18, 2008 at 7:56 am
when we went looking 10 years ago for our church travel distance factored in our decision. our church is 8.77 miles away. today, there are two newer churches even closer than that. worship as close to home as you can, and if it’s not possible, perhaps make up the cost difference some where else.
way to go Kyle with the scooter.
Steven Dilla said,
June 18, 2008 at 8:26 am
It is sobering to calculate it all out. I guess we have to balance lifestyle decisions (what we drive, where we live) with the call to gather and worship corporately.
For some this may mean a hard decision to leave their church and join one closer to their community. For others it may mean downsizing.
Hopefully the emphasis stays on commitment to our community and church. (This could start the movement of churches impacting the communities they are in, rather than congregations communing in to their building, holding a service and community out…)
lynse leanne said,
June 18, 2008 at 8:58 am
the price of gas has affected our decision lately. my husband and i both drive SUV’s…so it is expensive. it is around 80 a fill for each of us and we gas up about once a week…sometimes more on my car because we use it for more than driving to work.
We spend almost 650 a month on gas for the two of us alone.
We have stopped going out unless it is on the way. i bring a lunch so i dont have to drive for lunch and to save money for increasing gas prices.
We are only a 7min drive from my work and church, so that is not a super big deal, but we do have to take 2 cars on Sundays because i get there at 6 and he comes to our last morning service at 11:15. so, it still affects that.
kerri said,
June 18, 2008 at 9:01 am
Gas prices did not influence our decision to start using multi-site venues for our church, but I hope that they will inspire people to try the closer-to-home option of a locally-based campus.
Gas prices did influence the choice of where we live. We chose to love closer to everything we do — church, school, gym — we try to keep all of our doctors, etc in a 10 mile radius.
Cindy Beall said,
June 18, 2008 at 9:16 am
It has affected EVERYTHING I do. I am so money conscious that I drive myself crazy sometimes. I plan every single trip that I take. And I rarely go into town without going to more than one place. I live pretty far out. We like to call it Wichita.
Brad Ruggles said,
June 18, 2008 at 9:20 am
Yeah, gas prices have really changed the way we live these days. My wife even checked out prices on a little moped for me the other day. I wonder if I could rock it like John Dorian from Scrubs?
Lea Sims said,
June 18, 2008 at 9:29 am
Gas prices have definitely had a huge impact on our household. I am fortunate to work from home and my husband works a 24-hour shift every 3rd day (paramedic), so he only has to drive back and forth to work 1 out of every 3 days, so I think we’re better off than many families. But what is definitely hitting our budget is the driving to take our 3 kids everywhere they need to go for their activities…daughter in ballet 2 days a week, a son in guitar lessons, etc…and the back and forth to church several days a week (not just Sunday) for all the things we do there.
Where I think one way the church could be responsive to this challenge is to try and consolidate the number of activities and separate ministries that bring families to the church on multiple nights a week. Our trip to and from church is very close to the 15 miles Mike cites above, and we make that trip at least 3 times a week (Sunday service, bringing my son to youth on Wed nights, the small group I lead at the church on Thurs nights), and there are so many in our church who are up there even more often than my family is. Churches may very well have to consider the impact that fuel prices are going to have on the willingness (and ability, frankly) for families to afford that level of involvement. If want to engage those members, we might have to consider some out-of-the-box thinking on how to provide those groups and ministry opportunities for the entire family in a more coordinated way.
Sarah Chia said,
June 18, 2008 at 10:03 am
Gas prices ABSOLUTELY affect our daily choices. My husband works from home when he can, and I leave our apartment complex just once a week on most weeks.
I consolidate my errands to go to the library, the bank and the grocery store on Mondays. The next time I get in a car is on Sunday, when I wake up ghetto early so I can get to church with Billy in time to set up and sound check. Half the time I just hang out with the girls because we don’t really need to be there, but we DO need to save the gas.
I also pack lunches and snacks on Sundays so we can stay at the church all freaking day (!) because we have our small group on that side of town at 4:30.
Fortunately, we have a pool at our complex, so we hang out there a lot to avoid cabin fever.
Amanda said,
June 18, 2008 at 10:04 am
This is so very thought provoking! I’d love to see a shift in how we “do” church. I’d ove to see us gathering as small groups on a more regular basis (based on geographical location) and then gather as a large group once/quarter breaking the threshold of denominational barriers.
What would happen if the church became the church rather than doing church? We focus so much on the ‘corporate worship’about how our spiritual bodies are ‘fed’ but not so much the higher task of imitating Christ, we are His face on Earth. The present day church is great at making us busy ‘for Christ’ but where are the fruits of that labour? Many North American churches are in decline, yet all around the world the Christian church is growing.
We need to become better stewards of all that we’ve been given, and using our resources appropriately. What would happen if all Christians around the world united? What would happen if one sunday we pooled all the resources we had? What impact would we then have on our world?
T said,
June 18, 2008 at 10:07 am
Wow, my head hurts just thinking about those #’s. Lucky for me - my church is about 2 miles down the road from my house. Just wish my work was that close. :(
Texas in Africa said,
June 18, 2008 at 10:24 am
I’ve been a regular bus-rider for years, but the busses don’t run on Sunday, so I basically have no choice. Carpooling is an option I should probably look into, but I don’t feel too bad about the gas to get to church since I use less than 1/4 tank during an average work week.
When I’m living overseas, I always carpool and/or take public transportation when possible. It’s just not worth the damage to the environment, or the cost.
Josh T. said,
June 18, 2008 at 10:25 am
I’m all for the scooter method of transportation… everyone worries about the safety of scooters/motorcycles (at least my family does.) But if we could at least a consistent 10 to 15% of the people on the road driving scooters/cycles then I think the awareness would skyrocket and we’d have less injuries per number of riders.
Right now when I ride the biggest thing I deal with is morons who are driving and talking on their phones and have only 1% of their focus on the road.
Just sayun… :)
Josh
John Ventry said,
June 18, 2008 at 10:25 am
Gas prices definitely have an impact. That is why we got rid of our SUV and bought a MINI!
Craig Hensel said,
June 18, 2008 at 11:01 am
Just drove my buddies 1995 Honda Civic. 40mpg. That’s unleaded you all!! Great car! No need for a SUV here. We just pack light.
Amy Storms said,
June 18, 2008 at 11:02 am
This is very interesting. Prices definitely influence our family.–My husband has ridden his bike to work because of it. Most people where we live commute to LA, and the average commute is 1 1/2 hours one way! 3 hours a day, driving. It’s just crazy.
Nikki said,
June 18, 2008 at 11:09 am
My husband rides his Vespa to and from work 5-6 days a week…a 25 mile commute each day(he’s been a Vespa owner on a off for 10 years but 4 months ago is when he made the switch to it being a primary mode of transport). We are saving close to 80 bucks a WEEK on gas as compared to his truck that he used to drive. And I am a housewife and Mama with a Toyota Corolla, STOKED.
But we have had discussions with friends recently who were talking about how gas prices have presented a whole new area of contention in their marriages to deal with. That sucks.
Elle Pyke said,
June 18, 2008 at 11:21 am
I bought a Toyota Yaris this past year, and boy am I thankful.
The church where I serve (www.themeetinghouse.ca) started a carpool group where people can get and give rides. The average was a family of four, but we all know many people drive with less than that.
So by carpooling we are saving gas, the environment and money all the while getting to have a little bit of community on four wheels (or 2 for the Vespa people)
Christi D. said,
June 18, 2008 at 11:38 am
..And that’s why I attend the Internet campus!(well, one of the reasons:)
Jodi said,
June 18, 2008 at 11:48 am
We have a Ford Explorer and a Kia Rio. My husband drives the Kia to work, and when he’s home, we try to drive the Kia around town to save gas. My oldest daughter has started driving, too. We told her that if she starts wanting to drive more than back and forth from school and church, she needs to start giving us gas money.
Natalie Witcher said,
June 18, 2008 at 11:50 am
hubs bought a motorcycle. i don’t leave the house much becuase i’ve been surgically attached to my computer.
John Ireland said,
June 18, 2008 at 12:26 pm
not much change for joy and me; we already were primarily using “my” car since it is one year old vs. 15 yeards old for “her” car. :) she also works less than a mile from our home.
my guess would be that the summer “slump” many churches experience will be greater due to cost of fuel. that said, not sure how much churches would be able to influence how folks use their vehicles.
fernando said,
June 18, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Haven’t owned a car for nearly ten years. Church is walking distance, as are most of my daily activities - work, social and leisure. My daughter catches the school bus and if I need to go to her school I catch a cab or bus. My wife takes a ferry to work. I couldn’t tell you what the price of Gas is locally.
If you don’t drive a huge car, are prepared to live modestly (in terms of space) and willing to use public transport it is not that hard to break car dependency in most countries of the world.
Longer-term a society can do it by resisiting the urge to sprawl, builder ever more distant tracks of Mc-Housing and investing in public transport.
Joe Louthan said,
June 18, 2008 at 12:36 pm
All of what we are doing now.
What if gas dropped to $1/gal?
Why can’t we keep doing things the way we are doing them now instead of going back to all-SUVs, 7+ trips per week, live far out in suburbs, no community way of life.
I still say that $4/gal for gas will be the best thing that has happened to America if our habits are permanent. That not only includes our habits but for the domestic car companies to *gasp* build better cars and not keep developing SUVs because of their profit margins.
Phil Thompson said,
June 18, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Looks like it is time to prioritize!
portorikan said,
June 18, 2008 at 2:46 pm
“has the price of gas impacted your daily decisions?”
Yes, I let my drive drive me around more. :)
Craig Hensel said,
June 18, 2008 at 3:41 pm
I have been riding my bike to work and use my 1989 Honda Elite (i saw these things in junior high and was jealous because of the cool factor.) Right now it’s getting 60mpg (could get more) because the carb is a little quirky. We live within walking distance to church. Our church is located downtown and most people drive in.
Jonathan said,
June 18, 2008 at 6:09 pm
This is a great discussion to be having.
Has the price of gas impacted me personally? no, not really. I ride my bike everyday for work/school/social/etc. I split the cost of gas for trips home to see my family with my girlfriend or other friends we rideshare with. trips home make me think about what the price is
AAA puts out studies every year about how much it costs to own a car. I’ve used them for newspaper articles and term papers before.
“AAA estimates the annual expense of owning and operating a typical minivan at $8,644 per year versus $10,448 for a four-wheel-drive mid-size SUV”
“In 2008, AAA estimates it will cost $8,121 to own and operate a new passenger car driven 15,000 miles per year.”
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2008_April_14/ai_n25152009
I think more than the price of gas, not owning a car has impacted me the most. No insurance, no registration, no gas, no repairs. For families who are on a tight budget, I wonder what they could do with that extra $8,000 year? Maybe work less? Spend time with their kids? get out of debt? go back to school? maybe give it to the poor?
what would a 100 person church do with an extra $200,000? (based on 25 four person families all giving up one of their cars)
Greg Mortenson is building schools in rural Pakistan for $20,000. In two and a half years, you could pay for him to build a school. that would be nice.
Big John said,
June 18, 2008 at 11:55 pm
this is a great thought…even more timely as we approach $5 a gallon and maybe even more quickly $7. is that where an internet campus becomes a more viable option? i wonder if churches like lifechurch.tv are seeing a spike in participation in their net campuses due to this frog in the kettle approach to gas prices.
tony said,
June 19, 2008 at 8:36 am
so, is buying gas to go to church part of your tithe, or not?
candyce said,
June 19, 2008 at 10:00 am
i decided to move into the city about a year ago (this time a year ago, i was lugging stuff in my car from apartment to apartment and cleaning out the old apartment) in order to be closer to a new (at the time) job as well as closer to the church where i serve (i’m about 3.5 miles from work now and about 1.5 miles from where my church meets). that decision was initially influenced by an allergy to rush hour traffic that i seem to have (i have severe reactions to stalled, stop-go traffic on interstates), as well as a desire to save money on gas. it’s definitely proven to be a huge blessing to not have a long commute as gas prices have risen… i’ve thought about the bike thing (biking to work and to church when i’m not needing to lug a guitar around), but i’m a little phobic about riding the busy streets i’d likely have to ride along. i haven’t jumped on that yet.
i used to visit the church that helped ours get started (about 13 miles away, in the burbs) for their saturday night service pretty frequently. my visits there have been less frequent, largely because i’m thinking about the cost. i especially think twice about heading that way if i’ve had to drive out to the burbs for anything else in that given week. prior to moving to the city, i was thinking twice about driving in to hang out with friends in the city (especially during the time right before i moved since i was commuting every day). now the reverse is true for hanging out with friends in the burbs.
i kind of feel like gas prices leave me a bit lonely. i can facebook/email/call the peeps i don’t see as much (since i’m not driving out to see them much), and i can catch services from our ‘mother church’ online (though i always forget that option). but i miss the hugs and face-to-face interactions with people who are pretty special to me. and that’s for the folks in my town but not in my exact neighborhood, much less friends and family who are out of town… it feels kind of pathetic.
i also miss trader joe’s (10 miles away and not close to anywhere else i frequent, so it’s hard to justify a trip). and kohl’s (though my checkbook doesn’t miss that). so sad… :)
minnow said,
June 20, 2008 at 7:28 am
I saw a special on the TV a couple nights ago about some guy in Idaho who runs an electric car via solar power. He hasn’t spent a penny on gas, oil, filters in over a year. There were other stories of similar experiments but I flipped to the program too late and only caught his. I wish I had a inventor nerd in my family I’d give him the assignment of turning our cars into solar vehicles.
Clayton Bell said,
June 20, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Fantastic post, Anne. Thank you so much for it
Robin said,
June 21, 2008 at 1:00 pm
My goal is to fill up once a pay period, if possible, while on summer vacation. I plan my trips better, but really, I’m as frugal on gas as I can be. With the increasing price of gas comes increasing price of food. Now, just about my entire household budget (on my end, no bills) goes to gas/food, and a little mad money.
Glad the OKC campus is only 2 miles away. It’s part of the reason I wouldn’t switch to another campus.