On Saturday morning, as I am eating Cap'n Crunch and watching cartoons, I get a knock on the door. I proceed to look out the window, and see three peole on my doorstep. They didn't look like God Squad, so I opened the door.

"Hi, we're from Sunrise Church, and we wanted to give you a free pumpkin. You don't have to pay for it, it's a gift."

The one in front hands me a medium-sized pumpkin.

"Ok. Ummm, thanks."

"We also wanted to give you an invitation to our church. Have a nice day!"

I closed the door as they left, and stood there with a pumpkin and a small flyer. The whole event took aout 30 seconds, start to finish.

I looked at their [URL=www.sunrisechurch.org]website[/URL] and it looks good. I recall having run into this church in the past. I was on my way back from getting a haircut, and I saw a bunch of kids waving car wash signs. I'll get them to wash my car, then give them a few bucks, I figure. I pull into the lot, and notice a sign that reads "Sunrise Church - Totally Free Car Wash".

I pull into the washing area, and figure I should get out and keep an eye that theydo a good job. 10 kids run out and wash my down car. As I wait, a woman offered me a soda.

"How much?"

"It's free."

"Really?"

"Yes."

I drank a Coca-Cola, and watched as they washed my car and dried it. They even did the windows and the rims. When they had finished, I attempted to give them a five dollar bill, but they refused, and said "No, it's free, we just want you to take this little flyer, and have a nice day!"

Have you ever had any positive run ins with religious folk? Most end up as annoyances, but both of these instances were very pleasant.

I think I might go on Sunday. It's a very large church, the campus is nice, and they gave me some free stuff, so they must be doing something right.

I regularly attend church every Sunday/Wednesday. Actually, right now I'm starting to organize the highschool group into doing activities just like the ones you mentioned.

I'd say go.

And I'm biased against this because I'm fed up with most Christian churches around here, and so I don't really have anything to say in this thread because nothing good comes to mind and I resent the local churches.

Ugh. Their propaganda worked on you. Shameful. You're not obligated to attend their church because of a few gimmicks.

As for the poll, I used to attend church 5+ hours a week. Never again will I step foot in a church---except for perhaps funerals and weddings---maybe.

Don't go! It's a trap!

See, that's the interesting part. There was no propagande. Just free stuff, and a flyer. Flyer, not pamphlet. It simple had the address, a map, a few pictures, service times, and some minor headlines. No religious predictions, doctrines, or condemnations. Just a pumpkin and and information flyer.

And I know I am not obligated to go. I wouldn't call it a gimmick, either. Driving the neighborhood, I noticed many of the houses had pumpkins. This was no small task, they must have had a small army. The same with car washes. They had at least 3 other locations I saw.

No, I say!

We're not used to people we don't know or care about giving us stuff for free - subconsciously, we usually want to give or do something in return. Or maybe I'm just bitter. But anyways, if you don't mind church, by all means, go.

Soon you too will be forced to wash cars of nonbelievers and hand them refreshments as you slave away under the Sun, or wander countless neighborhoods carrying a few dozen pounds of pumpkins and having no choice but to smile at people who rudely turn down your offers. I demand pics.

And from whom did this church obtain money to purchase all those pumpkins? Who decided how to use that money? What purpose did this stunt serve? Sounds to me they're resorting to a few gimmicks to increase the weekly donations at the collection plate. It's just a big sham devoted to money. Sure, they throw in a few words about kindness here and there to put on the guise that they're working toward some sort of ideal, but they're not. They're keeping your awareness right where they want it---enough to want to donate money but not enough to figure out they're a sham. Do they actually practice what they preach? What real benefits does the organization bring to humanity?

Sorry, I'm jaded. But I've learned it's best to exercise extreme caution, scrutiny, and skepticism with religious organizations. Especially the type to recruit small armies to perform PR stunts.

they spend their monies on traps.

Look what happens if you fall for Sunrise Church's trap.

I think "an ignorant jackass" would be more fitting than "jaded".

so what youre saying is that nobody ever does anything out of the kindness of their own hearts?

youre freaking paranoid.

all the Christian groups around here are annoying and try to push their beliefs on you, i try to just avoid them all.

I actually agree with Free. If it was simply a gesture of good will, they would have put that money towards people who need it slightly more than their pumpkinless neighbors and dirty cars.

I'm saying very, very, very few people truly do. Most of the "small army" recruited by Sunrise Church were doing it for other reasons: brownie points with their elders, brainwashing, promises of otherwordly rewards, fitting into the "in" social circles at at church, recruitment; you name it.

Your guarantees are worthless.

Over half the people in my community does push religious beliefs on non believers.

But these guys, the Sunrise Church, is alright. A church is a community of people that contribute to one another. They probably got those pumpkins from a farmer that attends that church, and the city probably works with the church to get it good monies.

Whatever they do, they are giving and caring, and that is the point of a gift.

Unless the gift happens to be a trap.

Pumpkinless neighbors and people with dirty cars donate more than hobos and the other downtrodden of society.

I know that they offer ESL and immigration classes, as well as running a food and clothing bank for the homeless.

When I'm here at school, I never go. I only go when I'm at home, mainly because it makes my mom happy.

I didn't know Admiral Ackbar was still a joke, but that's really funny, Anovis.

I wouldn't say they're trying to increase donations. They're obviously doing something right and have an excess in donations to do stuff like that. Keep in mind, some churches are considerably large and have a considerably large amount they try to get in donations each year just to maintain the church and its programs.

And even if they are trying to increase donations... so what? What are they gonna do with it, go out and blow it on some big frat house party?

All the donations end up going back to the community somehow, whether it be through events like this, or charities, or church bills, or restoration/third world trips, or whatever it is.

It's not like they're trying to make money just to make money, and buy the biggest TVs or what have you.

Either way, it'd be nice if something goes awfully wrong so you could write another funny story about it. Yoshi and Free's opinion aside, those are quite awesome.

...Did you just mistake me for Yoshi?

I think he did.

You might like it :). But be wary of gimmicks and churches that tend to be more like little dictatorships. But once you find a good church its awesome.

Haven't you guys ever thought that THAT church finally decided to do away with being PUSHY Christians and have just gone in the direction of 'hey, come in if you want, and here, have some cool free stuff'? honestly, some people don't have skeletons in their closets as bad as you do. (some have worse, but who are you to judge, you lieing/cheating/thief :p)


I'm Genki, and i support this message.
(i also go to church regularly and play ze bass geetar thar)

Ah, no he didn't mistake me for Yoshi. I misunderstood. Free and Yoshi dislike Steven's stories.

Seconded. My old church sort of turned rather ugly from the deacons going power-happy. They even basically threw out a preacher we had there for a while who was AWESOME in more ways than you can count. Head deacon tried to tell him what to preach one day and the preacher replied that he relied on God to tell him what to preach. Said deacon then told him that HE picked the sermons.

Jerk.

Yea, I go to church on my own accord regularly. Thx for finally posting a story that doesn't make churchgoers appear to be these strange/ridiculous people like televangelists.
http://elitemrp.net/iat/previews.htm

LOL this is a trap:

You've just met what are known as "Christians". REAL Christians.

The "religious folk" you are referring to sound like what we real Christians call "hypocrites".

If you do decide to go, go with an open mind, and remember: Church isn't just about free stuff.

I like Steven's stories. Not once have I ever indicated otherwise. He mistook me for someone else apparently.

Yes! Go forth and spread that $10 you spent on a bucket and some soap and spread it among the homeless! At that rate, you'll wipe out poverty in...


...well, you won't.

Oh, yep, ooops. I meant Avenger and Jepman. And of course, Yoshi, but he doesn't like anything anyway. 'Scuse.

I voted Never yet I remember I go to my brother's wedding in December.

But it's still quite accurate answer.

I bet the bucket was borrowed. Even the soap, most likely.

Christmas and then some special occasions like weddings, funerals and such, or other bit rarer themes (like listening to one of my relatives play cello as a part of the service).

$10 per carwash, lets assume they stayed out there all day and only brought in a mere 20...maybe 25 cars? $200-$250 that could have fed a drifting vet or a homeless single mother? Hmmm, damn, I'm glad you put into perspective just how unneeded that money was and how it was probably better spent on dirty cars...

No, buckets are reusable, and the soap lasts a long time. It would cost $10 max for an entire day of carwashing. Not to mention my previous point where people would most likely loan/donate the buckets and soap. Of course, if they charged people they could make like, $1000+ combined over the locations. Charity carwashs are crazy money:P