Church in Texas "Helping People"

[CardiacCoug]

Wow, paying a utility bill for an unemployed church member? Giving over half-a-million dollars to members who are struggling financially over the past 9 years? Impressive.

Sounds a lot like fast offerings to me. How is this newsworthy?

http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/05/18...ion/index.html

[Babs]

Wow, paying a utility bill for an unemployed church member? Giving over half-a-million dollars to members who are struggling financially over the past 9 years? Impressive.

Well, it's half a million in two months - not nine years - and it's primarily to non-members.

But your point remains. This is a trendy thing in megachurches right now -- large-scale financial ministry to the community with the attitude that it's some kind of earthshattering novel concept. Mine did something similar in November. We all got to church and there were envelopes of cash on each seat. The pastor said, if you need it keep it; if not, give it to someone who does.

To answer your question: it's newsworthy because the church distributed press releases.

[Babs]

Cardiac:

I checked the church's archives and apparently that was the whole point of the lesson. That if the Church (writ large) were living out her mission, then this wouldn't be newsworthy at all -- and that we should be embarrassed that it is. In kicking off the series of lessons the senior pastor said, "Helping people who hurt should be normal for the Church. It may not be normal, but it should be."

[CardiacCoug]

Well, it's half a million in two months - not nine years - and it's primarily to non-members.

But your point remains. This is a trendy thing in megachurches right now -- large-scale financial ministry to the community with the attitude that it's some kind of earthshattering novel concept. Mine did something similar in November. We all got to church and there were envelopes of cash on each seat. The pastor said, if you need it keep it; if not, give it to someone who does.

To answer your question: it's newsworthy because the church distributed press releases.

As usual, my reading comprehension sucks.

And I guess CNN thought the story was interesting because its editors assume that churches only exist to take money from stupid people.