Pastor uses Starbucks cards to get people into his church

Pastor Troy Gramling is offering a $10 Starbucks gift card to those who visit his Southern Baptist ministry before the start of Saturday or Sunday services. ''And you don't even have to sit through the service to get the card -- although we certainly encourage you to do so,'' he says. During one sermon, Gramling used a mocha Frappuccino recipe to illustrate the ingredients behind romantic love: 'We made a mocha with the Starbucks coffee. The chocolate [syrup] is the 'wow' and the romance. The caffeine is the communication -- what keeps you coming back. And the gentle stirring is how you become one." (Miami Herald/reg. req.) | (Use bugmenot.com for a login/pw)

Comments

[Sarah]

Unbelieveable .... how about preaching the Word of God .... if you are using gimics to get people to your church ... there is a bigger problem .....

[Theolaxor]

I didnt realize there was any "gentle stirring" involved in making frappuccinos...

[James the Barista]

Well, that sure nice of him...even thought a little strange...

[RC of strangeculture]

Wow...I don't know if I'll ever see a frapaccino in the same way.

--RC of strangeculture.blogspot.com

[Rae]

I may be one of the only people reading this approaching this from the perspective of a former Starbucks barista and a current evangelical minister, so . . . I guess I'll give my two cents.

I'm pretty disturbed by the materialistic turn that church marketing has taken over the last few years, but this isn't particularly surprising. There was pretty widely publicized story about a church last year that built a house to give away in order to draw people in. Certainly there are better ways to get people to hear the Gospel than appealing to their desire for more stuff. Ugh.

If God decides to do some good things through this silly campaign, then I'm grateful. Doesn't make it any less silly, though.

[Theolaxor]

i guess this just goes to show how much modern organized religion is an absolute joke

[coffeeguy :)]

And this is why religous enlightment is not meant to be run by massive organizations.

[msuspartan1981]

How many hot beverages can one by for $10,000? And how many of those beverages will have the "The Way I See It" quote from Armistead Maupin that the baptist's complain "promote homosexuality"?

This is gonna be fun to sit back and watch.

[Dustin]

Dang ... you mean I can buy peoples attendance? CRAP! Why didn't I think of that?

[JustSomeBarista]

I didn't read the article, so I don't know if he bought the cards with money from the collection plate, but if he did and I had put money in the collection plate before, I'd be pretty pissed off.

[Holden McCrank]

"...And Jesus gave unto his disciples fresh buttery scones and said, 'This is my body.' And Jesus gave unto his disciples a venti mocha latte and said, 'This is my blood.' And lo, his disciples were jittery for the rest of the day."

Soilent communion wafers, by the way, are made of Jesus.

[coco]

In my experience Sundays are the most difficult to work at Starbucks. It seems that The Sunday churchgoers are the grumpiest and nastiest customers I have. You can see them coming a mile away. They are all dressed up in suits and pretty dresses. They have frowns on their faces. They do not like to wait in line and always forget what they ordered. I think they do not have a good experience at worship time. What is religion preaching to these people on Sunday? Shouldn't they be happy and all should be right with the world ? Maybe this Starbuck gift card is an answer to my Sunday customers. Someone please give them a card after worship so they will BE HAPPY.! Visit my blog and find more adventures of a coffee barista. www.cocoscafethebook.blogspot.com

[pnwgal]

I feel for you, Coco. I'll tell you why the church-goers are so grumpy.

First, they've had to get up early on a Sunday when they'd rather sleep in. Then they've sat in either a freezing cold or boiling hot building with other miserable people finding out they're going to hell unless they completely agree with the guy in the front yelling and pounding on his Bible with his fist. After they've been completely dragged down by threats of a God of hellfire, they stand around and gossip about their fellow church goers.

Personally, I'm surprised they just settle for coffee. After a Sunday at my folks' church, I need a shot of tequila.

Do you think you will be able to buy Akeelah and the Bee tickets using your Starbucks card?

[Amber]

I think that is a great idea!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Amber]

I think that is a great idea!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Melissa]

Why does church have to either or? Can they not attract poeple with what they love. This might be what brings people into the church and now, as long as they don't enter a boring, dead church, their lives will possibly be changed forever. As long as the church doesn't compromise on the Word of God being taught in the church and letting the Holy Spirit move then bring in the coffee.

If the church doesn't step up and get out of it's religious doings and thinking then the younger generation will never step into the doors of the church.

Why does it have to be either or??

[Melissa777]

WHATEVER WORKS!

HATEVER GETS THEM IN CHURCH,
WHERE THEY WILL BE SAVED!!!!!!!

[Sara]

Apparently many of you have not been to church lately because I do and certainly haven't encounterd any of the "grumpy" people you have. Most churches have later services so people are not FORCED to get out of their beds early on a Sunday. PNWGAL - if that is your idea of what church is like maybe you ought to step inside this pastors church or another contemporary church and see its not all fire and brimstone and those of us who are there are having a great tine learning the word of GOD.

[Kelowna Starbucks Rebel]

Church is for the weak-minded.
All people should be able to reach enlightenment or become closer to God on their own time.

Church is for the weak-minded.
All people should be able to reach enlightenment or become closer to God on their own time.

That's your opinion, people should be able to go to church if they feel like going, that doesn't make them weak minded as you put it. Maybe they feel more enlightened at church. To each his own, you shouldn't call them weak-minded.