Rev Motors is born… turning hate into happiness...

 

It was one of those magical moments in the sermon when I actually learned something new that astounded me. Last Jan. I was preaching about how we use our God-given gifts and talents and wanted to explore with the congregation a vision I have.

So I asked a rather pointed question: how many of you hate the process of buying or selling a car? I was shocked when most of the congregation vigorously raise their hand many of them grimacing as they did.

 I was taken aback. I had no idea so many people in my beloved church would hate something I absolutely adore. Something that gives me energy and I find thoroughly exciting to do. This was the watershed moment. Dare I say a revelation.

 Thus, Rev Motors was born. I have the mission very clear in my mind: turning hate into happiness. This is what I’ve experienced as the outreach continues to grow. For several years I’d helped mostly single women purchase cars. They felt intimidated by the process but when they have another person, who happens to be a man and their pastor with them it gives them confidence they wouldn’t have had themselves.  It can also be a bit of a shock to the salesmen who are selling but in a good way ;)

This is true of us all. Whenever we go into an unfamiliar situation alone it’s scary. Then add to the situation, you are trying to meet a need that involves a large sum of money. This can be very stressful! This is how and when the church can show up.

Over the last few weeks I’ve been helping our people buy and mostly sell vehicles. And they just keep coming. Just this week we cleared over $14000 in sales and I have 3 more waiting to sell. It’s like heaven to me :)

Here’s how I roll to sell. You have a vehicle you would hate to have to sell yourself. Get me the year, make, model and mileage and I begin my research. Then I need to drive it. If it seems like the Lord wants me to sell it we figure out a price and it get’s parked at SMC. This is when the real fun begins :O

I take calls and set up test drives. I negotiate a workable price between you and the buyer. We set a date, time and place to get the title transferred and funds received bada-bing =happiness happens!

Here’s how I roll to buy. You tell me what you need and what you want to spend. I do research and find a vehicle that fits you. We go see it, if you like it I negotiate a workable price between you and the seller, all the legal stuff gets done and again bipity-bopity-boop happiness happens!

Now is there always a snag or two along the way-of course-but in the end you either have the car you want or got rid of the car you didn’t-and that makes most people quite happy. In between I get to do what I love on two fronts.

So yes, I love the car end of this deal but I also love the people part. I get to meet new people by having them come on our campus. These are people who I would likely never meet otherwise. Everyone I meet gets a bulletin, pen, my card or all 3 along with an invitation to our events and or the website. I get to meet a need for people who don’t know me or our church and it is a hoot. People are pleasantly surprised when I tell them I’m the pastor and this is an outreach ministry.

But not all are thrilled. Recently a buyer told me that I would be putting the wrong price on the title so he wouldn’t have to pay so much tax. I responded by saying that is not how I roll and I refuse to lie. He was stunned and said “well I don’t see it that way…” to which I said “well I do.” The true selling price was listed on the title.

 I have found there is an incredible lack of Biblical salesmanship connected to buying and selling vehicles in our current culture. [Ironically the guy who wanted me to cheat on the taxes said he was Lutheran-I’m certain Luther would have frowned on this]. But it doesn’t need to be this way.

People hate this process because the process has become flawed like everything in our world by sin. It messes everything up. But with Jesus we can change that. In fact, we can invite people into that change… through buying and selling vehicles just like Jesus would :) That’s what I’m trying to do… one ride at a time.