As gas prices deter congregants, churches get creative
At St. Stephen Baptist Church in Louisville, the 14,000-member congregation billed itself as a "seven-day-a-week" hub of activity, with choir practices, ministry meetings or small groups scheduled every night.
Then Pastor Kevin Cosby noticed a drop-off — people simply couldn't afford the gas to drive to several activities on several different evenings.
So Cosby shuffled the schedule to combine all activities on Wednesday night to give parishioners a "one-stop-shop for your soul." The church also bought a third 14-passenger bus to shuttle people to and from church....