While it hasn't happened yet in our congregation, I have heard reliable reports of faithful Church members opting out of evening services due solely to the increasing cost of gasoline. Given the distances which some must commute, sessions no doubt understand why a $30 price tag to attend worship is too much for some, with already tight budgets, to pay.
Of course, getting people out to evening services has been difficult for decades, if not longer. But with the slow-but-steady rise in gas prices over the last few years, I wonder if we won't soon have Church members struggling to make the trek to even just one service on a Lord's Day. Now, I don't think this means we'll be facing empty sanctuaries in the near future. However, I wonder if this won't change the way Christians, particularly theologically conservative presbyterians, choose their congregations.
In Denver, as in many American cities, it's fairly common for a presbyterian to drive past one or two (or more) Churches of like faith and practice on his way to his particular house of worship. This is because he joined the Church he liked the best, whether his preference was dictated by the preacher's style, the congregation's demographic, the hymnal, or whatever else. But if his personal preference would mean an uncomfortable hit to the wallet (since, of course, he's already tithing!), he might be willing to "settle" for a faithful presbyterian Church which may not press all his buttons but is closer to home. Assume most people are guided similarly, and soon we will have Church members living in each other's neighborhoods, with the unintended consequence of building relationships on weekdays, not just Sundays.
In other words, high gas prices may bring an end to the consumerist attitude too many take to choosing their home Church. If they can bring a revival of parish (locally-based) Church ministry, I may pray gas prices keep going up.
