One of the most generous 2016 Christmas gifts bestowed actually started by church members donating one dollar at a time! A Coral Springs church in Margate, Fla., surprised a mother of two children with a new car after she thought her 1992 vehicle was being towed. Church by the Glades in Coral Springs staffers and members executed a convincing prank on one of its members, Nicole Rollins, as she watched her car being pulled away.
Church by the Glades' members were able to execute this practical joke due to their "Dollar Club Collections," through which members gave one dollar every week, throughout the year, above their normal contributions.
Rollins was understandably upset when her outdated, 24-year-old Toyota Corolla was being towed from church, but then realized the situation may lead to something better, reports WSVN.
During a phone call from a local police officer, Rollins was told her vehicle was reported stolen, and was going to be towed.
Rollins said she was petrified. "When the car was rolling away, all I could think was, 'I'm sure the registration is in the car and my name is on there, so that should count for something.'"
But Coral Springs church members actually were playing a prank on Rollins. As her old car was being towed off, a new car was pulled in. The church gifted it to her for the holidays.
"Oh, my God," Rollins screamed. "No!"
Coral Springs senior pastor David Hughes, along with church members, presented the car to Rollins, by saying, "Nicole, I heard you were having problems with your car."
"Oh, God. Thank you, God," she said. "Thank you, guys, so much."
Hughes said they wanted to have a little fun with her, then quickly swoop in and bless her. "I had a microphone and they had cameras everywhere. It's not brand new; it's a 2014. That only makes it 28 years newer than your other car."
Rollins also was gifted six months of car insurance, $500 in gas money and a trunk full of Christmas presents for her two children.
The surprised mother said she's still in a bit of shock. "I'm still a little nervous and excited about it."
Hughes said Church by the Glades' congregants are highly passionate and intentional about building bridges with the un-churched culture to connect a broken world to the gospel, as reported by Good News. "Church by the Glades is known for being hyper-creative, and I do think that I am a creative person - and that fits. Church by the Glades is also occasionally labeled as a church that pushes the envelope or stirs things up. Personally, I hate to be provocative or intentionally controversial. At the same time, the Bible can be provocative and highly controversial. The stakes are so high - literally heaven or hell - and I just don't think that we can afford to play it safe."
