Motorists flock to church’s free gas giveaway

City Hills Church’s Serve Day project serves across city; includes ‘free gas’

Mark Hahne was driving on State Highway 46 from Bergheim Saturday, headed to the Boerne Post Office, when he saw three girls standing on the sidewalk along River Road waving signs, beckoning, “FREE GAS.”

“We were just driving by when we saw it,” Hahne said, “so we pulled in. Hey, free gas, there’s nothing wrong with that.”

The three girls — Kynleigh Cunningham, 12, Hazel Rose, 12, and Natalie Lytle, 15 — are members of the City Hills Church of Boerne, which rolled out its Serve Team members citywide on Saturday, including to the Halftime Exxon at River and Esser roads.

Dozens of church members wearing red “Serve Team” T-shirts ushered vehicles around the Longhorn Cafe toward the Exxon’s pumps, where a dozen more red-shirted church members waited.

As cars pulled up, gas caps were popped, gas pump nozzles were inserted, and Serve Team members checked in on vehicle occupants and offered words of prayer, if requested.

Mitch Rose, lead pastor of City Hills Church, said he was going to stand back and let his parishioners do what they do best — serve.

“Every year we have Serve Day the second Saturday of July,” Rose said, with the church returning to Halftime Exxon for a second free gas giveaway after the success of a first effort in 2022.

“We’re just blessing our neighbors and our community. Things are tough right now, it’s hard times with inflation the way it is,” Rose said. “We just want to say, ‘We’re here for you.’

“We’re praying for everybody in line, maybe relieving a little bit of pressure for some folks, buying them some gas,” he said.

More than 1,400 gallons of gas were pumped during the event’s two hours.

The gas giveaway was one of six Serve Day efforts throughout Boerne and Kendall County. Rose listed the five other projects: Children’s Hunger Fund, Comfort Boys and Girls Club, Menger Springs Assisted Living, Hill Country Pregnancy Care Center, and a road cleanup project. “We have hundreds of people in red shirts all over our community, serving in Jesus’s name,” he added.

Assistant Pastor Trent Jayroe said more than 190 Serve Team members were dispersed throughout the community, with the larger number helping man the gas giveaway.

“We’re just trying to be like a little bit of hope, a little bit of bright light,” Jayroe said. “Everyone seems to be really appreciative. We’re talking with people, getting to know them. If they need prayer, we pray with them.”