Yesterday, Zac and I went over to Athens to see if we could find any deals on used sound equipment at a nightclub auction that was going on there. It was a very interesting day, as we got to talk with a bunch of local bar/club owners and see what they were doing, and how the economy was affecting them. There were a bunch of people there… Maybe 30 or so, all bidding on barstools, tables, neon lights, speakers, intelligent spots, and so forth.
I met a kid named Chris. He’s a college student trying to make a little bit of a living DJ’ing parties and other events in and around Lawrenceville. Great kid. He is just a poor college student, showing up at the auction looking to get a little bit of a deal on something small that can help his struggling business. His main goal was to get two microphones and a snake, which is a bundled set of microphone cables with a connector box on the end. He was disappointed to find that the microphones (Shure Beta 58’s) he wanted were being sold as a set of six, which he likely couldn’t afford. He could probably swing the two he needed, but definitely not six. We talked for a little while, telling me about his girlfriend, and his dreams of having a local small-time recording studio.
I told him about our church plant, and how we were looking for some of the same things he was looking for, plus some speakers and other items. He was very interested, and asked several questions. Before we knew what was happening, the bidding began!
I watched him bid on and lose some XLR cables. He bid and lost some direct boxes. Next up came the snake that he wanted. Even though everyone had their bidding “poker faces” on, I could see his disappointment when he lost the snake to a higher bidder. Even at incredible auction prices, where things were going for pennies on the dollar, this guy just didn’t have the cash to buy the smallest of things available.
Next up were the Shure Beta 58’s. Nice set of six microphones. (they retail for $160 or so each.) He started the bidding at $30 per mic, but was immediately priced out when the cost rose rapidly. Just as they were about to go for $57 each, the final bid was made and they sold for $60… To The Orchard Church. I looked across the room to where Chris was standing and he shot me a quick smile. He knew what we were there for, and was very supportive about our new church start.
As soon as I could get to him, he shook my hand and congratulated me with a smile. He offered to hang around and help us load up the equipment we had just bought. I thanked him, and handed him two of the microphones, telling him that we wanted to be a blessing to him. He was a little stunned, suprised to see someone thinking of others in the midst of this “get-it-for-myself” free for all. He ended up paying us for one of them, saying that he wanted to support The Orchard, and that he felt he should be giving, not taking from the church. I let him pay his original bid price of $30, and both of us were thrilled.
It is awesome that even 3 months before we have our first church service, The Orchard is blessing a kid in Lawrenceville, and we are blessed by him.