By Jeff
I was absolutely outraged and sickened by an advertisement I heard on a local Christian music station the other day. It was for a church here in town, obviously desperate to get people back into the seats on Sundays.
The ad went something like this…”If you’ve left church because the children’s ministry wasn’t very good, or the youth ministry wasn’t fun, then we want you to check out XYZ Church. We want to remove every possible excuse you have for not being in church on Sundays.
In fact, if you come to XYZ Church between now and Easter, and you fill out an information card, you will be registered to win a brand new CAR! The car may get you in the door, but we hope it’s an experience with God that keeps you here.”
What do you think about this? My initial reaction was and still is absolute disgust. What are we doing? What in the XYZ are we thinking?
So, I did some research and found that this is a growing phenomenon…draw people to church with prizes in the hopes they like what they see and come back. Here’s a couple of examples…
From USA Today, 2005 - To boost turnout, church service to give away a house LA MARQUE, Texas (AP) — In a game show style giveaway, a church plans to award a $120,000 three-bedroom house to one of its worshippers on New Year's Eve.
From St. Petersburg Times, Tampa 2005 - Church's Hummer prize too worldly?Clergy debate whether it's better to draw the flock with such a grand giveaway or a personal relationship.
White said that his church has given away homes and paid electric bills for a full year to those attending his services. "It's a bait on the hook to get people in to hear the message,"
This all makes me sick. Now, some might say that all churches offer some sort of incentive to join. Churches might list such things as vibrant youth ministry, or fun children’s ministry, meaningful community, small groups, athletic teams, fitness centers, powerful worship, attractive people, relevant preaching…on and on. You get the picture.
And sure, all churches put forward some sort of offer to draw people to them. But, for me, the car giveaway stuff is simply an extension of a philosophy already at root in why people join a church – CONSUMERISM. We’re in it for ourselves. Why shouldn’t other people be as well?
Bottom line…to be blunt…these pastors giving away cars are prostituting the Bride of Christ. It’s as if we’re saying…the Bride wants you. Wouldn’t you like a relationship with the bride? After all, look at what she has to offer. In fact, she’ll give you what you want if you’ll just give her a chance.
Our best offer has and always will be Jesus Christ. That’s it. A relationship with Jesus and his people. That’s all we have to offer. Whatever else you want, you can get somewhere else. Cars. Boats. Money. Friends (heck, some people find more community at a local bar than most churches). Sports. Activities. All this you can get somewhere else.
You can only find Jesus among the people of Jesus – his Church, his Bride.
I’m angered and sickened by the state of most churches. Why concern ourselves with drawing people in? Why not concern ourselves by sending people out??? Why make the commercial for Christians? Why be so concerned with drawing Christians back to church? Why not aim for non-believers?
One pastor told me that “the reason people come is the reason they will stay.” In other words, if they come for the cars, the music, the preaching, the attractiveness, they will only stay as long as those things are still available.
I would love to tell you the name of the local church giving away the car. In fact, I would love it if someone from their staff read this blog. I’m not afraid to judge them harshly, and even ourselves to some extent. What they are doing is really no different than if we think our best offer is relationships, or our worship services, or our sports programs, or ministries. Our best offer is Christ. His Bride is beautiful enough on her own without us having to prostitute her – or better yet, prostituting ourselves.
I was absolutely outraged and sickened by an advertisement I heard on a local Christian music station the other day. It was for a church here in town, obviously desperate to get people back into the seats on Sundays.
The ad went something like this…”If you’ve left church because the children’s ministry wasn’t very good, or the youth ministry wasn’t fun, then we want you to check out XYZ Church. We want to remove every possible excuse you have for not being in church on Sundays.In fact, if you come to XYZ Church between now and Easter, and you fill out an information card, you will be registered to win a brand new CAR! The car may get you in the door, but we hope it’s an experience with God that keeps you here.”
What do you think about this? My initial reaction was and still is absolute disgust. What are we doing? What in the XYZ are we thinking?
So, I did some research and found that this is a growing phenomenon…draw people to church with prizes in the hopes they like what they see and come back. Here’s a couple of examples…
From USA Today, 2005 - To boost turnout, church service to give away a house LA MARQUE, Texas (AP) — In a game show style giveaway, a church plans to award a $120,000 three-bedroom house to one of its worshippers on New Year's Eve.From St. Petersburg Times, Tampa 2005 - Church's Hummer prize too worldly?Clergy debate whether it's better to draw the flock with such a grand giveaway or a personal relationship.
White said that his church has given away homes and paid electric bills for a full year to those attending his services. "It's a bait on the hook to get people in to hear the message,"
This all makes me sick. Now, some might say that all churches offer some sort of incentive to join. Churches might list such things as vibrant youth ministry, or fun children’s ministry, meaningful community, small groups, athletic teams, fitness centers, powerful worship, attractive people, relevant preaching…on and on. You get the picture.
And sure, all churches put forward some sort of offer to draw people to them. But, for me, the car giveaway stuff is simply an extension of a philosophy already at root in why people join a church – CONSUMERISM. We’re in it for ourselves. Why shouldn’t other people be as well?
Bottom line…to be blunt…these pastors giving away cars are prostituting the Bride of Christ. It’s as if we’re saying…the Bride wants you. Wouldn’t you like a relationship with the bride? After all, look at what she has to offer. In fact, she’ll give you what you want if you’ll just give her a chance.
Our best offer has and always will be Jesus Christ. That’s it. A relationship with Jesus and his people. That’s all we have to offer. Whatever else you want, you can get somewhere else. Cars. Boats. Money. Friends (heck, some people find more community at a local bar than most churches). Sports. Activities. All this you can get somewhere else.
You can only find Jesus among the people of Jesus – his Church, his Bride.
I’m angered and sickened by the state of most churches. Why concern ourselves with drawing people in? Why not concern ourselves by sending people out??? Why make the commercial for Christians? Why be so concerned with drawing Christians back to church? Why not aim for non-believers?
One pastor told me that “the reason people come is the reason they will stay.” In other words, if they come for the cars, the music, the preaching, the attractiveness, they will only stay as long as those things are still available.
I would love to tell you the name of the local church giving away the car. In fact, I would love it if someone from their staff read this blog. I’m not afraid to judge them harshly, and even ourselves to some extent. What they are doing is really no different than if we think our best offer is relationships, or our worship services, or our sports programs, or ministries. Our best offer is Christ. His Bride is beautiful enough on her own without us having to prostitute her – or better yet, prostituting ourselves.
2 comments:
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I heard the commercial today and was absolutely apalled. My first thought was - Get out.. do we as a body of believers now have to bribe the world to make ourselves look appealing? Is there nothing inherantly beautiful about the Lord? What about Christ as the one that draws - where is the Holy Spirit? A car... you've got to be kidding me. I actually went to the churches website to find out more about them and why they would do a "publicity stunt" like this one. I opened up their site and immediately thought - a jumpy house? They have a jumpy house in their kids area? How is a jumpy house used to build the spiritual foundation in their kids. As a mom, I don't want the children's ministry my child is involved in to be a babysitter - I want to know that we are working in a partnership and that they are supporting the spiritual foundations that we are building at home. I don't know the chruch and it's a thin line here between being judgemental and being angry that a church (of which I'm a member of the larger body/bride) would bribe people to come. I am all about making the church and Christ available and appealing to all people - but you can't persuade me that this is the way. After all, with all the ministries out there and all the opportunities to be the hands of Christ - that car/money could be better spent than to wrangle in a few people to the pews. It's just sad and discouraging!
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