Come to Church! Win a Big Screen!
Monday, January 30, 2006 at 08:32AM 
A local church is passing out these sticky notes to promote their "Grand Re-Opening." Apparently, it is anticipated that giving away a big screen or a playstation will bring better results for the "re-opening" than whatever they did when they opened the first time.
I thought about blacking out this church's name and website, but then changed my mind. They deserve scrutiny for this tacky stunt.
The deacon who gave me this asked me, "I wonder what we could give away to get people to come to our church?" He was joking, of course. But after some thought it occurred to me that we do need more money in our budget next year for passes to the local shooting range, concert tickets for the Orange County symphony, tour passes for one of the local wineries, or even gift certificates for the Archives used bookstore in Pasadena (Click here: The Archives Bookshop Homepage). That might encourage a visitor or two . . .
Any thoughts?
Reader Comments (25)
Oh, I was thinking we could give away a gift certificate to that cigar shop at the Block. That will really make them Reformed.
Or maybe the Gospel? We could give that away. Its done the job so far.
They are giving away a TV and PSP at EACH service! Can you imagine how much money they spent on these prizes?
That was great! Maybe we should try it this way:
Luke 22:35
And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, the plazma t.v. and the playstation."
Here's how Pat Robertson does it!
http://www.sacredsandwich.com/advertisement11.htm
Now you can be just like Pat!!
Matthew 28:19 "Go therefore and buy disciples of all nations, bribing them in the name of Zennith and of Samsung and of the Holy Sony."
I believe Crazy Gideon is secretly financing this church. I wonder if he will install Fred Rated as the pastor-deacon-elder, since I haven't seen him since the 80s. You know, a comeback like Jim Bakker did a few years ago.
I also want to know why no XBOX 360 and if I choose the PSP, will I get the Living Bible electronic edition pre-installed?
Nah, forget it...I'm watching the SUPERBOWL instead!
Some of us cannot be bought, because we were already bought for a price. We know what it took to bring us to the Cross, and we are humbled and shaken by It. We know He suffered for our sins, and gave His life, that we might have eternal life with Him.
We understand His worthiness, and our unworthiness. We are forever grateful for His mercy, and we daily give thanks for it.
How foolish it is to compare a blathering box with Christ our Lord. When Jesus came into the Temple and turned over the tables, calling the temple leaders vipers for selling sacrafices and selling prayers, He gave us an example of what we should be doing to a plasma tv promotion.....does anyone out there have a sledge hammer?
I guess big screen TV's are much more interesting than sola scriptura, sola fide, imputed righteousness, etc. . .
http://www.purposedriven.com/en-US/International/Home.htm
We need the Gospel as the prophetic voice calling us away from the mind-numbing pap of the Spirit of the Age, not a church confirming unbelievers in their decision to remain hell-bound.
We had a similar flyer sent to our house offering a $10 gas card to all first-time visitors.
Here's a clever idea, make a sticker of your own, but instead of the prize being a tv or playstation, say that "everyone who comes on Sunday recieves FREE, 1)the word rightly preached, 2)the sacraments rightly administered, and 3)church discipline!" These are the marketings, (oops) marks of a true church.
It's called "In Search of Foolishness"
Enjoyed your blog.
THANK YOU SO MUCH for spreading the word about our church. Frankly, it is going great. We're a 2.5 year old church that has seen so many people choose to follow Jesus and experience incredible life-change.
Your brutal (and hilarious) comments fuel the Spirit-driven fire within me to come up with more creative ways to reach people for Christ.