Come to church - get $5???

[DMcFadden]

Today a slick 8.5 x 5.5 four color card arrived in the mail. It featured a picture of a pensive attractive woman looking out her window.

"You Don't Need to Be Afraid . . . Join us this Sunday and We'll Pay for Your Gas"

On the back it read: "Claim $5 Gas Card! Bring this postcard to Hrock by April 17 or 24 to receive free $5 gas card."

Just curious . . . which section of the WCF covers this again?

Actually, with gas in L.A. running from lows in the $4.20s to $4.75 a gallon, $5 won't get you very far.

 

[Pergamum]

In the slums of Manilla, Korean misssionaries are claiming church plants in the dozens by giving monthly sacks of rice to poor Filipinos as a condition for church attendance. As another denomination comes in and offers more rice, the church members switch churches. I would love to be able to read the prayer letters of these Korean evangelists as they report their "success."

I abhor all bait and switch strategies of evangelism.

 

[O'GodHowGreatThouArt]

Look on the plus side. Your shears will LOVE that postcard.

Plus it kills about 10 minutes of time if you're waiting on something. Who needs a shredder when you got a pair of scissors that cost maybe $3?

 

[Backwoods Presbyterian]

 

[Edward]

Looks like this only works economically for folks in their immediate neighborhood. Or maybe they are green and trying to encourage carpooling.

 

[Miller]

In Garland, TX a church advertised $10 Olive Garden gift cards for church attendance.

 

[Edward]

$5 gas cards and $10 Olive Garden? I'm holding out for the car. South Texas church sponsors massive giveaway of prizes during Easter services | abc13.com (Looks like that was last year. Wonder if they'll repeat.)

 

[Curt]

Why is this different from feeding people IF they attend your Gospel meeting?

 

[DMcFadden]

If they make it a $25 Cracker Barrel card, well . . . just saying.

 

[Southern Presbyterian]

Would this be considered reverse Simony?

 

[Skyler]

Why is this different from feeding people IF they attend your Gospel meeting?

We feed people whether they attend the Gospel meeting or just show up for the food.

Granted they're liable to get some grief from friends if they just show up for the food, but still.

 

[Grillsy]

Why is this different from feeding people IF they attend your Gospel meeting?

Church meals were, and still are, a regular occurrence for many congregations. Giving out money (bribing?), in order to bring people in, really does not have a place in Church history.

 

[Andres]

as a Christian, I am insulted they would offer people $5 to come to church, but even from a heathen prospective, a $5 gas card is also a pretty lame bribe.

 

[Jack K]

My church gives little gifts to new visitors. But it doesn't feel wrong to me, probably because we don't advertise it. It isn't bribe-like, because it's a surprise to them. Just a welcome gift.

Does whether or not you advertise it make the difference between an act of kindness and an act of bribery? Or if not, how do you tell the difference?

 

[Rich Koster]

Maybe they should put that money toward fixing their sign. Doesn't it usually say "Sign broken, get message inside"?

 

[N. Eshelman]

Looks like this only works economically for folks in their immediate neighborhood. Or maybe they are green and trying to encourage carpooling.

It is for more than just people in the immediate neighborhood- I got the same ad as Dennis and we live worlds apart in SoCal terms.

 

[Dwimble]

Why is this different from feeding people IF they attend your Gospel meeting?

I've often thought something similar about some soup kitchens/missions/shelters. If the "price" of the meal (or cot) is requiring them to listen to a sermon, then you aren't really interested in feeding a hungry person, but in taking advantage of their hunger as part of some sort of sales technique to get them in the door so that you can preach to them.

 

[Jeffriesw]

I have got to talk to my elders about this, I could use some gas money



J/K

Seriously, Did our Lord ever pay someone $5.00 bucks to listen to him preach? Most of the time when I read through the gospels, it seems like what He said offended them left and right and they ran off

 

[Reformed Thomist]

This is thoroughly disgusting. Five bucks to attend a church service? You'd think they could at least dole out a tenner for a man's time.

 

[Berean]

Apparently this type of thing is spreading. Here are two examples from the Minneapolis area that I ran across in the morning headlines.

Church lures worshippers with TVs, Nintendo -- ELK RIVER, Minn. -- The Crossing Church in Elk River has many seats to fill Easter weekend and they have a very unique way of doing it. They are bribing people with 3D televisions and Nintendo 3DS portable video game consoles.

"I have no problem bribing people with cr** in order to meet Christ," Pastor Eric Dykstra said.

The bribes maybe working. While other churches are struggling with attendance Crossing has grown from just 200 people to more 3,000 in just six years.

There is hope their $8,000 giveaway this weekend will bring in more. But Dykstra says the prizes are more than just gimmicks. They are tools to get people in the door.

"It's awkward to say 'hey come to my church.' It just feels weird and you don't want to twist somebody's arm so to kind of alleviate some of that weirdness what we've done is said hey if you bring your friend to church they might potentially win a 3D television, a 3DS or a 3D movie ticket package," Dykstra said.

Dykstra expects between 5,000 to 6,000 people to attend their Easter worship service. (KARE-11 TV)

Uptown Church Giving Away $3,500 to Pay Someone’s Bills

Updated: Friday, 22 Apr 2011, 9:13 AM CDT
Published : Friday, 22 Apr 2011, 9:13 AM CDT

MINNEAPOLIS - The Exchange Church in Uptown is giving away $3,500 during what it calls its Shattered Dreams Series starting Easter weekend.

The Minneapolis church will be paying someone’s bills, up to $500 per person, per service, starting Easter weekend and for the following four Sundays. One person will be chosen at each service – three on Easter and each of the remaining Sundays, whose first visit was on Easter or later.

Lead Pastor Eric Whitman says helping people through their economic struggles is the best way to reach out to the community. Shattered Dreams Series is about “getting back on track and rediscovering your dreams.”

Exchange Church Easter Services
Saturday April 23rd, 6:00 p.m.
Sunday April 24th, 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

Sunday service on May 1st, 8th, 15th and 22nd will be 10:30 a.m.

2920 Bryant Ave S. Suite #110
Minneapolis, MN 55408
Phone: 612.636.7813 (Fox 9 Twin Cities)

 

[MMasztal]

$5.00!!!! That’s chump change! We have a local church which doesn’t piddle around with such a pittance of money. They actually have a lottery drawing every Sunday following the service which has a typical weekly prize of $200-$300!!!

 

[Edward]

$500 cash, TVs and DS. Lotteries. Now we're getting serious. No wonder they can't fill the pews on Easter. I'm probably going to end up on a folding chair in the back this Sunday.

 

[Notthemama1984]

with gas in L.A. running from lows in the $4.20s to $4.75 a gallon

Makes me appreciate my 3.65 a bit more.

---------- Post added at 01:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:37 PM ----------

On a slightly different note.....

Last year Rick Warren rented a baseball stadium and had the Jonas Brothers give a concert for Easter Sunday. Has anyone heard what he is doing this year?

 

[Rich Koster]

with gas in L.A. running from lows in the $4.20s to $4.75 a gallon

Makes me appreciate my 3.65 a bit more.

---------- Post added at 01:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:37 PM ----------

On a slightly different note.....

Last year Rick Warren rented a baseball stadium and had the Jonas Brothers give a concert for Easter Sunday. Has anyone heard what he is doing this year?

Hopefully repenting.

 

[Andres]

with gas in L.A. running from lows in the $4.20s to $4.75 a gallon

Makes me appreciate my 3.65 a bit more.

---------- Post added at 01:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:37 PM ----------

On a slightly different note.....

Last year Rick Warren rented a baseball stadium and had the Jonas Brothers give a concert for Easter Sunday. Has anyone heard what he is doing this year?

Hopefully repenting.

 

[Scottish Lass]

It is for more than just people in the immediate neighborhood- I got the same ad as Dennis and we live worlds apart in SoCal terms.

I think he meant because if five dollars equals a gallon of gas, and most cars get @30 mpg, then one would need to live within a fifteen mile radius for it to "work".

 

[MMasztal]

News flash!!! From my FaceBook friend, Pam (member at my church)

"I sadly just saw an ad for a church trying to get people to come to Easter services by holding a drawing for an Ipad and a $1000 shopping spree...”

about an hour ago · Like ·

 

[Notthemama1984]

That is terrible.

 

[Edward]

I think he meant because if five dollars equals a gallon of gas, and most cars get @30 mpg, then one would need to live within a fifteen mile radius for it to "work".

Yes. Thanks.

 

[Grillsy]

"I sadly just saw an ad for a church trying to get people to come to Easter services by holding a drawing for an Ipad and a $1000 shopping spree...”

The Campbellite Church down the street from me has given away several Ipads and a big screen TV. Attendance is up but giving is down. Imagine that.