I am standing on the soap box in my husband's stead tonight. He will never be the blogging kind, so I took up the mantle and decided to air his complaint. Really, if I had seen it, I would have been just as irritated.
He was driving around town today and drove past a church. This church, we happen to know, is not an overly-wealthy church. They do not have scads of upper-crust clients, uh, I mean parishioners sitting in their folded metal chairs. But this church has a spankin'-new electronic marquee sign. This is the kind that projects video and photos for the public to see. I would presume that this is an effort to market themselves as a church full of upper-crust folks in order to attract more of them. A sign like this, you see, is an investment, and it pays for itself by bringing in big tithers. Or at least it might attract smallish tithers in large numbers (because they think they are joining a cool church).
Honestly, I always thought the little signs where you put up letters to spell out clever things (in an effort to attract clever tithers) were bad enough. I don't know anyone who got saved because a church sign asked them if they were. I really did see one that asked the question "Are you saved?" I think that, if you are not, you probably don't know what that means anyway. But I suppose that is an entirely different soap box.
My real problem, aside from being blindsided by consumerism in a place of worship, is the financial expenditure we're talking about. Thousands of dollars, I'm sure, to buy the thing, then the cost of electricity to keep it running.....day and night. Maybe they turn it off late at night, but I'm sure it looks so good at dusk and in the early evenings, that this beacon is left shining, much like a welcoming porch light.
I'm just pulling a number out of thin air, here, but suppose one of those fancy doo-hickies cost $8,000. How else could we use that $8,000? What about supporting a missionary that goes into a destitute area and brings them tools, seeds and the training they need to farm the land that they have? Churches are contacted all the time with needs like this (I know - I field the calls at the church where I work!). Heifer International offers an opportunity to buy farm animals for families in Africa (among other places). A cow costs $500, and a sheep costs only $120! That sign costs 16 cows or about 65 sheep! BTW, I don't know anything about this organization...so I'm in no way endorsing it.
My favorite, though, is Compassion International. My mom sponsored a little girl for many years and even got to visit her family in the Dominican Republic. That's $32 dollars a month...so....you could sponsor two children for more than 10 years. It just seems to me that any of these options is a better investment in the Kingdom of God.
Now, I will step down and go back to being my sugar-sweet, always-polite, usual self (Ha!). Thanks.
DAILY BLISS: noticing how tall my kids have grown over the summer and shopping for a new work computer
11 comments:
I agree that some "investments" made by churches are difficult to swallow. I think people in groups get caught up in appearance just like individual people. I do think, however, that in some cases the sign, or the architecture or the size of the building will draw people in, and bring about change. America is a society full of people who fall into the category that God presented in 1 Samuel 16:7, we look at the outward appearance while the Lord looks at the heart. The church isn't looking for people who already have right thinking, we're trying to attract the shallow into the deep. Sometimes we have to wander back into the shallow to lead them in.
So, I'm a hippie. I understand the church's need for good marketing in the effort to reach out to the American culture. I do. As long as we have what our advertisements promise, I'm fine with it. I just get all hot under the collar when the marketing seems way out of proportion to what the church has to offer (hot under the collar is produces rants instead of intelligent conversation). I'm sure that one day, I'll look back and laugh at my granola idealism.....
I'm with you on this one. I live with an unsaved man who refuses to step foot in a church because of this very thing. In his head, spending money to hook people and "bring them in" is the height of hypocrisy. I think his thinking is a little flawed, but I do agree with him on one fact. Jesus Christ never had a marketing team, and I do not believe that he would need one even in the twenty-first century. If His followers today were truly living their lives as representations of Jesus...well, that's in a more perfect world than we live in. You know what I mean; I know you do. We bring too much of the world into our churches and then we wonder why people misinterpret our motives. The church today has lost focus.
I tend to be more with Mary on this one. People may see the sign and remember where to go when they need it. I did when I was 19 and thumbing my way through town - again. I remembered the church sign..and went there.
Nothing is without criticism that the church does. I may laugh and roll my eyes - but Billy Bob Tucker who just larnt to read may have his socks blessed off. IF only SOMEBODY could do eveyrthing perfect! (Noticed I left of the "ly")?
Oooo, I love this stuff! I definitely see both sides. I think, Christy, what you have to say about being able to deliver on what we advertise makes a lot of sense. A fancy schmancy sign isn't going to keep people around even if it does draw them in. I was in a pastor's meeting today and one of them said he always heard of the great spiritual awakenings or revivals and wanted to be a part of a "great God move" someday. And now that he IS a part of the great God move here, he realizes he had no clue what he was wishing for. He said it's like visiting the Rockies, but instead of being able to just stare in awe and wonder, he has been asked to climb the mountain! Twas indeed a statement I could identify with. I'm all for nice signs, or whatever trappings it takes to introduce someone to Christ. I just must realize that once I catch their eye, I must be able to do the job of letting Him be seen in me. That's where the mountain climbing begins.
Oh! and try $35,000. That's what insurance paid to replace our sign after Katrina. It has scrolling words and illuminates at night, but doesn't do videos. Not that I'd add fuel to your fire or anything...
Whoo hoo, I come from a long line of Hippie Christians (crazy Mennonites) so it's my nature to be critical of the flash, but since going to a larger church I've learned to appreciate it as well. Looking back we had a lousy church sign and when I brought my lost friends from school they were given lousy discipleship...maybe it was the sign.
I think there are all sorts of Christians and all sorts of churches to attract all sorts of heathens. It all works out.
Oy! Beck! $35,000?!?!? Yes...okay....now that I'm a little less hot under the collar...
The Body of Christ is as beautifully diverse as the rest of creation. It takes all kinds to serve all kinds.
I want to state that I would never pretend to have the market cornered on how to reach the lost. Some of the methods bug me, but they can be effective in reaching people who are not like me. And Lord knows we'd be in trouble if everybody was like me!
I'm still laughing about Mary's comment on the lousy sign/lousy discipleship. That just cracked me up.
I'm coming in to this discussion late, but felt I should say that I agree with your original rant. This happens, though, because a church is a business above all else. Why does any church have a shiny, decorated sanctuary? For people to look at and want to return to. That is the fundamental difference between your family church and the more commercial church that you are criticizing. They are based on the same ideas, perhaps, but there is a lot more overhead at the church building. It costs a lot to run one of those things, and the CEO (pastor) has to answer to the trustees (church council) and donors (members). The point: churches will do almost anything they can think of to fill seats, just like a pro baseball team. Sometimes people like a little bling! Yes, it's marketing, and it brings in money, plain and simple. Not everything at church is about "God."
Ah, Joe. Well put. You said that much more magnanimously than I. I am tempted to continue this as a further explanation of what I think.....but......I think I'll resist.
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