I just heard about this, though it was several years ago (May 2005)…
Apparently our sister church in Corona California has a unique way of getting people to come to church.
What do you think?
Is this the way that we should get people to come to church?
It just sounds wrong to me.
Someone at Crossroads Church in Corona, California will be in Hawg Heaven on May 22nd. That’s when the church will draw the name of the winner of a brand new Harley Davidson motorcycle. Crossroads is celebrating the grand opening of their new 3,000-seat auditorium, and in their current series, “Adventures in Friendship,” they’re using the Harley give-away as an incentive to attract first-time visitors to the church. Through this program, first-time visitors or members who bring first-time visitors are entered into the drawing to win the Harley. Crossroads is using the give-away to encourage evangelism and reach out to the community. Senior Pastor Barry McMurtrie explained, “Our goal is to become a community gathering place and this program supports that vision!” So, I guess if you happen to be in Corona, CA, you may want to visit Crossroads and enter the big drawing. Needless to say, you must be present for the drawing on May 22 to win.
There is nothing wrong with having benefits and gifts, or using props for illustrations, as part of our communication of the gospel. Jesus did both, multiplying bread and cursing fig trees. The problem is when these cease to be demonstrations of the gospel and devices to move and manipulate people to respond. Jesus realized that people were following Him for the bread, and actually discouraged them from the miracle. Whereas Jesus used these things to supplement the main thing, we make them the main thing. Instead of trusting in the power of the Gospel to move hearts, we trust in the power of the technique.
My sense is that this Harley thing is just the tip of an iceberg of a shifting focus away from the message to the medium. No doubt the intentions are good, but they will soon discover that people will come and stay for the wrong reasons, and eventually fall away again. Jesus again and again stressed the cost of discipleship, and not the perks of participation.
Hmmmmmmmm, I’m not sure how I feel about this. Somehow it doesn’t seem quite right. Then again when I think back I went to Sunday school a few times when I was a kid (my family never went to church) and if I was truly honest it was only because my friend promised me they give candy out on the bus. Is that kind of the same thing?