Dog and Pony OR Good Marketing?

Now this is a story that has both sides of my brain running. Read the story by clicking HERE, and then tell me what you think.

I am going to very honest; I do not know how I feel on this issue. I am going to share with you the battle that has been going through my head on this.

Argument 1: “At least it gets people in the door”
This is a very good point to make. I don’t know how many times I have said to myself and others, “If we can get them in the door, then they will be able to hear a message that may change their lives forever.” I am positive that this same statement has been made at this church. Why, because it is true. We do want to get people in the doors. We do want people to be able come and experience worship and allow God to work in their lives. I have seen with my own eyes what can happen to some of the most hardened hearts when the Holy Spirit touches them during a worship service in a church.

Many people would say that this Pastor should have gone into marketing. It could have easily been what he studied in college before being called to ministry. When it comes to figuring out a way to use the environment around you to reach people, this is a perfect example. He is taking a need (a very big need for many of us today) and fulfilling that need in a very imaginative way. I don’t care what you think about what the church is doing, you have to be impressed with creativity.

Argument 2: “If I have to get them in with a Dog and Pony Show, then I would have keep the Dog and Pony Show going to keep them.”
That was a very long quote, but was one that I heard several times when I was a youth at my local church. I did not grow up in church, so the very first experiences that I had with church were given to me by my youth minister. To this day I still hold him in high regard, mainly because of the love and support he provided me during a very awkward time in my life. But, this was his philosophy. He did not believe that people that are brought into the church through gimmicks actually stayed to become true followers of Jesus Christ. He always felt that once the feelings or the fun were gone for them, they would leave to continue on with the life they once lived. Now, I have to say (even with my deep feelings toward him) that I did not always agree with this philosophy. Even as a youth minister myself, I saw that there were a few that came for the fun that our group was having but stayed because they found more…but it was just a few. (But isn't one enough...just a question)

This is where I fall right now on argument two. I believe that church is a very special time. It is a time during my week that I can honestly say I miss if I am unable to attend the service. And even though I know that church is about community and coming together as a group of believers to worship our God and King, it is still something that is very personal for me. It is time for me to forget my struggles and my self-centered life, and focus on the most important thing in life…my Lord. Therefore, I have to be honest in saying that there is something inside of me that begins to hurt when I feel that this time of worship is “cheapened” in any way.

I am all about reaching people. I want people to come to know Christ and experience the freedoms that He provides. But, I think sometimes that we focus too much on trying to get people to come inside our walls…when what we need to be focusing on is taking the message to their walls…then extend the invitation to join us within our walls if they think that there is something to the message we brought.

I don’t know. Tell me what you think. Share with me what goes on inside of you when you read something like this story. I want to hear, “Brad, you are missing all the good that can come out of this.” I want to hear, “Brad, you should not be struggling with this at all, because it should never be going on within our churches.” I look forward to the conversation.

God Bless and Keep Looking Up