no - but it doesn't send the appropriate message.
 

I want to walk in love and I will, but sometimes we are just so religious and super spiritual. That's why 70% of all the cities in America are unchurched.

Jesus called us to be fishers of men. Fishermen surely don't send a message to fish that if you take this bait, you will be snatched from your normal environment, die, be gutted, fileted and assimilated in to someone's body.
That's exactly what we do with sinners: We put an appealing bait on the hook, and when they bite, snatch them from their normal environment of sin, teach them to die to self, clean them and assimilate them into the body of Christ!
 

P. S.:
I am not talking about paying people to come to church; I was referring to great children's ministry, relevant messages, and even offering coffe and donuts...the whole Seeker Sensitive thing.

Paying people does cross the line.
 

What happened to the drawing power of the HOLY SPIRIT ?
 

Old-time Pentecostals who paid a price, sold out to God, and preached the Gospel at great peril, persecution, and death--in the scriptures, as well as in church history, would be shocked at such foolishness.

Jeremiah 6:16 talks about asking for the old paths. This modern junk is just that--junk.

I am not UPC, but I have always honored them for their stand for holiness unto the Lord, one of the last holdouts in classical Pentecostalism for it. Now, it appears that they are also going the way of all flesh.

May God, the Holy Ghost, convict us and help us to realize that we are living in fulfilled prophetic times--the apostasy of the church, and the Lord Jesus Christ outside of the door of the Church, knocking, bidding entrance. (Revelation 3:20)
 

(Continued)
We must have full confidence in the power of the Holy Spirit. HE draws ! Somewhere/somehow sadly, it seems, the "church" has forgotten HIS power.. and replies on other methods instead of HIM. In prayer, fasting and worship,there's sometimes a wait also. The drawing unto HIM is never a "gimmick".
 

Old-time Pentecostals who paid a price, sold out to God, and preached the Gospel at great peril, persecution, and death--in the scriptures, as well as in church history, would be shocked at such foolishness.

Jeremiah 6:16 talks about asking for the old paths. This modern junk is just that--junk.

I am not UPC, but I have always honored them for their stand for holiness unto the Lord, one of the last holdouts in classical Pentecostalism for it. Now, it appears that they are also going the way of all flesh.

May God, the Holy Ghost, convict us and help us to realize that we are living in fulfilled prophetic times--the apostasy of the church, and the Lord Jesus Christ outside of the door of the Church, knocking, bidding entrance. (Revelation 3:20)
 

I came into the BODY of CHRIST in 1969, and what a church it was. Over the years I have noticed a decline in reverence, the introduction of the worst "Worship" music, and now "Come and you get $25.00", . What ever happened to the HOLY SPIRIT's work? Don't we trust HIM anymore?
We wanted to do away with religion
and now have gone too far. MAY GOD help us!
 

When Jesus walked physically on this earth, masses of people followed Him everywhere. He offered them healing and a way into direct relationship with God. His "come-on" was the miracles He performed. He was meeting people's needs. I wonder if we have to bribe people into church because our churches have lost the miracuous power of God. Have we (the organized church) so compromised with the world that dollars and donuts are the only attractive things we can offer?
 

I was just thinking about this the other day. A church advertises "powerful worship" and yet the worship is so lame that people walk out. They advertise "Relelvant,Powerful" preaching and yet you can't figure out what they have said. Or the minister has used his text from St. John Maxwell, and I love Mr. Maxwell. I believe one of the problems is so many churches are preaching the Gospel of the Church. The Church is NOT the answer to today's society. Jesus Christ is. What ever happened to a sinner being pricked in their heart and falling down and worshiping God? 1 Cor 14:24-25 No one is ever going to Heaven, because they don't want to go to hell. All is not made well by someone walking through the church doors. We need to get back to the basics and preach the Gospel of the Kingdom. The Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel of the Cross. The Gospel of the Sanctifying Blood of Jesus Christ. I would hate to be a minister and then stand in front of Jesus and all of my works be consumed in the fire and be embaressed.

God Bless,
Dave Apel
 

What are we coming to in the Church, to bribe people into attending! The task of the Church is not to lift up itself and attract people to it; it is rather to lift up CHRIST that He might draw precious souls to HIMSELF - as he said, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" (John 12:32). Did HE not also say, "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him..."? (John 6:44) I guess if Peter the apostle was around today, he would be saying to that church, as he said to Simon the sorcerer, "Thy money perish with thee..." (Acts 8:20)

And just one more thing - when we begin to deem ourselves to be some great church and people ought to come to us, are we not in denger of failing like the church in Sardis, who believed they were a "live" church, and even had reputation among other congregations around them, yet our Lord's assessment is the one that matters, and he said - "Yes, you have a reputation of being a live church, but IN REALITY you are dead!" (Rev.3:1) Let's walk humbly before the Lord, faithful and uncompromising in our preaching of the Word, and totally relying on the Holy Spirit to fulfill the Master's will in drawing men and women to Himself.

Begone the gimmicks! God restore a confidence in the poower of the Holy Spirit and the power of His Word. It is possible for the church, through her efforts to attract people by any kind of worldly means (and however seemingly successful those means), as A.J. Gordon once expressed it, to "WEAKEN HERSELF BY HER INCREASE AND DIMINISH HERSELF BY HER ADDITIONS ... Never does it seem to occur to us that Christianity can be made TOO ALLURING for her own own safety."
God help us!
 

Churches spend money to get people in the door--this is true whether that money is spent on newspaper ads, the yellow pages, a web site, billboard, mailings, etc etc. What does it cost per visitor if you break down all of those expenses? Why is it so much better to pay secular media companies rather than the people you are trying to reach?

What about the churches who recognize their visitors with gifts, special mailings, follow up calls, etc? That all costs money. Yet I suspect that many who bristle at the idea of giving cash to visitors are part of churches or ministries that give other "premiums" to their guests. Most of those "premiums" are not going to be of much benefit to the guest anyway... so why not give them something they can surely use?

The packaging of this particular idea might seem shocking or different, but the Church as a whole has been paying people to participate in its activities for a very long time. Street ministries operate on this principle--but instead of cash, they usually give shelter or food in exchange for participation in services. Many churches give discounts or other "perks" to those who become members -- whether it is a break at the bookstore or discounted weddings / funerals / ability to use the church facilities for events...

It's easy to criticize and condemn another ministry for doing something that you don't agree with... but in this case, whether you agree with it or not, you're probably doing something very very similar in your own ministry.
 

Great comment, Jenni B. Thanks for raising the level of dialogue a couple notches.
 

I think it's no different than the days when Christ cleaned out the Church when they were "Selling" in the temple. The one thing that Christ said that he would wandered if He would see upon His return, "Faith". People want something that is real. I have a home group that has several drug addicts that have come to know the Lord, but still need deliverance. I see it everyday in their lives and when they fall, need someone to pick them up and tell them that they love them. They need that love more than the "gimmick" of a car salesman. I love the Church folks and I thank God for all the different "Tribes", there were twelve remember and each one had something to give to the Body. I guess I get so tired of the games that the Church plays that when I see something like this I get rightouesly indignent, but I know that I need to pray more than anything. Keep the message straight, pray that power comes, not gimmicks. Pray that the Glory of the Lord and the annointing moves to break bondages and people's lives are changed. Isaiah 61:1. Oh yes, our home group is under a covering and I am submitted to our Pastor is all things.
M.Plant, St. Agustine Florida
 

Jesus gave the people something they wanted first (fish and loaves), and then gave them something they needed (the bread of life). So...was Jesus guilty of false advertising?
 

So many issues, so little time. First, I could care less if a church uses cash, flash or a dash of relevance. The goal of the gospel is a personal relationship with God. What it looks like will be differant for each of us. Having said that, I take issue with the final statement we 'convince them they exist for the glory of God and the service of His people.' This, in my opinion, represents the misguided goal of the church and particially why the unchurched resist church.
The goal of the gospel is a personal relationship with God and from that relationship God will recieve glory, people will serve, obedience (you forgot to mention this one) will happen naturally. Remember the prodigal son and his brother, neither had a real relationship with the father. It was performance based. Only when the prodigal came to his senses and came home did his relationsip prosper.

Now, if giving cash, using flash or being relevant brings people to a real relationship with God I say
'bring it on.'
 

It's not a tactic I would use, but I respect that I am not:
1) A pastor of that church
2) A pastor of that church's pastors
3) The Holy Spirit
So I will not lift my voice to condemn their actions. Personally I would prefer to see churches grow because we members are sufficiently involved with the lives of our neighbors that we can "love them as ourselves." But then, I prefer to see churches meeting in houses within those neighborhoods.

There is, I think, a drawback to a lot of advertising strategies (including, but not limited to giving away money) in use by today's churches. These schemes erase the human face of the church; church becomes "it" instead of "we." People come to receive God's ministry channeled through an organization instead of through gifted, loving people. It is altogether too easy and too prevalent to think that advertising takes the place of personal contact in our communities.

Still, I guess if anyone comes to faith as a result of this church's campaign, it would be $25.00 well-spent.
 

Jesus preached to the multitude and then fed them. Wasn't that ok?
Our church doesn't advertise it, but we invite visitors to come to the coffee bar after the service for a free cup of coffee. Churches have always used different means to get people to attend. This is nothing new. Just a different means.
 

I am afraid everyone is missing the point. These marketing tactics, and that is what it is, can help gain an audience. We are to GO into THE WORLD and PREACH the gospel. If a simple promotion like this is something that gets peoples attention to hear the gospel. Then that is what we are called to do. It no difference that old time street preachers saying you can have a cup of soup but while you are eating we will preach and sing hymns. After we have a audience can we preach the gospel and allow the Holy Spirit to work. I think it's creative step to move people to another place of deeper fellowship and relationship. To much theology kills the gospel.
 

When the enticement and lure of the church has become the filthy lucre of the world, then the church have missed the mark. Filling pews isn’t doing the Savior’s work, changing hearts is. Pew sitting makes one a Christian like standing in a garage makes one a car. If every a time that 1 Timothy 4:1-2, and 2 Timothy 4:3-4 are being manifested, then it’s today.

Gen. William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, made the following statement in 1865 in London on religion in the 20th century:
"Relgion without the Holy Spirit; Christianity without Christ; Forgiveness without Regeneration; Morality without God; and, Heaven without Hell."

What else can be said? Then modern church is already dead, it doesn’t have the good grace to lie down.

A concerned Pastor
 

HE THAT WINS SOULS IS WISE, So the question is, Is it winning souls? If it is truly seeing conversions and long standing discipleship. Then we need to the complaining and get busy ourselves!
 

My previous post, should have said at the close that we need to STOP THE COMPLAINING AND GET BUSY WINNING SOULS OURSELVES!
 

I think the advertising gimmicks are a sign of spiritual "laziness". Praying, fasting, and preparing anointed sermons, Bible studies, S.S. and children's church lessons take time and effort. "To be spiritually minded is life. To be carnally minded is death."
 

The major problem with the "bring them in" mentality, is that most churches only fish in the same pool as other churches. The same people go from church to church to see if there is something better than the last. We as the Body of Christ have adopted and advocate the consumer doctrine of the postmodern age. This leads to a very shallow and meaningless relationship, not with God, but with the church. When the bucks stop, the people stop coming. When the next "party" comes to town with a newer novel idea, they will go there.
The Bible says: "Go and make disciples", not build a crowd. Disciple making is a one-on-one issue, not a mass production issue. Discipleship requires a commitment on both sides. That is what builds the Body of Christ, not a cup of Starbucks. I agree, Starbucks may be a great way to fellowship, but not for discipleship.
 

this unvarnished attempt to lure people to a church meeting highlights a flaw in our evangelism methods - almost every sign on churches calls out some version of "COME and join us.." when the message of Jesus was "GO and reach them..."
since resigning my role as a Pastor, my wife and I have had the time to talk with our neighbors on weekends etc. In the past 4 years we have led more of them to Christ through friendship than in the previous 17 years of directing 'come and join us..." campaigns
 

In our community there is a church that is now offering it's members $100.00 cash for every new visitor/family that they bring into the church (up to $1000.00. I have found the thought utterly disgusting. If you love the Lord why would you need to be paid to ask someone to visit the church. In addition, it is the Holy Spirit that must draw men to Christ. Paying someone to atted would have nothing to do with there salvation... just expose them to the church. He in His divinity may use that, but in most cases I think people would be coming to get there free gift and move on. You need relevant messages, good children and you ministries, and solid outreaches in the community.In addition, the lives you live in your community should be what makes someone want to come visit your church. Often in my community,about 115,000 people, many christians just do not even invite people to attend a service or fellowship event. What a sad statement for the church. Win them with the love of Christ through your actions... not money/gifts.
 

I don't have a problem with paying people to come to church. The people who take the bait know Christians want them to change their lives and become church-goers. Paying won't effect whether they come back. Instead of spending time on who attends our "church club", let's spend effort on doing what Christ asked us to do: tell about Him with our lives. The most effective way to get people to want to know more about Christ is for the believer to live a Christ centered life all the time. Be an authentic man/woman of God. Treat people with kindness and respect. Acknowledge mistakes and shortcomings. Apologize when you hurt someone, including your friends, children, and co-workers, pray (with restraint) in front of anybody. Be the one person to make a Godly choice when something else looks better...etc. Act with humility about your own desires, with pride about anything that magnifies God. As Christians actlike that description, people will pay to be around us.
 

I always find it interesting when I read some peoples use of events in the scripture to try and prove their point. First, Jesus was moved with compassion when He saw the multitudes because they were as sheep with out a shepherd and gave them fish and bread only because their was not a McDonalds across the street, they would have fainted. Second, the people followed Jesus for the loaves, fishes and miracles. Third, Jesus moved some because he spoke as one who had authority. He did not act like it He had authority. Fourth when Jesus began to open the truth of His Blood and Body and placed expectations for their lives, the crowds left Him. He even lost one of the chosen twelve. This was not the latest program to Jesus, it was Life. And He did not quit or sell out when the crowds did not follow. Ephesians 1:17
 

Well, truth be told, we've been paying paople to join our churches for years. We call them pastors, youth ministers, children's ministries directors, worship leaders, etc. - very, very few of whom would spend a single minute in our churches if it weren't for the paycheck. So why should it be a stretch to pay rank-and-file members to do evangelism, or to pay visitors to visit?
 

We are suppose to be "of" the world and not "in" the world ... we are called to be separate. By compromising and comforming to the world offering "free" merchandise as enticements to attend church is what the world does. Satan uses these tactics daily and he is successful in luring many by "free" samples ... just one won't hurt! Sinners usually don't attend church they are out in the world. The church needs to be out in the marketplace ministering to those around them and when necessary use words to do so. Our life as a Christian may be the only Bible our coworkers, friends and/or acquaintance may every see. It is time the church gets off the pew and stop offering free promos and samples and "GO YE" and preach the good news remaining true to the faith at all times.
 

We are suppose to be "of" the world and not "in" the world ... we are called to be separate. By compromising and comforming to the world offering "free" merchandise as enticements to attend church is what the world does. Satan uses these tactics daily and he is successful in luring many by "free" samples ... just one won't hurt! Sinners usually don't attend church they are out in the world. The church needs to be out in the marketplace ministering to those around them and when necessary use words to do so. Our life as a Christian may be the only Bible our coworkers, friends and/or acquaintance may every see. It is time the church gets off the pew and stop offering free promos and samples and "GO YE" and preach the good news remaining true to the faith at all times.
 

Satan is using all tactics to fool the church and the end result is Hell. Giving people cash for attending services is not bad but what would be the end result? A church is the body of believers, who have assembled to be edified, encouraged and prevoked to do works worthy of their faith in Christ Jesus.It is good that you in AMERICA you have money to lure people to come to church.Suppose such churches are in developing countries where majority live below the poverty line,how large would that congregation be for money? I tell you will give and give but no salvation for those souls because their aim was to get money and have their food for the day. SO LOOK FOR another alternative for evangelization of the world.How would you appeal to those do not need money if you use money as abeit?
 

I think it's absolutely absud to pay people to come to church.Why depend on any kind of gimmick to get people in ? What happend to the POWER of the CROSS ! Don't we have have the POWER of the the HOLY SPIRIT in US ? The POWER of the GOSPEL if is real with SIGNS and WONDERS following !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a SHAME that the CHURCH, any CHURCH would RESORT to any kind of GIMMICK to bring people into the KINGDOM of G-D
 

Do any of the nay sayers know how much prayer went into this event? Do you know the hours of personal door to door evangelism went into getting people to come? Do you know that the money came out of the pockets of individuals who cared enough to sponsor an oppertunity to reach a soul? Do you know that they lined up many 12 week bible studies with first time attendees? Do you know how many people received the greatest gift of God and how many were baptized and cleansed of sin? Do you know? Do you care or do you just want to talk about it in a way that you don't have to back it up? I know. I don't attend the church. I don't even live in the state. I know the answers to all those questions. Get informed. Then you might be able to have an oppinion that matters. Call them and set up a meeting. Go visit and see for yourself. Do something besides talk about people you don't know and subjects you are not educated in. God bless America for being able to have an oppinion and God bless you for making it worthy of a read.
 

Any Strategy, style, principle or formula used to bring people into the church is good if it is initiated from the leading of the Holy Spirit. Anything we do for God without the anointing of His Holy Spirit will NEVER attract his rewards or endorsement. The Builders can build the house without the Lord, but it is in vain.
God does not do his thing naturally, Isrealites did not come out of Egypt naturally, Mary did not conceive naturally, Jesus was not born naturally, The Church was not born naturally; THE HOLY GHOST came!!! Why do we think we can do the work of God without his Anointing. What is missing in the Church today is the Anointing and Power of God. It is a pity that the church, while trying to be relevant, they are now conformed to the world. We need to be very careful of these Illinois and California Strategy that teaches Seekers' sensitivity. We are definitely going the wrong way. We have to be careful of doctrines of the devil. It has to be by the Anointing and Power of the Holy Spirit. Paul did not use a persuasive words of mans wisdom. he domonstrated the Power of the Holy Ghost. I am not trying to condem any strategy of the Market System that the church is using. However, we must be very sure that anything we are doing to bring people into our churches is led by the Holy Spirit, else we will loose all our rewards. ITS GOOD IS NOT THE SAME AS ITS GOD'S. Thanks and God bless you all.
 

First let me say that Evangelism is key to growing the Church. I believe, however that the practice of paying folks to come to church cheapens the "Gospel" message. Jesus said that we should lift HIM up and that HE would be responsible for drawing mankind to himself! So, what's the commercialism about? Why pay somebody to come to church, when Jesus has already promised that HE would be the "drawing card?" Either we decide to be guided in our actions by the Word of God or we will conform to the world's agenda. And if I remember correctly, Paul said something about that!!!
 

"God has not given us a spirit of fear but, of peace , love and a sound mind." Fear of people is what is keeping us from going out into the world to spread the good news. We are afraid to enter the neigborhoods where the people who we think need Jesus live or hang out. So we develope a way to get them to come to us. It's not about them it's about us not being afraid to go out in the peace of God and with the love of God in our hearts and with a made up mind to do what Jesus would do and that is tell the people about the Kingdom of God!!
 

First of all we are " in the world and not of the world"....I think that was quoted the other way around in a previous post...There was a lot of prayer and fasting that went on for along time before that service took place, not mention all the outreech walks. The members of the church raised all the money by donating in the weeks before "sponor a soul" is what it was called..there was a great outpouring of the Holy Ghost in that service and several were Baptized in the name of Jesus!!! I think all in all it was a great service and a great idea...
 

its amazing that we read scripture telling us to avoid certain things and yet we are found doing the exact things, we are getting more independent of God and just like the jews (who we scoff at when we read exodus to Deutronomy), the Lord said "will He find faith on earth upon His return" and when the enemy cuts us down, that's when we see the "ichabod" in our local assemblies
 

I have read many of these opinions,
and at least most of them are opinions rather then what the Bible says? Many are getting this mix up with what thw Bible says about "no one coming to the father unless the Holy Spirit calls them" This is just another way to get people into a church thats preaching the word and thats what give the Holy Spirit a chance to tug at their heart? Just about
anything is OK to get them in where they can hear a serman is OK as long its not contrary to the "word"
This is another way for individuals
to give to a cause so God can deal
with their hearts. Thats the bottom line.
Thank you and God Bless,
Dik Merritt, Circleville, Ohio