Win a prize if you go to church on Easter?, yes if you go to Decatur TX church (disciples, churches)

[billiefan2000]

found this at:

Victory Family Church - Events (http://www.victoryfamilychurch.net/index.cfm?i=1799&mid=5&id=38479 - broken link)


This is going to be the biggest and best Easter yet!

In each of the morning services,

all first-time guests will be eligible to win a family night at the Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine!


At 4:00p, our prize hunts will begin.


This year we will even be having a prize hunt for the adults which will include cash,

gift cards, and a grand prize.

We will have free food,


inflatables for the kids to play on,


and surprises throughout the day.

Bring the whole family -- you don't want to miss this one!

Victory Family Church - Events (http://www.victoryfamilychurch.net/index.cfm?i=1799&mid=5&id=38479 - broken link)





this is BTW the same church Victory Family Church of Decatur Texas mentioned at


A Little Leaven: Does Satan Really Hate Victory Family Church?

[CelticLady1]

Words escape me at the moment...

[billiefan2000]

same here

this Pastor Allan Bates should be ashamed of himself

BTW:

this church must be really desperate to get people to come

if they have to result to the level of starting a bank account where you get a free toaster.

[sean98125]

Isn't drawing people to church by focusing on material rewards kind of missing the point?

The prize of Easter is that our debt has been paid and death is conquered, and that victory over evil has already been won.

But, come to think of it, how can that compete with inflatables?

[billiefan2000]

Originally Posted by sean98125

Isn't drawing people to church by focusing on material rewards kind of missing the point?

The prize of Easter is that our debt has been paid and death is conquered, and that victory over evil has already been won.

But, come to think of it, how can that compete with inflatables?

sean you are so right

drawing people to church by focusing on material rewards is missing the point



Easter should be about focusing on Jesus death and resurrection, and what he did for us,

not about winning some prize.



YouTube - Jesus-He's Alive-Don Francisco

[CelticLady1]

Originally Posted by sean98125

But, come to think of it, how can that compete with inflatables?

[GCSTroop]

I'm packing my bags! Free Toasters!!!!! You'd be nuts not to get in on some of the action!

[mari4him]

I don't know this church, don't know anything about this church and don't really feel a need to go check out their website for the simple purpose of the opinion that I am going to share which is simply on....

Is there something wrong with the church promoting an event and even giving out prizes to draw people in?

In my opinion, no.

The church's mission is to draw people in so they may hear the gospel and in hopes make disciples and bring the lost in to the kingdom of God.

The world does this on a daily basis. Banks bring in new customers with promises of free gifts for opening an account. Radio stations bring in new listeners with daily promotions and give away's. Some sporting events offer free giveaways to the first X amount of fans coming through the gate. Government programs give away free bikes and other things to have families come out to their events such as drug free campaigns. Companies bring in new employees with promises of incentives and sign up bonuses. Even the military offers a sign up bonus. Everyday these things occur and we don't condemn it.

Why should the church not reach out in the same fashion to the community. If the result of someone coming to church for the purpose of entering a drawing to win a prize and have their kids participate in an egg hunt, is that person or family coming to know the Lord, giving their lives to the Lord and thus begining their relationship with God, then the church has done its job.

My old church (prior to my moving) holds both Easter Egg Hunts and a Harvest Festival. Both of these offer free food and games. The Harvest Festival also offers a costume contest for children in which prizes are won. Both of these serve as opportunity for families to bring their children to a safe environment to participate in these activities. They also serve as an opportunity for the church to reach out to the community and perhaps touch lives.

My church greets all visitors at the beginning of service, they also invite them at the end of service to visit the hospitality center. At the hospitality center there is people there to talk to them about the church, answer questions, pray for needs. They also give all visitors a CD of that mornings message, and informational booklet and a coffee mug filled with chocolate kisses.

There is nothing wrong with a church giving gifts, at least not in my opinion. God gives good gifts all the time.

[sean98125]

I'm not really condemning it - just mocking it for invoking materialism and frivolity on the holiest of days for Christians. There's something about a prize hunt for adults that involves cash and gift cards implies to me that the focus of the event is on stuff rather than on the final victory over death.

We've already lost Christmas and Advent to the worship of stuff, and events like this also threaten to turn Easter into yet another opportunity to let the moneychangers rule our hearts.

[Ms.Charlotte]

I agree here with mari4Him. mari, your old church sounds quite like mine. Elevation Church (shameless plug) does a lot of heavy "marketing". The thing is, once people come through the door, they hear God's word in an incredibly powerful way.

Unfortunately, with church attendance dropping yearly, the churches do have to market themselves in a way that's new and innovative. As long as there is truth and Spirit in the preaching, I personally think there's nothing wrong with being creative in attracting seekers.