A few weeks ago our family visited a local church. A week earlier we had met their youth pastor who had invited our two teenage boys. We attend house church and presently we don’t have any other teens attending so we thought it would be nice to take our boys and see if they could connect with other kids.
On that Sunday they were advertising an evening Vacation Bible School. Our six-year-old boy was interested in going and we thought it might be fun and a good learning experience, so we signed him up.
On Monday evening my wife took our son and stayed with him for the whole time. She said that the staff did a really good job of keeping the kids interested and teaching them songs and bible stories. When they returned home I asked our son how he liked it. His answer was, “it was great! Can I take some friends tomorrow?”
Wow! I thought. He must have really liked it. Then he told me that whoever brings the most friends over the whole week would win an iPad. An Apple iPad?! Seriously? What would a six year old do with an iPad? Surely he was mistaken. They must have meant and iPod. Probably and iPod shuffle, I thought. Those are only around $50. I could see them giving one of those away.
The next night my wife took him back to VSB but didn’t stay the whole time. I returned later to pick him up. As we walked to the car I asked him what he had learned. I was excited that he told me all about a bible story that he learned. Then he followed up by asking, “Can I call my cousin and ask if he could come tomorrow? I really want to win that iPad.” They must be really pushing this iPad thing.
It was the same story for the next two days. “VBS was great! I need to win the iPad.”
Then came the final night night, Friday night, the grand finale. This was the night that family was invited. After VBS the pastor gave a short message. Then came the moment we all had been waiting for. Who would win the coveted iPad?
The pastor invited everyone who had brought friends to come to the front. Many kids went forward. Then he went down the row of children asking them how many people they had brought. The ones who had only brought one or two people seemed a little embarrassed. There was a courtesy round of applause for them.
Then, one young man announced that he had brought seventeen visitors. There was thunderous applause and hoots for him. All of his visitors stood. He was a shoe in to win.
After all of the visitors were recognized the pastor held up the iPad, still in it’s box. Yes, it was truly a brand new ipad. I must admit that I coveted it a bit myself. I have wanted an iPad since I had played with one at the Apple store.
Now was the time. The pastor held up the iPad box and made an amazing announcement. The winner would not be announced tonight. In fact there was still hope. You see, anyone who brought visitors on Sunday would receive DOUBLE POINTS!!! That’s right boys and girls. You still have a chance! The iPad could still be yours! I saw my son’s head turn around and his eyes fixed on mine. Could it still be true? Is there still a chance? Can I bring friends on Sunday Daddy?
My heart sunk. I understand inviting people to church. I understand that our mission is to pray for unbelievers and to invite people into the Kingdom. Maybe we are supposed to use any means at our disposal, even Apple iPads. But this did not feel good. “No, son. We will not be coming back on Sunday.”
After that Friday night VBS meeting I had a long talk with my son. I told him that we don’t go to church to win prizes. We go to learn about Jesus so that we can help others. I was surprised that he seemed to really understand and agree with me.
I don’t think we will be returning to that church anytime soon.
In our house church we have been trying to learn about loving and blessing each other. Of course that is a hard pill to swallow in this consumer driven culture that we live in. It’s about us, right? It’s about getting our needs met, right? It’s about enjoying the “experience” of church, right? Right?
Well…no. No it’s not.
The irony of the fact that I am typing this blog on my MacBook Pro doesn’t escape me. I am just as addicted to “stuff,” especially technology stuff, as the next person.
At the same time God is teaching me to take baby steps toward being more humble and generous. And if I attend a church meeting, if it is in a big building or in a house, I hope that my motivation is to love others, not to win an iPad.
Ken, I do agree with you. This church VBS was doing their best of course to bring in as many children as possible to hopefully teach them about Jesus, and that is what it is all about. Offering a prize for bringing the most people with them is also understandable, but it also sets up the children for failure. What if they don’t have any friends they can bring, then would they want to go back? At their age, disappointment is hard to accept. I’m very proud that Carson understood when you explained that you could not bring him back on Sunday, that shows his maturity, and also that your explanation was understandable and reasonable to his young brain. I am impressed that he took it so well.
So what could they have done instead of offering such an expense prize to bring the children in? I think if they really made learning about Jesus fun and interesting, and maybe offered bibles or books, pencils or coloring books, things that the kids would like and aren’t as expensive, that might be a better idea. And every child should get something so no one would be made to feel bad. This would make a more positive experience for both the kids and the parents, and it would hopefully make them want to keep going to church and learning more about Jesus.
By: Kathie Fierro on August 6, 2010
at 5:50 PM
Respectfully Kathie, what is the difference between offering an ipad to purchase a child’s interest in Jesus and offering a coloring book?
By: Amanda on August 14, 2010
at 2:35 PM
Ken, It is so easy to get seduced by the amazing technology for communication that is available today that we forget that it is the message that is important. And it should be readily apparent to someone with your perspective on the church and its message that any message that emphasizes the possibility of winning a prize for bringing someone to a church meeting is contrary to the message of “good news” that is at the center of Scripture. The zeal of a “witness” should never be motivated by what he or she can do, but it should only be motivated and focused on what the Lord, the source of one’s testimonial message, is doing. Contests to promote church growth and attendance are “of the world”; they are not “of the Spirit”. What is happening at The Well? Is God not doing anything there that teenagers and young children could get excited about?
By: Bob Sherbondy on August 6, 2010
at 7:43 PM
Ken,
Would you say there’s a difference between this and “becoming all things to all men”? If so, how would you describe that difference?
By: Jesse Medina on August 7, 2010
at 9:34 AM
Ken -
I read your post on Keith Giles’ Subversive site… Keith and I have been friends for 20 years. Anyhow, thanks for continuing to help point out the cheesiness and gimmicks that some in the “church” are prone to. There’s an op-ed in today’s New York Times that goes hand and hand with your post…
Congregations Gone Wild
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/08/opinion/08macdonald.html?_r=1&th&emc=th
Pray that God will raise up a new generation of pastors that abandon the old “model” of church, that cling fast to Christ and the heart of the gospel, and that they will not conform to the patterns of this world… even if iPads are cool!
If you have a chance, check out my film Rebellion of Thought… it hits on some of this as well. Best regards!
By: Kent C. Williamson on August 8, 2010
at 9:10 AM
Grace and peace to you all. Its been so encouraging hearing from you. We feel so strong about the sweet spirit you are carrying and the lovely heart from the father. We just feel that we should be sharing to you face to face in a fellowship even now but we will look forward on what father will do to us. He is a great and unfailing dad. With us here God is teaching us how to have a close relationship with Jesus Christ, love one another, and reach the lost. We have been meeting several times to teach God’s word, pray together and become better friends with other beloved in different denominations without our denominational differences. They are serious about sharing the good news and making disciples in the place where everybody is important and they all have a vision of coming out of traditional way of doing church system.
Many of these Christians come from churches where the leadership was controlling and legalistic. They have found a new freedom in Christ by making Him their leader (their head – Ephesians 4:15, Colossians 1:18), and encouraging every believer to participate in their meetings, if they have something from God to edify the others. (1 Corinthians 14:26) It is a new experience for them, but as we meet with them and share with them about healing of a lie that religion has placed over them. We are also learning with them. Our God is alive and He gives us all grace to grow in Christ together! 2 Corinthians 9:8 as we keep up the good work for our Lord!
By: Isaac & Emily on August 10, 2010
at 4:29 AM
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By: Reiterate: 08.13.10 | The Ekklesia in Southern Maine on August 14, 2010
at 4:51 AM