Posted on 03/22/2011 4:47:56 PM PDT by xzins
FAIRFIELD, Ohio -- A Butler County church that gave away $1,000 to fill more pews last Easter Sunday says it will do it again this year and on future Easters.
Lindenwald Baptist Church in Fairfield draws names to award $500 each to a member of the congregation and a guest.
Like WLWT on Facebook: Pastor Randy Moore said the church had hoped for 1,000 worshippers last year, when it made the offer for the first time. It packed in 1,140 – more than double the usual Sunday attendance of around 500.
"There were more visitors last year than we had members in our church," Moore said.
Moore said a crew had to direct traffic in the parking lot.
Easter falls on April 24 this year.
The pastor said that given the economy, the church will continue the cash giveaway to provide a special holiday blessing.
"It's a two-fold thing," Moore said. "We want to be a blessing financially, but we also want to be a blessing spiritually."
Last year, the church awarded $250 to a 10-year-old boy who'd come alone by bus.
"All of a sudden we heard this little guy scream out real quick, 'I got the number, I won,'" said Sharon Moore, the pastor's wife.
Randy Moore said he felt blessed to watch the boy's face light up.
"It's one of the greatest blessings in the world to be able to help someone else who maybe isn't as fortunate as we are," Moore said.
What would Christ say about this tactic of bribery?
Christ provided bread and fish for people to eat. But I just don’t know about this money thing.
Ping to article
I’m trying to think my way through it, too.
It’s not really a raffle or gambling, because the attendees haven’t had to pay or risk any money to participate.
In this case, though, the bible says that “money is a root of all kinds of evil.”
It’s like they’re playing with fire on this one.
If people go to that church with the explicit motive of gaining cash....then it does nothing for their soul.
In fact, Christ tells the Pharisees, doing things just to be seen is wrong in today’s Gospel.
It made me stop and think about the volunteering that I do at my church and whether I do it out of love and service or out of the need for recognition.
Is there a little bit of both in all of us? I think probably so.
This preacher thinks it’s ok to use money to attract people. He’d say it’s no different that using a glitzy band or cookies and coffee after service.
What should the theme of the message be to people who know it’s Easter but have no interest in that but are only there to win money?
Wouldn’t it be tough on Good Friday talking about the 30 pieces of silver used in the betrayal?
May God have mercy.
When The Power of God begins to fall more routinely,
you won’t be able to beat people away with a stick.
Even passionate sermons of truth tend to draw folks interested in the truth.
Technically, it’s the love of money but I agree it’s a stupid gimic. Nothing says Resurrection more than filthy lucre.
Thanks for the ping!
**Wouldn’t it be tough on Good Friday talking about the 30 pieces of silver used in the betrayal?**
You hit the nail on the head with that question!
And how many showed up a week later?
5 men, two dogs, and a church mouse
If it was 501, that seems like a good investment to me.
Hey, if bribing people to profess faith is a legitimate evangelization technique then bring out the rock bands, jugglers and dancing bears.
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