Posted on 04/02/2010 7:56:21 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Easter at a megachurch in Corpus Christi, Texas, will look like the popular TV game show "The Price Is Right."
Sixteen cars, 15 flat-screen televisions, furniture sets and other prizes are lined up at Bay Area Fellowship Church and ready to be claimed by anyone who attends the church's Easter services on Sunday.
Though the church of some 7,000 weekly attendees has regularly flexed its creative muscles to draw the unchurched, the upcoming "Ultimate Giveaway" is like no other outreach it has ever attempted.
Pastor Bil Cornelius, who made the game show analogy, admits it's a bit "outrageous."
But he sees it as "an opportunity to share Christ with people who may never go to a church for any reason," he told The Christian Post.
The prizes are worth over $2 million and are all donated items or sponsored by members of the church. Pastor Cornelius asked the congregation to give and to get their businesses involved for the bold effort. Bay Area members signed up to give cars, bikes, laptops, gym memberships and other gifts.
"I'm very proud of our people for being so incredibly generous and willing to do whatever it takes to get spiritually lost people in the door to hear about the love of God," the lead pastor said.
Along with some of the bigger prizes, every individual or family attending one of the church's 30 worship services held across seven campuses this weekend will receive a "value pack" of gift certificates worth over $300 from local businesses. Additionally, more than 300 children attending the newest campus located in a lower income neighborhood on the west side of Corpus Christi will receive new bicycles.
The "ultimate" giveaway, however, will be the free gift of heaven and Christ.
"We hope to show people that while it is exciting to receive free stuff here on Earth, the greatest free gift of all time is something we havent yet seen, but can enjoy for all eternity," said Cornelius, who started the church 12 years ago with five people.
"The entire giveaway leads to the Grand Prize available to all, salvation through Christ, if simply received ... with no strings attached (Ephesians 2:8-9)," he added.
Cornelius acknowledges that the Easter giveaway has drawn some "pretty strong" criticism from other believers, some of whom accuse the pastor of turning Jesus into a product.
But the Texas megachurch pastor responded to the critics, saying: "[I]f just one of their children were lost and found Christ through this program (that they may not approve of), I bet they'd be glad we did it."
Bay Area Fellowship Church expects some 15,000-20,000 people this weekend. The giveaway is open to all members of the church and visitors but excludes staff and their families.
"They're coming for the loot and they're going to leave with Jesus," Cornelius said.
“”We are helping to create automotive, TV and consumer electronics jobs by doing our part in being consumers of these businesses. “
R O T F L M B O
Corpus Christi = The Body of Christ
When I was there in the early 70’s there was talk of building a huge statue of Jesus. At the time down town had a few strip clubs. A letter to the editor suggested the statue we looking out to see with it’s back turned to downtown. I don’t think it was ever built.
This type of marketing attracts mostly Democrats. People they've never seen before will show up once, take anything not nailed down, from light bulbs to all the bathroom toilet paper, scratch their name into the furniture, then never be seen from again.
Wasn't Christ's message more along the lines of "come to Me and you will find that your "need" for a new car or a big screen will pass from you??"
No, it's more like "You are dead in your sins..." (i.e., you are already judged and you will die, period). "Come to me and have eternal life and forgiveness of sins, because I am the Messiah of Israel, and I come from God the Father in Heaven and have always been with Him."
So, no..., the message is that people are already judged and they are dead in their sins, and will be eternally separated from God and all that is good.
Come to the Messiah of Israel and accept His sacrifice for you personally, on your behalf, and you will have eternal life and not eternal separation from God in the lake of fire.
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
I’m sure this is the way Jesus would want it. He would be particularly happy that the cars being given away are high-end BMWs and Jags.
Brand new cars are their modern equivalent of 5 loaves and two fishes :)
I guess eternal life doesn't count for too much any more... LOL ...
When I was “lost” this would have told me that God and Santa Claus are one and the same. Go to the Lord and get stuff.
I'm sure they have removed the PRICES from the PRIZES.
You are absolutely correct. And I hope you will ask Christ into your life.
You will find complete forgiveness, eternal salvation, and the closest, truest, most loving friend you can imagine. :-)
I know I did.
Golly Gee, why didn’t Jesus think of this? A new Jaguar would have soothed Herod’s bloodlust.
I guess I don’t understand why the Gospel is not enough. This really bothers me. He is Risen is all the good “things” that needs to be given away.
Exactly.
We have one similar to this in Phoenix.
” The Cool Church “
Same scam
Same rock & roll
Same lack of biblical exegesis.
LOL. That was funny.
I actually know of a church that has a ATM machine outside and gets a percentage off of it.
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