There’s a guy that’s been following me on Twitter recently (name withheld, but just barely. You can see it on my Twitter history if you’re really curious) that’s been trying to get me to guest blog for his website, www.godvertiser.com.
That’s right. Godvertiser.
I’m not even gonna touch that.
I respectfully declined his request and told him that I was probably the wrong person for the job. Mostly I was gently trying to say that I would in no way be associated with anything attached to Joel Osteen’s Church o’ Me (this guy is apparently an associate pastor of some sort in that particular (loosely-named) church). I told him I had no interest in “church marketing”.
He quickly corrected me to tell me that he wasn’t into “church marketing” but rather “Godvertising”, which, reading his website for a bit, seem to be about the same thing.
There’s a post on April 18th about churches in need of an “MRI” treatment, which is apparently some sort of “Godvertising” that involves making your church events the main focus of your church and that if you’re not forcing open the wallets of your congregants (so you can hold MORE of these church events) then you’re doing something very wrong.
He then told me that because I didn’t like “Godvertising” I was (and presumably, others who think like me) the reason the average PC(USA) congregation is 67 members. (PS – this is a false, unsubstantiated statistic. Shame on this guy! He breaks the rules of Wikipedia.)
I told him that if those congregations have a real and meaningful relationship with their church community and were being well taught by a thoughtful and knowlegable pastor, I had NO PROBLEM with those numbers.
After all, having 67 people who genuinely know the God of Mercy and are in sweet communion with one another is far better than 10,000 who think it’s all about flashing lights, feeling good, fun programs and putting money in the coffers.
In the “MRI Diagnostic” post, he points out ZERO need for good doctrine, solid teaching or even the need for Jesus at all.
Foolish man to think the church may grow without the direct work and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Without the reading of, teaching of, listening to of God’s Word.
Foolish man to think that church growth has anything to do with us at all.
Ok. My rant is over. For now.
I just needed to get that off my chest.
I promise, I’m not usually this riled up about things. (Except when I am.)
Godvertising. Pah.
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