GALVESTON, Texas - A church near Houston is dangling a couple of motorized carrots to increase its congregation.
Abundant Life Christian Center in La Marque will give away a new Chrysler PT Cruiser to a woman and a Harley Davidson Sportster to a man at its New Year's Eve service.
Parishioners and visitors have been eligible to enter for the free drawings each time they attended a service in recent weeks, and members who brought visitors could enter twice.
The church has already purchased the vehicles.
The winners must be at Wednesday's service to drive them away.
Pastor Walter Hallam told the Galveston Daily News, "This is an opportunity to give something to someone that will encourage people to come to the house of the Lord."
To me it seems like a very shallow and faithless attempt to draw in crowds to a dying congregation. Although, I wouldn't mind winning a new car or bike.
i'd consider it a blessing from God. if the church wants to do something like that, so be it. i don't have a problem with it. maybe by the time i move to Texas, they'll be giving away a house.
I dont get this. Why would a church use a materialistic means to "draw" people to its doors? :shrug And then preach the Word of God inside the doors, including "Take up your cross and follow me" :shrug
If my church did something like this, I'd have to shoot someone.............. :eek
unless of course it was a 2004 Yamaha R1 they were giving away! :drool
I do admit it would pull people into the church, but IMO kinda the wrong way of doing so. Even though having a new car or Harley would be nice. But the money that was spent to purchase them, where did it come from? Tithes? Donations to the church? Makes me question their way of thinking.......but then again I have always questioned Abundant Life's way of thinking........:confused ........Not that I have any problem with them because I don't.
In the sanctuary
before the thousands of people
who worship there every week
are a shiny new Chrysler PT Cruiser
and a Harley Davidson Sportster motorcycle.
but they're not SELLING them, they're giving them away.
i'd really like to know that now that they're getting people to go to church to win either one of the prizes, what are they going to do next to keep them going to church...lock the doors?:shake
Ya think?:confused........:crackup.........They'll probably threaten to take away the car or Harley if they don't continue to attend after they win...:nutz ........
How do they get people into churches these days.... Gyms, Entertainment, Give-aways....
What ever happened to "If I be lifted up, I'll draw all men unto Me" or "if my people who are called by My name will turn away from their wicked ways and pray, I will hear and heal their land"(paraphrazed) (I wish I had my Bible with me right now).
Don't get me wrong, I don't think the Church needs to be living in the stone age, but there is a point where we start compromizing the Word when we try these new and wonderful ways of bringing people to church.
I'd rather go to the church of someone who lives what they preach rather than to hear a preaching on how I should live and find out the church is doing completely otherwise.
"By this they will know you are my disciples if you love(Godly, unadulterated, unselfish love) one another", "A new commandment I give you that you love one another (like Christ loved us that He gave His live so that I can have eternal life)"
To tell you the truth, If I won a Harley, I'd trade it in for 3 other bikes:jester
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