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Madison Avenue marketing for a self-absorbed Laodicean church.

Seriously folks, these are real church ads.

And finally, there’s one church advertisement that I found from a Baptist church in Illinois that is an answer to all the junk posted above.



13 thoughts on “Madison Avenue marketing for a self-absorbed Laodicean church.”

  1. I’m not trying to pick a fight with the SBC or any Southern Baptists who might visit DefCon, but it seem to me that most of the “silly signs” I see are plastered all over SBC churches.

    I saw one SBC church that had a sign out front that said “Christianity, so easy a caveman can do it!”

    Of course such a statement is painfully heretical on multiple levels and isn’t the least bit “cutesy” or clever – yet there it is for all to see by the side of a freeway in front of a red brick SBC church — WHY?

    There’s also an SBC church situated just outside the area where I live that is always updating their sign with one silly blurb after another. For example:

    “You think it’s hot here?” – an oblique reference to hell I suppose.

    “Under the same management for 2,000 years!” – Uh…okay…

    “We’re apostate in our teaching!” – Okay I admit it, I just made this last one up…but I think it’s probably accurate.

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  2. These signs are quite pathetic, and also a sign of the times, unfortunately.

    As it is, as we know, it isn’t only SBC that are guilty of what is going on.

    For most unsaved, church is boring.

    For most ‘Christians’, God is too boring, so they have add to their ‘gospel’ and make it more exciting.

    Sad.

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  3. I have been gone for quite a while as I am planning for my wedding!
    I am preaching a sermon next week on “Study to show thyself approved unto God…” In it, I will be talking about how many churches have taken Scripture and twisted it around. Much like the Laodicean Church, many of today’s churches are filled with professing Christians, who do not see a need for righteousness. They are content with what they have. They want to hear the little cute messages that Jesus is knocking on the doors of their hearts, when in fact, they need to hear what was said just prior to Jesus knocking on the door. REPENT! It is easier for soft-christians to accept cute funny sayings as a way of promoting Christianity, than to admit that they are practicing Churchianty and not following after Jesus and doing all that He says we should be doing. Obedience is a problem with many people, not just young people either! Thank you for posting this! I look forward to actively visiting your site on a daily basis!
    God bless

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  4. That one with “Lying in bed shouting…” just disgusts me, totally. The rest are equally bad but that one takes the cake!

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  5. CD and Doreen:
    Yes it’s everywhere. We are truly in Laodicea.

    Isaiah:
    Yes, it’s all disgusting.

    Pastor Brian:
    I’ve been wondering where you were hiding. Welcome back! Your comments sure have been missed here.

    And since in your next sermon you’ll be discussing “I will be talking about how many churches have taken Scripture and twisted it around” I’ve decided to post something for you that you can use. Check out Creflo Dollar’s misuse of Scripture here.

    – The Pilgrim

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  7. Patrick,

    The issue with these is that they take the focus off of the true gospel–bringing glory to God and His Christ, and leading people to the true Christ–and instead it puts man, and his petty, sorry little needs, in the center spotlight. Jesus did not come to help boost our self-esteem, or help us improve our bank accounts, but to rescue sinners from God’s eternal judgment.

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  8. oh, i totally agree that he didnt come to improve our self esteem or help improve bank accounts. but i cant agree that there is no reason to look at man’s need. if man didnt have a need, there would be no “rescue.”

    beyond that, though, i am not sure i see how all of these ads turn the focus away from god and his redeeming work.

    for example, what is wrong about the “ourmarriagestinks.com” or the “god love sex” ads? do we not think that god cares about our marriages?

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  9. Patrick,

    I think the problem with these signs is that they’re using an unbiblical method of evangelism. Church is for believers. If an unbeliever stumbles in, they should be welcomed, but the church should be doing biblical things, which the unregenerate mind will generally not find appealing. They will either get saved, or quit coming.

    We don’t tailor church so unbelievers will be attracted and come hear the gospel. We go to them and give them the gospel. If the police advertised their police rock band, and food and comfortable cells, would the criminals come to the party at the police station? No, the police have to go get the criminals.

    Thanks,
    Bill

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  10. Additionally, man’s greatest need is to avoid the just and deserved punishment of a righteous and holy God against them and their unholy and rebellious nature.

    Working on marriages is secondary to your salvation in that what will it profit a man to gain the happiest marriage yet lose his soul?

    Once the unregenerate get saved, they get a new heart and they will be in a much better condition to have a good marriage. Otherwise all you’re doing is applying man-made concepts and techniques to a sin-made heart problem.

    And the sex billboards are unacceptable for any church, period! If I actually have to explain this (like the motorists have to explain it to their children when they see it) then I don’t think there’s anything I can say that will convince you. We expect this trash from the world, not from a “church.”

    – The Pilgrim

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  11. Patrick,

    Consider this scenario (kind of a follow-up to Bill’s point). A man is burdened in his heart that he needs to be saved. That he is a sinner, and he doesn’t know what to do or where to go. So he walks into the nearest church, and they happen to be doing “Beatles Night.” There is no talk of sin, or repentance, or the cross of Christ. Only a little pep-talk given by a man who is more suited to giving pop-psychology lessons than biblical preaching.

    At the end of the service, the man walks down the aisle, says a little prayer, asks Jesus into his heart, goes home, feels better about himself, and goes through the rest of his life never turning away from his sins–because this church gathering doesn’t want people (like our subject) to feel bad about themselves. But because this church gathering is so concerned with people’s self esteem, they continue loving people right into Hell.

    See, the problem with these signs is, when an unbeliever comes in, what does the church gathering tell them? “Now, We know we were playing some raunchy music by people who hated God. But that was only to welcome you in. Now that you’ve said your little prayer, you need to stop listening to that music, even though we’re going to keep playing it.” It’s bait and switch. Get people in the door with worldly music, then tell them they shouldn’t listen to it–if they tell them that at all.

    As far as “helping people work on their marriage”–do that in a weeknight evening class or something. The pulpit is for the preaching of the word of God.

    Glad to assist,
    Four* Pointer

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  12. whoa, whoa… i am not defending anything about a church that doesnt preach the problem of sin, the need for repentance or the work of the cross of Christ. If ANY of these ads are to attract someone to something that doesnt have that, then I agree wholeheartedly. But we dont have evidence – just from a sign – that this is what is going on in these churches. it very well MAY be what’s going on; I dont know.

    I didnt defend many of the things you attack (playing raunchy music, pep talks with pop psychology, cross-les preaching, etc.). I’d attack those as much as you.

    As for the comment that god calls us first to salvation and that a healthy and happy marriage is secondary to that, again i agree. but how do you know that the “ourmarriagestinks.com” series puts a happy marriage ahead of salvation. i could very easily see a series called “our marriage stinks” be about the fact that your marriage may stink because you are running after things in your marriage that are other than christ. go after christ and pursue your own salvation, and your marriage will follow it and be better. The problem is we dont know – from a sign only – what the point of the sermon series is. If the point of that sermon is something other than a christ centered message, then sure i’d attack it along with the rest of you. if, however, it is an opportunity to point people to christ first, then what is wrong with that? When Christ met the woman at the well, did he not dialogue first with her about her marriage(s), as an invitation to come know him? How is this invitation any different?

    plus, i am not defending ALL of these signs, btw. I do think some are a bit over line and kind of unnecessarily crass. My point is that SOME of the signs COULD be for things that are very good and that from the sign itself we have no evidence of whether or not the program/message behind it is of value.

    and (sorry for the multiple posts) i am not in any way suggesting tailoring churches and or the gospel to conform to something that the world finds attractive. i dont think it hurts to speak in words that the world understands, but that doesnt mean (as some have gone so far as to do) that we adopt a new message completely in addition to using new words to express it

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  13. I think these Christ-less marketing strategies and their end results are best summed up in our Lord’s words:

    Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. – Matthew 23:15

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