Church Billboard Responds to Thief: “Stealing from God… Ballsy”
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Thu, April 03, 2008
- Viewed 1459
- (77) comments so far
You can also check out their website here.
Thanks for the heads, up Steve!
What do you think about Kinetic Church’s plans to reach out to the thief who stole nearly everything they had?
Ok... here's the scenario: You're a theatre church, and one of the trailers that houses all of your church's stuff is stolen. What is your response? Well, when this happened to Kinetic Church, they decided to go on the offensive, purchasing billboards and creating a Youtube Video aimed directly at the thief. Take a look...
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nathan on Fri, April 04, 2008
i also am a part of Kinetic Church. and it’s a big part of me. i found it after being hurt and burned by another church where i led worship for 4 years. they reached out to me after i didn’t like church.
C.S. - it’s great that you have already judged the theology of our church based on one line - and one line that you didn’t even get right. as has been stated, we don’t cater to people who don’t like church. if you’ll listen again to what dave says, we have people in our midst who don’t like christians. and he says he finds that interesting. don’t you?
it’s not about the one word, used on one sign, but about the message of the balls it takes to rebel against God, and the forgiveness that is offered. we don’t have to defend the message. Jesus pissed a lot of people off with this message, too.
CS on Fri, April 04, 2008
I want to thank the people from Kinetic Church who have chimed in here and added their insight onto things.
MC:
“If we wrote “We forgive you” on a sign, would it make as big of an impact?”
Like Wendi said, the message on the billboard bordered on condemnation, but the message in the video was forgiving. That’s what leads to a little confusion here.
AM:
“Don’t worry that you did not like the word “ballsy”. It was not meant for you or for others who are churched. It was meant to reach out, not just to the thieves, but to those who are lost and hurting. To those with really messy lives who feel they have no hope.”
Should I reach out to others who are hurting by using profanity? How about a billboard with a scantily-clad person?
nathan:
“if you’ll listen again to what dave says, we have people in our midst who don’t like christians. and he says he finds that interesting. don’t you?”
Actually, I find that disappointing, because we are called to love the brethren and to enjoy being around them. (1 John)
—
CS
Leonard on Fri, April 04, 2008
CS,
I would suggest opening up to what people are saying not looking for the flaw. Of course we are called to love one another, but that is both a process and a decision. No one at Kinetic disputes that call and for you to suggest it means you have not heard them at all.
So here is a church plant that gets ripped off and in keeping with their DNA they offer forgiveness. Hmm, don’t think that is gonna fly in heaven. As for the word ballsy… don’t create a false argument about scantily clad… or profanity. They didn’t do that nor are they advocating that. That is just another way to pronounce judgments on someone else without having to listen to them.
J on Fri, April 04, 2008
I attend Kinetic Church and I have to say that I disagree with everything about the Billboards. Who cares about the message we’re trying to communicate to the theives, the central problem is that EVERYONE can see the billboards and NONE of them communicates the love and forgiveness we have through Jesus.
As a church, we hear about the trailer week in and week out. At first it was an uplifiting experience and we were drawn together. But now it seems that we just can’t let it go and get on with the ministry. Everything that was stolen was just stuff, most of which either has been or will be replaced.
If you didn’t see, there were about 25-30 possible billboards, only one of which communicated forgiveness. It is a travesty that our pastor relies on people with such condemnation in their hearts. As such I can not agree with the direction of our church and will likely be searching for a new one.
The real issue is that the if one person is kept from being introduced to Christ by this campaign, then the price was too high.
Dave Milam on Fri, April 04, 2008
J,
I can’t even begin to describe how deeply that comment hurt me.
Dave
CS on Fri, April 04, 2008
Leonard:
“I would suggest opening up to what people are saying not looking for the flaw.”
As I explained earlier in this thread, I listened to the complete message, heard something that sent up a red flag, showed why that language concerns me, but praised the overall message.
“As for the word ballsy… don’t create a false argument about scantily clad… or profanity.”
Let’s dive a little deeper into this, and to warn people, unfortunately, I will have to go into vulgar etymology here.
The word, “ballsy,” comes from the colloquialism that an action, “takes a lot of balls.” By, “balls,” this word is referring to male genitalia, from which, it is said, someone has courage. So if you have, “big balls,” you have a lot of gumption, or guts, to do something.
In other words, we have a church using a vulgarity about testicles to make a point about the bravado thieves used in their crime. Doesn’t this exactly go against the type of coarse jesting or filthy language recommended against in Ephesians 5 or Colossians 3?
By the same token, it would also fall into the same realm as profanity in light of Scripture. So when we have people saying that the use of an f-bomb would be fine in this situation, I have to ask, “what are they thinking?” and my “straw man” argument takes merit.
Judging from J’s comment, too, it looks like others in their church are also having problems with the billboard as well. Perhaps not with the language directly, per se, but with the mixed messages, too.
—
CS
J on Fri, April 04, 2008
Dave,
I’m sorry. This was not the place to voice my concerns.
Leonard on Fri, April 04, 2008
I know where the word Ballsy comes from, but thanks for the lesson, I just don’t agree it is the illustration of Paul’s words in Ephesians or Colossians. I don’t think it is the same as the F-Bomb either.
It is a false argument since it is also not what the church did. To take a common phrase and that every person not looking for a flaw sees as courage or gutsy and equate it with sex or the f-bomb to make a point is one step too many in my opinion.
It happens when we look for what is wrong instead of what is actually being said.
nathan on Fri, April 04, 2008
it saddens me that this has become a place of bickering and arguing among people who ultimately have the same goal: people knowing Jesus.
maybe this thread should just stop here, and we all go spend some time reflecting on what has been accomplished through these arguments. nothing good. isn’t this what paul warned timothy to stay away from?
CS on Fri, April 04, 2008
nathan:
I like the idea of the Rodney King, “Can’t we all just get along?” mentality, and wished that we didn’t have squabbles, too. But, like Paul said to Timothy, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Tim 2:15) We cannot have unity at the forsaking of truth.
We have to be looking at everything to see where it is in light of Scripture, because, as Paul also warned Timothy, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron.”
Am I saying that this church is giving into the seducing spirits or the doctrines of devils? Absolutely not. But I stand by my statement that “ballsy” is what Paul was decrying in Ephesians and Colossians, and that is something that needs to be denounced.
—
CS
Gman on Fri, April 04, 2008
I appreciate Kinetic. I enjoy Dave’s heart and know him and Daniel. I’m just glad God is using them. I pray that whoever did this; comes to Jesus and the focus isn’t on “one word” but on the WORD who became flesh and dwelt among us.
Nathan B. on Sat, April 05, 2008
“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”
It seems to me that Paul’s injunction against coarse joking has to do with irreverent and godless talk. And we all agree that the ultimate intention of these billboards and video are to ‘give grace to those who hear’. Both the thieves and the public.
They are attempting to communicate in a way that will understood by their audience and build them up. Dropping the f-bomb would have a different effect then ballsy. The f-bomb is a very strong invective, whereas ‘ballsy’ feels more diffusing of the situation rather than condemning the perps.
Nathan B. on Sat, April 05, 2008
And incidentally, on the discussion of referencing male anatomy and it’s appropriateness in well-publicized communication—wasn’t Paul who wished that the False Teachers in Galatia would “castrate themselves”? If Paul can say something as invective and condemning as that, then surely ‘ballsy’ is a bit tame in comparison.
Luke on Sat, April 05, 2008
CS- (AKA Master Yoda)
I found this on http://www.jonathanbow.com, I thought you might enjoy it!
<embed src= “http://www.jonathanbow.com/carry_the_light/files/star_wars_spoof.mov” height=“400” width=“400” autostart=“0”></embed>
Luke on Sat, April 05, 2008
<embed src= “http://www.jonathanbow.com/carry_the_light/files/star_wars_spoof.mov” height=“400” width=“400” autostart=“0”></embed>
sorry here’s the video….
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