Alarming and Scaring Church Leaders Into Action (and Out of $99!)
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Thu, June 29, 2006
- Viewed 151
- (34) comments so far
Here’s the email. Read it and give me your first impressions…
Christianity in America won’t survive another decade… unless we do something now.
This generation of teens is the largest in history—and current trends show that only 4% will be evangelical believers by the time they become adults. Compare this with 34% of adults today who are evangelicals. We are on the verge of a catastrophe.
Imagine an America at 4%:
Church attendance dwindles… Tithes and offerings are at an all time low… New church buildings sit empty… Life giving sermons go unheard… The role of a church leader becomes irrelevant.
We can’t let this happen! Churches cannot sit idle and allow this trend to take its course. We must take action NOW!
The Wake Up Call coming to your area is a high-level briefing for you and your church leaders. At the event, you will be advised on the status of teenage America and what must be done to rescue them. You will also be given tools and resources to protect the future of your church and to educate parents about the attack on their children. Top voices in the Christian community, including Ted Haggard, Jack Hayford, Tommy Barnett, I.V. Hillard, and Jerry Falwell, will present the hard facts facing our culture and what we must do to reverse the 4% trend.
Alarm and outrage are not enough. We must fight back!
Space is extremely limited at each of these events, so be sure to register right away. We want to make it as affordable for you and your entire leadership staff. So, if you register now, you can bring up to five of your church leaders for only $99.00 (space is limited and limits apply).
Register online for the event near you, or call us toll-free at 866-XXX-XXXX for more information.
Still consumed,
Ron Luce
P.S. Don’t forget to register online now and bring your entire church leadership for just $99.00 (while space permits).
--
Here are my problems with this email as I look at it closer. Please tell me if I’m just being nit picky:
1. I think Jesus’ message will survive even if I don’t do anything now. Jesus doesn’t need me; but he’d sure like to have my help in spreading his message. But to say that Christianity in America won’t survive just isn’t true, is it?!
2. Did you catch the job security thing… if I don’t act now, the role of a church leader will become irrelevant! (not that it is relevant now in thousands of peoples lives). But really, in a decade, we all might be out of a job!
3. So the answer is a ‘high-level briefing’? Yeah, you know, to ‘protect the future of your church’.
4. Alarmed and outraged? OK… but that’s not enough… you’ve got to fight back. How? By paying $99 to hear their high-level briefing. (It could, after all, save your job and your church, right!)
5. OK… I’m convinced. This is a huge problem. I need this high-level briefing. But I’d better hurry because ‘space is extremely limited.’ (Not just limited… EXTREMELY limited!) Now I’m outraged! Space is extremely limited? Why can’t they find a bigger hall? My job and my church is on the line (along with reversing the 4% trend); and you might not be able to find a seat for me? You’d really turn me away from your high-level briefing? That’s cold, dude.
6. Finally, they need to make this affordable not just for me but for my entire staff… that’s why it’s only $99. Why does it have to cost $99? If a thousand people show up, that’s $100k. What in the world could this briefing include that could cost Ron $100k in each location he’s doing this? That’s probably why he’s limited it to five attendees from each church.
I know, I know… ‘Todd, you’re being really a dork about all this’ (and I very well may be). But I have a degree in marketing; and this is a classic piece designed to get you to do one thing… take action (actually, to spend $99). I’m sure Ron Luce has a great ministry; and maybe I shouldn’t dog him too much if I haven’t attended; but the information and tone of his email instantly turned me off.
I don’t like to be manipulated, especially in Kingdom work. That’s why slick marketing ploys like this really tend to tick me off a little.
I’m interested… what’s your first response? Please tell me I’m over-reacting just a little…
Todd
I guess we all respond to messages differently. In my last post, I talked about the urgency with which we should view evangelism. Then last night, I received this email urging me to join the fight. I don't really know anything about Ron Luce or his ministry; but I know that the approach he uses in his email is a real turn off to me. Others might respond well, but for some reason, I didn't...
Comments
if you want a Globally Recognized Avatar (the images next to your profile) get them here. Once you sign up, they will displayed on any website that supports them.
Ben T. on Fri, July 21, 2006
If you don’t want to pay $99, you can get the two main teaching sessions of the conference on their “Preparing for Battle” podcast (search for it on iTunes).
I guess I’m sitting here wondering why we’re commenting about the marketing style of Teen Mania. Alright, perhaps some are not so hot on the tone of the message. From what I know of Ron, it’s just his style. He’s always been a very in-your-face, no-games kind of guy, and takes the Christian walk very seriously. It’s obvious that he loves the Lord and loves teens, but it’s just that the confrontational attitude is a bit much for some people.
It kind of reminds me of Keith Green. Keith was the same way on a lot of issues. He got a lot of hate mail about his “What’s Wrong With The Gospel” message. A lot of people thought he was too extreme. I think people got hung up on the all-or-nothing tone to it, and missed the point of what he was trying to say, which was very good.
And, of course, there’s necessarily nothing wrong with that kind of tone. I guess the challenge we’re facing is looking past the medium and evaluating the message, which I assume most of us can agree is a good one - a generation is under spiritual attack unlike any generation before, and we need to reach them with the life-giving message of Christ.
In essence, we agree that the call to reach out to teens is a necessary and relevant one, so what’s the point of causing such a stir over an e-mail? Saying that we personally don’t like a marketing strategy won’t help the issue - it only makes it appear that Christians are, once again, at each other’s throats. (I hope I’m not adding to that…)
Am I making sense? I can’t tell…it’s late.
Len, thanks for the link. That was very encouraging. If anyone here hasn’t followed it and read the article, I recommend it. Here’s a direct link.
T. Buck on Wed, February 14, 2007
Todd & Drew Krofpp
Third Day’s first album kicked off with a song that had profound lryics “if you can’t say nothin’ good, don’t say nothin’ at all”. None of these posts do anything to further the Kingdom.
~T. B.
Jacob Hicks on Thu, April 05, 2007
Hi everyone,
I am a youth pastor from Raleigh, NC and I just wanted to say that I take the youth group from my church to ATF and we have an awesome time worshipping God and hearing His word. They are impacted by the informaiton given to them, and we need to understand that no one person can change everyone (except for Christ, of course) so it is all of our jobs to serve Christ by reaching out to the young generation before us. I cannot tell you how many times we were told that (especially in the youth worker session) it doesn’t matter what you use, or what you do, as long as you do something and it works for you. They don’t pressure you to use their ministry, unless you want to. They are trying to be a part of the solution, and I would say that they use wording in their mailings to make these events seem important because they are. Here is a quote from Todd, who posted the article, “Finally, they need to make this affordable not just for me but for my entire staff… that’s why it’s only $99. Why does it have to cost $99? If a thousand people show up, that’s $100k. What in the world could this briefing include that could cost Ron $100k in each location he’s doing this? That’s probably why he’s limited it to five attendees from each church.” Do you see that he is implying that some how Ron is responsible for the pricing? As we all know these events are priced by the arena, or whatever, and yes, ministries do have operating costs that must be paid. It is not about your money, but trying to get you to take action (and not in just paying $99 as was implied) but to get more people involved and to step up your ministry. It is not to say that we are doing less to reach teens, but that the world is doing more, and so we must do more as well. I think we can all agree that we should live a life that is completely on fire for Christ, and with a passion that is visible by all. We need to help our young people see this as well, and we need to reach them. You can take it if you want, these are just the words of a youth pastor with a heart for young people and evangelism. I hope that you are all blessed, and that your lives reflect the life of Christ in all that you do.
-Jacob
Wyatt on Mon, July 06, 2009
Hello. I daresay one profits more by the mistakes one makes off one’s own bat than by doing the right thing on somebody’s else advice.
I am from Marshall and too poorly know English, give true I wrote the following sentence: “An introduction to the prepaid credit card its benefits by peter.Of course, rather or not you get the unsecured credit card will have to do with your current financial stability.”
With respect http://www.mondaymorninginsight.com/images/smileys/grin.gif, Nate.
Page 3 of 3 pages < 1 2 3
Post a Comment