Million Dollar Giveaway at Corpus Christi Church includes 15 Cars!
- Posted on March 31, 2010
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Pastor Bil Cornelius and Bay Area Fellowship are planning the 'ultimate giveaway' on Easter Sunday. This year, the church is giving away over one million dollars in prizes to get people to come to church. According to THE CALLER, the prizes are meant as a metaphor for Cornelius’ Easter message. Just as the prizes are free for the winners, so is heaven. But someone first had to pay for all the cars and furniture and TVs, as Jesus paid for peoples’ sins...
More from THE CALLER:
“The ultimate giveaway is that Jesus gave his life for us,” Cornelius said. “When we think about the spirit of giving, we always think about Christmas. But really the ultimate spirit of giving is Easter.”
Cornelius, a laid-back pastor with spiky hair and bluejeans, has weathered criticism of his megachurch before. Some say its rock ’n’ roll band, flashy lights and large size stray too far from Jesus’ true message.
So he knows there’s bound to be criticism of the giveaway plan.
“We know it’s unconventional,” he said. “We know some people of faith aren’t going to agree with it.”
Cornelius asked church members to donate during services two weeks ago. The response since has been overwhelming. The plan was promoted as a $1 million giveaway, but the actual value is going to be much higher. The 15,000 gift bags alone are worth $4.5 million if all the goods and services are cashed in. The coupons have no cash value.
“Our people have been incredibly generous,” Cornelius said. “We have people writing checks for cars for people they don’t even know.”
Comments
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CS on Wed, March 31, 2010
“This year, the church is giving away over one million dollars in prizes to get people to come to church.”
That’s right, folks. Do whatever it takes to bring in the goats.
“Just as the prizes are free for the winners, so is heaven. But someone first had to pay for all the cars and furniture and TVs, as Jesus paid for peoples� sins…”
Really? Just…. really?
—
CS
Ken Eastburn on Wed, March 31, 2010
Jonas Brothers concert, free cars… - man! I’ll bet Jesus is glad we finally started doing awesome stuff in honor of his resurrection rather than just worshipping him and sharing the good news. Its about time the Church got into the promotional business.
I guess that’s all the sarcasm I can muster for now.
rbud on Fri, April 02, 2010
I suppose it’s just me, but I can’t get into this kind of stuff. It seems spiritually self-defeating and ill-focused. Likely, I’ll never pastor a megachurch, but then, I don’t think I want to.
joe on Mon, April 05, 2010
1. The more gimmicks a church has to use to reach people is a possible indication that the church is not healty.
2. Whatever a church uses to reach people, it must continue to do to keep them.
Ken Eastburn on Mon, April 05, 2010
“Whatever a church uses to reach people, it must continue to do to keep them.”
-Great line, Joe. I’m tweeting that!
Rick Garner on Mon, April 05, 2010
Well, that’s true. Once you have a blow out concert or event, people are expecting something at least that big if not bigger for next time. Of course, one cannot control expectations of others…unless it’s very clear why one is doing what they’re doing.
Eternal life is free…but Jesus paid it all. So, come to our services for a chance to win a car that our members paid for? Hmmm, I’m all for new ways to get people in the doors but my first thought here is Jesus’s parable of the dinner table where no one came who was invited and the servant was sent to fill the house with the poor of the area.
So, someone who is well off now has a new car that adds to their collection…or maybe they sell and get money for whatever. Ok…but what about the tent city down the street? Would it have been better to take services to them? Send vans to get them and have Easter lunch with them?
Would it be better to have people submit their credit debt in the congregation and with no fanfare help pay off everyone’s credit debt with the promise they cut up their credit card and/or get some financial counseling?
Not trying to be judgmental or split hairs with these thoughts. It just seems easy to “go big” and get media coverage and social net buzz but in the end…if the congregation still has real needs and the community is still suffering…has the Church really tended to what’s important?
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