Ty Pennington and the Work of the Church
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Wed, November 09, 2005
- Viewed 60
- (28) comments so far
Last week on Three Wishes:
The charming town of Cedar City is home to about 30,000 people. At the wish tent, Diane met with Brian who had a wish for his wife Nicole. Having survived a potentially fatal brain virus, Nicole was now blind. Her right eye was completely dark, while her left eye had about a pinhole?s worth of vision. Brandon just wished for the chance to explore new techniques to treat Nicole and to give her a chance at a normal life. Meanwhile, Amy met Jolene. Her parents (Charlie & Donna) started their own toy company, The Happy Factory, out of their garage. The toys were handcrafted and sent to needy children all over the world.
Last week on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition:
Susan Tom, a single parent of seven adopted children with disabilities from Fairfield, CA, didn't set out to adopt children with special needs, but somehow they found each other. After her divorce, Susan, a mother of four at the time (two biological, two adopted), became a foster parent and soon fell in love with the children no one else wanted. Now Extreme Makeover: Home Edition will give back to a woman who has given so much love to children in need by providing a new home for her family. Taking in children with challenges hasn't been easy. For Xenia and Hannah, who were born without legs, and Libby, who was born with spinal bifida and confined to a wheelchair, the Tom home is a logistical nightmare. For Cloe, who was born unable to bend her elbows and knees, getting around the house and up the stairs is extremely difficult. There is also Katie, who was born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and is mentally challenged, and Faith, who was badly burned as a baby and encounters stares from strangers every day of her life. Finally there's Margaret, who was not expected to live because of brain damage; she's now a thriving 21-year-old who works full-time and helps out her siblings, as she pursues her dream of becoming a pediatric nurse. In these special episodes of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, this family will finally find a safe haven to call home. Discriminated against on a daily basis by ignorance and physical challenges, the Tom children deserve to have a home that doesn't discriminate against them. Susan and the children are thinking of taking in more children with special needs, if their new house could accommodate them.
OK... before everyone goes off on me... these shows are EXTREME. Instead of giving a cup of water to the thirsty; they give them the cup; and build them a whole water processing facility. And some of the causes they help are kinda different. But for the most part, they do good for those who need it.
But the truth is... the networks have it right in this instance: They are helping those who Jesus said we as Christians, yes, we as the church, should be helping. And I couldn't help feel a little weird seeing someone doing a job that Jesus said I/we should be doing better.
I mean, they're making a difference and showing love in ABC/NBC's name. We have the honor and means to do so in Jesus' name. Wow.
And so often we don't. We avoid the widows, the orphans, and homeless. Or better yet, we say we give to organizations that help them. But Jesus told us to do it.
So why do we let Ty Pennington outshine us in this one area of Jesus' commands? It seemed to me, as I watched, that something might be seriously out of whack.
Here's a church that I think is getting it right:
Fifteenth Baptist Church in Nashville was recently written up in the Tennesean like this:
"The need for housing in this community was one of the concerns that we kept hearing," McClellan said. "That need spurred us to take on housing as one of the ministries of the church.
"We see single-family home ownership (as) vital to help stabilize communities and families. We are looking to build more single-family homes and want to look for lots that will help us to keep the costs affordable.
"Our commitment to the neighborhood is an understanding that comes out of being in relationship with the neighborhood. It goes beyond economic development, but it's really about the development of people.
Of course, this type of work has to be in balance with the rest of the ministry of the church; but it clearly fulfills one of Jesus' commands:
Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. -James 2:15-17
James isn't speaking to the television networks to do this work... but to Christians, like you and me.
(Props to the NashvilleFiles Blog for the idea for this story)
Two of the most popular shows on network TV right now are Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (starring Ty Pennington) and Three Wishes (starring Amy Grant). I’ve watched bits and pieces of both within the last couple of weeks, since my wife, Dawn, enjoys them...My question after watching both shows... Why are we letting ABC and NBC do the work of the church?
Comments
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Mark Howell on Wed, November 09, 2005
Todd, good points. Appreciate your challenge. As you know, Lake Ave. Church in Pasadena, CA has had its tough moments in the last 6 months. But one of the bright spots was our own effort in just what you are talking about. Check out this article from the Pasadena Star News about our own makeover project at Washington Middle School here in Pasadena: http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/search/ci_3181464
Phil Hoover-Chicago on Wed, November 09, 2005
The real point here is that the BOOK OF JAMES is still in the New Testament….
but alot of us would rather fight, fume, and fuss over theology that we barely understand than to actually LIVE OUT theology that we have no problem understanding.
But we often have a problem obeying it.
Case in point:
Our Men’s Ministry had a recent “clean up day” for a neighborhood where we are currently worshipping on Sunday Mornings. Out of more than 100 men in our local congregation, we had FOUR show up that Saturday morning.
Pretty sad, huh?
Beggers on Wed, November 09, 2005
Woohoo! Mark, thanks for the link. I read the article in the Pasadena Star - that’s exactly the sort of thing I meant.
The “Community Without Walls” non-profit org. fits my premise for local church communities to unite and facilitate change. I will be researching it as a possible model for doing something similar in our area.
Anyone else know of similar organizations?
Thanks again! Beggers
Bill Hobbs on Wed, November 09, 2005
Can’t disagree with you, but I would like to point out a few things I’ve noticed on Extreme Home Makeover. One is that Ty and other cast members have occasionally made references to grace and to being a blessing to people, and other references that indicate to me that they may be believers and view what they are doing in that light.
Also, I have noticed that when recipients of the new house/cash/help on Extreme Home Makeover credit prayer, their faith in God, or Jesus explicitly for the blessings they have received, ABC doesn’t edit it out and leave it on the cutting room floor - they show it to the American people.
Sure, those people thank Ty and his crew and the builder for their work and help and gifts, but they sometimes thank God publicly on air too, and that’s a good thing.
And, finally, the show inspires me and may inspire others to also “go out and do likewise,” which is a good thing.
Ricky on Wed, November 09, 2005
Quote:
“You cannot give what you don’t have.”
Ah, but you don’t have because you spend money on other, less important things.
The budget of my old fellowship in Louisiana routinely shows that approximately 75% of its budget was for salaries, benefits and facility cost. Of the remaining 25%, nearly 80% of it is spent on television/radio costs.
My point is that the same budget ratio applies to the vast majority of “churches,” meaning that because of the beast called “facility,” a relatively small percentage actually reaches people in need.
Sure, we can say, “Well, at least they hear the gospel,” but that doesn’t go very far when you’re looking across an empty table at hungry children.
If only “churches” had the nads to reverse that budget ratio. How much more impact would they make in their respective communities?
Plenty.
For example, this is from World Magazine (Copyright © 2005 WORLD Magazine; October 22, 2005, Vol. 20, No. 41)
“Where is the money going? For buildings? Not really, since churches spent proportionally more for new buildings in 1965 ($29 per capita) than in 2003 ($27).
But the sprawling church ‘campuses’ that have become the norm today are expensive to operate.
Congregations today typically run an abundance of internal programs. The number of staff members and the amount of salaries have risen. All of this is for the good, but, as the authors of the report conclude, ‘the numbers demonstrate an increased emphasis on internal operations over the broader mission of the church.’”
And, by the way Jade, the cost of renovating Joel Osteen’s monument was 95 MILLION.
Ninety-five MILLION on a building that he doesn’t even own.
God, help us.
RevJay on Wed, November 09, 2005
I’m glad that the world and the TV networks are trying to upgrade their image as well as Sears. Most churches (except the Mega ones) don’t have the financial where with-all and can’t afford to build well deserving people a $200,000 house, but would like to. I would like to do that for my deserving members, but ‘taint gonna happen in my life time (no lotto for me). Too many times we give up when the world bumps into us and throw down our arms and walk away down troddened. We need to get in on some of the action out there, maybe not building a complete house, but maybe putting back together a family that is about to self-destruct. People are the target of the church, getting people saved and on their way to heaven is what it is all about. We were never commanded to build a house for a family, just bring them into ours (the church) and let them grow from there. My 2cents. Rev Jay
Andy Jones on Thu, November 10, 2005
Nice post.
kdl on Sat, November 12, 2005
I think Extreme Makeover is a great metaphore for the whole message of grace. I just did a show with them… and it’s not just about giving a family a home. It’s over the top. It’s outrageous! The house they build is amazing. The finish is the very best of the best. The furniture is killer. Then, the get started with providing what the family needs to get on with life, whether that’s a new vehicle, tools for a job, eduction. You name it. It’s just overwhelming. It’s EXTREME. Just like what Jesus did…
kdl
Passer-by on Mon, November 14, 2005
Ricky, I noticed you parsed Todd’s words once again only to pick out what best suits your arguement, choosing to throw the rest out. At least three times Todd said, “It is about BALANCE.” A shame you missed it each time.
Which is better, Ricky: Giving $1000 to feed the poor (“directly helping people”), or giving only $500 to the poor and spending the other $500 to record the experience, using it to inspire and motivate 100 others to give just $20 each?
In fact, maybe $95M for Lakewood’s facilities isn’t all that much if you consider that it houses nearly 30,000 people in worship each week. That means approximately 1.5 million people will walk through those doors and EXPERIENCE A LIVING GOD this year alone. So if they remain in that buliding for just 10 years, that averages to about $6 per person, no? Imagine the “direct” giving/helping potential from those 15 million people over that 10 year period ... much higher than $6 each, I would assume.
It is about balance. It’s not always black & white. PLEASE don’t constantly act like each of Todd’s posts are.
Kelly on Mon, November 14, 2005
It really bothers me that you can devalue the work that is being done by extreme make over. God works in amazing ways, and from what I’ve seen, He is working through that show. How else can you explain a huge network with amazing resources caring for people when everyone else is caught up in who can eat the grossest stuff and swapping families so we can all laugh at their flaws?
Don’t limit God.
Todd Rhoades on Mon, November 14, 2005
Kelly,
What article did you read?!
Todd
Mark Myers on Tue, November 15, 2005
Doing the work of the Church?
Where does the Bible teach that the Church is to support the physical needs of the world? I see in Acts where they supported each other and I see in the epistles where we are to support our families and in letters speaking to believers we are to help “the poor”. But is the Church really tasked with a global housing effort? If so, why isn’t there a great commision statement on this? Why was the first ministry program in Acts 6 for believers?
ABC and NBC are bearing the fruit of their work and their mission. Money. They get volunteers to build and Sears to equip houses. For what they are giving out (very little) they are getting primetime coverage and likely hundreds of millions of dollars each week. They are not doing the work of the Church. Not even close.
Lynda on Wed, November 16, 2005
I guess, I just don’t get it. People watch the show because they are touched by what is being done by a group of people and some volunteers (stores, builders & suppliers)to help some one who has given of themself to help others. It sounds like one of those circles that needs to be unbroken. Who cares who or whom is doing it as long as the people who deserve the help are getting it. My husband and I watch as often as possible with rarely a dry eye, we are very happy for those being helped. I love to see someone win. The networks nor the shows have ever stated that they were doing “God’s work”, let it go….if the churches were so concerned about who was getting the credit for the good deeds, don’t you think they would take their 20 million for their new auditorium and do the same thing on the religious network?
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