LifeChurchTV

[CMSturgeon]

I'm sure this will cause more controversy but here you go, our church launched a new website: SatanHatesLife.com

Are those real billboards? If so, whoever created those is an advertising mastermind. Obviously whoever is behind your church is an advertising mastermind anyway. Don't take that offensively because it wasn't meant that way, the growth rate is impressive. I wasn't sure what to think of it when I saw it next to Academy, but you're shedding light on the subject for me. Good patron.

[metro]

Yes, CMSturgeon, those are real billboards across various major metro cities in the U.S (including OKC of course). I agree it is marketing genius, me being a marketing major, I can appreciate it. Thanks for the comments, but God gets the praise, not lifechurch.tv or the staffperson who created it.

[CMSturgeon]

Yes, CMSturgeon, those are real billboards across various major metro cities in the U.S (including OKC of course). I agree it is marketing genius, me being a marketing major, I can appreciate it. Thanks for the comments, but God gets the praise, not lifechurch.tv or the staffperson who created it.

Well, I couldn't tell from the pics if they were real, I mean, I haven't seen any of them while driving anyway. The picture almost looked edited on one of them, thats why I asked. Hey, who was behind the message from God ones? I remember when they did a news report on the mysterious billboards. I always thought those were a good idea as well.

[jbrown84]

but God gets the praise, not lifechurch.tv or the staffperson who created it.

Then why not just say Satan Hates Churches? Comes off a little self-congradulatory to me.


Sturgeon, I thought they looked like fake, photoshopped billboards too.

[Martin]

sigh. the billboards shown on the site are shopped... no doubt about it. i haven't seen any of these around town, either... so if they're real billboards, metro, tell us exactly where you've seen one...

i agree with jbrown84, why not just 'satan hates church?' it's as if lifechurch is saying that any criticism of its practices is rooted in evil... that's a pretty small-minded and cavalier attitude. -M

[metro]

because if it simply said "satan hates church" or anything else that you'd "prefer" it to say, you wouldn't have anything to criticize. if you're so upset or question it, why don't you contact the church directly about it, not me. as a matter of fact, the SatanHatesLife.com website has a "formal complaint form" that you can file right on the website, so you can complain, criticize and hide behind your computer screen anonymously. as others have said, its advertising genius, simply signing off - God, Satan, or the church doesn't get people plugged into a local church as well as other churches might not want to be affiliated with something so controversial, lifechurch.tv is obviously willing to allow it to hopefully get non-Christ followers to be plugged into a non-conventional church and take the hit for the criticism as well. and I never claimed to have seen the billboards. if you take the time to read the website, you will see that most of them are in the West Palm Beach, FL area, DFW metroplex, and Hendersonville,TN areas, and a couple in South OKC and Stillwater (all places where we have campuses). Next time I drive to south OKC, I will try and look out for one and let you know!

Somewhere along the way, critics of the church body forget that Christians ARE NOT perfect, we're normal everyday people who struggle just like everyone else and have flaws just like everyone. The only difference is we serve a God who IS perfect and gives us a hope.

[Martin]

the site says nothing about billboard locations. the pictures are obviously shopped and you've never seen one of the billboards in person, yet you try to pass them off as the real thing... just like anyone in marketing, you don't mind stretching the truth to sell your product.

do i feel the need to contact lc about this? no... the campaign isn't really that big a deal. all i'm saying is that it's a bit disingenuous to equate any and all criticism of lc to evil. i never denied that it wasn't marketing genius... i'm just making a point.

critics of lc aren't evil and they don't forget that people are imperfect. the fact that we're imperfect is the reason why we choose to be critical when we see something that appears to be wrong. if you were doing something wrong or potentially dangerous, wouldn't you want somebody to bring it to your attention?

rather than engage in intelligent dialogue, metro, you choose to take everything said about lc personally. -M

[jbrown84]

Well, this site is a discussion site, and you have to admit that LifeChurch likes to stir up controversy. I'm simply responding to the fact that it comes off a little arrogant to me. "Look at us, we're such a good church, Satan hates us." I'M NOT SAYING that is what you guys believe, but it comes off that way and I think non-Christians may see it that way too.

[metro]

the site says nothing about billboard locations. the pictures are obviously shopped and you've never seen one of the billboards in person, yet you try to pass them off as the real thing... just like anyone in marketing, you don't mind stretching the truth to sell your product.

do i feel the need to contact lc about this? no... the campaign isn't really that big a deal. all i'm saying is that it's a bit disingenuous to equate any and all criticism of lc to evil. i never denied that it wasn't marketing genius... i'm just making a point.

critics of lc aren't evil and they don't forget that people are imperfect. the fact that we're imperfect is the reason why we choose to be critical when we see something that appears to be wrong. if you were doing something wrong or potentially dangerous, wouldn't you want somebody to bring it to your attention?

rather than engage in intelligent dialogue, metro, you choose to take everything said about lc personally. -M

Okay mmm, giving the website a closer look, they do look photoshopped. I do know that there are actual billboards out there because I have been told by church staff and read it on the church newsletter even though I have not flown to Fort Worth, Nashville, West Palm Beach, or taken a drive to Stillwater or S. OKC to find them yet. Perhaps the ones on the website were the renderings that were emailed to the billboard company?? Here is a link to actual lifechurch.tv website talking about the billboard locations: Oklahoma City, OK: SatanHatesLife.tv | LifeChurch.tv (We currently have 3 billboards in Hendersonville, 2 in South OKC, 1 in Edmond and 2 in Tulsa. Fort Worth will have several coming soon.)

Anyhow, let's take this a step further, using your logic of reasoning (according to your logic behind if the billboards exist), or any Rational thinking, science tells us we have 5 senses to identify and observe the world around us, right? Have you ever seen the wind? Have you ever tasted the wind? Have you ever touched the wind? Heard the wind? Smelt the wind? Logical thinking would tell us that the wind does not exist, yet it does. You've seen the effects of the wind but you've never seen the wind. Have you ever seen, tasted, touched,heard, or smelt your brain? According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol,
science says the wind or your brain (or anyone's for that matter) doesn't exist.

So, with this being said, do I take the same tactics of the critics of lifechurch.tv or any other church? Have they been to an entire service? Seen an entire service? Listened to an entire service? Tasted a service? Smelt a service? My guess is that the overwhelming majority of critics have not. Logical, empirical, testable data would tell us there is no basis for the criticism without proper experience.

[jbrown84]

No one is saying everything about lifechurch is bad, just questioning this particular marketing strategy.

[CMSturgeon]

Wow, sorry for asking about the signs. lol. I don't think there is a need to analyze someone's marketing strategy so closely. Not to curse on a church thread, but I think some one here is just looking for something to bitch about.

[jbrown84]

The fact that metro brought this up on a discussion board opens the issue up to discussion, and I know he's smart enough to know that this is going to be controversial, as lifechurch seems to have a penchant for being.

I think it's a great church overall, but I'm not a fan of this marketing strategy for reasons I've already expressed.

[CMSturgeon]

Well put.

[Spartan]

There are two of these billboards along my commute. I 35 south between downtown and I 240.

I agree with the Boycotting LifeChurch.TV message. It just doesn't strike me as a real church.

I think that making people opposed to LiveChurch.TV into the devil himself is ludicrous.

[kmf563]

WOW! I have been on this messageboard for a bit now and am just coming across this thread. Where have I been????

I think it's great that the debate is so huge on here about Lifechurch. I've been attending the OKC campus for the last 3 years and I've heard it all. What I have learned though is that the important thing is that people are talking. It doesn't matter what is being said. HE is my only judge.

I have seen the billboards on the southside - they are real. They are between the I-40 and I-240 area. You can see them when you are heading south.

"God is good all the time.."

[Martin]

i saw one for myself this weekend on the west side of i-35 just north of se 66th... the ones on the site were fakes, though. not that it's a big deal in itself... just a big deal when someone such as metro tries to pass them off as the real thing. -M

[metro]

I was browsing around on the internet and noticed lifechurch.tv just launched a beta of it's second virtual campus. I don't think it's official and know it hasn't been announced yet at church, but as I mentioned I saw some blogs on it online and noticed it on the site Second Life: Your World. Your Imagination. . So lifechurch.tv has it's official internet campus, and now this beta secondlife.com campus. Amazing how God can be used in all corners of the world, including the cyber-world!! As many of you may know, this is where the internet is headed with "virtual reality" and virtual lifestyles, etc. I'm not too familiar with it, but thought it was interesting. I'm sure will be hearing more on this in the future.

[mwmcl]

mwmcl, to answer your questions accurately, I will provide a little more information than jdsplaypin. First off, Senior Pastor Craig Grochel still preaches at all the campuses through simulcast. Each Campus however has a Campus Pastor, Associate Campus Pastor, as well as a small paid staff and a large volunteer staff. The Campus Pastor usually starts off the service and prays at the end and greets visitors in the lobby, etc. When it is time for the teaching, the simulcast with Craig takes place.

To play devils advocate, the Bible also never talks about hymnals, robes, wearing a shirt and tie on Sunday, etc. In fact, many times does it mention that WE are the church, not a building or how we do things. You will find many examples in which Jesus went to the people and talked with them on their level and did life with them where they were at. In today's day in age, especially for a seeker or nonbeliever, entertainment is how you capture someone's attention. Just look at concerts, myspace, TV, youtube and how that has revolutionized American society. We are visual society. It just so happens that lifechurch realizes this is a modern way to reach a generation that otherwise probably wouldn't be going to church. The church is not so much about what many people on this website seem to get sooooooo upset about or against, the media is simply a beginning point, a tool, to reach people, the message is what changes peoples lives.

I hope you can check it out sometime.

On another note, any OKCTalker's helping launch the new NW OKC campus?

No need to argue... I've visited LifeChurch before and will likely not ever visit again if it stays in its current format. Opinions are opinions and mine are different than yours.

I do disagree fundamentally that you have to entertain people into going to church. Again, its a matter of opinion but I'm interested in churches that are very different than rock concerts. Because to be honest Christian music sucks in comparison to its contemporary counterparts.

I'll end with this... the new LifeChurch "Marketing" campaign is atrocious. The audacity to think that Satan would single out LifeChurch to hate. It's fairly to completely clear that Satan hates all churches. So in effect, LifeChurch's new "Marketing" campaign is consistent with saying that the Sky is Blue. It's worse than the "We Hate Church" campaign of a few years back.

It seems that everytime I want to give LifeChruch the benefit of the doubt... it goes and does something like this.

On Edit: Thanks to whomever included the link... I'll have to visit and 'Formally Complain', since they give that option.

[metro]

if you're upset about the satanhateslife campaign, you may be interested in reading the following blog from lifechurch.tv leadership as well as pastors and others around the world comments on the issue:

“trickery” at LifeChurch.tv : swerve

[writerranger]

I've never been excited about LifeChurch and the whole MegaChurch as a business for 'pastoral entrepreneurs.' And yes, I honestly believe it's all about the 'business.'

However, I have NEVER, in my life, seen a church stoop so low as to basically call its detractors tools of Satan ( SatanHatesLife.com ). It's just....actually I think it speaks for itself. A certain verse about sheep in wolves clothing comes to mind. But I have no plans to put that on any billboards. At least not yet.

---------------

[mwmcl]

In the end I think that the BoycottLife.tv billboard is the accidental genius of the entire group of billboards.

[metro]

writeranger if you feel that way, I highly encourage you to check out the above blog link I posted. It was created by lifechurch.tv staff but has comments and replies from pastors and normal people from all over the world. life staff comments are notated in the shaded boxes in the comments section.

[PUGalicious]

writeranger if you feel that way, I highly encourage you to check out the above blog link I posted.

I found the staff's responses very unpersuasive.

[mwmcl]

I found the staff's responses very unpersuasive.

I completely agree

And on a side-note, I'd prefer a staff member of a church to respond to criticism of an obviously controversial billboard with more than sarcasm and passive-aggressive humor.

[PUGalicious]

I'd prefer a staff member of a church to respond to criticism of an obviously controversial billboard with more than sarcasm and passive-aggressive humor.

You noticed that too?