Church Trailer Thief
I was driving down I-85 today when I saw this billboard:
My first thought was dude, what?
Then I saw this one:
(God forgives you - but we need our stuff!)
And I was all, who would steal a trailer from a church? (It’s one of the many mobile churches in our community.)
And then on the way home I saw this one:
(OMG does a church billboard seriously say BALLSY?)
So when I got home, naturally I had to check it out. Their very direct and intentional billboard and web campaign was designed to get the thief/thieves/friends of said thief or thieves to pay attention, give their stuff back, and maybe come to church there.
There are two more I didn’t see but are on the pastor’s blog:
(The last one is my favorite. Any church that says “Seriously?” like I do is one cool church.)
I’m not really sure what I hoped to accomplish with this post. I have nothing witty or particularly insightful to say about it, really. I think the billboards, the pastor’s blog and the youtube message say it all.
But I do hope and pray that they get their stuff back. And I hope they are able to continue to focus on their missions and their purpose. From their website, it looks like they are doing good work. It saddens me that in this world there are people who are able to justify, even to themselves, that stealing, and stealing from church, is ok. There is nothing they could need that someone wouldn’t have been willing to give them.
That is one ballsy church.
I know, right?
I’m thinking that our new church’s approach (http://thisaintyourmommaschurch.com/) isn’t as controversial as I used to think it was.
- Tim
How much were the billboards versus buying new stuff?
Tim-
I think anything that gets people in and talking and working on their relationship with God is a GOOD THING! Thanks for doing good things! And for coming by!!
Brian-
I think the billboards were donated. I also wonder - was their stuff insured? I bet if it wasn’t, it will be next time!
H
Kinetic is taking largely the same approach that our church is… not trying to “get people in,” but instead, go out to where people already are. And yes, I think it’s a very good thing, though I’m not sure how much credit I should get for any of it.
Our church has a trailer, but we take a different approach to storing anything expensive. Also, during the week our trailer sits in a fenced-in area until we need it. Interestingly, one of the debates we had about putting the church logo on the side of the trailer included the following comment:
“Who’s going to steal from a church? If we put the church name/logo on the side, that should discourage people from stealing anything… right?”
Hmm… apparently not. - Tim
P.S. I’ve dropped by before, and have to say that your blog is always an interesting and entertaining read, regardless of one’s theology. And yes, you do say f$#* a lot. Lots of people do. I got over that a long time ago.
Tim-
I am trying to use the f-word less. Some days that works better than other days. I wouldn’t want my use of that or any particular word to devalue my writing, or offend people to the point that they just won’t read. In any case, I appreciate you getting over that and coming back! It’s great to “meet” you and I look forward to reading more about what you’re doing!
H
very interesting. i found myself chuckling a bit at the idea of someone a) stealing a trailer from a church and b) the church calling them out on it in the form of billboards, talk about embarassing. hope you’re well. kim
I saw the billboards again yesterday and it was just as shocking to see it again…the whole thing definitely grabs your attention!!
H
I hope you’re not worrying about your use of the f-word on my account. I’ve learned to deal with that without making value judgments on the people involved. It’s a slow process for someone who rarely uses language that’s not appropriate for Sunday School, and I still get soundly criticized by the camp that says, “Would you eat brownies if they had just a tiny bit of crap in them? If not, then why do you watch movies with ‘a little language’ in them and think it’s not bad for you?”
I’m now at the point where I tell such people, “Remind me to not eat brownies at your house. We don’t usually have that kind of issue at ours.”
Who makes brownies with crap in them? That is the most bizzare analogy I have ever heard. Seriously. Who would do that? Who would even think that? I am a little disturbed. I just don’t know about people sometimes!!
And I’m not sure there are ANY movies without ‘a little language’ in them anymore!
I’m trying to use it less because I keep hearing/reading/remembering someone’s grandmother’s assertion that people who use foul language only use it because they aren’t creative enough think of any other words to use - OR they don’t KNOW a lot of words, so they resort to cursing. And I am nothing if not creative and spilling over with words!
Crap brownies. Jeeeeez.
H
It sounds like your grandmother was quoting from the same songbook that I used to:
http://timthefoolman.com/2006/02/06/curses-foiled-again/
That post represented an “aha” moment for me on this topic. - Tim
I love the Mark Twain quote. Sometimes it just feels so GOOD to say it!!
And the bedroom thing - yeah, I don’t get that either…if you are a person who never curses, why choose then to do it? What about that moment makes it ok?
I am not opposed to cursing, I just want to be judicious about it!
Cursing with integrity!!