Is "bait and switch", an acceptable church growth practice?

What do I mean by "bait and switch"? I am referring to the age old marketing ploy where you offer something much desired at an irresistible price to get people into your store, but once they arrive to grab the great bargain, you surprise them by pushing a different product, the one you intended to sell them all along.

Is this practiced in some churches? I think we would have to say yes. Many churches offer programs that are intended to get people into the church, so they can hear the gospel and hopefully get saved. I know folks have been saved through sports programs like Upwards and although I have never heard of an actual instance, I would assume at least someone has been saved at one of the thousands of "Fall festivals" held at churches over the Halloween holiday.

Also, music is certainly used to attract people to churches in hopes that they will stay and hear the word. I have seen several examples of rock concert type church services lately and have even heard it suggested that they are necessary if you are going to get folks into your church, especially young people. Have folks come to see the show and stayed to hear the gospel and get saved, I would assume so.

Here is a possible example of giving in to worldly music preferences, as a church celebrates its tenth anniversary -

Finally, sermons are often crafted to be as engaging to the unbeliever as possible. This is done by including much reference to pop culture, cleaver videos, humor and topics which even the lost might see as helpful, such as money management. Do people ever come to a church services to hear a message crafted to get folks in the door, hear the gospel and get saved, it is certainly possible.

Here is a sermon that I received a direct mail flier for at my house (aimed at getting new folks to their church) and then watched online, it is based on a popular movie - Avatar sermon

So what is the problem with using non-spiritual things like sports ministries, music that mostly entertains and messages that are aimed at getting people in the door, so the gospel can be shared with them? I would suggest at least two. First, all too often I have listened to messages meant to get people in the door that never got around to the gospel, let alone having the proclamation of the word be prominent (Avatar sermon above for example). Also, even if the gospel is touched on during the message, does the tendency to emphasise everything but the scripture, create church attendees that are hungry for the word or hungry for more of what got them in the door in the first place?

Scripture says -

1 Pet. 2:1 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,  3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. (NKJV)

Does the seeker oriented church, with it's programs, entertaining music, and relevant sermons, tend to promote a desire for the word or a desire for more of what the people got last week?

If you look at what is happening, it probably isn't a case of "bait and switch" at all. In reality the church is offering what people want on the first day they attend and continue to offer it on an ongoing basis. If lost people want a church experience that isn't structured around teaching the word and equipping the saints for the work of the ministry (Eph. 4:11-16), then you can certainly do church in a way that is more appealing to them, the question is, is that the church? 

2 Tim. 4:1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. (NKJV)

How far should a church go to get folks in the door? Maybe that is the wrong question, maybe we should ask, how can the church teach the whole counsel of God, equip the saints for the work of the ministry and then send them into the world to be witnesses of Jesus Christ and bring others to salvation?

"Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved."