It looks like the NFL has thrown a penalty flag on churches that might like to broadcast the S-P-R B-W- in their churches. I can’t spell the whole word, it is a trademark of the NFL and I can’t use it. If I sound a little bitter it’s because I am. Because of legal reasons we have cancelled our outreach for this Sunday evening.
I’ve been receiving emails and phone calls from folks this evening who watched the news on WTHR (channel 13 out of Indy). The news channel aired a story about how the NFL is coming down hard on the Fall Creek Baptist Church of Indianapolis because they were planning a Sup _ _ Bow_ outreach. (Here is a link to this story on the web.)
I have yet to read the fine print of the NFL; if anyone has a link to the legalese I’d love to read it. I had no idea you couldn’t show the Supe_ _owl on a screen no bigger than 55 inches, I also had no idea that the term Su_er Bo__ was a trademark and you can’t use that term. However if you would like to watch the game on a large screen with a group of people you may do so at the bar – but not at the church.
Here’s the flip side of all of this. We had planned on using this event as an outreach for our friends and family members to invite those who don't have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. My encouragement to you now is to watch the game at your "unsaved/unconvinced/pre-Christian" friends home or have them over to your place (but you better not have a 60 inch TV – I’m still a little bitter). The goal has always been to show love and to provide a bridge to those who don’t now Christ and that can be done just as well (if not better) in our homes.
No comments:
Post a Comment