Time for the Next Hypie Award!!!
You know them, you love them, you tolerate them with a wince: the semi-regular, whenever the mood strikes and the fodder is there, Hypie Awards, given for ridiculous overhype in the name of Jesus. And today’s Hypie goes to (drumroll, please) Team Delta Force, the “Only Lifetime Steroid Free strength ministry in the U.S.”, according to the back of their little card:
Now apparently, part of the shtick of “strength ministries” involves such overhype; my last Hypie was given to “Team Impact”, also a “strength ministry”, which promises “hundreds of salvations” to any and all churches with the wisdom to have these guys come and…uhh…minister. Not to be outdone, our friends at Team Delta Force promise that “The Lost Will Flood the Altars to Commit Their Lives to…Jesus Christ!” A picture of a mass of people doing…something (can you figure it out? A Mosh Pit for Jesus?)…with smiles on their faces and their hands in the air all pointed toward, apparently, the strong guys, accompanies this promise. But the back gets even better: Team Impact promised us only “hundreds of salvations”; Team Delta Force promises to draw “thousands into your church”! Whee!!! Thousands! To a church building that only holds about 250—sheesh, once we have these guys in, we’re going to need to go to…10 services!!! At a minimum! And then I’ll be able to write books and have a radio ministry and grow my hair in an Osteen-mullet! Yippee!!!
Hey, you know, these guys are probably all wonderful guys who love Jesus (and man, they’re “lifetime steroid free”–might that be a subtle dig at the other strength ministries, all somehow tainted by the scandal of not being “lifetime steroid free”?). But this card—and your claims—are preposterous, boys…and for that, you get a Hypie! Congratulations!
This phrase comes from the 1978 "Jonestown massacre" in which most members of the Peoples Temple cult, blindly following their leader Jim Jones, committed suicide by drinking cyanide-laced Kool-Aid.
Osborne: A Contrarian's Guide to Knowing God
Schlossberg: Idols For Destruction
10 Responses to “Time for the Next Hypie Award!!!”
Byron, I must admit that when I received this same advertisement late last week, the first thing I thought of was “The Hypie” awards on ATTB. Scary isn’t it? Also, you’re probably (more likely) right about the subtle steroid ‘dig’ on other strength ministries. I say probably only because perhaps it is a question that they hear quite often and are now trying to address the situation up front (less likely).
Mark Merritt ~ Mar 10, 2006 at 1:10 pm
Oops, just realized I’m now in TNKAZ, not the aforementioned ATTB.
Mark Merritt ~ Mar 10, 2006 at 1:19 pm
Have to comment on this one…to me, anyone who packages and sells themselves as an image is not a minister. You might as well be selling snake oil for all the good you’re doing. The more I see of the faces of all of the Christian community’s “heroes,” the more I want to be sick. This is just one more group of people who like the notariety and the money. Hey, here’s an idea–if that’s what you want, why not hype yourselves in the secular market and quit trying to fool everyone?
Mel ~ Mar 10, 2006 at 10:05 pm
The important thing to keep in mind is that different approaches work for different people. Especially for young kids, this is an approach that works. My 14-year old son begged me to take him to church last night to see Team Delta Force — and he responded to the altar call and accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. These guys may be big on hype, but sometimes maybe that’s what it takes to reach kids. Does it work for everyone? Absolutely not. But, I’m tickled pink that it worked for my son.
Cheree ~ Apr 4, 2006 at 8:44 am
I just wanted to say that i think they are a wonderful group of guys….i saw them myself last night at the local church ….they also made appearances at the local schools throughout the week…all free of charge ….its certainly not the money they are after ….they come with no guarantee to even be redeemed for their expenses…little on a profit…they reach out to people because they want to…they live soley off of the generosity of others..and if they dont recieve enough…it doesnt matter they keep doing it …because thats what type of people they are…they want to make a difference in this world gone to pot….
jacee ~ Apr 6, 2006 at 7:51 am
I’m truly happy for any difference for the good that these guys make in anyone’s life! The only point of the Hypies is to call attention to ridiculous hype in the name of Jesus, not to call into question the content of anyone’s ministry, nor to judge their hearts, of course. Their ministry may well be worthwhile; their marketing methods are beyond the pale.
Byron ~ Apr 7, 2006 at 8:19 am
I call into question anyone who packages and sells salvation. I don’t see it as a judgement call, I just think we’re supposed to question everything, and anyone (IMHO) who tries to paste their name and face onto something that they are, in reality, not responsible for is not ministry, it’s hype. It’s, “look at me, I’m so cool! Don’t you want to have all the happiness I have? You can be as cool as me, too! Just pay the entry fee and buy my stuff, and everyone will love you!”
Pardon me if I seem a little irritated, but I’ve seen it for years. I used to love the “Power Team” when I was 13, because it’s easy to get a teenagers attention with stuff like that. I still have an old Power Team poster from back then, with a group of muscle-bound men brandishing broadswords and looking sooooo cool. You know what? Every single one of my friends that I still have contact from that period of time think the exact same thing: there’s little value in slapping your face on something and selling it as salvation. I hope some people are genuinely changed by it, because I and others I know weren’t.
Mel ~ Apr 9, 2006 at 10:03 pm
I came on your website looking for references to a “clap offering” and was reprimanded for asking it for a man who was out of the hospital after a bad heart problem. At church this morning after considerable soul searching our pastor pointed out that in the psalms we are instructed to ‘clap our hands to the Lord” and later when I came home watching a TV broadcast the first song they sang was “clap your hands unto the Lord all ye people of God “(not a direct translation). I feel as long as we are offering it up to the Lord for His glory and not our human glory, why not? Some churches don’t allow musical insruments but the Bible tells us to praise Him with cymbals and harps. If Gabriel and Louie “Satchmo” Armstrong play “When the Saints come martching in” at our Lords’ comming again why should we care as long as they are doing it in the Lords’ strength and for His glory not theirs. God Bless
David Cataffo ~ Feb 25, 2007 at 10:15 pm
In one of the gospels our Lord’s disciples came to Him telling that there were others preaching Him who were not of their group and wanted Him to do something about it. The Lord replied “Leave them be as anyone preaching me can not be against me”. He will sort it all out someday. Until the Lord comes again there will always be new ways to try and reach people for Him. Some we may not like others we will embrace. Remember that even Jesus was acqused for being a wine bibber and who associated with tax collectors and harlots. Also remember that many years ago it was punishable by death to own your own Bible. What a modern innovation to give everyone their own Bible and now today to have one in your own language how outrages. Think about it God Bless
David Cataffo ~ Feb 25, 2007 at 10:35 pm
i am david cataffo and i find it weird that someone else would use my name to post a comment on a subject that affects me directly. i had a serious heart condition but im not sure if the other person actually has my name or is just trying to be funny. please contact me to help me resolve this problem
david cataffo ~ Oct 8, 2007 at 3:18 pm