This Author Gets the "He Gets Us" Ad Campaign

[illinoisguy]

I am not familiar with this author or web site, but this article appears to present some insights worth considering, with regard to the billion dollar "He Gets Us" promotional campaign:

He Gets Us Exposed: The Money and Marketing behind the $20 Million SuperBowl Ads

watching or attending sporting events in America, the people have become exposed to the He Gets Us campaign. Whether via commercials or through stadium advertising, messages about Jesus are present…

evangelicaldarkweb.org

"In attempting to brand Jesus as rebellious, radical, and anti-establishment, the He Gets Us campaign, initiated by the Servant Foundation, is going to squander what they forecast to be a billion dollars by 2025 on a puerile advertising campaign that misapplies Scripture and slanders Christ. Moreover, it is reliant upon pro-abortion creatives, Mormons, and apostates to create a presentation that will fail to lead people to Christ. . . .

[Ed] "Stetzer is the theological framework behind the He Gets Us campaign, which is why the messaging is reduced to frivolous attempts to relate Jesus incorrectly to modern culture while shoehorning liberalism as Christianity. They attempt to pass Jesus off as apolitical, rebranding Him as a proponent for open borders while utilizing images of BLM protest/riots. . . .

" . . . they are just spouting propaganda and using a verse about peace to roll into a talking point while making it seem like Jesus went to raging parties and hung out with degenerates, ignoring the fact that the sinners and tax collectors were transformed, not placated in their condition."

For those who want to see the other side of the story, here is a pro-He Gets Us article by team member Jon Lee. I do not agree with Lee's article or with the "He Gets Us" campaign, and I am posting this only for informational purposes:

He Gets Us - Outcomes Magazine

A new movement in Christianity is taking shape among a growing cohort of like-minded Jesus followers. We are diverse in our faith traditions and lived experiences, but we share a calling — to reintroduce our culture to Jesus through unending grace and unconditional love. He Gets Us is hoping to...

outcomesmagazine.com

It's light, frothy stuff - extremely vague on the person and work of Christ: Lee says, "We start by reminding people that whether you believe that Jesus was God, or a prophet, or just a man, his story demonstrates that we are capable of this miracle of unconditional love. And that the pursuit of Jesus is a lifelong journey to perfecting that love."

 

[Baptist Renegade]

It is blasphemous plain and simple.

 

[AverageJoe]

This whole thing is of the devil.

 

[ALAYMAN]

A counter-perspective article…

The He Gets Us Campaign Has Changed the Jesus Conversation

and one more…

He Gets Us: Offending (Some) Christians While Reaching the Unchurched

 

[abcaines]

A counter-perspective article…

The He Gets Us Campaign Has Changed the Jesus Conversation

and one more…

He Gets Us: Offending (Some) Christians While Reaching the Unchurched

They will be well spoken of in this world because they preach a designer Jesus that can be anything to anyone.

However, we will be cast as the intolerant easily offended bigots because we stand firm on the Jesus who saves. It's all building toward the judgement.

 

[ALAYMAN]

They will be well spoken of in this world because they preach a designer Jesus that can be anything to anyone.

However, we will be cast as the intolerant easily offended bigots because we stand firm on the Jesus who saves. It's all building toward the judgement.

I had been giving them the benefit of the doubt that they were using a philosophy akin to what Paul said, when he desired to become all things to all men that he might win some to Christ. And, to that end, I did hear one explanation of their strategy as being “playing the long game”. However, after further analysis of the philosophical framework behind the movement, I must admit that I cannot support it. For instance, one of the movers and shakers, when I asked what their purpose ultimately is, was quoted, as saying “Ultimately, the goal is inspiration, not recruitment or conversion.” Link

 

[abcaines]

I had been giving them the benefit of the doubt that they were using a philosophy akin to what Paul said, when he desired to become all things to all men that he might win some to Christ. And, to that end, I did hear one explanation of their strategy as being “playing the long game”. However, after further analysis of the philosophical framework behind the movement, I must admit that I cannot support it. For instance, one of the movers and shakers, when I asked what their purpose ultimately is, was quoted, as saying “Ultimately, the goal is inspiration, not recruitment or conversion.” Link

Very telling. I'd like to discuss this further but I'm about out of gas for the day. I'm not thinking clearly right now.

 

[ALAYMAN]

Very telling. I'd like to discuss this further but I'm about out of gas for the day. I'm not thinking clearly right now.

In being wise as serpents and harmless as doves, I think that we conservatives-evangelical-fundamentalists could capitalize on this marketing scheme though. Clearly, the intention is to use the judgemental religious legalistic types as villains in mischaracterizing Jesus. In this, we actually agree. And as we run into people while evangelizing, to the extent that they have any awareness of this ad campaign, we can use it as a conversation starter for pointing to Jesus and His common humanity, while transitioning the conversation to His divinity and mission to save us from all of these different crises depicted in the commercials.

 

[abcaines]

In being wise as serpents and harmless as doves, I think that we conservatives-evangelical-fundamentalists could capitalize on this marketing scheme though. Clearly, the intention is to use the judgemental religious legalistic types as villains in mischaracterizing Jesus. In this, we actually agree. And as we run into people while evangelizing, to the extent that they have any awareness of this ad campaign, we can use it as a conversation starter for pointing to Jesus and His common humanity, while transitioning the conversation to His divinity and mission to save us from all of these different crises depicted in the commercials.

Very well said.

 

[illinoisguy]

According to this article, "He Gets Us" may be just a clever marketing and data-mining campaign:

"Does $1 Billion ‘He Gets Us’ Campaign Reach Lost or Mine Their Data?​

"The company powering the 'He Gets Us' campaign is Gloo—which collects massive amounts of data, analyzes it, and sells its services to churches based on that data. . . . But the campaign is also collecting the personal information of tens of thousands of people, raising questions about what’s being done with that data, and whether spreading the gospel is truly the initiative’s aim. . . .

". . . In October, the Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board (NAMB) President Kevin Ezell publicly disassociated NAMB from He Gets Us. Ezell did not offer any specifics as to why, saying merely, 'the effort is too broad for us to directly connect with the campaign. In my desire to help our churches, I did less diligence than I should have.'”

Yes, yes, I know, some people do not trust Julie Roys as a reliable source of information. Those who feel that way need not click on the link.

Does $1 Billion ‘He Gets Us’ Campaign Reach Lost or Mine Their Data?

An ad campaign including Super Bowl spots tell viewers Jesus “gets us.” But the company behind it is also getting personal data for millions.

julieroys.com

 

[AverageJoe]

K. Ezell changed his mind because a large group of preachers who associate with the SBC programs including the NAMB raised a stink. Otherwise the creep would have left the NAMB in it!

 

[illinoisguy]

BBC weighs in on the "He Gets Us" publicity campaign:

"He gets us" Super Bowl Jesus commercial angers both left and right

An evangelical Christian group's advertisements peeves activists across the ideological spectrum.

www.bbc.com

"The ads use striking black-and-white photographs of recent events to project Christian values on to modern life.
They alternatively portray Jesus as a "cancelled" influencer, a refugee, a struggling worker and other archetypes. . . .

"The site says 'we're not "left" or "right" or a political organization of any kind'.
And while left-wing anger at the campaign online was focused on the people behind it - and its vast expense, money which some argued would have been better spent elsewhere - criticism by conservative activists was triggered by the content of the advertisements themselves.
Many singled out an advert which tells the story of Jesus' family while images of Latin American families fleeing towards the United States flash up on the screen. The commercial ends with the words: 'Jesus was a refugee.'
Some interpreted this and other adverts as pushing left-wing political views about immigration and diversity."

 

[Baptist Renegade]

BBC weighs in on the "He Gets Us" publicity campaign:

"He gets us" Super Bowl Jesus commercial angers both left and right

An evangelical Christian group's advertisements peeves activists across the ideological spectrum.

www.bbc.com

"The ads use striking black-and-white photographs of recent events to project Christian values on to modern life.
They alternatively portray Jesus as a "cancelled" influencer, a refugee, a struggling worker and other archetypes. . . .

"The site says 'we're not "left" or "right" or a political organization of any kind'.
And while left-wing anger at the campaign online was focused on the people behind it - and its vast expense, money which some argued would have been better spent elsewhere - criticism by conservative activists was triggered by the content of the advertisements themselves.
Many singled out an advert which tells the story of Jesus' family while images of Latin American families fleeing towards the United States flash up on the screen. The commercial ends with the words: 'Jesus was a refugee.'
Some interpreted this and other adverts as pushing left-wing political views about immigration and diversity."

I would be in the latter group. They are trying to turn Jesus into a SJW and make him the champion of their "Liberation Theology" that goes hand-in-hand with BLM, Antifa, Environmentalism, and the Alphabet crowd.

The one good thing good that comes out of this is that it is now a topic of discussion whereas one can talk about the REAL JESUS that is found in the scriptures.

 

[illinoisguy]

Wade Burleson, prominent SBC pastor, is not impressed by the "He Gets Us" publicity blitz:

"He Gets Us? No, Jesus saves us! There is a nationwide media campaign that is attempting to introduce Jesus to culture. The campaign is called He Gets Us. Jesus is portrayed as a person who was wrongly condemned, unjustly criticized, and universally misunderstood.

"It seems that the people behind this campaign wish to convey that living life as you please, doing what you deem most enjoyable, and never paying attention to criticism for your life’s choices is how Jesus lived His life. But the Bible teaches that the Messiah’s work on our behalf is completely different. Whether Jesus gets us is secondary. The truth that Jesus saves us is primary."

He Gets Us? No. Jesus Saves Us!

Contrary to a nationwide media campaign, the message of Scripture is not that Jesus 'gets' us. The Good News is Jesus 'saves' us.

istoriaministries.com

 

[abcaines]

Wade Burleson, prominent SBC pastor, is not impressed by the "He Gets Us" publicity blitz:

"He Gets Us? No, Jesus saves us! There is a nationwide media campaign that is attempting to introduce Jesus to culture. The campaign is called He Gets Us. Jesus is portrayed as a person who was wrongly condemned, unjustly criticized, and universally misunderstood.

"It seems that the people behind this campaign wish to convey that living life as you please, doing what you deem most enjoyable, and never paying attention to criticism for your life’s choices is how Jesus lived His life. But the Bible teaches that the Messiah’s work on our behalf is completely different. Whether Jesus gets us is secondary. The truth that Jesus saves us is primary."

He Gets Us? No. Jesus Saves Us!

Contrary to a nationwide media campaign, the message of Scripture is not that Jesus 'gets' us. The Good News is Jesus 'saves' us.

istoriaministries.com

Pretty much my thoughts the first time I saw one of their ads.

That said, if they want to put down the money (non of it coming from me) to buy ads that promote conversations about Jesus, I'll be happy to engage. Funny thing is, not a single unchurched or unsaved person has mentioned anything to me about these ads. That's OK. I'll keep preaching/sharing the gospel with whomever. No ad space purchased.