Well they are at it again. Another City Bible Church is coming to a city near you. This time in Baltimore, Maryland. Find out more here http://www.cbcbteam.com/ and here http://www.cbcbaltimore.com/. Pretty soon, no matter where you live, there will be a CBC nearby.
City Business Church
It is not by grace that one enters the kingdom of heaven, but by tithing. – Damazio 3:16
…And I was just commenting to a friend about how I wished there was a Taco Bell nearby. This news regarding CBC obviously doesn’t help me with that
I get the church plant. What I don’t get is keeping the City Bible name. They must think that City Bible is a brand that is well-respected outside of Portland.
It’s not.
And let’s be honest the name “City Bible” is about as generic as you can get. It’s hardly a fresh new name that will attract people.
Do they get money from CBC Portland for keeping the same name? Is this Frank’s way of creating his own City Bible network outside of MFI? I really don’t get it.
Baltimore is hard core!
Everyone going with that church plant should be required to watch all 5 seasons of The Wire.
Like Starbucks!
I love Baltimore. It’s got an edge to it that DC and New York don’t anymore. Baltimore’s Inner Harbour area is fun, and the Orioles Ball park is one of the best in the nation. I’m a fan of the city.
I’ve never been but the idea of CBC inhabiting what (to me) is basically The Wire, is funny.
Well at least they were able to recruit Sinbad to go with them. That should make for a good time…His Afros and Bellbottoms has always been a favorite of mine.
Did you read their prayer requests. It’s like: Allow us to sell our home. Allow us to buy a home. And allow us to find a good school for our Children.
I think they have Jesus confused with a Real Estate Agent.
This is another pet peeve of mine with Christians. They treat Jesus like he’s Santa Clause. As though, he’s up there handing out toys to the nice people and coal to the naughty people.
Also, notice how incredibly selfish their prayer requests are. It’s all about them. There’s nothing about the people of Baltimore. Or how they can better help the people of Baltimore. It’s just, “Here’s what I need. Pray that God gives it to me.” Meh.
I’m quite confident that starting a church with this attitude is a recipe for failure.
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OH MY JP, YOU DID IT AGAIN! My co-workers are wondering why I fell on the floor laughing. Now I have to make up an excuse on why I wasn’t working….
[Comment ID #37607 Will Be Quoted Here] I think it's all about the money. As someone who has been involved in two church plants (one in Portland and one in LA) it is vital to have money. Building space, equipment, ability to pay staff, money is the only way a church can truly grow beyond 10 people meeting in a house. I'm sure by taking the CBC name to the east coast Frank offered to pay all their expenses for a year or something like that. And yes, for a pastor with his ego it's all about (in the words of Will Smith) "making himself look good."
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Justin, I was thinking the EXACT same thing. At first I thought it a bit harsh to be questioning someone’s prayer request, but it’s so true! What about the people, the city, the lives they are going to try and reach. I mean really, all they want is a new house and a good school for their kids? It doesn’t make any sense.
You know my first thought when I saw the CBC Baltimore facebook page was that you can’t escape them. You thought you could move to the east coast to get away, but no, they are on your trail man. You’ll have to go visit and let us know how it was.
[Comment ID #37615 Will Be Quoted Here]Wow! That really did fit like a glove! Nice shot.
Quite true indeed. Wonder why they don’t set up a location in, say, Mobile, Alabama? I am sure that a church with funding coming in from more lucrative areas (less poor regions) could do God’s work and float a location in an area that wouldn’t make them any money, but could use some people trying to do good (that is, of course, under the assumption that they would “do good”, which is another argument).
They aren’t even trying to do that in our area. TCC claims that they planted a church in Belltown, like that is some “bad area” and now they have street cred. Sure… except for the fact that back when they started that location, every young urban professional with a big paycheck and predisposition to want to be hip was moving down there. Okay, maybe a crackhead or two hung around in the general vicinity, but they knew as well as anyone that the area was being gentrified… they were counting on it. It was not a move to put themselves in the heart of Seattle for reasons of helping “urban people”, it was a move to put themselves in the middle of an up and coming neighborhood.
Go plant a location in Hilltop, Tacoma (the only ‘hood’ in the metro area) if you wanna impress me. Even if they did, I can see it being for token reasons. Imagine TCC going from location to location on the big screen during the Sunday service:
“Hey everyone, let’s say ‘hi’ to our Issaquah plateau location. Wow, they look so rich, I mean happy! Okay, now let’s say hi to our favorite brown peop… I mean, Hilltop location. Aren’t they lucky to have us… er… I mean God. Hallelujah!”
Another CBC….oh my, more buildings, fundraisers, budgets & bigshots. American Christianity has become a corporate clone!
The stock is dropping, the workers have been cheated, and the leaders are off to the Bahamas!
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Although I think their first request should have probably been “Jesus, help us succeed in ministering to the tired, the poor, the broken, and the deceived; to spread the Gospel according to your Name,” I don’t think that this particular prayer is in bad form. I don’t believe in the prosperity doctrine in the least, but I do believe that God wants to take care of people. “Give us this day our daily bread,” tells me that it’s ok to ask God for provision for your life, and that it’s ok to trust that He will bless those that ask in faith. I always go into a prayer session, however, knowing that God isn’t a big blue genie; He’s God, and He does what’s in His plan.
The problem I see is this: if God told one of these guys they were going to have to go bankrupt to spread the Gospel, would they do it? Or would they count it off as being “the Enemy”?
I sincerely hope that that’s not their ‘fleece’, as that would show a monumental lack of faith: that a thing like that would stop them from going. My dad, when called to full time ministry, led our family out without selling our house, took a 50% paycut, and trusted God that the house would sell later. It took about 4 months, but it sold for almost 50% more than he expected it to.
I thought this was funny though: “We all need God to provide fianances so we can make scouting trips and move to Baltimore.”
Next prayer request: a good “prufreader” to avoid lovely prayer gaffs on the internet.
I think we should change the word plant to planet.
The MFI Planet of City Churches.
They need their own planet where they can take dominion and rule and reign over each other to their hearts content.
Then they should become mormons!
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Lol!
Speaking of Mormons, at least with them you know you are dealing with a known cult. And according to their doctrine, they have to go to one of their degrees of heaven before they rule and reign over the rest of us.
These guys (anyone dominionist) are tweaking the gospel and calling it Christianity and want to rule and reign over us on earth. It just seems a bit audacious. Like my friend said the other day, ‘Will the real Christian please stand up.”
I found a secret video of the first service here
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Haha! I didn’t know if I should fall over, laugh, or cry.
Their goal is to have one every 3 blocks!!! They are following the advice of that video backwards! CBC is copying Starbucks!!!!!
NOOOOOOOOOOO GOD SAVE ME
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LOL that was good.