A reader noticed that the New York City Church held their second grand opening this past weekend.  This time the grand opening is at Times Square Arts Center in Midtown Manhattan.

Initially, I had a bunch of snarky comments about how they're running the church like a Mattress Store, with a bunch of Grand Openings and Going out of Business sales. But then I started to sort of feel bad for them. I hate to say it, but I'm kind of pulling for this group.

They are clearly struggling as this is their third location in less than six months. And trying to start any new business in Times Square has to be tough. I still think they made a mistake opening a church in the most expensive city in America, espcially when your home church is 3000 miles away. But, you know they really don't need me piling on.  So, I have to say, I'm starting have a change of heart. Part of me wants them to succeed.

Of course, part of me also wants them to fail miserably, so I'm not that changed. I guess I just feel bad kicking them when they're clearly down.

Well folks…Frank is not off to a good start. In CBC's last bulletin (from Dec 1^st) Frank said "Please join with us during this December series "The Gift" as we preach the grace of God." As I mentioned earlier, I was very excited to hear the "grace of God" (often referred to as "the Gospel") preached from a City Bible Church pulpit (there are 3 you know). Alas, as it turns out, Frank seems to think that the "grace of God" is Love. Now, I'm not trying to knock the "love of God" which led to the "grace of God" which was sending Jesus to earth to pay for our sins…Love eventually gets us to that wonderful story of the Gospel and grace of Jesus…at least it should…of course at CBC it doesn't always work that way.  

I will now sum up for you what Frank Damazio said in his sermon:

"Love. Love. Love. Love. Love."

Followed by an un-cute anecdote about someone loving someone else, which was then followed by Frank telling you how much God loves you…

…right…God loves us so much so that He…come on Frank…that He sent…you know the story PF…that He sent His only…begotten…damn it Frank…you don't know do you?

That's right people he never got there. This was in fact one of the most boring Frank Damazio sermons I have ever heard…unless you feel the need for someone to tell you meaningless stories followed by saying (as inconvincibly as possible) "God loves you", don't waste your time. (I'm really not trying to belittle God's love here…Frank just didn't convince me that he believes what he was saying…it was rather robotic). Anyway, since this blog is all about entertainment, allow me to point you in the direction of something more enjoyable:

…the remainder of this post has been removed by the author due to conviction of the Holy Spirit (with the help of Joebib).

I received this excellent email quite awhile back. I hadn’t done anything with it because I wanted to do a bit more research before posting something. Well, the time has come to post… 

Thought you might be interested in the attached email that I recently received from my former church. "Grand Opening Kick-Off" sure sounds
strange to my ears in conjunction with beginning a church, but, then, I guess it is a Business Church. Perhaps more interesting, I went to
the NYCC web site to see if they had a web page on this Grand Opening, and it appears on brief perusal that all mention of Wall Street has disappeared from the web site. They are apparently meeting in a theater somewhere. Lots of church plants meet in theaters, so that isn't notable in and off itself. It is just that I just looked back at the fund-raising letter spam and there is all that blah, blah, blah about God providing the Wall Street facility miraculously and about how they are asking for funds so that the "men and women of Wall Street" can hear the Good News.

Date: Sun, 7 Oct 2007 22:15:21 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: NYC Church Grand Opening Event

Here is a copy of the email sent out. The names have obviously been changed:

New York City Church Grand Opening Kick Off
——————————————————

Greetings,
If you attended that "Eternity" presentation last [year] presented at [Doe] Church, you may remember that they were planning to open a church in New York City.

They are finally getting ready to open their new church and if you are interested in supporting them and being a part of their Grand Opening Kick Off please
contact [Doe] Church and let us know that you would like to take part.

There has been some interest in taking one of our vans and taking a trip to New York City from some of our church members. This can only happen if we have enough interest.

Date for the Kick Off is Sunday, October 14th. There will be activities going on October 12-14. Friday October 12th at 7:00 PM will be Battery Park Outreach Downtown Prayer Walks through the area, pass out touch cards/flyers, and invite people. Saturday, October 13th 11:00 AM Battery Park City Outreach Downtown; 5:00 PM Dinner Break;7:30 PM Prayer Meeting and Sunday, October 14th at 10:15 AM is the Grand Opening
Sunday Service.

If you are interested in being a part of this weekend activity or for more information
please contact [Jane Doe] at [Doe] Church.

It's not entirely clear to me yet why the are not meeting on Wall Street…I don't know if we should blame God, SPES, or a lack of Surplus Faith for the reasons they are stuck meeting in a theater miles away from Wall Street. At least they had enough sense to change their website…of course had I donated to them I might want a refund…

One last thought: Considering SPES's questionable past in regards to the Eternity Production, how does this latest "change" make him look?

There was one main paragraph that stood out to me while reading SPES donation letter:

God has already opened some remarkable doors, including providing an awesome facility for our services and office needs. In spire of this miraculous provision of God, the vision to plant a church in New York City Still has enormous financial needs. For example, children's ministry, audio/visual equipment, a sound system, computers, copiers, office furniture, facility overhead, and relocation cost.

Truthfully, we must raise over $60,000 before we can begin our public services.

$60,000 before they can begin public services? Whatever happened to a few people meeting in an empty building with nothing but their Bibles and a word from God saying "Go start a church"? When did the church plant model change? $60,000? I know Manhattan is expensive but maybe you should cut down on costs a little?

Also, lets not forget that "Eternity" is a business. They charge churches to come out and learn how to put it on. They profit from it. It's not a charity. So…when the letter starts out by saying:

I am writing in regards to the most exciting adventures of our lives, the Eternity Production will be moving its headquarters this summer, from Portland, Oregon, to New York City!

Once you skip pass the overdramatic beginning (most exciting adventure of our lives? I mean I'm excited about this, but not THAT excited), you see that he starts by talking about moving the Eternity Production…moving his business…to New York…and he wants others to pay for it? Is there something wrong with our Christian culture that would help support a play ripped off by someone claiming to be a Senior Pastor? Or is the flaw with SPES thinking that people will actually support this move? I don't know. It seems like if you tell people "Now is the time God is calling us to ____________" people will support you (and I will get ripped for being an A-hole for complaining about it.)

Attention Senior Pastor Ed Schefter and all others involved with the Eternity Business "plant", if God is calling you to go just go. Don't worry about the copier (the have Kinko's in NYC), don't worry about a sound system (30 people can sit close enough to hear you speak) and don't worry about office furniture (I've got some folding chairs I would like to donate), JUST GO.

I suppose the other side to this is that they are just trying to be organized and dreaming big, nothing wrong with that. It just seems like by asking for all this support they show a lack of faith…no, not lack of faith…maybe its greed…I don't know what exactly it is…maybe I think this because from their website I read:

"As you get off the subway at the corner of 23rd street. you will see the New York City Church flag waving in the breeze. As you walk down the block into the entrance, you are greeted by friendly warm people THERE TO HELP YOU FIND THE COFFEE BAR…"

That's right, the coffee bar. I'm sorry, I just don't see the picture of a pastor just wanting to follow God's call when his church starts up with a coffee bar. If he needs $60,000 to move his business that now includes a coffee bar count me out.

Unless, of course, by "Coffee Bar" he means:

"Heather, throw another pot on".

Here is a link to see the letter that SPEC sent to "Lurker" recently. And this is a copy of the email Mr. "Lurker" sent to us explaining the letter:

There are 4 jpgs:

1.  Front side of the letter (with identifying information blanked out.)

The letter was sent to my home address, but my former church's

name was included in the address, so I know that my address

information had to have come via their mailing list.  I had left the

church by the time the Eternity play arrived and never attended the

play, so my address information could not have been obtained via

Eternity in any way.

Also, note that the form letter addresses me as "Pastor."  I was a

mere peon at a large church.  I can only assume that everybody

on the mailing list was addressed as "pastor".

2.  The back side of the letter.

3.  The pledge card, including handy-dandy credit card possibilities.

4.  The envelope the letter arrived in (note "Not For Profit" stamp and

Oregon return address), plus the return envelope (note "Place stamp

here").

Someone on this site tipped my off to the fact that Eternity is an award winning play, so I went and did a little searching. Here is a short bit from s.p.e.s.'s website:

Years later, this burden to reach the lost inspired Pastor Ed to write and produce the Telly Award winning production Eternity.

I had never heard of the Telly Awards so I went to see what I could find. Here is some info from the Telly Awards website:

FEES:

The Telly Awards Early Entry Fee is $60 per single entry and $150 for a campaign entries. If appropriate, a piece may be entered in multiple categories: the entry fee is due for each category entered.

Q. How many winners are there per category?
A. There may be several winners in a certain category or there may be none. Winners are chosen based on the content of their piece; there are not a set number of winners per category. Judges evaluate entries to recognize distinction in creative work-entries do not compete against each other-rather entries are judged against a high standard of merit.

ACCEPTANCE:

Each entry from the United States chosen as a Silver or Bronze Winner will be billed $150, for which they will receive one statuette and one commemorative certificate. Each International entry chosen as a Silver or Bronze Winner will be billed $175, and will also receive one statuette and one certificate. By charging only Winners for their statuettes, we are able to keep entry fees low and defray the costs of the competition. Additional statuettes can be purchased by Winners.

This is what I gather about the Telly Awards:

1. Anyone can enter. You just have to pay Telly for that "honor". (for instance, this blog could be a Telly Award Nominee rather easily if Justin and I didn't spend all our money on beer).
2. Anyone and Everyone can win…and I suspect everyone usually does.
3. If you win you have to pay even more…actually…not really an award when you have to pay for it, is it?

This reminds me of the time Rob and Cheryl Morton took all their boys down for a Home School Convention and had us enter categories that we had no business competing in. Categories such as Artistic Photography or Creative Poetry. At the end of the event I remember taking home a number of "Participation Ribbons" …participation…again, not really an award, is it? Well, at least we didn't have to pay extra.

Anyway, congratulations to Senior Pastor Ed Schefter and Eternity for becoming an award winning play…or at least an award winning COPY of a play.

 First let me say Locutus, our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Now let's get on to the New York City Church…or more appropriately, p.e.s. (I do believe that stands for Pastor Ed Schefter…I know…we're off to a great start). When Lurker first sent us the link to the New York City Church he promised "blogging material for months to come", well that is probably a stretch…wait…NO IT ISN'T. I'm quite sure "Senior Pastor" Ed Schefter is going to give this blog the boost it has needed. And to start we get to pick apart The Story.

Ok, at this point let me make a few disclaimers. I don't personally know "Senior Pastor" Ed Schefter. I have never dealt with him, and am not really qualified to talk about him personally. However, we can blog about anyone from CBC on this site and inevitably someone will come to their defense…with one exception…"Senior Pastor" Ed Schefter…we are yet to have someone stick up of him…hopefully that will change soon.

*Update, after some thought, Tim Nashif is probably the only person who gets less respect from the CBC faithful than Ed Schefter…"Senior Pastor". My apologies Ed, I had you at #1, but I think #2 is more appropriate.*

Now, rumor has it that a family member of ours is going to be joining the NYCC team and by looking on the website a couple old friends of mine are also going…I was advised to leave this topic alone, but that wouldn't be fair to our readers. Hopefully they can understand that I am the same ass-hole I was a week ago, it's just that now I'm picking on a subject a little closer to home. I wish them the best of luck, may God bless and prosper your trip, none of this is meant to be a personal attack against you.

Right… back to "The Story". I'm skipping ahead to where Ed talks about the Eternity play because that's the part the first caught my eye. We've discussed this play at length in the past so if you need to get caught up click here then here and here. Here's what Ed has to say:

In 1994, Heather and I got married, and at that time both felt the desire to have four children, and a call to Senior Pastor some day. Shortly after, Pastor Frank, encouraged me to write an evangelistic drama for our church, and at first, I really had a hard time with it. After going away to pray about it, I came up with the concept for ‘Eternity,' and a year later we did our first Eternity Production at Bible Temple, later to become City Bible Church. Eternity was so successful that soon after, other churches wanted to do the same.

Ed, you little sh*t. I'm sorry, but honestly, when I read that that is the first thing that came to my mind. I started rolling on the floor laughing and saying "Ed, you little ____". Is he for real?

"AFTER GOING AWAY TO PRAY about it, I CAME UP WITH THE CONCEPT FOR ETERNITY"…you have got to be kidding me, right? He doesn't actually believe that "a play about people dying and either ending up in heaven or hell" was his concept does he? That little sh*t. And to follow that statement up by saying "other churches wanted to do the same" is absurd…No Ed, that's what you and City Bible Church did.

Unless by "concept" he means "decided to steal the play 'Heavens Gates Hells Flames', rename it, and do a better job at marketing" than he is full of it. I guess I can see how a guy like Ed would be able to lie himself into believe that it was his idea, but I certainly hope that no one else buys it. J.R., Andy, anyone?

Furthermore, the fact that he says "After going away to pray about it…" should disqualify him from "Senior Pastor" status right there. Its one thing to lie, but it's a whole nother thing to make God a liar. Ed, God didn't tell you to steal another church's play and take credit for it…it's not in His nature.

I'd be concerned if this was the guy leading me…how could you take him seriously? Here is how I picture a conversation between "Senior Pastor" Ed Schefter and Anyone Else going:

SPES: I just heard from God, he wants us to move to N.Y.C.

AE: Uh, Ed, was this the same God you talked to about the Eternity play, or a different one?

SPES: What are you talking about, there is only one God.

AE: That's what I was afraid of. Count me out.

One last quick note: What is the deal with Ed's love for the term "Senior Pastor"? If you read through all his material you will see he gets real exited about it. Also, I'm not so sure the average person in NYC is gonna know who Frank Damazio is…so all that name dropping probably won't do you much good once you leave Portland.

Anyway, best of luck, we here at City Business Church hope you can provide us with many more years of blogging material.

A reader writes:

Hello from a lurker.

I recieved a fund-raisng mailer concerning the New York City Church (the Ed Schefter thing) today, and I decided it was worth de-lurking.

At one time I attended a church that brought in the Eternity play. I discovered the City Business Church blog while looking for information on who City Bible Church was and what the Eternity play was about. As a matter of fact, the information I found was a final straw in leading me to decide to stop attending my former church.

Apparently, Ed must have obtained (been given? stole?) this church's mailing list, because I received this fund raising letter about New York City Church from him today. (My former church is going to get a nasty letter about releasing private information.)

However, I thought you could get good mileage out of the letter. It is pretty classic. I'm trying to figure out how best to get the contents to you. But, in the meantime, the letter lists a New York City church website which should provide you material for your blog for months to come.

www.newyorkcitychurch.org

This letter makes me happy for so many reasons. But mostly, I think because the reader is right, the New York City Church website should provide blog material for months to come.

jb,

It appears, sadly, that despite all the good coming out of GC Utica it still isn't enough. You would think with the 80 youth on fire for God (and not dating) that CBC would feel comfortable with the spiritual leadership in New York; that however does not seem to be the case. Look what I just found in their bulletin:

NEW YORK CITY CHURCH
If you are interested in being a part of the New York City Church plant team or just want to come hear more about the vision, please join us on either Sunday, March 18th, from 1:30 - 3:00PM or Monday, April 16th, from 6:30 - 8:30PM, in the Upper Conference room.  Lunch or light hors d'oeuvres will be served.

I don't have any of the details on this other than what you just read (and I don't think I'm welcome at the "lunch"), but regardless CBC is clearly getting involved in a N.Y. Church plant…and there is only one way to take that: Clearly, the church leaders in New York are not doing a good enough job so CBC has to step in.

I am curious that they refer to it as "New York City Church", which makes me wonder if it is actually a City Church Seattle plant that CBC is just helping out with…well…either way it should be a good time

UPDATE 3/5:

Just to clarify, for those who are new to the blog… I may be a bit of an idiot.

You see, when I read that CBC was starting a New York City Church Plant, what I read was a New York – City Church Plant…I thought they were planting a City Church in New York…That is why I chose to bring Utica into things. I now realize my mistake.

Utica and CBC-NYC, please accept my apology.