One Church, Nine Locations
City Bible Church has unveiled plans to extend their collection of regional campuses to a total of nine locations, strategically placed all over the Portland metro area. The aim, writes Senior Pastor Frank Damazio in today's bulletin, is that no one in the metro need "drive more than twenty minutes to experience church the way we believe God had in mind."I have my thoughts on this, but I'd rather hear yours. Comments?
posted by John Adams @ 8:37 PM
5 Comments:
I've been waiting for something new from you!
My thoughts. Just from first glance at reading the quote you included, I am amazed, again, at how much that american churches seek to provide people with comfort while they are worshiping God. The first thing I thought of was that any new "convert" who finds Jesus will think that being a Christian is about ease of life, of making the one difficult choice to follow Jesus and then having everything else work out in their favor. But nothing could be more far from the truth.
One other thing I was thinking is that he says "the way we believe God had in mind." There are many things in Christianity that are debatable and they all cause deep rifts between differing Christian groups. As a matter of fact, most of the things that cause these divisions are things that not only have no absolute answer, but they are things that may not even matter on this earth. Yet people decide that they believe God has shown them what to believe on a particular subject and therefore exclude others who either have drawn the differing conclusion or who have decided not to conclude anything at all. This statement from Pastor Frank seems to me to be arrogant in thinking that, once again, they have found the answer as to how church should or should not be.
I am reluctant to pass judgement, however, because I know that I am susceptible to the same sin of spiritual arrogance. So I can only pray that God pushes both of us back down to a state of humility.
I am wondering how this post ever made it to publishing status! I wasn't planning to ever take it out of draft status.
Good comments, though. I wonder sometimes if convenience in American churches serves as a cheap substitute for churches full of people who do not feel loved. As for your second point, I agree. While I think it is important to try and capture the true heart of what the Bible says about the church, the church is ultimately a group of God's called-out ones, called to live and extend God's Kingdom here on earth. We forget that in our search for the right way to do church.
Is there a right way to do church? Absolutely--live the kingdom. Beyond that and a few basic structural details, I don't think that there's really a right way to do church.
Great, now I'm the idiot for actually commenting on something you now regret posting!
You know, there is such a thing as losing your focus. I'm not talking about you, Erin, or you, John, when I mention that. There's a church here in Phoenix that spread themselves too thin and their membership plummetted. I'm not sure I spelled that right. Oh well. Point is, I think when Paul said "I have become all things to all men that I might win a few" he might have been a bit disgusted with himself. I wish that verse were a bit more emotive - then we'd at least be able to relate to him in agreement that such an endeavor is quite the challenge. Best wishes to the church that you mentioned, but it sounds like a recipe for schizophrenia.
My thoughts are why does it have to be 9 campuses. It might as well be 9 church plants with each of them having a senior pastor. The problem with multi-campusing is it will be so impersonal and I'd feel lost in a crowd. Relationship is more important in a church than having the best programs. I personally believe it should be church plants. That way more leaders are trained etc... Also, will Pastor Frank get any sleep. I'm honestly a little bit uneasy.
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