Hey Peeps!

[lauraleelong]

Someone brought this website to my attention, I'm sure many of you have heard about this by now but I want to know your opinion. Using my "superior" common sense I'm able to tell much of this is taken out of context and misrepresented

Comments

[philmjmills]

Yeah, that's gotten around. We had a little "everything you wanted to know about GCM but were afraid to ask" meeting after church yesterday to discuss it

The Official Stamp

[tribal_cross]

What does that stamp look like? You have a reference

Re: The Official Stamp

[philmjmills]

We've been called all sorts of things, and I'm sure that a TACO is one of them (and Google sez: yep, such has been the case).

I'm referring to Hal Mansfield, who runs the Religious Movement Resource Center, who defines "destructive cult" as ...
...an organization that inhibits individual freedom of thought through the use of violence, deception and mind control. We don't define what is a destructive cult by a particular belief system or theology, but rather how an organization operates.
Sounds like a valid restatement of "TACO" to me as I've seen it defined by Ross and others

No single person

[tribal_cross]

One person's actions? This isn't about a single person at all. Otherwise, you just use the conventional church disciplinary procedure, right? One thing, and let me make this clear: we have not, to date, alleged any violence. With violence, it's easy, you just go to the police. There have been instances suggestive of the rest. I would like to refer you to a working definiton of control, not just mental and informational, but also behavioral and emotional. It's called the BITE model

[cjcandie]

Hi girlie -

Yes the pastors are aware and are looking into how to approach it. I think Phil summed it up well...

On a completely different note -- I am looking to possibly get some new frames with my new glasses prescription! We should talk ;)

[philmjmills]

Me too - what's the name of the place you used to work at in FC?

-phil

[lauraleelong]

As far as glasses go you know I'm your go to girl.

My office was Harmony Eyecare, it's at 181 W Boardwalk ste 201. Their number is 970-226-0959. Monique can definitly hook you up!

Or if you would like a personal frame stylist we can find out when they have Saturday Hours and I will give my professional opinion.

Chloe I definitely want to go with you to pick them not because I doubt your ability to pick your own but because I want to spend time with you!

Call me I'm out of town until the 16th so after that.

[cjcandie]

I confess, this is what I had hoped! :) I would LOVE your opinion!! So yes, we will make this happen after the 16th!

[pashionflower]

just got the email too. this is not the right way to handle what seems to be a separation on bad terms, and it makes me offended just having been a part of the GCM family a few years ago. Perhaps the right thing to do, however, would be to just pray that this doesn't discourage people from openly exploring GCM as a place to grow closer to God (and that this person realizes this is not fixing anything.)

Your characterization is unfair

[tribal_cross]

There are a lot of people who are hurting. There seem to be enough people who have "separated on bad terms" to make this effort worthwhile. I'm glad your experience was a positive one and I'm sure we don't mean to diminish that by what we're doing. If the offense that you feel now helps remove a burden from another person, would it be worth it?

The website is unfair

[pashionflower]

Perhaps I was too quick to react to this, however, I also know a lot of people in this church who have great hearts for God, including some pastors, and this email seems to attack the church as a whole, even though they are speaking to members as well. This site comes off as trying to totally discredit GCM and its partner churches, and I think that is unfair as well.
So yes, perhaps this is their way of helping others from being hurt, and the act of helping others be in a good place with their faith and Christian community is an honorable action. But, I know there is love and acceptance living in this church as well, and I would hate for people to walk away from these people without understanding that.

Let us love in action and in truth.

[tribal_cross]

Lots of us remember the first time we came to a small group or "D-Team" as a very positive experience with lots of attention and affection. A few of us might have experienced "love bombing" or false love. When "love" becomes conditional on your performance and/or you measuring up to unpublished standards, it becomes a problem. The threat of losing all those connections is a very sobering thought. In an unhealthy marriage relationship, love is often switched on and off to control. If the same thing happens in a body of believers, it's a sickness, and the bad fruit that comes from this should provide evidence.

Compare with 1 Corinthians 13:

Does love evict a roommate during the Holidays on 2 weeks notice?
Does love repeatedly deny a pastor with obvious fruit a chance to serve as his vision dictates?
Does love need propaganda to promote its good works?

Also, we must note that "love protects all things" doesn't mean "love lies to cover up embarrassing truths". "Love keeps no record of wrongs" doesn't mean "love requires use of a paper-

[joeltpw]

If you don't know by now I love challenging people, playing devil's advocate, and in short make any discussion a bit harder. Obviously I don't agree completely with the web-site but it has always been my opinion that good lies always have some truth.

So maybe there is some kernels of truth that GCM needs to work on.

Just a challenge.

~Joel

[jamaicabeth]

Congrats on having the courage to say what I was thinking.

Don't like the motivation or the attitude behind the site, but some things rang true for me.

We support women's thoughts and ideas.

[tribal_cross]

Whatever you believe about our motivation and attitude is okay. The courage to speak is precisely the results we are hoping for. If the end appearance is not to your liking, we of course want your input. How can we serve you better?

Proverbs 31:26
gcmwarning@gmail.com

Re: We support women's thoughts and ideas.

[joeltpw]

Posting here to be semi-brief and negate the potential for misquoting