Here we go again.....

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[askingquestionsaboutGCI]

.....a new series of seminars/trainings from GC whatever...... Can anybody figure out what GCSE is?  (my guess is GC South East??)

http://www.lifetrainingonline.net/2012/

[Linda]

Let me guess. Making core lifetime commitments means committing to your local GCwhatever church for life. Wonder if they will dare to make the teaching public and available online? This just makes me so sad.

Also, did you notice lots of grammatical errors and typos in the copy. And, do you think they really meant to say "emerse" or did they mean "immerse"? It's like this was thrown together at the last minute.

[Linda]

I can't believe the description says:

"Make core life-time commitments."

I have made two lifetime commitments. One to God. One to my husband.

Could someone please name some other "life-time" commitments (vows) that would be wise and Biblical and appropriate for young people to make at a conference without their parents present?

[Linda]

The blurb says, "Learn from heroes!"

I wonder what that means? I hope it means they will be studying Daniel, David, Moses, Noah, etc., and not that they are calling Rick Whitney and Tom Short heroes of the faith.

[askingquestionsaboutGCI]

The blurb says, "Learn from heroes!"

I wonder what that means? I hope it means they will be studying Daniel, David, Moses, Noah, etc., and not that they are calling Rick Whitney and Tom Short heroes of the faith.

I'm SURE the heroes are Whitney and Short.......

[Linda]

Do you really think that's what they mean? I just can't believe they would be that proud.

[AgathaL'Orange]

Either I can't find the same description that was up before or they took it down!  Interesting.


Edited:  OOOPS!  Nevermind, it's still there.  Carry on!

[AgathaL'Orange]

Oh, TRUE BIBLE STYLE FELLOWSHIP!  Sign me up!    What in the world do they mean by that?  Are they going to recline on little couches and shoot the breeze over hummus?   

[Linda]

Ha, ha.

Did you notice they forgot to capitalize "Bible". (Remember, don't capitalize the "devil").

And, they used the word "emerse" instead of "immerse". Do you think they meant that everyone was going to pop out of the water and rise above the surface?

Maybe we should help them. It seems like they were in a hurry when they typed this and no one proofed it.

It should read "catalysts available" not catalysts "avaiable".

Put a period after "world-changing prayer".

Did they mean to say "make a difference in real people's lives" (as opposed to pretend people's lives) or make a real difference in people's lives?

Seriously, though, what is the purpose of this? Summer Faithwalkers?

On the "Theme" page they ask the question "What is true freedom"? And the blurb suggests that it is not the freedom to make all our own choices. If that is what they mean, I think that is telling. True freedom IS the freedom to make all our own choices. I really hope one of the commitments isn't to obey the self-appointed elders in your church. That is most definitely NOT true freedom. Yikes.

[EverAStudent]

Linde et al,

You know how much I appreciate the enthusiasm and sincerity of so many of you on this forum.  But...Linda, you know that God's view of "real freedom" is the freedom from enslavement to sin; that is, the ability to choose not to sin. 

Blessings.

[Linda]

EAS,

I think we might be equivocating on the word "freedom". I definitely think the copy of the web page is equivocating. There are all kinds of "freedom". The one I am referring to is freedom in the sense of "free will".  The freedom to make our own choices. We are free to choose to do right or to wrong. To be enslaved to sin or not. The ultimate free will kind of freedom is to choose to rebel against God. Which, as you say, isn't freeing at all.

Of course, what I was really getting at in my comment is that if some of the commitments in this seminar involve making vows to obey men (self-appointed men at that) and lifetime commitments to movements, then the conference is not freeing at all. We should not ever give our "free will" over to men and blindly obey them just because they claim leadership over us. As we know, GC has repeatedly taught that we are to give the controls of our life to fallible men who claim to be leaders. Bad idea.

[EverAStudent]

Yes, I knew exactly what you were saying, but I do not think a GC'er who was seeking answers (and stumbled onto this forum post) would have understood your wit in this specific matter. 

I agree, it is ironic that GC speaks of true biblical freedom (from enslavement to sin) without recognizing that they are also simultaeneously endorsing and imposing an enslavement to men (the church leaders). 

Blessings.

[Linda]

You have to believe that committing yourself to this local body of believers. And, by the way, what that means is, putting yourself under the authority of your local pastor even though he, like me, isn't always right. Even though they, like my team of pastors, make mistakes. Even though they may treat you as a servant sometimes. And even though they may hurt you.

For anyone reading. GC asks for lifetime commitment to the local GC church and for submission to "elders" (who are appointed by "elders, who were appointed by "elders", who were appointed by a guy who claimed to be an apostle in 1970) who by their own admission apparently make mistakes and use you.

I really hope this isn't one of the commitments they are going to ask for at this conference.

And, to John Hopler, who I have been informed reads this, you need to make an organizational statement about what your group believes about asking for lifetime commitments to your movement of churches and utter obedience to your elders. If you don't mean to say this, you need to inform your pastors and make lots of public statements of correction because your people are teaching this at national conferences. It isn't right.

Don't have people privately write me privately to say they don't believe in making a lifetime commitment to the local church or giving the controls of your life to your pastor, and then keep teaching it. Get off the fence. Say what you mean and mean what you say. People are being misled. Pastors are not speaking with clarity...or are they.

[wastedyearsthere]

About freedom and GCC......

My favorite GCC story is from a friend who shared that her GCC church everone was pressured and required to attend an upcoming seminar.

The topic to be discussed?

"Freedom in Christ"!!   

TRUE STORY