Welcome!

The path you’ve chosen is probably the best. I’m talking to a lot of people who are flying under the radar, as they’ve seen how well dissent is received in SGM.

I am a fellow SGMer, don’t have long here today, but just wanted to welcome you… I’ll be on much more later in the week, with fits and spurts in between.

Take care and God Bless!

…pk

Six years later we began to find ourselves hungry for more than we were getting at our little church so we began to think about finding another church.  We eventually felt that God was leading us back into the SGM church we had left.  When we returned it was great – people who we hadn’t seen or talked to in a long time were there to greet us, we got involved again and we began to enjoy the worship and “biblical” teaching.  Suffice it to say that we have been reasonably happy and at peace about our decision to return to SGM.  There have been things that have happened since our return that were not so great, like 3 pastors being dismissed and a couple of interns let go.  I’ve also figured out thanks to this blog and others that some of the pastors sent out to do church plants have been let go, i.e., Keith Jacob and George Harrington.  My husband and I have many questions about decisions that are made but don’t always feel comfortable asking them which is a shame since the little church we were in before never made us feel that way when we disagreed. 

At this point, we are content to stay here because of our friends.  We know that no church is perfect and the people in our caregroup, at least, seem to have pretty independent minds.  Several of us recently just said “NO” to signing a membership commitment paper.  I know many people in our church are not homeschooling any longer and many women are working outside the home.  My husband and I will hopefully be leaving the area in a couple of years and don’t want to change churches before then.  I believe we can agree to disagree with some of the ways things are done at SGM for now.

Anyway, just wanted to let you know there are some of us who are trying to think outside the box inside the SGM box.  Good to know you all are out there and doing well in the Lord.

Mac

Oh so many wonderful people at SG in my opinion (including my old leaders and Cj).  some of the best people I’ve met in my life.  I still miss many of them and still, after 7 years, nearly daily recognize some of the good fruit in my life from their good teachings. 

In telling our story, I related how, in the early 90′s, we were part of a church that we loved, but it was a mega church, and the size of the youth group scared me. In looking for a new church, we were actually looking for a youth group, given the ages of our kids.

I said something like, “if I could have created a youth pastor in my mad scientist lab, I would have created Tim”.

That describes exactly how we feel about our partnership with PK.

The guy is the perfect addition to our team.

I was gone all day yesterday, so I’m catching up.  Having an “insider” like you, PK, is an outstanding idea. Jim, Carole, again, such a great move.  This expresses even more the heart of reform verses hatred that many accuse of us, here.  So cool!

I just realized I blathered on and on without answering your question.

Yes, part of my story is on the SGM Survivors site (not sure what posts)… not all of it, as I am not ready to share it all.  Not a matter of pain so much as it is a matter of privacy at this point.

…pk

I was really concerned I would be going off on a tangent with the whole Ivanhoe analogy, but it’s sincerely grafted on my soul.

When I was writing my portion of the “Change is Here to Stay” post, I had my headphones on and kept cranking up the volume as I was listening to an 80′s Christian playlist that is ever-growing in my iTunes player (here’s a sampling):

On the Fritz by Steve Taylor, about the ensuing and growing sphere of disasters that men/leaders losing their first love can create around them as a result…  Love God, Hate Sin, which is Mylon LeFevre & Broken Heart’s beautiful (and rocking) simplification of one of the primary messages of Scripture… Wired for Sound, an amazing take by Michael W. Smith on the nonsense of carnal, man-centered and empty philosophy trying to extinguish the deep, rich purity of God’s truth… Let Me Be Broken is Bryan Duncan’s cry to his Creator to be humbled all over again (be careful what you cry for, Bryan!), to be moved by the social injustice and tragedies around him so that God can use him to reflect true justice and mercy (this song would be an outstanding code for a Christian superhero… or us!)… Computer Brains by Petra; there is simply nothing like Greg X. Volz’s verbal thrashing to get across a very simple concept the book of Proverbs tells us hundreds of times: “garbage in, garbage out”… Spinnin’ Round by DC Talk (yes, from their little-played but out-stan-ding, ground-break-ing 1988 debut) reminds of the joy and freedom I first experienced in Christ as He made me a new creation, and shortly thereafter my wanting to share that joy and soul-saving God with friends who were “spinnin’ round” in their earthly mudbath, their cycle of behavior that I saw was destroying them in this life and the next.

Old School… that’s me.

…pk

Yep!…  It’s really him, Kindred! 

I’m truly blessed!

Good job on getting a great voice on your blog Jim.  I wonder what it will cost to recruit him away?  <just kidding> – I’m loving this !!

Guy

I think that makes four “WOWS!”.  Let’s start a new grading system.  You wrote a
“4 WOW” post!  Anyone wish to make it 5?

You go, PK!

-Kindred

Thanks for clarifying.  I hope enough folks know of this blog and the survivors one to get help if things go badly for their leaders.  It will be the proverbial rug coming out from beneath them. 

Also this statement:
“He is the reason for the hope that lives within us, and not because that life in this gated community we call church seems wonderful and comfortable.”

This means alot to me as well. Live in a gated community for too long and you become ill. One of the things I love about my new church is the constant encouragement to share our God, one on one, with those in our community.  I never want to live in a gated community again! Sharing my faith is a new thing for me but God is working it in my heart and I am excited about it.

I am so glad to hear the pro-SGM heart. The church is God’s and I would never want to see it fail. I want God’s best for all of SGM.

Grateful,
BFly

If the poo hits the fan, (I would still hope for God honoring resolutions), I’ll be posting.

I have no timeframe, and again, would hope that the various pastors involved would honor God with their actions.

I have a strong pragmatic streak. I would prefer the conviction of the Holy Spirit to work in the hearts of men. Unfortunately, we’ve seen what looks like the actions of men with a seared conscience over and over again.

I don’t care if they do the right thing because of increased scrutiny. This pattern of spiritual abuse has got to stop.

So, no news will be good news. Bad news will be big news.

This is really the last fair warning I can give. SGM pastors, no matter where you live, you should assume that your next victim is probably already talking to us. I will ask for your side of the story.

I’d respond quickly.

Have I mentioned we’re thrilled?