What kind of religious organization are they really? I don't deny that the outward actions of Gracepoint … I deconverted after the experience. Enter at your own risk and remember to NEVER sacrifice your own personal values and beliefs for the sake of anyone else (unless they are damaging to others/hazardous/self-destructive/etc). Churches that Abuse – “Abusive Churches Make Leavi... Gracepoint and the Silicon Valley Church? Every group at Berkeley who actively recruits seemed to be on the high end. Written out Sunday Prayers at Gracepoint Berkeley, Why Spiritual Abuse is So Powerful and Wicked. Yes it's an "all in" church. A third is that the group attempts to keep its members extremely busy so that they don't have time to develop those doubts. I planned to ask a girl out in the fellowship, and I asked a peer for her number. Unplug from UCBMFET. We started as a campus-focused church a block away from UC Berkeley. I wouldn't call the consulting clubs on campus "cults" because their members put in similar time commitments. Exposing the truth about Gracepoint Church (formerly Berkland Baptist Church) and affiliated ministries. ), but - I'm going to be honest - who doesn't spend time doing things they love? I didn't attend gp Berkeley, but I went to acts 2 Fellowship in UCI. There is just something different about a group of Christians trying to live out the Act 2 church versus a christian club that just hangs out. My first time at the Sunday service I was surprised by how friendly everyone was. The pastor and his wife are a fine couple that lead the congregation and have given up lucrative careers to do so. I've been a lifelong Christian but what they do is really, really extreme. I don't know. Some years later, they issued a statement renouncing past practices and saying that they'd been wrong in the past, but they'd be better now. Yes, they are very intentional in their faith. I don't think she cut off all relations with people outside of her church (because, going off the interpretation that GP wants to evangelize, this is counterproductive). How helpful are reviews of a church when they're left by their own members? Days later, the staff asked me out for lunch. It really suprised me and other students. Gracepoint Berkeley is a church located near the University of California, Berkeley campus. To hell with Koinonia. Are You Covering for a Spiritually Abusive Pastor? This includes "unhealthy addictions" and "sinful acts" which may include: partying, drugs, bad influences of friends, excessive social media use, etc. Still, based on my experiences, I cannot be more thankful I found a group where I can grow in my faith. I have made my faith personal here, and I have truly devoted my life to God. Both Unity in Christ at Berkeley and the Southern Baptist Convention check the practices and beliefs of member churches and college fellowships - meaning, if nothing else, that they do provide a layer of accountability and a church like Gracepoint literally could not join if it were a cult. The Credibility of Bitter Gracepoint Leavers, Need for Outside Input to See Things Objectively. Our first wave of graduates stuck around, and soon, other ministries were started so we could see every believer in our church grow to become ministers of the gospel: to our children, the youth, the elderly, and more! The fellowships from Gracepoint are registered members of the ASUC (Berkeley's Student Union) and Unity in Christ, the overarching Christian group overseeing the different Christian college fellowships here. Press J to jump to the feed. Dropping any "idols," or things you always think about more than God. This type of behavior is scummy, to say the least, and to be honest, every religious group seems to exhibit cult-like aspects in some way, but established, non-charismatic, non-evangelical organizations seem to inhabit the lower rungs of the ladder. They have services Telegraph and Stewart. Culture of Service & Compassion Serving our Local Community & Internationally Changing the World by Sharing the Love of Jesus. The site addresses features of cults, but it also applies to Gracepoint Berkeley. Some students hold onto their self-worth and leave GP, some become followers of God and leave GP, but those who stay pretty much allow GP to guide their lives. One of my old friends is apparently is in this church and I wanted to find out more about the "cult-like" organization after a mutual friend brought up how she's completely been brainwashed by them. I want to do these things. It seems your friend is walking down this path. From the perspective of GP: "if heaven existed, shouldn't you be spending your time telling everyone?". However, I have found nothing but beneficial experiences so far. We have felt some strain in our relationship with her, her husband (also a leader), and our grandaughters. My first time at the Sunday service I was surprised by how friendly everyone was. They say that you shouldn't do anything that will "get in the way between your relationship with God" and that applies to alcohol, sex, social media, list goes on. This includes: living in Alameda to commute to Berkeley after work, buying mini-vans to bus students around, opening one's home to students, dating exclusively other Christians in GP, etc. The majority (something like 60%) of evangelical youth are completely out of organized religion of any sort by the time they hit 25 years of age. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts.
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