In all fairness, Cyndi has stepped down from leading worship.

Anyway, here is my take.

Alert #1 Talking about money more than God.

Alert #2 Lack on independent thinking amongst people. People live together or near each other. Like 5 people drove the exact same make and model of cars. They ate at the same restaurants, drank from the same Starbucks, shopped at the same stores, spoke the exact same language with patent responses that were almost robotic and predictable. People were told how to respond to almost every situation.

No one I met had any friends apart from the people at TPC and most of the people divided from families because of compulsive obsessions about needing to attend every one of TPC activities. So much for reaching out and unity.

Although there was talk of being free, people seemed more bound by fear, guilt, and the bondage of performance based dictations than anything I have ever seen before.

How could I have not seen the weirdness in all of this before???

Giftofsong, Outreach, forgiveness_101, Movingon, Painfuljourney, Learningpoint, and TurningpointReject
You all have shared your observations regarding the calculated gradual shift in the teaching at Turning Point.
You have a church body that started out with a good foundation as it was a Bible based Christian faith.
Unfortunately the leaders have been seduced by the slick speech of false teachers and False Prophets / Prophetess to a more liberal position that continues to usurp the roll of the Holy Spirit. Putting the emphasis on the believers efforts to pleas a God who is never satisfied with what you are doing.
You have people walking around your church beat up by this anti Christian teaching. Then they make things even more complicated when your leaders invite more false teachers to lead the impressional students and staff into deeper false theologies.

Your pastor has allowed a wolf in sheep clothing to come into your church... Yes,
Tony Cunningham is that false teacher, self proclaimed apostle and a phony prophet.

Turning Point I pray that God would give you discernment

Just listened to Jeff Moores message from Sunday. Yes, home run. I liked his message to the church. "Yes, you need to have your sin erased....but not your personalities."

Wonder what Pastor Jeff will do now with his mom stepping down?

I've read through the books of Timothy several times in the last few days. I shared with my spouse what I though God was showing me. Thank you for posting that here, as it confirmed that I was in fact hearing from the Lord. :)

I was reminded the other day of the very first time I realized there was a poroblem at TP. I regret that I didn't step up and say/do more then, or the many time since then....Praise God for His grace.

Anyway, it was a few years back, after TP lost one of it's original deacons, Mitch. His widow needed some help around their home, as she was trying to sort out her new life w/out her husband. A number of people from TP had agreed to spend a day at her home, helping to go through some of Mitch's things, selling them, and getting the house cleaned up and organized. Well, two families ended up helping that day. Everyone else ended up at Pastor Mike's house to build him a new deck. According to some, it was *mandated* by Cyndi that Mike's disciples be there and help with the project. Pastor Mike later announced from the pulpit how honored he was, that when he arrived home that night some 100 people were out on his new deck. When someone went to Mike and expressed disappointment over the issue, it was blown off.

It's only gotten worse from there............

Should.have.seen.the.writing.on.the.wall.

Quote
Painfuljourney
In all fairness, Cyndi has stepped down from leading worship.

Anyway, here is my take.

Alert #1 Talking about money more than God.

Alert #2 Lack on independent thinking amongst people. People live together or near each other. Like 5 people drove the exact same make and model of cars. They ate at the same restaurants, drank from the same Starbucks, shopped at the same stores, spoke the exact same language with patent responses that were almost robotic and predictable. People were told how to respond to almost every situation.

No one I met had any friends apart from the people at TPC and most of the people divided from families because of compulsive obsessions about needing to attend every one of TPC activities. So much for reaching out and unity.

Although there was talk of being free, people seemed more bound by fear, guilt, and the bondage of performance based dictations than anything I have ever seen before.

How could I have not seen the weirdness in all of this before???

Painfuljourney,

In response to Cyndi stepping down well if she has now it took her long enough to do so, she was not the one who should have been up there she just or maybe Mike just wanted her front and center all the time like some sort of reminder to all of us that they are in charge and we need to remember that. What is to be done with all those years of her being on stage and the dammage it has done to so many. It is a ripple effect and they don't see it. Too much destruction from her actions has been committed at this point and how she does what she does is just passed on to someone else who will follow in her same footsteps of arrogance on stage. It is her snobbish attitude and the way she presented herslf all the time - as some an unapproachable god oe celebrity. I remeber people who were afraid literally to even speak to her and that is not the way a pastor should present herself to a church body, they are the ones serving and not being served-Mike and Cyndi have it all backwards and twisted up and I wonder if they even know the truth and the scrpitures anymore???

giftofsong

I don't think Pastor Cyndi has "stepped down" from leading worship....she's just taken a different approach to leading now. She is still in charge, and everyone knows it. She runs things, and I'm sure that she signs off on everything before they are allowed to *perfom*. She must approve anything new that they do, and she comes in at the last minute and makes changes to programs for special events and such. I know that at Easter last year, she had been pretty much uninvolved, until the Thursday practice before...then she came in and changed songs, and the dance routines....everything. She expected the changes to be made, no questions asked, no complaints. That's the way everything is done at TP.

Quote
Brokenhearted
I've read through the books of Timothy several times in the last few days. I shared with my spouse what I though God was showing me. Thank you for posting that here, as it confirmed that I was in fact hearing from the Lord. :)

I was reminded the other day of the very first time I realized there was a poroblem at TP. I regret that I didn't step up and say/do more then, or the many time since then....Praise God for His grace.

Anyway, it was a few years back, after TP lost one of it's original deacons, Mitch. His widow needed some help around their home, as she was trying to sort out her new life w/out her husband. A number of people from TP had agreed to spend a day at her home, helping to go through some of Mitch's things, selling them, and getting the house cleaned up and organized. Well, two families ended up helping that day. Everyone else ended up at Pastor Mike's house to build him a new deck. According to some, it was *mandated* by Cyndi that Mike's disciples be there and help with the project. Pastor Mike later announced from the pulpit how honored he was, that when he arrived home that night some 100 people were out on his new deck. When someone went to Mike and expressed disappointment over the issue, it was blown off.

It's only gotten worse from there............

Should.have.seen.the.writing.on.the.wall.

I REMEMBER THIS also! I think this was around the time i left the church. I couldn't believe that only a few families helped and the rest were begging at mikes house. And in response to Cyndi being a terrible singer, i agree. She shouldn't have led worship for as long as she did, yeah sure when they first started out I can see but after so long, when there are better people for the job, let them do it. That is one of the main reasons why my mom never went to TP with me when i started because she couldn't stand Cyndi's voice! and because she was the pastors wife..And now that Stephanie is doing worship, which by the way, I was in childrens with her back in the day and LOVED her! but now all i see is some concert going on instead of worshiping God! It seems WAY too concerty then just worship. and we could never understand why they had to have dancers up in the front?? and wearing different clothing? why couldn't they just wear regular clothes so there isn't so much attention on them??? my mom was hurt because she was having martial problems, so I had her go talk to Jackie and Jackie said she would call to set up an appt and never did. My mom was crushed. She just left a church before that because of getting hurt and then to have this happen, she hasn't been to church since 2004. And after going to Turning Point for almost 3 years, I dont think Cyndi ever said one word to me, I always thought she was kind of snobby.. but Mike would talk to me and even after I left, he would stop by my work and say hello and be very nice! but this was years ago, so i doubt it would happen now.. And Kim Barnes has always hurt my feelings, she would never remember who I was, but Pastor Jeff would always remember my name! and when I would go back, he would always remember how long I had been gone, etc.. I thought it was neat.. but out of everyone I was always closest to Pastor David and Pastor Jeff Moors and Pastor Jackie. And to have Pastor Jackie resign was the end of it for me. no thank you turning point.. I can't believe people are actually falling for your crap! I remember years ago, Pastor Jackies daughter telling me all about problems in the church, about mike and cyndis relationship and all these problems TP was having, and I didnt believe her.. and then she said about how the church is going to have a downhill spiral.. and she was right. But after showing this website to a friend, whose family has attended for 5+ years and are very connected and children as well, they are considering leaving as well. I'm thankful for this website and thankful for all of you on here, even though we have all come together for a terrible reason but it wouldn't have happened if God didn't want it to.. And im sorry if some of you do not like my posts but I say what I say and how I feel. Its obvious that I am still hurt after all these years.

Pastor Mike and Cyndi suffer from a serious disorder called : My Poopy don't stinky! It starts in the brain then travels down through the nasel passage! Thats where that positive confession I can create my own reality comes in! In the real world it stinks to high heaven, but in there little world it smells like roses!

And I'm sorry if I made Jackie look bad by saying she didn't reply back, maybe she called and my mom never called her back but from what my mom had said she never called or anything. And I do believe there was another girl on here writing that her mom needed help and wasn't helped either. Sorry. I think you are an amazing woman of God, Jackie and wouldn't want to hurt you in way. I am so very glad that you left TP.

Quote
Brokenhearted
I've read through the books of Timothy several times in the last few days. I shared with my spouse what I though God was showing me. Thank you for posting that here, as it confirmed that I was in fact hearing from the Lord. :)

I was reminded the other day of the very first time I realized there was a poroblem at TP. I regret that I didn't step up and say/do more then, or the many time since then....Praise God for His grace.

Anyway, it was a few years back, after TP lost one of it's original deacons, Mitch. His widow needed some help around their home, as she was trying to sort out her new life w/out her husband. A number of people from TP had agreed to spend a day at her home, helping to go through some of Mitch's things, selling them, and getting the house cleaned up and organized. Well, two families ended up helping that day. Everyone else ended up at Pastor Mike's house to build him a new deck. According to some, it was *mandated* by Cyndi that Mike's disciples be there and help with the project. Pastor Mike later announced from the pulpit how honored he was, that when he arrived home that night some 100 people were out on his new deck. When someone went to Mike and expressed disappointment over the issue, it was blown off.

It's only gotten worse from there............

Should.have.seen.the.writing.on.the.wall.

Oh my! I didn't know about the deck being in conflict with helping Mary (Mitch's widow). Before this, do you remember--were you there--when Mary was crushed terribly by Mike refusing to come visit Mitch as he was dying in the hospital? I think Mitch or Mary sent for him (though I could be wrong about that part). Someone fill in the details here, because my memory is a bit fuzzy. But I DO remember Mike giving a justification (of his not going to see Mitch) to our membership class, saying something like he doesn't just run after people when they ask. THIS WAS A DEACON! This was a man who had thrown in with the congregation to support the ministry, and of course, presumably to be supported by those in it. (We assemble to encourage one another, as well as to worship God, don't we?) Mary was deepy hurt and left the church for a while. I don't know why she came back. Mike tries to turn people's disappointments and hurts that he causes through arrogance or neglect into spiritual sins the hurt person is committing by reacting to the pain.

Yes, I too should have seen it, Brokenhearted. I have never known any other pastor to respond this way to those in the congregation who are hurting, let alone dying. Why did I "buy" the justification? Honestly, I didn't, but I kept telling myself that I am probably just being judgmental. Ugh! Well from this perspective, I wish I would have been "judgmental" (discerning), instead of just plain "mental." My bad.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/25/2009 10:56AM by LearningPoint.