I found these comments on the Herald web page from the TPC story that they ran. TPC is getting a lot of press these days and its not the sort of press they like to see. I copied these comments from the Herald page to the forum site because they talk about the "spiritual parenting" teaching at TPC.
I have not seen anyone here on this thread give any personal Testimony about their own experience with"spiritual parenting" at TPC. I have seen denials and qualifiers (i.e. They dont teach it; they stopped teaching it; they did teach it but not the same way as RLc, etc).

If you have had personal experience with the destructiveness of this or any other TPc teaching I encourage you to share your story.
TPR



Maybe...
Instead of reteaching the volunteers, how about re-teaching the Leaders of this church!
T S | Mar 8, 2009 3:42 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal
I'm learning to Believe In God Again
Our family used to go to Turning Point. At first I was angry and confused. At the time I had spiritual parents. I was not allowed to get my parents permission; they were not allowed to make decisions for me. My spiritual parents were the only ones I could go to for guidance. After leaving Turning Point, I lost most of my friends. We go to church. I love God. It still scares me and makes me angry for what they did to our family. Those who say that Turning Point is not a cult don't know or understand what they teach and what they do. I'm trying to forgive and let it go and one day I will. God restores and turns things to good my mom says. Carol

T S | Mar 8, 2009 3:40 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal
It's taken me years to Believe in God again
I am a teenager. Our family used to go to Turning Point. At first I was angry and confused. At the time I had spiritual parents. I was not allowed to get my parents permission; they were not allowed to make decisions for me. My spiritual parents were the only ones I could go to for guidance. After leaving Turning Point, I lost most of my friends. We go to church. I love God. It still scares me and makes me angry for what they did to our family. Those who say that Turning Point is not a cult don't know or understand what they teach and what they do. I'm trying to forgive and let it go and one day I will. God restores and turns things to good my mom says. Carol
T S | Mar 8, 2009 3:25 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal

Turning Point
Been there, done that. We believe to have church/religion in school. However, when "teachings" are meant to push, push, push that's wrong. We used to be members of Turning Point. We also know how they work and what thei teachings are. As a reminder to all involved. Pastor Mike and his church were not the LEADERS of Summer Jubilee. They didn't have the money to put out anymore. They decided to go out and have other churches donate money, supplies, volunteers. It was known to be a Community Church event. No one church was in charge. The churches worked "together". The whole spiritual parenting thing.... Yes! My daughter had a friend 2 weeks ago telling her that her Spiritual parent/discipler told her she couldn't hang out with our daughter. If you don't attend there, you are not religious or spiritual enough. TS
T S | Mar 8, 2009 3:11 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal

TURNING POINT - PLEASE CONSIDER THESE QUESTIONS!

Are you afraid to “Touch the Anointed?”
Are you afraid to “Come out from under the covering?”
Are you afraid to “Miss the next big move of God?”
Are you afraid to “Lose the blessing?”
Are you afraid to speak or think certain things?
Are you afraid revival is coming and you will miss it?
Are you afraid of not submitting when asked to do something?
Are you afraid of not tithing?
Are you afraid of asking questions?
Are you afraid of missing an event or gathering?
Are you afraid of being labeled religious?
Are you afraid to read anything not instructed to you?
Are you afraid people won’t like you?
Are you afraid other churches are not as “godly” as Turning Point?
Are you afraid to not worship like instructed? Work as instruction? Study like instructed? Give as instructed? Be anything else but what you are told you should be?
Are you afraid that whisper inside that says “Something is wrong”, COULD be right?

TPWOC Pastor Mike Villamor message for Sunday March 8th is now on line at they TPWOC web site: Recession Proof your Profession : How many times did Pastor Mike use the word prosper! TPWOC took it down of its web site today! How come?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/10/2009 05:41AM by buddy.

I've been very involved in turning point since the first year they met at marshall elementary school.
Though, i never attended one Sunday service or small group while TP met at marshall, OR the first couple years they were at the new building (8th st). I was VERY involved through other means. I participated in activities, cheered on their softball team (from day one), i have a "flock that rocks" shirt, was in the parade, hung out with turning point members, etc... etc... I was very close to a few people who attended this church from the get-go. I still am very close to a few people who have been there from the get-go. I remember as a pre-teen “spying on the adults” with other kids my age. We listened in a lot when we weren't supposed to.
* All this is from my perspective. I was around 10 or 11 when TP at the elementary school started, so some of this is from a kid's point of view. Maybe people can help clear up fog created over time and skewed by youthful age *
CHURCH PLANTS:
I DO NOT REMEMBER DETAIL, and i wouldn't be surprised if most of what i heard was a lot different, more "gossipy" than what the general church body heard.
- When keith left, i was informed keith left in rebellion, THOUGH, i wouldn't know if mike ever claimed lake stevens as a church plant... as i said, i wasn't involved much in the sunday church aspect)
- I remember all the wishy-washy ray stuff. The only thing i knew about ray was more leaning toward hopefest and the reasons it ended. I DO remember mike stating that, “for ________ reasons, ray's church won't succeed.”
I am pretty sure pastor mike never truly claimed lake stevens and darrington as his church plants. If he did, he sure talked enough doubt about it all behind closed doors.
- About a year ago, i was questioning these topics. Just curious because i was interested in what really happened. I was reminded that these things are not to be talked about.
- May i point out that (under my impression) we have a TP Marysville, Philippines, Oregon, Canada, and North... but... Under Apostle Mikes own resume (the website link, church plants) he has only planted 3 churches; marysville, skagit (north), and philippines
SPIRITUAL PARENTING:
I never heard or knew anything about spiritual parenting when i was younger. The first time I heard about it was probably in the context of tony being pastor mike's spiritual father. I never remember any actual teaching or sermon on spiritual parenting, just the concept. The concept was not created by us kids, but by the leaders. I feel the concept was good at times.
IE: Em needed a spiritual set of parents. We had been taught that if we had no christ like example, find one. Em needed j and s to “re-grow her”.
Here's the problems:
- The concept itself: There was huge pressure (even on some adults) to find a spiritual parent or family. There was an idea implied by leadership and church members, whether intentional or not, that life was not complete without a spiritual family/parents...
keep in mind, us w/ Christian families uninvolved in TP, our families weren't spiritual enough (implied).
- Spiritual parenting is very much a concept that gets families, namely teens, attached to the hip w/ a higher up TP family.
- The concept hurt my parents and many other parents. No TP authority ever talked to my real parents, never talked to anybody's parents, just took ownership over the children secretly. I can't say this was always the case, but I'm pretty sure it was.
- Everybody (not just kids) wanted the pastors or elders etc... as their parents AND spiritual parenting was used as “bragging rights”. “well pastor mike is my dad... etc...”
- It was a concept w/out structure. You can't have ideas floating around for people to do what they want with.
Side Notes:
- TP has ALWAYS parented the kids while the kids were on their property.
- TP has NEVER contacted my parents. They have always handled things as they see fit even in ways they had no right.
- There is a difference between spiritual parenting and spiritual covering.
- There is a huge difference between discipleship and spiritual parents.
- My family was a christian family, and even though my spiritual family helped me grow a lot and gave me a totally different christian family lifestyle view, they did it wrongly. W/out my family's approval. I don't even think my spiritual parents knew my parents didn't approve.
- Granted, in the state of washington, 13 years is the legal age of consent. I would expect fairfax to give kids medications off the kid's signature not parents, i would expect the state youth justice attorney to baby teens and help them play roles against their parents, i would expect the dshs to take over parental control or pass it onto the kid... I have seen these things and more happen. What i would not expect is for the church to do the same thing. The bible predicts the times when kids rise up against their parents. Though i loved my spiritual family, they acted no better than the liberal state we live in. They are a prime example on how parents have no rights over their kids. TP is right up there with dshs, cps, juvenile justice, and the health system. I didn't see it when i was younger. I didn't see it in the hopeless adults trying to find a family to attach to so their family would be better off. I didn't see it until now.
- I have been one of those kids allowed to spend time with my best friend until the spiritual parents stepped in and said no. I have had this happen w/ 2 different people. One of the spiritual mom's was a pastor, one a pastor's wife. I'm not saying i was the best kid in town, but i to this day don't think i deserved what happened.
- I have been one of the kids wondering what was wrong with me because everybody had spiritual parents but me. Everyone was someone's favorite. It's a horrible feeling. Sadder yet, when i finally found my “parents”, it didn't dawn on me that there may be other kids out there just as depressed as i had been.
- If i told my spiritual parents that my actual parents had a problem w/ something, they would get on me. TP didn't have as much a problem with going against parents as just not caring to see what the parents thought. They never taught me to dishonor my parents... quite opposite. Most of TP taught well on honor parents.
I think the trouble was that TP authorities, really, honestly pretended like every teen in marysville was his/her own parent.
C.C.A.D. Counter culture approach to dating:
- At the time of life a lot of us were going through, CCAD had a GREAT effect. I am a ccad success story, and i know there are many other great testimonies besides mine. I left a bad relationship using ccad and it's teachings as a crutch. I am now happily married and have kids. The pre marriage was not 100% ccad, but even 4 years after the group (ccad) ended, i kept a lot of the teachings. CCAD was good for the time it was needed. Jeff and David saw issues rise up and put an extreme stop to them.
- As far as uncomfortable situations w/ everyone being married to everyone... give me a break!!! This is turning point... everyone would have married everyone anyway. IF ANYTHING ccad helped make inner church marriages easier.... i would rather marry a guy that had a ccad relationship with my best friends as opposed to marry a man that had slept with/ argued over/ &/or kissed all my best friends!
- The concepts were good to hang on to. Not all of it was biblical. Not all of it is agreeable. It worked though, and when kids took it to even more extremes, the youth pastors said no more and put their feet down. CCAD was stopped b/c it became a clique as apposed to a teaching. Also, even jeff and david themselves admitted later it was a cult (tongue in cheek, haha...)! There are a lot of success stories out of CCAD. There are parents who are thankful for CCAD even though they hate TP
MIKE'S YOUTUBES:
- As far as mike's youtubes, i really don't see the issue. Other than the obvious that tp is a cult, there are a lot of people out there who like to youtube. Mike may be one of them. I thought the joel youtube was good. I thought it was funny the intern just decided to go w/ and video tape. I admire how mike raises his kids and enjoyed witnessing it via youtube... personal opinions.
SCHOOL / TP ISSUE:
The 19 year old knew why the city had her at that school, but mikes reason for her being in that school was more important.
Getting people to TP so they can be saved is the interns only goal. It's been stated many a time. We all rejoiced as a youth group the day jeff got accepted as a volunteer to m'ville campuses. We were told all of what jeff and them could and could not do, and it was very apparent being in school while they were there, they would push that line like no tomorrow. They always did questionable things. Not bad, just border line enough to question.
- God calls us to be faithful with the small things. Helping around campus is a small thing. They should have been happy with that.
I believe you should always be open to give an invite or for salvation to come knocking... but get real... God allows us to do things simply of need like watch a lunch room or walk a campus.
If TP can't take the opportunity to volunteer as just that, volunteer, then they don't belong there.

Quote
BraveHeart
December 21, 2008 05:50AM
Mark my word, Tony will come to the members of Radiant Life Church and announce that the name of the church will be changed.
When this happens get the heck out of that cult!

I re-posted this just to make sure it is documented

There is a pattern that cults follow, once the heat is turned up, especially by the people who have escaped the clutches of the cult! As the people who have come out of a cult regain there prospective on life and they get to the place where they can share some of there experiences they are able to start exposing what the cultists are doing behind there secret closed doors and what they are teaching. Yes, the heat is being turned up even more as Turning Point Church was featured on the front page of the Everett Herald Newspaper!

Now I say this because I'm not prophetic. It's just simply a fact this is how cults operate.

They will eventually change the name of the church to distance themselves from the negative publicity. Radiant Life Church has a history of reinventing their image and attempting to do damage control. Look at the failed ministry's of "R worship" "Real Life." Radiant Life is the mother ship to Turning Point and what we have seen Radiant Life do Turning Point is following closely behind them.

I'm going a take a stab at this, I believe Tony will begin laying the groundwork to sell off the building they are in now and or walk away from it. Then move to a new location with a new image. Of course Tony and the elders will say it was there ‘god’ who has changed the direction and gave them a new vision. Or Tony will try to disconnect from the day to day duties of pasturing a cult and try to establish a free agent position. All this will be done to help improve their image and or to trick more people into following Tony's imaginary authority.

For those of you who are still sitting on the fence not really sure what to do....consider this. Radiant life church has lost nearly 70% of their church membership. All the church plants that the supposed "apostle of god, Mr. Tony Cunningham" has had his hands on, or church’s that has been under Tony's covering. They have renounce their connection and association with Mr. Tony Cunningham the false apostle. All but Life Change Church in Coos Bay Oregon and Turning Point Church in Marysville Washington. But look out now the fruit that this association with Tony has caused Turning Point!

It is on the front page of the local news paper!!!!

Your ministry has become an embarrassment to the community.

Quote
TurningPointReject
I found these comments on the Herald web page from the TPC story that they ran. TPC is getting a lot of press these days and its not the sort of press they like to see. I copied these comments from the Herald page to the forum site because they talk about the "spiritual parenting" teaching at TPC.
I have not seen anyone here on this thread give any personal Testimony about their own experience with"spiritual parenting" at TPC. I have seen denials and qualifiers (i.e. They don't teach it; they stopped teaching it; they did teach it but not the same way as RLc, etc).

If you have had personal experience with the destructiveness of this or any other TPc teaching I encourage you to share your story.
TPR



Maybe...
Instead of reteaching the volunteers, how about re-teaching the Leaders of this church!
T S | Mar 8, 2009 3:42 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal
I'm learning to Believe In God Again
Our family used to go to Turning Point. At first I was angry and confused. At the time I had spiritual parents. I was not allowed to get my parents permission; they were not allowed to make decisions for me. My spiritual parents were the only ones I could go to for guidance. After leaving Turning Point, I lost most of my friends. We go to church. I love God. It still scares me and makes me angry for what they did to our family. Those who say that Turning Point is not a cult don't know or understand what they teach and what they do. I'm trying to forgive and let it go and one day I will. God restores and turns things to good my mom says. Carol

T S | Mar 8, 2009 3:40 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal
It's taken me years to Believe in God again
I am a teenager. Our family used to go to Turning Point. At first I was angry and confused. At the time I had spiritual parents. I was not allowed to get my parents permission; they were not allowed to make decisions for me. My spiritual parents were the only ones I could go to for guidance. After leaving Turning Point, I lost most of my friends. We go to church. I love God. It still scares me and makes me angry for what they did to our family. Those who say that Turning Point is not a cult don't know or understand what they teach and what they do. I'm trying to forgive and let it go and one day I will. God restores and turns things to good my mom says. Carol
T S | Mar 8, 2009 3:25 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal

Turning Point
Been there, done that. We believe to have church/religion in school. However, when "teachings" are meant to push, push, push that's wrong. We used to be members of Turning Point. We also know how they work and what thei teachings are. As a reminder to all involved. Pastor Mike and his church were not the LEADERS of Summer Jubilee. They didn't have the money to put out anymore. They decided to go out and have other churches donate money, supplies, volunteers. It was known to be a Community Church event. No one church was in charge. The churches worked "together". The whole spiritual parenting thing.... Yes! My daughter had a friend 2 weeks ago telling her that her Spiritual parent/discipler told her she couldn't hang out with our daughter. If you don't attend there, you are not religious or spiritual enough. TS
T S | Mar 8, 2009 3:11 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal

PEOPLE START ASKING QUESTIONS!!!

CALL THE CHURCH OFFICE AND GET SOME STRAIGHT ANSWERS....
Oh sorry they have been given a gag order by Mike not to talk on the phone. They will not issue any thing in writing... Because there afraid they will get caught in another lie and it will come back and bite them in the rear-end.

TALK TO PEOPLE AT THE TURNING POINT CHURCH, THEN, LETS COMPARE NOTES ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE SAYING.....

CHURCHES THAT ARE SECRET ARE HIDING SOMETHING, WHY CAN'T THEY JUST TELL YOU THE TRUTH? HOW ABOUT COMING CLEAN REPENT FROM ALL THE SELF APPOINTED APOSTLE STUFF AND RENOUNCE THE FALSE TEACHINGS THAT HAVE FLOWED INT YOUR CHURCH.


MIKE, YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO BE ACCOUNTABLE IF NOT TO GOD, THEN THE COMMUNITY, THEY WILL HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE!!!
OR YOU WILL END UP DOING MORE DAMAGE AND HURTING MORE PEOPLE.
BUT THEN, THAT IS RIGHT TONY TEACHES YOU THAT THERE ARE NECESSARY CASUALTIES IN ADVANCING YOUR KINGDOM.

BraveHeart

IsI
Thank you for sharing your prospective and welcome.

BraveHeart

People of Turning Point
if you want to see what will happen to your church start reading the
"Has Anyone Ever Heard of Radiant Life Church in Sacramento"
Read what "Ring Barer" just posted.

Dear ISI,
Thank you for joining the forum and for sharing you experiences at TP.

Well; I did it again. For anyone here that is negatively effeted by my latest video - I am truely sorry. This video was created by simple watching all the youth video from TPC and receiving an unbiassed impression.

The title came last.

[www.youtube.com]

I just want you all to know how my heart aches. I hate seeing the community that I love being torn apart. I have an urgent concern for those being deceived. The pride, the arrogance, the jokes....they really don't understand. Even those who once questioned, are now defending. I just don't understand.

Proverbs 11:2
When Pride comes, then comes disgrace,
but with humility comes wisdom.

Proverbs 18:12
Before his downfall a man's heart is proud,
but humility comes before honor.

Proverbs 19:9
A false witness will not go unpunished,
and he who pours out lies will perish.

Proverbs 19:21
Many are the plans in a man's heart,
but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.