I guess now is as good a time as any to post something here. I've been following this forum for over a year and have watched people share their opinions, stories, hurts, pains, trials, and victories when it comes to dealing with Turning Point. I've been hurting and angry for awhile and I guess I might as well try this considering the new circumstances that have presented themselves. I also believe this will cause many to question and look deeper...maybe ask those questions that they have long been avoiding or facing the things and issues that they keep covering up. I believe this is the start of the end...

My name is Emily Masten. My husband and I stopped going to Turning Point in the beginning of April. Circumstances were a little bit different for me then your average person because of my involvement in the church. I was a receptionist/support staff member and also worked a lot in the youth ministry. I first started questioning things and wondering why things didn't feel "right" in September, when Mike and Cyndi first went on sabbatical. I didn't really start asking questions till end of October. Went through what I'm sure many of you went through where it hit me that I didn't agree with much going on. I waited till Mike and Cyndi got back from sabbatical and wanted to see if things were going to change or what the next step was. Things didn't change...in fact they just got weirder and more uncomfortable. I found out about Mike and Cyndi's marital problems (not a big deal...we all have marriage problems...you know...welcome to the club). It wasn't that fact that hit my heart...it was the fact that they lied to the staff and deacons and the entire congregation about why they went on sabbatical. I had friends asking me what I thought about all the weird marriage problems people were "all of a sudden" having. I didn't know what to say. My heart broke and all I knew was that was the final straw. I wrote up my resignation letter and basically said... "I can't trust you and will not support the ministry of someone I can't trust...I'm done."

Since then I have had many different journeys of trying to get healing but have seemingly run into brick wall after brick wall. Right when something amazing happens and I think I am gaining ground...moving on...something else comes and smacks me back down. Now...these accusations have me back in that same spot again. I do not believe the pain and frustration I feel even compares to that of the ppl they are accusing...but I can't help but feel like its starting all over again. But this time...I believe it is the beginning of the end. You can't just shake it off...it must be faced.

I know people from the church have tremendously negative views on the people who have left. They think we are just bitter and angry and hurt...but you know what...who cares if they are all of those things. Isn't it our responsibility...our PRIVILEGE to help and bring healing to those hurt and angry and bitter people??? People aren't recycleable...you can't just decide that since you drank all the juice and sucked the life out of this person you can just move on...no. They are breathing people who have been hurt.

Deciding to leave a church isn't easy. In fact it was probably the most painful and scary thing I have ever done in my life, but I would NEVER go back and will never change my mind. I may be a horrible sinner...I may be a bitter stupid bitch...but damn straight...I belong to God and He still loves and accepts me. I just pray for all those people who have been horribly hurt and right now are questioning everything...seek truth. Don't just believe something because someone who is charismatic and influential convinced you. Pray and listen for the voice of God and don't ignore your convictions...that is the Spirit inside of you speaking and leading.

God's will be done.

- Emily Masten

Very well said Emily.

D of D

If you want an example of how TPC has lost its way how about this:

What is Summer Jubilee?

What was its main goal?

How did it start?

GIVE AWAY SCHOOL SUPPLIES!

So, this year money was tight and the event had to find places to cut spending. Where did TPC leadership make the largest cut? Music? Entertainment? Food? NO! School Supplies! The budget was cut by half! Now instead of the needy coming and getting ALL the supplies they need they will get some of them and some free entertainment too. Did you have a say in this? Did the other churches who are suppose to be involved have a say? NO! TPC did it on their own. TPC has in a nut shell decided that they would rather put on a show than give away school supplies.

There is only one reason for this poor decision - PRIDE!

"We can't put on a poor show in a venue like the one this year! We have to look good! Let's cut the ministry back!" That's what TPC leaders decided. Good decision, I am sure when those families are sitting at home wondering how to get the rest of the supplies they need will be saying "well, we got a good show!"

This looks like the same people who cut benevolence to spend $25,000 on a TPC worship CD.

Wake up TPC and start fulfilling Gods work to His people and stop worrying about how big and pretty of a church you can be!!!

Hidden....I am so sorry that you've had to walk this journey. Praise God that He walks with us.

I have been seeking Him, trying to stay focused, and not give in to the temptation to react emotionally. Emotions are running high though, I am hurt and angry, but I believe that our Lord and Savior is angry too. I have been praying for repentence and reconciliation. I still am praying these things, but my hope is dwindling, I confess. I am afraid, hidden, that you are right, and that this is the beginning of the end.

My heart is breaking all over again.

I am in shock and awe that everyone is listening to Mans testimony. Though it may seem damning I wonder what would any of those who believe jackie is guilty have done to Joseph? Better still What would they have done to Jesus? Jesus was brought before the court and was also cross examined by the experts and teachers of the law. He didn't defend himself and went to his death. Where was jackie last night - at home crying at the betrayal she feels. Jesus went to his death without defense like a lamb to the saughter.

Mike has had four months to build up his investigation against jackie - I doubt he looked for other options or other possible guilty parties. It's far to helpful for him to have Jackie dragged through the mud. Jackie has had since Friday to think what they might be talking about. Yesterday she finally received her first peice of paper asking about the items in question for which she could explain all of them. She has NEVER seen the evidence even when she asked for it. Even in their letter they said 'this is the second time we have attempted to contact you' when was the first - friday. On reading the letter she was releived to finally know what items they were questioning and had explanations for all of them. Mike jumped the gun and worked to destroy her.

BTW I'm curious of all the 'prophets' at turning point - including Cindy not one of them heard from God over the past 3 years that Jackie was stealing - could it be because she wasn't?? Further still there have been numerous dreams, visions and prophetic words against turning point and Mike. I suggest we do what Peter did to annanias and Saphira and listen to the Holy Spirit, not mans testimony. God has obviously not spoken prophetically to ANYONE regarding Jackie prior to this - so what will we do - listen to the experts of the law - or to God. I for one will keep my eyes on God not man for what I believe.

Listen Up Leaders of TPc...
Hear The Word of the Lord Oh Members of the "world" outreach Center
From The Message (Pastor Cyndi's favorite version):

Micah 2

God Has Had Enough

1-5 Doom to those who plot evil,
who go to bed dreaming up crimes!
As soon as it's morning,
they're off, full of energy, doing what they've planned.
They covet fields and grab them,
find homes and take them.
They bully the neighbor and his family,
see people only for what they can get out of them.

God has had enough. He says,
"I have some plans of my own:
Disaster because of this interbreeding evil!
Your necks are on the line.
You're not walking away from this.
It's doomsday for you.

Mocking ballads will be sung of you,
and you yourselves will sing the blues:
'Our lives are ruined,
our homes and lands auctioned off.
They take everything, leave us nothing!
All is sold to the highest bidder.'"
And there'll be no one to stand up for you,
no one to speak for you before God and his jury.

6-7"Don't preach," say the preachers.
"Don't preach such stuff.
Nothing bad will happen to us.
Talk like this to the family of Jacob?
Does God lose his temper?
Is this the way he acts?
Isn't he on the side of good people?
Doesn't he help those who help themselves?"

8-11"What do you mean, 'good people'!
You're the enemy of my people!
You rob unsuspecting people
out for an evening stroll.
You take their coats off their backs
like soldiers who plunder the defenseless.
You drive the women of my people
out of their ample homes.
You make victims of the children
and leave them vulnerable to violence and vice.
Get out of here, the lot of you.
You can't take it easy here!
You've polluted this place,
and now you're polluted—ruined!

If someone showed up with a good smile and glib tongue
and told lies from morning to night—
'I'll preach sermons that will tell you
how you can get anything you want from God:
More money, the best wines...you name it'—
you'd hire him on the spot as your preacher!

12-13"I'm calling a meeting, Jacob.
I want everyone back—all the survivors of Israel.
I'll get them together in one place—
like sheep in a fold, like cattle in a corral—
a milling throng of homebound people!
Then I, God, will burst all confinements
and lead them out into the open.
They'll follow their King.
I will be out in front leading them."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/07/2009 11:36PM by TurningPointReject.

After last night’s meeting and the prayer meeting in the park of current and ex-members of the church while the meeting occurred, I am reminded of a scene in the move The American President where after months of purposely ignoring his rival Michael Douglas walks into a news conference to respond to Richard Dreyfus and said “…I've known Bob Rumson for years, and I've been operating under the assumption that the reason Bob devotes so much time and energy to shouting at the rain was that he simply didn't get it…. Change a few words and you will see what I mean.

I've watched Mike Villamor act in his capacity as Senior Pastor for years, and I've been operating under the assumption that the reason Mike devotes so much time and energy to shouting at the rain was that he simply didn't get it. Well, I was wrong. Mike's problem isn't that he doesn't get it. Mike’s problem is that he can't sell it! Turning Point Church has serious problems to solve, and they need serious people to solve them. And whatever your particular problem is, I promise you, Mike Villamor is not the least bit interested in solving it. He is interested in two things and two things only: making you afraid of it and telling you who's to blame for it. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you stop the exodus of members from his church and shore up the amount of tithes and offerings TPC takes in every month. You gather a group of middle-aged, middle-class, middle-income members of the church who remember with longing an easier time, and you talk to them about God and character. And wave an old photo of an ex-staff member/elder and you scream about financial issues and you tell them, she's to blame for what happened, and you hire an accounting firm to call her a thief. The lady we love has done nothing to you or TPC, Mike. She has done nothing but what you asked her to do and then stand up to you and tell you were wrong in the direction you were taking the church. You want to yell about misconduct Mike, pull the plank out of you own eye before you attempt to remove the speck from her eye. Because the lady we all love is way out of your league and God will defend her and vindicate her. And you Mike, you will be exposed along with those who do your bidding blindly.

Mike your fifteen minutes are up. Last night was not a new beginning for TPC it was the beginning of the end of TPC and the only one happy about it is the enemy, but you just do not get that either.

Die Quietly has a good point. With all the prophetic people in the church no one had dreams or visions about Jackies guilt? Yet so many had dreams about Mike & Cyndi.

Isn't Cyndi the lead prophet of the church? Why didn't God reveal all this to her BEFORE hundreds of people started leaving the church? Why didn't they bring this out then? Is it because they are scared that so many people are leaving? Is it because they are afraid the church is still losing attenders & ultimately more money, putting their lifestyles at risk?

Are the people only staying because their egos are being stroked or because they are getting paid?

Lets just say the accusations are true. They are not but lets pretend. Didn't Cyndi preach on the adulterous woman a few weeks ago? The adulterous woman was found in sin. Guilty in front of all. What did Cyndi say? What did Jesus do? Did He pick up a stone throw it at the guilty & then encourage others to do the same. No. He told others, "He who is without sin, let him cast the first stone."

So it looks like we can preach on forgiveness, talk about love & grace, speak from the pulpit about loving your enemies & covering over a sin, but then when it comes down to it stack up a big piles of rocks & then stone the most innocent among them.

What do you think? Doesn't sound like Jesus, does it?

I was totally in the dark to any of the plotting of TPWOC, or any thing about yesterday's prayer meeting until a e-mail. On Wednesday, I was driving down Firetrail road when I felt I should go drive through Aspen and pray for the True word of God to be seen, heard, and all the cloaking and deceptive twists of His word and promises would be revealed. Thank you Lord, for that nudging.

This morning I read the most recent inputs, yes, prayer is our strongest tool, weapon.
With all the emotions that is whipping around, I ask everyone to hold fast to God's promises.
He never leaves or forsakes us. In Psalms is our cry of the former members of TP.
Let us hold firm to what the word of God says, in 1 Cor. 12:13 "....the greatest of these is LOVE." My experience in TP, they were lacking LOVE. They will say we are fighting this fight because we are bitter, angry, lost. Their view is so tainted from the lies, and deceptions they can't think any other way. I call all of us the show love to the lost, deceived. Think of how Jesus reached the sinners of His day, with love. It is easier to hate and rant about TP leaders attacking Jackie.

Pray, pray, and show love. I pray we can see the deceived people as Christ sees them and not get lost in our emotions during this trial. We can't get caught up in our emotions that we act and say things as they do. The truth will be seen and known.

Mike has whipped up this frenzy as a distraction, and some of the people involved in TP are coming to a (lack of a better term) a turning point in their thoughts of TP. Many are confused and their thoughts are spinning, I pray for clarity.

Someone from inside TP posted this on Facebook! How CAN THEY SAY THAT? Argh! I'm so angry!!!!!!!!!!!

WE WILL STAND AND NOT BE SHAKEN THANK YOU LORD FOR YOUR POWER OF LOVE THAT IS EVERLASTING AND NEVER CHANGING. THANK YOU GOD FOR THE LEADERSHIP YOU HAVE BLESSED US WITH. PEOPLE WHO LIVE A LIFE F INTEGRITY, HUMILITY, AND TRANSPARENCY. WE ARE BLESSED. LET US GO FORTH AND GIVE HOPE TO THE UNLOVED AND BRING FORTH GOD'S WORD LET IT BE A SWEET FRAGRANCE OF HIS NEVER ENDING LOVE TO THE CITY AND TO THE NATION.

That part of "Thank you God for the LEADERSHIP" and "people who live a life of integrity?" What? WHATEVER!