Re: The Living Word Fellowship, The Walk, John Robert Stevens
Posted by:
I_woke_up
()
Date: August 29, 2019 07:10PM
@Onion
I received this email from Shiloh on 8/2/19.
Subject: Requesting Feedback and Thoughts
Invitation for Mending Broken Relationships:
We are at the end of what has been known as The Living Word Fellowship. All of the entities that were part of the fellowship, including the Shiloh church, have been legally separated from it. In addition, the Shiloh church property is in the process of possibly being annexed into the City of Kalona, with discussions of donating some property to the city, including utilities, roads, and recreation areas.
Over the past 6 to 8 months, those of us who were part of the Shiloh church have gone in different directions. Some are attending other churches or home meetings, some have moved away, and some are taking a break from all things related or organized church. As those who have had longstanding relationships with each other, we can (if we would like to) move on with love and relationships intact or restored where they may have been damaged. Many of us will be in this community for years to come. It would follow Scripture to have the same love and respect for each other as we do with our other neighbors and churches in the community. No one should feel apprehensive to see each other in our neighborhoods and community.
After PastorServe completed their interviews with those who had been congregants in the Shiloh church, they provided valuable insights and recommendations. To date, a number of the recommendations have been implemented. However, one of the recommendations was to engage in the process of mending relationships. Here is what they said.
It’s clear to us there are some broken relationships where reconciliation needs to take place. We can be reconciled to one another because God has reconciled us to himself, through Jesus Christ. When biblical reconciliation is absent, it robs the Church of the unity that God longs for in our relationships with one another. We offer mediation services at PastorServe, and there are other organizations that offer this as well.
As we all follow different paths in our Christian faith (or spiritual journey), we would like to see if there is interest in some sort of relationship-mending process. We have recently talked with Lon Marshall of Cornerstone Brief Therapy. Lon is a licensed Christian counselor and has facilitated reconciliation for churches in the Kalona area. He would be willing to work with us if there was the desire to do so. All costs for Lon’s services would be covered by Shiloh. And we would look for a neutral location to hold any meetings.
The intention for reconciliation is not to bring people back to any particular church, and it is not to try to influence anyone to think a certain way. Hopefully it could stimulate healing and reconciliation amongst all of us who continue to live in this community as well as those who have moved away.
Please reply to this email with your response to the following two questions:
1. Do you feel this is needed, or that it could be helpful?
2. If so, would you like to participate in an exploratory meeting with Lon Marshal to determine the ground rules and goals for reconciliation meetings?
I received this email from Shiloh on 8/2/19.
Subject: Requesting Feedback and Thoughts
Invitation for Mending Broken Relationships:
We are at the end of what has been known as The Living Word Fellowship. All of the entities that were part of the fellowship, including the Shiloh church, have been legally separated from it. In addition, the Shiloh church property is in the process of possibly being annexed into the City of Kalona, with discussions of donating some property to the city, including utilities, roads, and recreation areas.
Over the past 6 to 8 months, those of us who were part of the Shiloh church have gone in different directions. Some are attending other churches or home meetings, some have moved away, and some are taking a break from all things related or organized church. As those who have had longstanding relationships with each other, we can (if we would like to) move on with love and relationships intact or restored where they may have been damaged. Many of us will be in this community for years to come. It would follow Scripture to have the same love and respect for each other as we do with our other neighbors and churches in the community. No one should feel apprehensive to see each other in our neighborhoods and community.
After PastorServe completed their interviews with those who had been congregants in the Shiloh church, they provided valuable insights and recommendations. To date, a number of the recommendations have been implemented. However, one of the recommendations was to engage in the process of mending relationships. Here is what they said.
It’s clear to us there are some broken relationships where reconciliation needs to take place. We can be reconciled to one another because God has reconciled us to himself, through Jesus Christ. When biblical reconciliation is absent, it robs the Church of the unity that God longs for in our relationships with one another. We offer mediation services at PastorServe, and there are other organizations that offer this as well.
As we all follow different paths in our Christian faith (or spiritual journey), we would like to see if there is interest in some sort of relationship-mending process. We have recently talked with Lon Marshall of Cornerstone Brief Therapy. Lon is a licensed Christian counselor and has facilitated reconciliation for churches in the Kalona area. He would be willing to work with us if there was the desire to do so. All costs for Lon’s services would be covered by Shiloh. And we would look for a neutral location to hold any meetings.
The intention for reconciliation is not to bring people back to any particular church, and it is not to try to influence anyone to think a certain way. Hopefully it could stimulate healing and reconciliation amongst all of us who continue to live in this community as well as those who have moved away.
Please reply to this email with your response to the following two questions:
1. Do you feel this is needed, or that it could be helpful?
2. If so, would you like to participate in an exploratory meeting with Lon Marshal to determine the ground rules and goals for reconciliation meetings?
Re: The Living Word Fellowship, The Walk, John Robert Stevens
Posted by:
changedagain
()
Date: August 30, 2019 01:24AM
Reconciliation:
1. the restoration of friendly relations.
2. the action of making one view or belief compatible with another.
1. the restoration of friendly relations.
2. the action of making one view or belief compatible with another.
Re: The Living Word Fellowship, The Walk, John Robert Stevens
Posted by:
Reepicheep
()
Date: August 30, 2019 02:39AM
Not wanting to say too much and waiting for Onion's response...I just have one question. Who is the "we" they kept referring to? Was the letter signed by any individual? I would suggest to anyone receiving a similar letter that they think hard before becoming involved in some kind of amorphous reconciliation effort. You can do that with individual friends at your own pace. Rest assured that many of us will never receive any similar communication, although we gave many, many years of our lives to this organization.
Re: The Living Word Fellowship, The Walk, John Robert Stevens
Posted by:
changedagain
()
Date: August 30, 2019 03:48AM
Re: The Living Word Fellowship, The Walk, John Robert Stevens
Posted by: I_woke_up
Date: October 26, 2018 09:39PM
There are now pastors wives posting on Shalom’s FB post. On one hand I believe they think they mean well and they believe what they say... on the other hand, I feel they did not post without first getting permission from the higher-ups/abusers and/or were instructed to post. Their responses feel programmed and this saddens me.
For those of us who experienced years upon years of TLWF, it's nearly impossible to believe that anything originating from leadership (or former leadership) not be calculated to produce a certain response in order to facilitate an agenda they have in mind. Sad, but true. There are certain people in your life you trust instinctively, usually based on years of positive encounters, and others others you don't. You should not feel guilty for acknowledging this and factoring it in to your decisioning making. Knowing who you can trust, and who you can't, is a key to survival and having enough freedom to enjoy life.
Posted by: I_woke_up
Date: October 26, 2018 09:39PM
There are now pastors wives posting on Shalom’s FB post. On one hand I believe they think they mean well and they believe what they say... on the other hand, I feel they did not post without first getting permission from the higher-ups/abusers and/or were instructed to post. Their responses feel programmed and this saddens me.
For those of us who experienced years upon years of TLWF, it's nearly impossible to believe that anything originating from leadership (or former leadership) not be calculated to produce a certain response in order to facilitate an agenda they have in mind. Sad, but true. There are certain people in your life you trust instinctively, usually based on years of positive encounters, and others others you don't. You should not feel guilty for acknowledging this and factoring it in to your decisioning making. Knowing who you can trust, and who you can't, is a key to survival and having enough freedom to enjoy life.
Re: The Living Word Fellowship, The Walk, John Robert Stevens
Posted by:
I_woke_up
()
Date: August 30, 2019 04:20AM
Reepicheep,
The email was not signed so I’m left feeling like who wants to reconcile?! I’m not even sure who all still participates in this organization. It also was sent in clusters to 15 people at a time, instead of bcc’s.
I personally don’t respect any organization that quotes scripture AT people and doesn’t follow it themselves (leadership).
To quote Brene Brown, “Leaders must either invest a reasonable amount of time attending to fears and feelings or squander an unreasonable amount of time trying to manage ineffective and unproductive behavior.” As Brown declares, “Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind.”
TLWF is as clear as mud!
The email was not signed so I’m left feeling like who wants to reconcile?! I’m not even sure who all still participates in this organization. It also was sent in clusters to 15 people at a time, instead of bcc’s.
I personally don’t respect any organization that quotes scripture AT people and doesn’t follow it themselves (leadership).
To quote Brene Brown, “Leaders must either invest a reasonable amount of time attending to fears and feelings or squander an unreasonable amount of time trying to manage ineffective and unproductive behavior.” As Brown declares, “Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind.”
TLWF is as clear as mud!
Re: The Living Word Fellowship, The Walk, John Robert Stevens
Posted by:
changedagain
()
Date: August 30, 2019 05:04AM
I_woke_up Wrote:
> I personally don’t respect any organization that
> quotes scripture AT people and doesn’t follow it
> themselves (leadership).
> To quote Brene Brown, “Leaders must either invest
> a reasonable amount of time attending to fears and
> feelings or squander an unreasonable amount of
> time trying to manage ineffective and unproductive
> behavior.” As Brown declares, “Clear is kind.
> Unclear is unkind.”
Perfect!
> I personally don’t respect any organization that
> quotes scripture AT people and doesn’t follow it
> themselves (leadership).
> To quote Brene Brown, “Leaders must either invest
> a reasonable amount of time attending to fears and
> feelings or squander an unreasonable amount of
> time trying to manage ineffective and unproductive
> behavior.” As Brown declares, “Clear is kind.
> Unclear is unkind.”
Perfect!
Re: The Living Word Fellowship, The Walk, John Robert Stevens
Posted by:
Reepicheep
()
Date: August 30, 2019 05:35AM
Quote
Reepicheep,
The email was not signed so I’m left feeling like who wants to reconcile?! I’m not even sure who all still participates in this organization. It also was sent in clusters to 15 people at a time, instead of bcc’s.
I personally don’t respect any organization that quotes scripture AT people and doesn’t follow it themselves (leadership).
To quote Brene Brown, “Leaders must either invest a reasonable amount of time attending to fears and feelings or squander an unreasonable amount of time trying to manage ineffective and unproductive behavior.” As Brown declares, “Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind.”
TLWF is as clear as mud!
I_woke_up,
Sending the email in clusters of fifteen rather than BCCs indicates to me a type of undue influence. Fourteen other people now know that an individual received that email, if I understand correctly. The leadership has always used peer pressure as a tool for control.
"It would follow Scripture to have the same love and respect for each other as we do with our other neighbors and churches in the community. No one should feel apprehensive to see each other in our neighborhoods and community."
I agree with you, Woke, "spiritual leaders" who have abused the people that they should have been serving and protecting have a hell of a lot nerve telling ANYONE how scripture applies to this situation. Not signing the letter or indicating in any way who it is coming from, other than "Shiloh", is unhelpful. Also, "Shiloh" would not be in the situation of needing to exhort people to accept and welcome encounters with one another in everyday life had they not engaged in abusive practices for decades. And once lost, respect must be earned.
Love your Brene Brown quote. <3
Re: The Living Word Fellowship, The Walk, John Robert Stevens
Posted by:
changedagain
()
Date: August 30, 2019 06:10AM
I wonder if I will receive an unsigned Happy Birthday email from Shiloh this year...maybe sent in a cluster? Not that it will have an impact, one way or another :)
Re: The Living Word Fellowship, The Walk, John Robert Stevens
Posted by:
puddington
()
Date: August 30, 2019 06:10AM
I don’t particularly care for a message that seems to say to me “forgive now or else”
Also, I think the clumps of 15 on the email is a way to control damage in case someone was to respond (to all) with negative statements.
Also, I think the clumps of 15 on the email is a way to control damage in case someone was to respond (to all) with negative statements.
Re: The Living Word Fellowship, The Walk, John Robert Stevens
Posted by:
changedagain
()
Date: August 30, 2019 07:38AM
We are at the end of what has been known as The Living Word Fellowship. All of the entities that were part of the fellowship, including the Shiloh church, have been legally separated from it. In addition, the Shiloh church property is in the process of possibly being annexed into the City of Kalona, with discussions of donating some property to the city, including utilities, roads, and recreation areas.
It would be nice to know that going forward no one individual, group of people or organization connected to former TLWF leadership profits from the sale of Shiloh property. Right there seems to be a push for reconciliation, but no inkling on how this aspect of things will be handled. Some of the deepest wounds people have suffered while in this fellowship are linked to a sense of betrayal, realizing that their tithes, offerings and labor ultimately benefited a handful of people, at the expense of the fellowship and its stated mission. I think a reconciliation without spelling this out (legally) is unworkable.
p.s. when is the senior facility promised by John going to be built? /s
It would be nice to know that going forward no one individual, group of people or organization connected to former TLWF leadership profits from the sale of Shiloh property. Right there seems to be a push for reconciliation, but no inkling on how this aspect of things will be handled. Some of the deepest wounds people have suffered while in this fellowship are linked to a sense of betrayal, realizing that their tithes, offerings and labor ultimately benefited a handful of people, at the expense of the fellowship and its stated mission. I think a reconciliation without spelling this out (legally) is unworkable.
p.s. when is the senior facility promised by John going to be built? /s
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