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Post by as i c it on Apr 27, 2006 12:23:17 GMT -5
I'm just wondering: what happening in the 2 x 2 church (in your area) today?
Are you growing? changing? dying? (And why?)
Any thoughts on the subject???
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Post by Brick on Apr 27, 2006 12:56:39 GMT -5
Life is change. As we grow, so do we die, even sometimes to support the new growth. And the new growth, although coming out of the same tree, will be uniquely different.
So it is with us. A few new children professing, a few leaving, others arriving from other areas with a slightly different revelation, old ones fading.
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Post by guestS on Apr 27, 2006 12:58:10 GMT -5
It is the same handful of people that it was 6 years ago...same meeting places, same stale "bread" being fed, no praise and worship, no altar calls, no missions, no outreach, no youth programs, no preaching Jesus IS God, no celebrating His birth or resurrection. The only thing that has changed is the workers..faces and names that is....not their misguided doctrine. The sheep are still lost without a True shepherd...wandering from meeting, to Meeting, to MEETING...all the while proclaiming "what a privilege it is to provide room and board for God's special messengers." Wake up people!
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Post by thoughts on Apr 27, 2006 13:03:36 GMT -5
I'm just wondering: what happening in the 2 x 2 church (in your area) today? Are you growing? changing? dying? (And why?) Any thoughts on the subject??? my thoughts is people will post anything to get a little bit of gossip about the fellowship. |
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Post by as i c it on Apr 27, 2006 13:09:02 GMT -5
thoughts,
And my thoughts are that some people will read all that others post---just to get a bit of gossip about the fellowship.
Or else: some are just plain interested/wondering kind of individuals...
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Post by Zorro on Apr 27, 2006 14:18:05 GMT -5
As you are aware, I am from Iowa and there is a perception that "something is going on" here. I just recieved a call the other night from a currently professing man, former Iowan, who asked me that very question. I told him I don't think anything is going on here that's not going on anywhere else - except for one thing....there is a very open internet participation of members and former members. There's an even larger number of current members and workers observing and posting anonymously (do you think we don't know?  Contrary to popular belief, we don't bite...go ahead and register so we can have civil discourse and dispense of this petty hit and run posting). IMO, the catalyst for this was the unfolding drama of one of our sisters reaching out in desperation for help in the only place left - a 2x2 message board. Amazingly, she actually did get help and you can all see the results in her smiling face in the pic on the potluck thread. I would never imagined that pic a year ago. Anyway.....I do believe that this is the only difference. I can't imagine a state in the Union that hasn't had families leave....they just haven't had threads started about them on message boards. |
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Post by 2 i c it on Apr 27, 2006 14:30:04 GMT -5
I'm just wondering: what happening in the 2 x 2 church (in your area) today? Are you growing? changing? dying? (And why?) Any thoughts on the subject??? in our area some would think that it is dying, but there is always new life. I counted 7 returns in the last 2 months. I have heard there are more.. but don' t know for sure. Why? well, it depends on the needs that are felt. I think God's work is going forth and weeding out and bringing new life to those that see the foolishness of their misunderstandings of the past, and bring life to those who feel their need. It is all God's work... we don't understand it, nor will we ever hope to this side of eternity. We need to trust more in his work, let him do the work in the people, and we need to do more praying for it to be completed in our lives also. Now... I know all the arguments about the work being finished, and before you all jump in and fall into the rut... let me say that if God's grace does not change you, there is no life within. As our love for God grows, so will our fellowship and our life will change. |
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Post by interesting on Apr 27, 2006 15:15:51 GMT -5
I'm just wondering: what happening in the 2 x 2 church (in your area) today? Are you growing? changing? dying? (And why?) Any thoughts on the subject??? in our area some would think that it is dying, but there is always new life. I counted 7 returns in the last 2 months. I have heard there are more.. but don' t know for sure. Why? well, it depends on the needs that are felt. I think God's work is going forth and weeding out and bringing new life to those that see the foolishness of their misunderstandings of the past, and bring life to those who feel their need. It is all God's work... we don't understand it, nor will we ever hope to this side of eternity. We need to trust more in his work, let him do the work in the people, and we need to do more praying for it to be completed in our lives also. Now... I know all the arguments about the work being finished, and before you all jump in and fall into the rut... let me say that if God's grace does not change you, there is no life within. As our love for God grows, so will our fellowship and our life will change. Who knows what the actual numbers and/or statistics are....but in 'other' denominations; many have larger numbers of members; they have lists of both active and inactive and even though they can say their 'church' group is such and such number, the actual number of people who are truly in it giving their lives to God is much less. I have had my name of a few different church mailing lists; yet never got any calls from any members or pastors. |
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Post by thriving on Apr 27, 2006 15:18:19 GMT -5
Seems to be alive and well here. Lot's of families and young people as well as loving older people too. Some have passed away recently, yet new ones are added daily. |
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Post by daily on Apr 27, 2006 15:20:24 GMT -5
yet new ones are added daily.
where would this garden spot be?
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Post by trigger on Apr 27, 2006 15:50:48 GMT -5
Eventhough I am no longer professing I am still in contact, whether direct or roundabout, with friends in this general area, and it seems that most people are keeping on keeping on, however I think there is a growing discourse and discontent among the group. There are ones leaving, but ofcourse that is quieted up and kind of swept under the rug like always, but it's becoming more and more evident that people are not happy and that they are slowly being pushed closer to the fringes by all the worker-worship, arrogance, pride, scandals, doctrinal flaws and appearance-related crap that is going on. I think many people are finally seeing the silliness in many of the rules of the way, and though they may not be leaving as a result, they are definitely pushing the envelope more and allowing themselves to "stray farther and farther from the fold" as the workers would say.
" Oh the times, they are a-changin ' "
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Post by ex-teenager on Apr 27, 2006 15:50:51 GMT -5
yet new ones are added daily. where would this garden spot be? Could be the world! |
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Post by as i c it on Apr 27, 2006 17:33:12 GMT -5
Oh yeh Zorro, NOW I see the lady you referred to......(She's the one smiling...and wearing slacks....Right???)
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Post by Zorro on Apr 27, 2006 17:53:32 GMT -5
as i c it,
Go to the 2nd thread with pix (the one with only 2 pages), she's in Pic#10.
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Post by ToTrig on Apr 27, 2006 18:11:10 GMT -5
Eventhough I am no longer professing I am still in contact, whether direct or roundabout, with friends in this general area, and it seems that most people are keeping on keeping on, however I think there is a growing discourse and discontent among the group. There are ones leaving, but ofcourse that is quieted up and kind of swept under the rug like always, but it's becoming more and more evident that people are not happy and that they are slowly being pushed closer to the fringes by all the worker-worship, arrogance, pride, scandals, doctrinal flaws and appearance-related crap that is going on. I think many people are finally seeing the silliness in many of the rules of the way, and though they may not be leaving as a result, they are definitely pushing the envelope more and allowing themselves to "stray farther and farther from the fold" as the workers would say. " Oh the times, they are a-changin ' " The fellowship is changing, but then again the fellowship is not changing. read - fmofthe2x2s.blogspot.com/2005/08/is-fellowship-changing.html |
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Post by as i c it thanks on Apr 27, 2006 18:58:38 GMT -5
Thanks Zorro! She looks very nice, and happy...(and you all look like you had a very enjoyable time together). Maybe next year all us 2 x2 should don Zorro masks and join you---just to bring you all back, of course.....
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Post by as i c it on Apr 27, 2006 20:57:09 GMT -5
New knowledge brings a new awareness of what's always been there....and we've just never quite seen it...or accepted it...because of an old way of looking at things.
Brick's area sounds like mine. While all the old (which was good) is still there, there's also a "new"...an awareness...and a change ...because of new knowledge that has come in.
Today, on another thread, an individual said that the workers had been completely unfront with him/her about the history (and WI) when she/he'd asked questions in that area. And that's good to hear. That's a new openness: and openness always allows room to grow...in strength, and in wisdom, and in favor with God and man.
While the past may have been turbulent--it caused changes. And from what I can see--those changes are positive.
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Post by mrtindrucvionging on Apr 27, 2006 21:21:17 GMT -5
New knowledge brings a new awareness of what's always been there....and we've just never quite seen it...or accepted it...because of an old way of looking at things. Brick's area sounds like mine. While all the old (which was good) is still there, there's also a "new"...an awareness...and a change ...because of new knowledge that has come in. Today, on another thread, an individual said that the workers had been completely unfront with him/her about the history (and WI) when she/he'd asked questions in that area. And that's good to hear. That's a new openness: and openness always allows room to grow...in strength, and in wisdom, and in favor with God and man. While the past may have been turbulent--it caused changes. And from what I can see--those changes are positive. YES...........yes yes yes yes yes............oh YES...............ye are soooooo wise ye wise one....................  |
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Contrary to popular belief, we don't bite...go ahead and register so we can have civil discourse and dispense of this petty hit and run posting). IMO, the catalyst for this was the unfolding drama of one of our sisters reaching out in desperation for help in the only place left - a 2x2 message board. Amazingly, she actually did get help and you can all see the results in her smiling face in the pic on the potluck thread. I would never imagined that pic a year ago. 
