On March 25th we were told that over 1500 people have joined Bellevue in the past year. I have obtained the monthly numbers of decisions for 2006 and the first three months of 2007 that include professions of faith, transfer of membership by letter or statement, and "other," which includes all the other reasons people might come forward during an invitation without joining the church. While that 1500+ total for last year is correct, are this year's numbers showing the same trend?
Comparing the first three months of this year to last year we have these numbers -- the total of all decisions for each month:
January 2006 - 174 (POF-52, Letter-80, Statement-27, Other-15)
January 2007 - 67 (POF-26, Letter-22, Statement-16, Other-3)
February 2006 - 126 (POF-43, Letter-44, Statement-28, Other-11)
February 2007 - 80 (POF-32, Letter-18, Statement-18, Other-12)
March 2006 - 104 (POF-43, Letter-34, Statement-20, Other-11)
March 2007 - 29 (POF-11, Letter-9, Statement-6, Other-3)
Every decision for Christ is cause for celebration, and we should in no way minimize any decision based upon total numbers. Numbers can sometimes be one factor in measuring the health of a church. Often they're not, but the leadership of BBC seems to like to use numbers to make the point that all is well at Bellevue. So what can we conclude from the numbers given above?
About Me
- New BBC Open Forum
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651 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 601 – 651 of 651witq,
obviously you didn't read what I posted...I didn't excuse anything..on either side. You folks come on here saying that no matter what leadership has done, it doesn't make this blog right..but you never turn that around and say it to yourselves. Try asking THAT question to yourself..though I doubt seriously, YOU will.
Let me just say that I have heard some disturbing news tonight.
Obviously AK is reading the blog.
He and his wife are now going around telling people that he called the family the next day and apologized!
LIAR! How dare you! You can't quit abusing this family! You make me sick! You and people like you are what is tearing BBC apart!
Next time, before you decide to lie....get your facts straight!
1. If you HAD called the family, we wouldn't be trying to find out your name; trust me...we would have remembered it!
2. WE WERE OUT OF TOWN!!! She was so traumatized, we immediately got in the car and went out of town for the rest of the week!
3. If you had, I promise, we would have said so; we have nothing to hide!~
What is the wesite of the arrested teenager?
witq, Oh...more ironies! The blog is the reason you no longer have a pedophile minister!
Does that mean you WANT your pedophile minister back?
By the way, people who abuse their position and authority are apt to hate blogs. Ask Dan Rather...
remember... said...
It was wrong what BBC did to that teenager girl. But If I could speak to her I will tell her forgive BBC they really do not know what they are doing
Remember,
They all know exactly what they are doing, every one of the leaders and staff involved know what they are doing.
Thank you all for your concern. I have passed all your well wishes and prayers on to the child.
I have spent time with the family tonight and the father wants to just leave this and go on. I respect his stand on this. He just wants to be able to start over in a new church with no baggage. I understand that. They have no interest in suing or speaking with the media.
If you know the family personally; please feel free to call them, they won't mind. Please understand.
I did watch the Jim Jones special a few months ago and from what I gather someone would have to be seriously brain washed to agree to do the things his followers did such as move with him.
At 7:01 PM, April 24, 2007
Why is the question? said...
So, has anyone asked Dr. Spradlin his thoughts on the $3 million dollar motion and on this blog yet?? If not, why not?
Why would anyone ask him about the motion? What difference would it make? Dr. Spradlin's personal opinion about the motion or the decision has no relevance to the appropriateness of the motion, nor to the appropriateness of the church's decision. The potential recipients of a gift are not the ones who should decide if the potential giver should be considering it. The church's decision, either way, is all that matters. He would have no reason to be offended if the church decided either way.
And Dr. Spradlin's opinion on this blog is nothing more than that -- one man's opinion. He could be all for it and that wouldn't make it a good thing, and he could be all against it, and that wouldn't make it a bad thing. Opinions are not facts; they are just a person's perspective. God bless him either way.
Also, "why is the question?" -- last time you were here I asked you if you have posted on this blog under another screen name and have been asked by the administrator not to post here. You did not respond, but you left shortly after I asked. I just answered your question; please answer mine.
john mark wrote: Why yes, in fact many bloggers seemed to know of the fact before it broke on the news. I wonder if the DCS spoke to them about why they kept it secret just like SG did?"
Huh? This makes no sense.
"Exactly what does justify going against God's will?"
Scripture is God's Will. Perhaps Gaines can explain this one to you...oh wait...I see that he has already...
inmemphis said: I did watch the Jim Jones special a few months ago and from what I gather someone would have to be seriously brain washed to agree to do the things his followers did such as move with him.
Lily said: I watched that special too, and it was eerie and unfathomable - JUST EXACTLY HOW ONE WOULD DESCRIBE WHAT HAS TRANSPIRED AT BBC -
the destruction at BBC appears to be getting closer to the realm of the Jim Jones variety.
lORD LEAD ME ON.
p.s. Can't stop lurking. Is there a 12 step program for that?
lily,
We have care groups at BBC. Maybe they would let us hold a lurkers anonymous 12 step there.
We might could even get some BBC security to make sure we are safe.
Greetings, John Mark, aka Arminius!
I think John Mark and WITQ should meet somewhere and ask eachother stupid questions. :)
ATTENTION everyone!! SOTL is now a FAMOUS published author!!! :)
Care groups? Caring for what - the preservation of the moonbats?
If, however, they would allow a lurkers 12 step program which would include certain "security" personnel - I would sign up and be there. It's been a while since I had to use my street defense training!
Junk,
Has SOTL hit the big time with a full page in the C/A?
SOTL,
Ok, spill the beans
Sheep,
Actually the full page ad that I wanted to take out in the CA would cost $18,255.00 I am NOT kidding!!! LOL
Alas, I dont have that much pocket change.
What junk is referring to is the fact that Mike Bratton copied and pasted my words for his latest thread.
Sniff, Sniff, it's a proud moment for me!! I'm published!!! I'm Published!!!
Mikie does like you.
Sorry about the C/A, we'll get there one of these days, I'm sure of it.
Night all, it's a big day tomorrow, it's trash day.
I GET TO TAKE OUT THE TRASH TOMORROW!! LOL, LOL, LOL
SOTL,
$18,255 huh? Maybe you could go downtown and ask FUMC for part of the $25K back to pay for the ad. Surely they would want to help out BBC members like BBC helped them! :)
Hush up with all those obscenities, y'all!! :D
Junk,
Ya think? I'll shoot off an email to Phil Weatherwax and Steve Marcum to see if they would go down there and get back some of that money.
sleeplesatbbc,
Does it not send a strong message to everyone, past and present members, that Mrs. Rogers is attending GBC. Just wondering?
sheepless said:
Night all, it's a big day tomorrow, it's trash day.
I GET TO TAKE OUT THE TRASH TOMORROW!! LOL, LOL, LOL
SOTL says:
Hey Sheeps, call Donna, maybe she can help you. She has moochos experience at it, so she says.
SOTL,
You be sure to tell those boys you want to feature them and their humanatarian efforts on the front page. Smile big boys!!
SOTL,
Ummm.... not sure that those guys would want to tak out that ad ... maybe we should send 'Cakes down on behalf of the bloggers ... he has such a way with words!!
'Cakes, we miss ya....
Concerned,
The way that people have reacted to everything else, they probly won't believe that Mrs. R. is worshipping at GBC.
If they don't WANT to believe it, they just say ' it ain't so" and that's the end of it.
It doesn't matter anyway. God knows where everyone is. And it is not necessary to prove anything to anybody.
The truth has a power all its own.
Oooooooh! My little pink ears are burning!! Mike was right, you folks are a trash talking bunch! :)
Concerned,
Oh when the saints go marchin OUT!
Oh when the saints go marchin OUT!
SOTL
I think they might believe it and not care at this point.
You know - "Sticks and stones may break our bones but where Mrs. R goes to church will never hurt us!! Blah!"
All this trash talk and these obscenities are making me blush!!
P.S. My last Word Verification started with the letters PD ... hope that doesn't mean the blog is being transitioned!!
sleeplesatbbc,
I have another one.
SG new song is " How Great I Am."
JMHO
More lies and gossip and slander! Everyone knows Mrs. R. supports SG ... he said so when she was there ... oh, wait ....
concerned said:
SG new song is " How Great I Am."
*****
LOLOL!! Now that's funny!! I don't care who ya are.
Little piggie,
Have you been over cavorting with Mikie?
We may have to take this little piggie to market....
Sheepless
I shouldn't have gone over there. Nothing but lies and hate.
Sad.
sheeplessatbbc,
sorry for placing a l in where it should be h. But maybe I'm am sleeply.
sotl,
We need a good laugh every once in a while.
Concerned,
Wouldn't it be shocking to all the Gainites if he broke into one of his song routines standing at the pulpit and started singing,
"How great I am"
That's OK, I am sleepless..this hate filled blog is killing me..
LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL
Ah, just take me out with the trash!!
sheeplessatbbc,
He's been singing it [under his breath] ever since he arrived. We just can't hear it.
G'night you guys.
Be sure and wash your mouths out with soap before you get in bed tonight. :0)
Songs ... It's All About Me!
Junk,
That is just too funny.
Let's all chip in and get the King an album as a little "happy"
Just a word from Josh Manning before I sign off tonight.
Reckon Mike Bratton will quote THIS?
Josh said:
I will never understand this tack on the controversy: Let God handle it (presumably we do nothing to aid Him--good thing He didn't call us to stand strong and proclaim righteousness or something inconvenient like that) and behave in a Christlike manner (which posses the question of what exactly was Jesus like?).
Well, it's obvious that we ARE to act. God doesn't call us to be bumps on logs nor does He allow the luxury of retreating from issues of right and wrong. And this is about right and wrong: it's about lies vs truth, obfuscation vs transparency, confidentiality agreements vs open accountability.
Further, the idea that being Christlike equates to just loving and sitting quietly by is obnoxious. Jesus wasn't a kindly grandmother. He spoke and laid low a mob, He ran despicable thieves from the Temple, He single handedly dealt with men possessed of demons. When He comes again He will lay low the nations with the Sword proceeding out of his mouth.
Yes, He loved, He was gentle, He was kind; but He was also meek, powerful, and unwilling to pull a punch. He considered sin something horrible enough to require eternal separation from Himself and from the Father. He also considered sin something so horrific, that He would allow Himself to be slain to save us from its ravages.
And this sin is what some of you people want us to sit back and allow to go unchecked? And why? For peace? For quiet? For the comfort of insulation from controversy and a path to the silent death of the weak and cowardly? Well, that makes sense doesn’t it? God sent His Son to die for sin; and now here we sit, viewing sin head on, and our response is, “Oh God’ll just deal with this too.” Nice. It’s a good thing we’re not imbued with some power from Him so that we could actually realize what’s going, understand what He wants us to do, and then do it. Because if we had that going for us, well we might have some teeny, tiny responsibility to act and that would be pretty inconvenient—barely dodged that bullet! Come on people—you know better and you acknowledge so in the way you live your lives everyday!
Also, this attitude of abdication in the face of sin cheapens the Savior's death. How dare we benefit from His precious blood while allowing yet more sin to be piled on the burden He had to bear for us. How dare we say some sin among the brethren doesn't warrant our attention and our attempts to route it out! How dare we casually say, "Well, God can take care of this one too. He'll take one for the team and we can just sit here loving on each other." How can such apathy exist among people who say they love Jesus and hate sin?
Stop this silliness about allowing this situation to work itself out. Act!
Finally, calling something what it is, is not wrong! There are more allegations of hate, impropriety, and slander floating around here than I’ve ever dealt with—and I’ve done politics for years! Folks, God called wrongs “abominable.” Elijah accused Baal of being constipated. Paul said he wished that those troubling Galatia would be castrated. And need I mention Matthew 23. This is the same caliber of stuff that some of you people would call hateful, but they didn’t apologize.
Yes, we should be loving, kind, tender, and slow to wrath. Jesus was all of those things. And after He had spent chapters enduring the sinful men of the cloth, He let them have it. He called them what they were. We need to be ready to grant forgiveness and restoration, but we need not shun calling sin “sin” and setting it in terms stark enough to fit the context within which we work.
5:55 PM, November 24, 2006
People tend to forget that Jesus was harshest with the 'religious' leaders.
Piglet,
Thanks for that great post and reminder. Josh Manning is a remarkable young Christian man, I am truly amazed by him.
If we had more leaders like him at BBC, our church could be restored.
Great words to go to bed by.
Nite All.
PLEASE MOVE UP TO THE TOP THREAD TO CONTINUE!
Thank you,
NBBCOF
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