Announcing EChurch@Wartburg

"For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another."

Galatians 5:13 (ESV)

The Heart of Santorini by Klearchos Kapoutsis

Valentine's Day is a special occasion set aside to recognize those whom we love dearly.  Dee and I are blessed to have wonderful husbands who heartily support our ministry here at The Wartburg Watch.  Some of our readers have expressed gratitude to our hubbies for encouraging us to stand for God's truth and to reach out to our to our brothers and sisters in Christ, especially those who have been hurt or marginalized by the church.

To enhance our proclamation of God's truth, we are overjoyed to announce a NEW ministry that will begin here this weekend called EChurch@Wartburg.  We have been listening to you, our loyal TWW family, and we believe God has inspired us to help enrich your walk with Him.  Dee and I will be posting an order of worship once a week (at the start of each weekend), consisting of worship music, Scripture readings, prayers, and the preaching of God's Holy Word!  

We are very pleased to be offering the teaching of Pastor Wade Burleson, a wonderful friend who hails from Enid, Oklahoma.  The "E" in EChurch@Wartburg has a dual meaning — it stands for "electronic", as in the technology that makes this possible, and for "Emmanuel", which is the name of the church where Wade pastors.  Wade has shown us incredible grace as we have explored the possibility of this new ministry outreach.  In fact, he invited Dee and me to participate in Emmanuel's weekly staff meeting, which we did this morning via Skype.  Did we say how much we LOVE this technology?!  We praise God for it!!!

Each week we will feature the message Pastor Wade delivers to his wonderful congregation.  For those who are not familiar with Wade Burleson, we will be introducing him in our Thursday post.  Then on Friday we will provide more details about our internet worship experience, which we hope will serve as a refuge for those who are disenfranchised from the organized church, as well as an option for those who are living in remote areas where churches are not plentiful.  And if you are ever out of town on business or vacation, please consider this option for worship.  We are not live streaming Wade's message, but instead are featuring the previous week's sermon.  This gives you total freedom to tune in when it suits your schedule.   We are so excited to provide another way to enrich your worship of Almighty God!

I want to dedicate one of my favorite IL DIVO songs to both Wade Burleson and my BFF Dee because they have helped to restore my faith.  I never lost it, praise God, but I have had my own struggles with the organized church.  Thankfully, my husband and I have found a wonderful congregation that brings joy to our lives.

I hope this inspirational video will encourage you, too!  Thanks Margie (whoever you are) for putting together such a beautiful display of God's glory.

Please join us in rejoicing about our new ministry outreach here at TWW. 

To God be the glory!

Lydia's Corner:  Isaiah 54:1-57:14   Ephesians 6:1-24   Psalm 70:1-5   Proverbs 24:8

Comments

Announcing EChurch@Wartburg — 90 Comments

  1. Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy
    Whatever are we going to do with you? Do you really understand what we are doing or do you particularly care? In the meantime, you may call me Cardinal Dee.

  2. Cardinals first but sooner or later you’ll be battling Deb for Pope. It’s gonna get ugly.

  3. Jimmy,

    Dee and I have been close friends for over a decade. Perhaps men jockey for the top spot, but we are content just washing people’s feet so to speak.

  4. Wonderful announcement!! Happy Valentine’s Day! Thanks to you both for your love and ministry.

  5. Deb and Dee: I am so excited!How wonderfully God is using the two of you! How wonderful God is!

    I know what it is like to have the church so beat a person down that you have to leave just to keep afloat. I did not attend church for years until I married. Then by God’s design, we moved to Oklahoma and through the yellow pages in the phone book picked Emmanuel to attend. We haven’t looked back. πŸ™‚ Through the staff and Wade, Rachelle, my faith and love for the church was restored three fold. I hope others will be able to experience the same thing.

  6. Debbie K,

    Dee and I loved meeting your church’s staff via Skype this morning. Wade introduced us to them.

    This is a great adventure! I have already heard Wade’s sermon that we will be featuring this weekend, and it is so encouraging! You are blessed to be at Emmanuel. That’s why we want to share the rich teaching you get week after week here.

    Your pastor is authentic!

  7. Jimmy,

    I think that one of the Holy Father’s titles is fitting for our hostesses. “Servant of the servants of God.”

  8. Thanks for this. I’ve been housebound for 6 weeks or so now, and there just isn’t much religious programming worth watching on TV. I’ve been reading through Sunday School lesson notes, but it’s not quite the same.

  9. A church start-up without a logo?
    Call me skeptical.
    I bet you don’t even have a publisher yet.

    Helpul Hint to avvoid cult infiltration: When Referring to Mr Burleson, use “Pastor Wade” no more often than every third mention.

  10. Amy,

    I hope we can be an encouragement to you during this time. I believe you will find Wade Burleson’s messages worthwhile, as I have.

  11. Kent
    We call him Wade and so can everyone else. You can call me Cardinal Dee.Logo-you have two glamorous blog queens. We are the only logo you need.

  12. Amy
    I hope you find it of help. It is an idea that will be tweaked as we go along with input from everyone who takes part in it.

  13. Dee,

    I can still picture you flinging those thick packets of information in the conference room of our regional newspaper. It was one of your finer moments, and I’m glad I was there to witness it. 😎

  14. Kent,

    Any ideas for a logo? We started the blog with a picture of a wise old owl. How about that?

  15. No fauxhawks/Kewpie doll haircuts allowed, either! πŸ˜‰

    Eagle… am with you on the iMonk thing. Can’t help wondering what on earth is going on.

  16. Eagle

    No shaved heads for us. It would ruin the glamor factor. We met at our kids school. Deb led a prayer group for moms and she was far more interested in the hearts of the ladies than the format of the perfect Moms in Touch group. In other words, she is a bit of a rebel. And the people I love the most in this life are nonconformists!

  17. Eagle
    Actually some conformists tried to take over the group. They wanted us to follow the perfect procedure. Dee was displeased and became Deb’s enforcer. I gave a few people the benefit of my opinion on conformity. They were not pleased. In fact, I kind of enjoyed my role. Soon after all of this, both of us got our concealed weapons permit but I don’t think it was related.

  18. Dee – am looking forward to it!

    But I can only hope that you will avoid all intimations of fauxhawks (and Kewpie dolls) in future haircut choices… πŸ˜‰

  19. Dee and Deb, I truly appreciate your compassion for the hurt and for for your intelligent and thoughtful minds.

    E-church;interesting… Just an off the top of my head question…how is this different than the video church of MH or TV evangelists or just streaming Emmanuel’s sermon from their own website (if they have one)? I’m sure things will unfold as you present more information, and maybe, “how is this different” is not the right question. Maybe, churches will always form in reaction to another church disagreement or the spiritual abuse that is occurring? That’s one reason why we have been not making any formal moves/decisions in regards to attending a church or making the decision to home church, because we just don’t want to be reactionary. Of course, your response has been years in the making (since you’ve been blogging and such…). And thank you for your time in answering personal emails!!

  20. Logo? Glad ya’ll have a sense of humor.
    I’m honored that you would ask, but not being “gifted” with prophetic vision, I haven’t been here long enough to characterize this group with a tiny symbol … not gratis, anyway!

    Speaking Of logos, Driscoll is shopping for a new one, and a lot more. He as “volunteered” (Yes,he said it!!) his time to resume the presidency of his Mars Hill/Acts29/The Resurgence empire,vowing to to re-establish order with a new and improved hierarchical bureaucracy led by “kings” and “priests”.
    His King of Finance is a Harvard MBA who recently was managing $38 billion for the Prince of Qatar.
    Driscoll’s letter outlining sweeping organizational changes has been on the first page of his A29 website for a week.

    http://www.acts29network.org/

  21. Logo? I think a basin and towel would cover all that is needed! πŸ˜‰

    Seriously, I’m delighted to hear of this new venture, and if there’s any way in which the rest of us can do something to enrich the fellowship, you only have to ask.

    May the God of all grace make you instruments of His loving kindness as He reaches out into this world to heal the wounded and bind up the broken hearted

  22. Queen Momma
    We are striving to make this a “baloney free” zone. It will not be live streaming. It will have some prayers from different traditions. There will be no offering or requests for money. We will have a place for discussion in which people can vigorously disagree with anything and not be “disciplined” or in any other way diminished. In other words, the thoughts of the attendee will be paramount to us. We want this to be a place of rest and welcome as people journey through tough times relating to today’s post-evangelical traditions.

    Wade made a point yesterday. It’s OK to say that the preaching is bad.(Well, he used a funnier term that made us laugh). You will not be rejected. You will hear things with which you will disagree at times. That is fine and you may express your disagreement. You are not joining anything and you are free to come and go. The only thing we ask is to keep the language roughly acceptable.

    Actually, there is one more item with this whole thing that we will discuss in-depth on Friday. There will be counseling available.

  23. Kent
    I have seen that and we need to write ore on it. Today I may try to tie things in with that change if I have enough time. If not, it will be discussed in the coming weeks. So many stories, so little time.

  24. Kent
    PS Prince of Qatar?? Well I am soooo relieved. He must be really smart and smart means godly, right?

  25. Lynne
    We will need help as things progress. We already have you in our sights. Last evening received an interesting email from the head of a spiritual abuse network. She quoted you and suggested we think about some things in regards to your comment. If you give me permission, I will send you the email to your registered email.

  26. “Faith: That’s Just The Way It Is”

    HowDee YaAll,

    Can anyone read your mind and know your story, and see what you’re going through?

    Is it an uphill climb, where others are feeling sorry, or feel nothing at all?

    Do you wonder if faith will ever come to you, …ifΒ 
    Jesus will come through for you, yeah!

    Don’t surrender ’cause you can win in this thing called Faith…

    Faith is the substance of things hoped for…

    When life is empty with no tomorrow
    And loneliness & doubt begin to call
    Please don’t worry, forget your sorrow
    ‘Cause God’s love’s gonna conquer it all, all

    Yeah, all!

    Faith is the conviction of things unseen…

    When you want it the most there’s no easy way out
    When you’re ready to go and your heart’s left in doubt
    Don’t give up on your faith
    It certainly comes to those who believe in Him!

    That’s just the way it is!

    Jesus, in contrast to all others, did come as a light into the world, in order that everyone who places their trust in him may not remain in the sphere of the darkness.Β 

    That’s just the way it is!

    There was a time when Jesus prayed that an individual’s faith would not fail…

    So can we…

    You matter! ;~)

    Blessings! & Prayers!

    Sopy β™₯,† Β 
    ___
    Celine Dion and ‘N Sync – “That’s The Way It Is” Β (video)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Z4lri69wjo&feature=youtube_gdata_player

    Bonus: Charice and Celine Dion – “Because you loved me”…duet at Madison Square Garden
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKJmuViLqgI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

  27. Dee and Wanda,

    Your very perceptive readers have made a couple of points in this comment stream that I thought were pretty perceptive! First, “Pastor Burleson” or “Pastor Wade” does sound a little hokey to me. I much prefer Wade or Mr. Burleson or “that guy in Enid.” My training is in business and finance, and in the corporate world, this is precisely what I would be called. Second, EChurch@Wartburg is different from other sites because of Elder Dee and Bishop Wanda (couldn’t resist). You two gals have proven your desire to encourage the disenfranchised and bring healing to the spiritually wounded through Wartburg Watch. The ability for people to respond freely with their questions, criticisms or out-right shouts of denials during the teaching of Scripture is NEEDED in Western Christianity. I am reminded that when Jesus spoke directly to Peter there was no trance-like acceptance of what Jesus said. Peter shouted, “If you ARE who you SAY you are … ” Doubts are part of Christianity. The Spirit of God is quite capable of handling His people and there is no need for any preacher or teacher to ‘fix’ anybody.

    EChurch@Wartburg hopes to demonstrate through a ‘baloney free zone’ that there is acceptance and safety for all men and women who are doubting God. He’s quite big enough to handle it and the Bishops Dee and Wanda and Mr. Burleson don’t need you to change for us to feel good about ourselves.

    Finally, there are a couple of things you can expect of me during the teaching portion of EChurch@Wartburg. First, there will always be an attempt to be faithful to the biblical text in terms of its context, historic intent, and personal application. I will make errors. The text is inspired, not my teaching. Search for yourself to see whether or not what I’m saying is true. Second, there will be no politics in the teaching. The kingdom of God is not of this world, and those ‘preachers’ who spend more time trying to influence Washington than proclaim Jesus Christ have missed their calling. Third, the goal of each study will be for the hearer and me to find our source of life, joy and rest in Jesus Christ.

    On campus at Emmanuel my favorite teaching times are always those with a Q&A that follows. I will do what I can to respond to questions, or criticisms, or denials of what’s been said at EChurch@Wartburg, as the opportunities allow. Again, my goal will not be to change you, but to encourage you. I’ll leave the changing to the Holy Spirit. The ladies have already recruited a pretty remarkable lady to give oversight of EChurch@Wartburg.

    I don’t know how long this will last. I told the ladies I have no expectations. Let’s just take it a week at a time. If nobody is helped or encouraged, let’s end it. It’s always fun to just follow the Spirit!

  28. Hate to be the sour apple, but I’m just not entirely sure how I feel about this. I don’t quite get how this will work, but I guess I’ll find out on Sunday! On the positive side, I wish more churches would post their service orders online. I’ve taken almost all my best or most effective ideas from others, so I look forward to a little creative inspiration through this. However, call it a ministry, a “worship experience,” but I’m pretty sure that unless you administer sacraments it’s not technically a church. Semantics, I know.

    But I’ve always been a stick in the mud when it came to internet church. Do we sing along with you-tube videos or something? Personally, that would just make me feel weird. I’d feel better off singing a cappella (as my wife and I do at home from time to time).

    Least of ways, I do believe this may be the first blog-based internet church. So at least for the originality and innovation, it will be fascinating to see how it works out. Best of luck!

    Oh, and in the extremely rare event that I am actually out of town on a Sunday, I’m still gonna visit some other live church, but for purely non-spiritual reason. I like to watch other people do the music sometimes.

  29. Hey guys, be careful with the “baloney free zone.” It’s quite presumptuous, and ultimately self defeating. Eventually, “baloney” comes to be defined as people who see things differently from us. Watch and see. But don’t build your ethos on your own personal purity from baloney. Despite your best efforts, the processed pink meat will find its way in somehow. Make sure your prayer doesn’t include, “I thank you God that you have not made me like those baloney spewing _______’s over there who trample on others and push dogmatic platforms, but you have given me REAL authenticity and made me the true keeper of the flame.” Nobody goes there intentionally, but I’ve seen too many people wind up there because they were convinced they had personally recovered what the church at large had lost. You guys are great, nice, and your ministry may be very fruitful. But you aren’t that special: “Lord have mercy on me, a sinner,” is the best way to check our egos at the door.

  30. Miguel,

    Actually, I hope you will rejoice by singing because the lyrics will be provided. πŸ™‚

    You mean there aren’t any other blog-based internet churches? Hey, Dee, we really are trend setters!

    Hope you’ll give it a try, Miguel. We are not trying to replace the church. We are trying to fill a widening gap of disenfranchised Christians whose lives need to be enriched by the teaching of the Gospel.

    Blessings.

  31. Sweet heavens, Acts 29 has got Prophets, Priests and Kings as their leaders? They actually say that? Are we sure that’s not a parody site masquerading as the real thing? Pffft. I am not amused.

    Dee and Deb, all the best to you on the e-church! It is what it is, and for however long it lasts, I know it will be a blessing to many.

  32. Miguel,

    You have perfectly illustrated what is different about TWW and our upcoming EChurch. Not only do we allow comments in this forum, but we actually listen to constructive criticism! I sincerely appreciate your suggestions. Thank you.

  33. Aw, Wade, you mean we can’t refer to you as “Pastor Wade”? O.K. then, but I do think of you as a pastor in my life, even though we are separated by several states.

    I have already heard the message you delivered to your congregation last Sunday, and I can hardly wait to share it with our readers. I know their lives will be blessed because I found it to be extremely encouraging. What a wonderful illustration you provided about not being aware of the danger that lies ahead…

    It was such an honor to meet the Emmanuel staff yesterday via Skype. I am praying that this endeavor will be God-honoring.

    Blessings!

  34. Thanks gals, i mean, reverends. I’ll be checking in for sure. Just to clarify, I don’t think either of you have ego problems, but just that when we say “baloney free zone,” what gets insinuated is that all those outside the zone are full of it. It sets oneself up on a pretty high horse, but we all know that’s not either of your intention or attitude. Looking forward to Sunday!

  35. Miguel,

    Just to clarify… By “Baloney Free Zone”, we mean that secondary and tertiary positions will not be given prime importance as they are in certain groups. T4G elevates complementarianism to a position of prime importance. TWW does not. That’s just one example.

    We will not allow these second and third tier issues to masquerade as doctrinal positions in this forum. Hope that makes sense.

  36. Miguel

    This is not a church in the traditional sense of the word. Think of it as a halfway church. Unfortunately, for many the choice is strictly binary. You either go to church or do not go to church. We decided it would be advantageous to have something in between. Don’t worry, this is not a denomination.

  37. Dee and Deb,
    I dig this. I’ll be praying for it and for you. You are sure to get the hefty criticisms that inevitably come when anything new is tried, especially in Christendom. Whatev, is what I say. If you want to laugh about it, go view Dana Carvey’s “cranky old man skit” on SNL back when Dennis Miller hosted Weekend Update.

    “Back in my day, we didn’t have fancy condoms…no, we used rabbit hide and twine and we liked it that way! We LOVED IT!!”

    You are women and you are hosting an eChurch. Quick, DUCK! Here come the arrows of “heretic!”.

    Let’s play a drinking game. Everytime someone quotes the “do not forsake the gathering of believers” verse to you, we rise and tip. What do you think? Yeah, me too. Too drunk too fast.

  38. Miguel
    Please do not misunderstand. We are a blog that deals with people who have been deeply hurt. This is a place where they will not get peripheral issues shoved down their throats. In other words, it is only giving some basics without needing to do the “authority” thing. We are not recovering anything here. Wade still leads his church. We both still go to churches. This is something different. And we are no more special than you.

  39. Miguel
    Cardinal, I want to be called cardinal! There are many wonderful churches out there. I have been a member of several. Those churches were “baloney free” as well. Look at the issues that we discuss and you will get an idea of what we mean. We just want a place for those who are tired, hurt, etc.

  40. Dee said – “Don’t worry, this is not a denomination.”

    We’re not even a “family of churches”. πŸ™‚

  41. Hi Wade
    I am sure this concept will raise many questions. I’m with you. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. All we know is that there are many people out there who are tired and will not step foot in churches because they don’t trust them. Hopefully, this will be a halfway point for those folks.

    And I want to be known as Cardinal. Red is a good color for me. πŸ™‚

  42. Cardinal…

    Yep, Dee’s a bird lover, and the Cardinal is our state bird here in North Carolina!

    Sorry, just couldn’t resist. πŸ˜‰

  43. Argo
    Thank you for the laugh. We know that there are be poison darts being prepared. But, we can take it. And after awhile, they naysayers may get what we are doing. It is slightly different than what is out there now. And that does not make it any better or worse. We think it may meet a need for those in-between and tired.

  44. Deb & Dee,
    Thanks for all the work that goes into this site. When can we expect to see the teachings? I am looking forward to them. (sorry if I missed that)

    Also, I went over to Wade’s site and watched the National Prayer Breakfast he recommended and the speech by Eric Metaxas, which was outstanding.

  45. Happymom,

    Our EChurch will begin this weekend. We are so excited to share Wade’s message and subsequent sermons in the weeks and months that follow. Dee will explain it in more detail in Friday’s post.

    It’s so good to hear from you! I hope you are doing well. Did you read the post on Celebrity Christians – An Oxymoron? That word “moron” jumps out, doesn’t it?

  46. Deb –

    not a “Family if Churches” – What is that anyway, and how would it function? Ambiguous? A non-denomination? A leader? Who has what authority, if any?

    . . . . glad you made it clear up front what it’s not – especially since the “not” has no boundaries or definition!!

    Everyone should be relieved that they will not be participating the undefined madness πŸ™‚

  47. Ok, let’s get this title thing settled. One of you can be the “Supreme Pontiff,” the other can be the “Great Matriarch.” And you can duke it out for which.

    I think I see what you guys are doing, and it’s not pretentious at all, but much needed. It’s probably gonna be a lot of work, too. I’m glad you’ve enlisted some teamwork from Wade’s church, I am an avid proponent of collaborative spirituality. I can only wonder if this might start some sort of trend. Or if it’s already going and I’ve just been unaware.

  48. Miguel

    How about Mother Superior? It includes the superior thing so I can say that I’ve already admitted that I am. I have not seen this sort of thing functioning in this way. It is usually tied to live streaming of church services-my daughter calls it “Bedside Baptist.” But, I would not be surprised if something of the sort is out there but flying under the radar.

  49. dee & deb,
    I’m excited and scared of this new venture of yours. I am so paranoid of church now that I automatically wince when I hear of sermons, etc. I am very interested in the counseling part.

  50. I regularly listen to the messages of Alistair Begg; I have for several years now. But though I enjoy his messages and learn from them I certainly don’t feel like I’m a part of a church. I have serious reservations that listening to Wade’s messages and reading and writing comments quite replaces face-2-face fellowshipping with other believers.
    Echurch at Wartburg is implying that regular face-to-face fellowship with other believers is no longer necessary. Probably more than a few of your listeners will use it to justify not meeting with other believers. I would say, that’s not good.”
    ( BTW, I’m with Wade; I prefer my messages to not be based upon politics.)

  51. OK, Dee – let’s have a throwdown!

    Mother Superior Dee vs. Abbess Numo. (Abbess Numo promises to check her nunchakus at the door.)

    πŸ˜‰

  52. Jimmy,

    Agreed.

    The goal is to strengthen and heal the wounded to return to a local church healthy. The ideal scenario is that people LEAVE EChurch@Wartburg. πŸ™‚ Probably not too many churches wishing people to leave!

    Your point is well-taken.

  53. Wade
    Jimmy is our local curmudgeon. He is our local naysayer on just about everything. He is deliberately being provocative. He knows what we mean.

  54. numo,

    You’re having WAY too much fun! Glad we can be a source of entertainment. One of my “roles” is prophetess… πŸ˜‰

  55. Dee, remember I’m the kind of guy that actually listens to sermons on the internet. For instance, besides Alistair Begg I’ve listened to Erwin Lutzer’s SONG IN THE NIGHT (Sunday nites) for many years now. It has blessed me. So I’m not opposed to airing Wade’s sermons on your site.
    But let us remember; like TV, the internet is an inadequate medium to actually know somebody and be a part of their life. (Read the stories about the dating sites.) God intended we be a part of a flesh and blood group of believers.
    [ Side note: instead of being a 60ish curmudgeon I’m actually an extremely handsome 23 year old surfer dude with advanced degrees in Marine Biology and architecture with a daytime job in the C.I.A. But you wouldn’t know it from my posts.]

  56. Wade,

    My hope is that those who participate in EChurch@Wartburg will eventually find a wonderful congregation where they worship, but still join us here on the weekends (or during the week) at their convenience. The Bible teaching will be so outstanding that they’ll want to stick around even if they join a local assembly. That’s my ever to be humble opinion. πŸ˜‰

  57. Jimmy said:
    “Side note: instead of being a 60ish curmudgeon I’m actually an extremely handsome 23 year old surfer dude with advanced degrees in Marine Biology and architecture with a daytime job in the C.I.A. But you wouldn’t know it from my posts.”

    And humble too!

    Jimmy, I am so honored that an ‘extremely handsome 23 year old surfer dude’ would spend some time hanging out with two middle-aged women in this little corner of the blogosphere.

  58. Dee & Deb,

    I’m all for it. Prior to coming here, I was like a wandering Jew or Gypsy in old Eastern Europe. Tolerated in a limited sense from town to town (like being allowed to have a money changing booth next to a brothel, metaphorically of course), but thrown out on me arse sooner or later.

    Tolerance is what I like best about TWW, tolerance that allows even liberal lefty soshalists and borderline humanist heretics like Muff Potter to attend. ===> (smiley face goes here)

  59. I attended Alistar Begg’s church once, heard him preach. Heard him say we should all vote for a particular party. Last time I heard him preach. It was a Baptist church by the way, where church state separation is almost as sacred as the priesthood of all believers. I will not listen to him say another word!

  60. In my years of hearing Alistair preach I really can’t remember a message of political relevance.

  61. Dee said; “Jimmy, I am so honored that an β€˜extremely handsome 23 year old surfer dude’ would spend some time hanging out with two middle-aged women in this little corner of the blogosphere.”

    I have mother issues; what can I say.

  62. Arce,

    Do you remember where Alistar Begg was pastoring when you heard him? I checked the website of his current church — Parkside Church — and it’s non-denominational.

    FAQs about Parkside Church

    What kind of church is Parkside?

    Parkside Church is a Bible-teaching, non-denominational church.

    Where is the church located?

    We’re located at 7100 Pettibone Road, Chagrin Falls (Bainbridge), OH 44023.

  63. Seriously,
    I had no idea a few months ago, when I had the idea of a church of Wartbirg, that you Revs er… Cardinals would take it seriously.
    Seriously,
    I think it’s a brilliant idea even if I didn’t think of it.
    Seriously,
    I can’t decide whether I like the term “soshalist” or “HowDee” better. Thanks Muff and Sopy.
    Not so seriously,
    Apostles came first before Cardinals or even popes, so remember your First aPostle. Donations accepted at http://www.superlativeaPostle.gov.
    aPostle Appalled

  64. In 1996, Parkside was considered a Baptist church, and Begg’s bio should show he was a Baptist before coming there to pastor.

  65. I’m really excited about this actually – and never thought I would be.

    While I can accept Jimmy’s points about “face-face” being the ideal, I count myself as one of the weary, tired, disappointed ones who has tried for 20 something YEARS to integrate into the local church.

    My CV:

    20 years in a home church where it was the norm NOT to be honest. That was most definitely not okay. So I hid my history of sexual abuse and buried it deep down where I hoped it wouldn’t hurt anymore.

    Then 2 years in an SGM church where they talked about sin a LOT, and set up accountability groups and told us with tears it’s okay to share – because they are the “worst sinners they know”. So I naively thought they meant it, and shared. And was met with a lot of freaked-out pastors who excommunicated me for “suspecting sin”.

    Forgive me – but I am one of those who doesn’t trust, and it will take time to trust. So I am one of those who is hugely excited about dipping in and out and seeing how this story unfolds!!

    Why not?

    God works in mysterious ways …. πŸ˜‰

    And PS: all the wrong-doing and abuse I’ve handled has been at the hands of men. Allegedly “Gods anointed”. So I’m VERY happy to feel safe with Apostle Dee and Pope Deb …. lmao! πŸ˜€

  66. Dan,

    You are very kind. We are so excited to be reaching out to disenfranchised Christians like you with spiritual nourishment and encouragement.

    I can’t help but believe that if the Apostle Paul were alive in the 21st century, he would be taking advantage of this newfangled communication tool to spread God’s Word throughout the world.

    We are absolutely amazed that we have people like you in Great Britain and Lynne in Australia plugging into this internet church concept. Please pray that we can impact people around the globe with the message of God’s love.

    Love ya, brother Dan!

  67. Dan
    Be at peace. As you know, we are sorry for the pain that you suffered at the hands of men who abused you. As I once said, if their sins were broadcast to the world, they would be embarrassed. They are gutless, hiding their issues and persecuting those who bravely confess and ask for help. This is not church, it is a courtroom in which hurting people are tried and convicted. Never, ever forget that Jesus loved the little guy and called the “good” Pharisees “vipers.”

  68. Knock-knock on the door, can I buy some indulgences?

    Um, er, I mean the ones made by Hershey πŸ™‚

    Methinks you should get things right from the beginning.

    First, which one of you is willing to blackmail the other to achieve rank as alpha dog of this TWWinternetification church (i mean org.)

    Who is going to write the book teaching us how to beat our kids? (protoplasmic stimulation, anyone?) Well, at least you won’t say something assinine like that in your future books.)

    Who is going to write the books about lacrosse-centered lives?

    The how-to sex manuel (with pictures?)you know to compete with the Driscoll-sutra?

    Who is going to be your ass-kissing back-stabbing falshood-telling sweet-talking waiting to carpe his diem Dave Harvey act-alike?

    Who is going to be your sheeple?

    You *must* condition people sort of prime them to be sheeple.

    That means being the parents of happy obedient children.

    That means all women take the subway to marital bliss.

    That leaves white property owners ruling again. But, wait a moment, you guys don’t believe in complementarassinism or biblicalbeating so where is your non-thinking captive audience?

    You can’t squeeze a tithe out of stones.

  69. Oh, and Jimmy,

    “Side note: instead of being a 60ish curmudgeon I’m actually an extremely handsome 23 year old surfer dude with advanced degrees in Marine Biology and architecture with a daytime job in the C.I.A. But you wouldn’t know it from my posts.]”

    That would have all been plausible if you left out the handsome part.

    Truth is if you have an advanced degree in any Biology concentration you have a much better chance of being cast as a character on Big Bang Theory than to land on the cover of GQ.

    particularly if multiple advanced degrees are achieved by the time you orbit the sun 23 times.

  70. DB

    Hmmmm, tithing… you mean we could make money with this thing? πŸ™‚ Thank you for the laugh this morning. On the subject of blackmail, we have been friends for a decade. We know so much about each other that any blackmail would be answered with payback.I have no sheeple-only two rescue pug dogs who worship me, taking away the need for me to find other groveling servants.
    As for a lacrosse centered book, I could write a book on a cross stitching life.:)

    The one thing that will never, ever happen with those who visit this blog is conditioning. Most of these folks are honest and I fully believe that we will get lots of input on how to do a better job of things. And that is the way it should be.

  71. E.G.

    RE: a podcast. As soon as we hire that person or decide to cut our sleep back from 4 hours per night. πŸ™‚