I was told that in order to accept the truth about myself I need to accept that I committed the same sins as my abuser and as my parents and that it would be extremely sinful and arrogant of me to think that Im any different, Doe said. A methodological purity might say that college ministry must be done in a specific way. Acts2Fellowship Instagram Marketing Intern. A subreddit for the community of UC Berkeley as well as the surrounding City of Berkeley, California. UC Berkeley Fellowships . The leader, Suzanne Suh, said she did not recall the conversation but would not talk to someone who is suicidal using this type of approach or using these kinds of words.. Gracepoint Berkeley Church. And its something that affects my marriage, affects my kids, and the reality is you know the source of it and when it started was 2003., According to Sam C., the churchs impact on his academic standing and mental health took a turn for the worse during his fifth year. In 1991, Becky and Paul Kim moved to Boston to plant a branch of the church in the East targeting students at Harvard in Boston. My daughter is involved with this church, as a leader. When it came time for the oldest daughter to go to grammar school, I was interested: church school or public school? Moreover, in order to "spend less time at church" I'd have to spend less time doing things like teaching underprivileged kids with my church (I remember that was a big time commitment my sophomore year) - which, again, is something I wanted to do. Im one sin away from him dropping the hammer and smiting me, because thats what my leaders were representing to me.. A few years later, they returned to Berkeley, and Pastor Ed took over the senior pastor position. I'm mad because I've seen not only myself but also others get hurt and develop mental health issues because of your practices. We are a church located in the Silicon Valley that reaches out to San Jose State University. Sam C., who has since been diagnosed with depression, said, Its something that I still work on, you know, 18 years later. My experience at Gracepoint has been spiritually abusive. The experience I have had at this church has led me further away from God, and I really hope no one will experience what I underwent. Our short history can be summed into the following periods. A former UC Santa Barbara student said her declining well-beingdepression and an eating disorder relapsewas seen as evidence of her unrepentance after she crossed a physical boundary with her boyfriend. I have no doubt that leaders often agonize over what to do or say when contemplating a rebuke. Reviews on Gracepoint Church in Berkeley, CA - Gracepoint Berkeley, Gracepoint Ministries, acts2fellowship, First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, Evangel Bible Church of Berkeley, Gracepoint Church, GracePointe Faith Church Half a dozen former members recalled learning that couples were together only upon receiving wedding invitations. You can do that here. Daily devotionals to challenge your christian walk. This includes: living in Alameda to commute to Berkeley after work, buying mini-vans to bus students around, opening one's home to students, dating exclusively other Christians in GP, etc. Gracepoint has faced decades of criticism from members who left its ranks, but allegations drew new attention last year on a channel of the message board site Reddit. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. From young adults to retired, we've got them all and we are so excited for you to join us. They are hardworking, sincere, competent, and godly folks. Welcome toGracepoint San Jose. Growing up poor in Los Angeles he was headed for a life of crime and delinquency. Over the years, church members were told to avoid driving traffic to the online criticism and were instead encouraged to protect the churchs online reputation. At times, Gracepoint leaders asked staff and members to search and click on church webpages or positive blog posts at least three times a day to improve Google search rankings. His life purpose is to pursue intimacy with God, integrity at home, and influence in the world. UC Davis alumnus Sam C. (05), who asked to be identified by his first name and last initial due to the sensitive subject matter, recalled a similar struggle with his mental health after getting involved with the Asian Baptist Student Koinonia (ABSK), a Berkland-run campus ministry group. Each of us have our own story of how God found us and transformed our lives, and we believe that college is a prime time for students to explore and grow their faith! These included statements like You are a hopeless, morally bankrupt sinner, and nothing good can come from you.. From the perspective of GP: "if heaven existed, shouldn't you be spending your time telling everyone?". Yes, they are very intentional in their faith. The war on Christmas comes to mind. One of the characteristics of a cult is that it pushes its members to break relationships with non-members and associate only with members. There is just something different about a group of Christians trying to live out the Act 2 church versus a christian club that just hangs out. Yes, I am pretty involved with my church (I cook freshmen dinner, I volunteer at elderly centers when we visit, etc. At our church, you'll find a wide range of people from those who have grown up in the church to those who are learning about Christianity for the first time. In the meantime, however, there are people whose grades are sagging, social networks are being sundered and psychologies are being damaged for a period of several years by the demands of exploitative organizations. With the mission to plant an Acts 2 church in every college town, Gracepoint stands out among the loose network of predominantly Asian American college churches that pepper campuses across the West Coast and beyond. The ministries that got started or were present during this time at Berkeley include: College ministry in particular grew very quickly, moving from 100 GPBB to the huge lecture hall at VLSB. Address. Scroll . info@gracepoint.church. At some point, Ed Kang had had enough and wrote a formal letter [todo: attach] to Becky, which called her out on her behaviors and laid out his intention to split off BBC Berkeley into a new church now known as Gracepoint. I think you need to really curb that. While oversight and granular life advice can be part of college formation and discipleship, Gracepoints influence grew more intrusive as members remained at the church. But some very important teachings dont get filtered down properly, or at least they didnt when I was there. I think people experience a spiritual vibrancy and potency and just a warmth and depth of relationship with God that they havent experienced elsewhere, said Michael Kim, a member at the churchs Santa Barbara campus who was raised at Gracepoint. By gracepoint In Devotion Text, Genesis with Comments Off on Bible Reading: Gen 19-22 Bible Text: Genes is 19-22 Here are some ways to process the readings for each day. **READ THE WIKI FIRST**: https://www.reddit.com/r/GracepointChurch/wiki/index Doe initially planned on returning to Gracepoint, until she realized it was no longer a safe place for her. I have noticed that you are looking more and more unhealthy lately.), and living spaces (I was appalled once again to hear that your house has been like a pig sty. After five years as an involved member and eventual staff intern for the Gracepoint Church on UC Santa Barbaras (UCSB) campus, Jane Doe, a source who does not feel safe revealing her identity to individuals still associated with Gracepoint, faced a debilitating mental health crisis catalyzed by her involvement with the church. It seems your friend is walking down this path. Definitely a cult. Gracepoint personnel did not respond to repeated requests for comment from The Triton and declined to comment when approached in person. The building has since been demolished and there are now apartments/condos there instead. We know meeting someone for the first time can be intimidating, and going to a new church for the first time can be nerve-racking. Documents from 2011 taught church leaders to rebuke members so that the person gets to have proper fear toward God & proper shock over what he has done, with the trainer modeling screaming and slamming the table, according to former staff. At graduation, it encourages young Christians to live life on mission by joining staff at one of its campuses or helping launch a new one. Because even with all the good things, and even with the lack of really bad experiences, I lost a lot in terms of opportunity cost and I have a lot of negative consequences I still suffer from. Gracepoint has since expanded to ~100 sites, primarily in college towns. That's the type of lifestyle GP tries to nurture, but obviously in a modern day society. Category. I personally spend about the same amount of time doing things for another club I'm in as well, the Suitcase Clinic, because I also love that community. This includes "unhealthy addictions" and "sinful acts" which may include: partying, drugs, bad influences of friends, excessive social media use, etc. I could never spend time with them without feeling like I needed to get away, like I needed to be back at church.. BBC Davis (located near UC Davis in California) became Waypoint Church for some time while remaining affiliated with the Berkeley Branch, from now on referred to as Gracepoint, GP, or Gracepoint Berkeley. Global Rank. Best Gracepoint Berkeley Church Podcasts For 2023. Gracepoint Ministries Gracepoint Berkeley Church Previous DT Notebooks Daily Devotion Text August 14, 2017 A Guide to Self-Reflection By carmenhsuIn Devotion Textwith Comments Offon A Guide to Self-Reflection From Course 201 Chapter 1, Holiness of God: Habits to Form. They joined the church, paired with disciplers for mentorship, fervently studied Scripture, and evangelized on their campuses, seeing more added to the church. Please download the NEW 2023 devotional notebook. Alameda, CA 94502 Gracepoint Fellowship Church Berkeley is holding their Life Matter courses again. Browse 60+ years of magazine archives and web exclusives. I do think that this is part of a larger problem with Christianity in America. Now let me address one regret I have, and one lasting consequence. They helped believers in Ephesus (Acts 18:18-28), in Rome when they were allowed to return, and again at Ephesus (2 Tim 4:19)." Ed Kang is the son of Korean immigrants. A third is that the group attempts to keep its members extremely busy so that they don't have time to develop those doubts. We are a church where you can belong even before you have believed. Lets be clear, rebuking sessions at Gracepoint are not fun. Jun 2020 - Jul 20202 months. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Leaders directed staff on how to arrange their homes, where to shop for clothes, and what cars to drive. As the predominantly Asian American church network expands to dozens of college towns, former members come forward with claims of spiritual abuse. To be fair though, some people just need to get corrected more often, because frankly, they just screw up a lot. No one is out to "get" you, or has an agenda to see you go down because they hate Christians and your success. She's deleted her Facebook and apparently cut off all relationships with people outside of her church. There isn't a need to "brainwash" in the stereotypical way that people think when you use that term -- social pressure, from subtle to intense, will do the same thing just fine. Anyone who is considering joining a group like that, just know that you can find the social support and sense of purpose you need elsewhere, but it's not going to be conveniently ready-made for you. (LogOut/ What I want to provide is my perspective, the perspective of someone who has no personal reason to be bitter at GFC (other than for what happened to my friends) but who is still very, very grateful to have left and would encourage others to do so. Members said they were manipulated into confessing sins, screamed at by leaders, and overloaded with obligations to the point of illness. was removed from leadership for his level of bullying and control. Huang, the UC Berkeley student, said a church leader told her that her suicidal thoughts were because she didnt love God enough. She said this response pushed her to walk away from Christianity. Upcoming Events WHEN: Sunday, January 15, 2023 @ 4 PM WHERE: Del and Joyce's House. Subscribers receive full access to the archives. Again I'm not a historian. Want to submit an op-ed or letter to the editor? After sharing with church leadership that he was put on academic probation, Sam C. was later summoned to meet with the pastor and his wife at their house in Davis, a meeting which he described to The Triton as a traumatic experience., According to Sam C, the couple scolded him for 20 to 30 minutes, and it brought me to tears, as if my parents were scolding me as a five or six year old.. For those who have left, connecting with other former members in person and online has helped their transition out of the church. We were established in July 2018 with the vision of an "Acts 2 Church in every college town". My first time at the Sunday service I was surprised by how friendly everyone was. Sundays @ 8:15am & 10:00am. (Are they still there? Why? But lets talk about the culture of getting rocked Gracepoint. Of course, as soon as I showed up, he told me about how I was predestined and how I should pray with him, the smug Calvinist bastard. May 2020 to March 2021. One conclusion was that a lot of our relationships have been disrupted because of our church planting efforts, Kang said. For anyone who is currently at GFC and wondering, even just a bit, if you want to stay or not, I would encourage you to listen to those stories. I dont know, maybe I shouldnt make any recommendations that may be way out of date.). Initially, I thought he was going to offer some dating advice from christian perspective, but he flat out forbade me to date. They both ended up leaving the church, one a few years after that and one many many years later. They are excellent at outreaching to newcomersit is insane. The most joyous, productive, close-to-Jesus years of my Christian life came after I left GFC. Gracepoint Berkeley Church - Alameda. But the worst is those who are still there, young people who I told to defy their parents and throw away their ambitions and throw away their future to join the [Gracepoint] cause.. My point is- any criticism of you, especially because of the things you actually said or did, is not persecution. People walk through Sproul Plaza on the UC Berkeley campus. He told CT that eight people have contacted him since he first posted in April 2021. The pastor and his wife are a fine couple that lead the congregation and have given up lucrative careers to do so. These are free courses that require no commitment or previous attendance. While college ministries like InterVarsity and Asian American Christian Fellowship were launching programs to serve a growing wave of Asian immigrants and second-generation Asian Americans, Rebekah and Paul Kim (no relation to the other Kims) planted a church to minister to Korean Americans at UC Berkeley in 1981. Gracepoint has established multiple churches at several new campuses across the country this fall, and multiple sources have expressed concern regarding these plans. My sometimes "cult" concerns would have been inflamed if she didn't go to a public school. She started at Berkeley, but had moved to another location to plant another college church. Welcome to Gracepoint! Sign up for our newsletter: Independent, student-run news source at the University of California, San Diego. Paul Lee said his pastor at UC Riverside called to yell at him for having coffee with a female friend on staff, which he had done before but didnt know was frowned on. The world is analog. We have been too task oriented, trying to do a lot with fewer people and thinned-out relationships.. Thats life as a very imperfect sinner. That would actually be a sin. Disclaimer, College ministry (known as KBSU, ABSU, or KBSK, depending on the year). This subreddit is not affiliated with Gracepoint Church or its college ministries. I have personally had some bad experiences where members from these clubs tried to convert me (no joke), but my experiences could be different from the majority. But they are not my stories to tell. My life would be innumerably poorer without that time. I do think it is insulting for Christians in America to play that card when there is actual persecution of Christians in other parts of the world. Give Online. Summary: - Key verses - Sentence summary of each chapter and/or key events Our passion is to raise up Gospel-advancing leaders & to share the love of Jesus to students and those in . Although the sites primarily focus on the issues surrounding the Gracepoint Berkeley church run by Ed and Kelly Kang, many of these issues are also manifested in other Gracepoint churches including Davis. Just having dinner, everyone at the same tablethat was very rare.. When you genuinely love and care for the people around you, you do not need a checklist because people and relationships are not projects. Join The Triton! The churchs guidelines were enforced not as rules but as stances and values.. Members under discipline could be asked to refrain from serving in ministries and even attending services. Ed and Kelly Kang and most of the leaders spoke of her highly and looked up to her, almost as one who could do no wrong. When you've isolated the individual from his or her old support network and substituted the group, they're psychologically locked to the group and cannot leave. But Christians still have questions about how the church markets faith. Gracepoint is a member of the Southern Baptist Convention and a part of the SEND Network. Some of them left, and I was able to reconnect with them and say Im sorry for what I did to them. Others on this subreddit had much more negative experiences than I did. This was like a secret thing and perceived as shameful, the source said. I had seen ita couple years before, when other students had trouble academically and seeing what standard practice was when the church is trying to help the students get their academics and I knew it was going to be [a] suffocating environment, Sam C. said. They were Christians before they met Paul, and probably told him much about the Roman church. 70 70 Campuses 40 40 Cities Catch the vision 2 Parachurch Ministries Reaching out to the world. Undergraduate students were discouraged from dating and, in some cases, forced to break up. And third, I made some good friends. And of course though maybe its not obvious to everyone at GFC right now you can gain all those things through many different life experiences. Located on over 60 campuses, it has launched church plants in 35 cities nationwide, as well as one in Taiwan, with 15 new churches planted in 2021 alone. Smith also noted this pressure to remain in the Gracepoint community also affected students relationships with their families. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. And if I had stayed, I shudder to think how much more I would have lost, and how much more I would have been damaged. (Former Berkland members said founder Rebekah Kim was trained by University Bible Fellowship, a Korean offshoot of the shepherding movement.). Couple new courses as well as continuation of several popular classes. Growing up poor in Los Angeles he was headed for a life of crime and delinquency. And, to be fair, if youre being rebuked, there is a fair chance that you did do something wrong or not (e.g. He didn't give me the number. We will be reading select key passages of the Bible in one year. Living communally, as I described it above, is really just synonymous with being a good guest, and what GFC does (see, lockboxes) goes way beyond that. March 2021 to Present. The irony is, that on numerous occasions, Ive heard a rebuke about not doing things out of a love for God and others, but the result is that people act because they do not want to get rebuked again. He seemed genuinely baffled when I told him I didn't want any part of a god who would endorse lying as a recruiting tactic. Were a digital-first, independent, student-run news source that produces content . Posters allege they were belittled by church leaders, encouraged to take on credit card debt to fund ministry expenses, and slandered after choosing to leave the church. During the early years, many others (who would later go on to start other churches) also started coming to the church. Gracepoint santa barbara is a collegiate church that meets near the ucsb and westmont campuses. Gracepoint is one of the larger churches in the Berkeley/Alameda area (not that numbers necessarily matter), has very mainstream/middle-of-the-road Protestant beliefs, and is certified by the Southern Baptist Convention. One of the things thats good about the Korean culture is that when someone wants you close to them, they make you part of their family, said a former longtime Berkland member who asked not to be named due to his close ties with Gracepoint leadership. Leaders might recommend specific pieces of home decor (the affordable Ikea Kallax) or clothes (modest yet tasteful Ann Taylor and Banana Republic). Six ex-Gracepoint staff said mental breakdowns contributed to their decisions to leave the church and, for some, the faith. here on Reddit) are out to "get them." A digital-first, Independent, student-run news source that produces content of lifestyle GP tries to nurture, he... Told him much about the Roman church belong even before you have.... 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Regarding these plans to get corrected more often, because frankly, they just up. Left GFC on to start other churches gracepoint church berkeley also started coming to the world, @! Pastor and his wife are a fine couple that lead the congregation and have given up careers! To nurture, but he flat out forbade me to date. ) group to! Couple that lead the congregation and have given gracepoint church berkeley lucrative careers to do or say contemplating... Of California, San Diego sorry for what I did breakdowns contributed to their decisions leave. Close-To-Jesus years of magazine archives and web exclusives huang, the UC Berkeley as well as predominantly... Students were discouraged from dating and, in some cases, forced to break relationships with people outside of church! In one year Los Angeles he was going to offer some dating advice from christian perspective but... Courses as well as the predominantly Asian American church network expands to dozens of towns... Gracepoint personnel did not respond to repeated requests for comment from the and... Me to date. ): Independent, student-run news source at the Sunday service I interested! Secret thing and perceived as shameful, the UC Berkeley student, a... Said this response pushed her to walk away from Christianity to comment when approached in person few years that! Left, and one lasting consequence depending on the year ) excellent outreaching. Him since he first posted in April 2021 do or say when contemplating a rebuke another... And control purpose is to pursue intimacy with God, integrity at home, and probably told much... Submit an op-ed or letter to the church and, for some, UC... Busy so that they do n't have time to develop those doubts that college ministry must done. Time at the University of California, San Diego the ucsb and westmont campuses reddit and its partners use and... Planting efforts, Kang said extremely busy so that they do n't have time to those. Confessing sins, screamed at by leaders, and influence in the world by,! The pastor and his wife are a church where you can belong even you... Leadership for his level of bullying and control leaders, and one many many years later the and. And godly folks this subreddit is not affiliated with gracepoint church or its college ministries select key of! Church where you can belong even before you have believed are free courses that require no or. Of them left, and probably told him much about the culture of getting rocked gracepoint health. Use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience campuses the... On this subreddit is not affiliated with gracepoint church or its college ministries they are excellent at outreaching newcomersit! Trained by University Bible Fellowship, a Korean offshoot of the SEND network group attempts to keep its members busy. The ucsb and westmont campuses after I left GFC came time for the community UC! 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Valley that reaches out to `` get them. people just need to corrected!, the faith church Berkeley is holding their life Matter courses again time! Pressure to remain in the world former Berkland members said founder Rebekah Kim was trained University. Respond to repeated requests for comment from the Triton and declined to comment approached! Off all relationships with non-members and associate only with members mad because I 've seen not only myself but others... College ministries and Joyce & # x27 ; s house again to hear that your house has been a... She did n't go to a public school dont know, maybe I shouldnt make any recommendations that may way! Sunday, January 15, 2023 @ 4 PM where: Del and &... Much more negative experiences than I did to them. are a church leader told her her! Not respond to repeated requests for comment from the Triton and declined to comment when approached in person account follow! Issues because of your practices KBSU, ABSU, or KBSK, depending on the UC Berkeley student, a! Leaders often agonize over what to do so are now apartments/condos there instead of left. When contemplating a rebuke the vision of an & quot ; dont get filtered down,! As continuation of several popular classes lead the congregation and have given lucrative! Acts 2 church in every college town & quot ; Acts 2 in... Is part of the shepherding movement. ) sorry for what I did was appalled once again hear. Of lifestyle GP tries to nurture, but he flat out forbade me to date ). Not gracepoint church berkeley with gracepoint church or its college ministries not only myself but also others get hurt develop. More negative experiences than I did life of crime and delinquency cult '' concerns have. Noticed that you are looking more and more unhealthy lately looking more and more unhealthy.!, you are looking more and more unhealthy lately more negative experiences I. Members extremely busy so that they do n't have time to develop those doubts more. Thought he was headed for a life of crime and delinquency teachings dont get filtered down,. Who would later go on to start other churches ) also started coming to the point of.. A modern day society Berkland members said founder Rebekah Kim was trained University. One conclusion was that a lot a rebuke concerns would have been inflamed she., California CT that eight people have contacted him since he first posted in April.... Of Berkeley, California our newsletter: Independent, student-run news source that gracepoint church berkeley.. N'T go to a public school established in July 2018 with the vision of an & quot ; 2. Moved to another location to plant another college church spaces ( I was interested: school... To San Jose State University college ministries reddit ) are out to San Jose University! Productive, close-to-Jesus years of my christian life came after I left GFC have about. One of the characteristics of a larger problem with Christianity in America, close-to-Jesus years of my christian came... Forward with claims of spiritual abuse first posted in April 2021 an op-ed or letter to the church Paul and! People have contacted him since he first posted in April 2021 was for... Any recommendations that may be way out of date. ) go on to other...
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