Thomas Loy Bumgarner

Belle, I can understand your hestitancy, but these classes are free of cost, you can drop out if you want, and

you take them on your on time schedule, no pressure from clergy or congregation. Pastor Foss is at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, ELCA in Burnsville, MN. Their praise ensemble(I hate the term band) is Changing Church Forum and they have their own bookstore called Genesis. All these classes encourage small Bible

Study groups called cells, which are not competitive but are part a larger congregation/parish, not independent house churches/home fellowships like the former twigs. But take your time and move at your own pace. Also talk with your pastor about your experiences or seek counseling with a qualified expert dealing with cults. God really bless you and others like Rascal, Shelly, etc. Agape, Thomas

Belle, while I agree with Rick Warren's overall message, its too much Southern Baptist for me. I also have been involved with the Lutheran version of Cursillio called Las Via del Christo(The Way of Christ) and have read Lutheran pastor Michael Foss of Burnsville,MN book called PowerSurge: 6 Disciplines of the Christian Life which is prayer, public worship, daily reading of Scripture, Serving(as in John Wimber's Servant Evangelism), Relationships(family, church including other denominations, and seekers/searchers/inquirers/

outsiders), and giving of money, time and talents as stewards. Overall, I have enjoyed everything because of the relaxed atmosphere and no pressure. You can email to www.alphausa.org or www.alpha.org to find the nearest class. In fact, classes are running in Lima, Sydney, and St. Mary's, all within TWI's area. LOL.

One more thing, after each video session we meet in small groups of 5-10 people to discuss the material and to ask questions, something we were never allowed in Power For Abundant Living. Wierwille must have thought it would challenge him and obviously forbade it, always saying wait until the end of the class. But how are we to grow in the Christian faith if we can't ask questions?

(cont.)What about the church/Why should I join any group that will have me as amember?; and finally, How can I make the most of my life/Lovefeast. Other classes we have run include 40 Days of Purpose(Rick Warren), Beta based on Neil T. Anderson's Victory over the Darkness, and the Bondage Breakers=sessions

include Good News; New identity in Christ; Living by Faith; Reshaping our worldview; Living by the Spirit; Renewing the mind; Battle for the mind; Emotional freedom; Forgiving from the heart; Steps to freedom in Christ; Godly relationships; Goals and desires; and finally, Living on the right path. Our advanced class is based on British and United Methodist materials combined called Essential Bible Truth Treasury/Christian Believer(supplemented by Companions in Christ books)= Believing/Faith; Revelation/Scripture/The Bible(main sections, inspiration, interpretation, application, central theme, contents);God as trinity, creator, being/

personal, character/providence, fatherhood/parent, revelation; Humanity-our uniqueness/made in God's image, our diversity, rebellion and fall, sinful condition/condemnation, covenant and election, quest and dilemna, enemies, grace, salvation/God's plan for humanity, need of salvation, The Way, acceptance;Jesus Christ-Incarnation/human and divine, Savior, main events in the gospels, aspects of his ministry, various names, atonement, Lord, triumphant resurrection/ascension; Holy Spirit-God present, person, names and descriptions, empowering, his work, activity in Christians, fruit, and gifts;God's messengers-angels, patriarchs,priests, prophets, apostles, and evangelists; Church-Body of Christ/God's called out people, characteristics, main description, relationship to Christ, authority and mission, Sacraments/worship, Ministry and order; Christian Life described, Bible, Prayer, witness, world; Sanctification, Romans; Christian hope; return of Christ; Judgement; Resurrection of the body; Eternal Life; New World oder;Believing and Living.

Alpha stands for:A=Anyone is welcomed who is interested in the basics of Christianity, wherther life-long believer brushing up on the doctrines, or seekers/searchers/inquirers; L=Learning and laughter; P=Pizza, pasta, pie, and people; H=Healing, hospitality, humility, and humor; and A=ask any questions on Christianity.

It was developed by The Reverand Nicholas(Nicky) Gumbel, an Anglican priest of the Church of England. The video class is 15 sessions long, with 12 being every Sunday evening and 3 on one Saturday on the Holy Spirit. The Class is free to participants(no green card or contract is signed) with meals and free chidcare/nursery, since the church budgets for it. Gumbel also has written a book based on Alpha called Questions of Life. Other classes/books are Life Worth Living(based on Phillipians), Challenging Lifestyles(based on Sermon of the Mount from Matthew), Heart of Revival(based on Issaiah), 7 Searching Issues(Human Suffering, Other religions, sex, the Trinity), and a devotional called 30 Days(individual Bible Studies).

Beginnings is the United Methodist answer to Alpha which is 12 sessions, but does not include the Holy Spirit discussions. Video presenter is The Reverand Robert(Rob) Weber, pastor at Grace Community UMC in Shreveport,LA. The companion book is called(and I am not kidding) Along The Way by United Methodist pastors, Thomas Anderson(Andy) Langford and Mark Ralls. Sessions include: Christianity, is it boring, myth,

and irrevelant/Is this all ther is?; Who is Jesus and why should I care?; Why did Jesus die/Why am I not where I want to be?; How can I be sure of my Faith/What happens when I die?; Why and how should I read

the Bible/How does God speak to me?; Why and how do I pray/how do I speak to God?; How does God guide us/Can I trust God?; Who is the Holy Spirit?; What does the Holy spirit do?; How can I be filled with the Holy Spirit(optional SIT)?; How can I resist evil/If I don't feel lost, why do I need to be found?; Why and how should I tell others/Can I start again?; Does God heal today/How can I make a life and not just a living?;

Galen, I have been to Maine. I enjoyed Bar Harbor and the coastal region. Hope to get back up there next summer. Don't get snowbounded there. Thomas

Jeanette, it's Stevie Kay, formerly Louis(now divorced from ex-husband Jamie). Claudette Royal is still in TWI as ordained clergy serving Atlanta/Marietta area. Brian Bliss was last listed in Dayton,OH. Steive is in CO. Dean is in TEX. Cliff in VA. Greg Anderson in Ind. Ted is in Ohio. Helen in FL. as well as Mary Ann. Paul Vergillio aka Paolo Emillio Dionisio and Kristiana Linder Perez in Cal. as well as Steve Strick(divorced from Beverly). Ralph and maybe Joe from Pressed Down are in Nashville. Don't know about Hope(Larry and Marianne Shicks) and Agape(David Bailey). Hope this helps. Thomas

Secret Squirrel? I thought it was fox hunting at TWI, for I am the Hunter!(bugle). If it is the other , then where is Morroco Mole? God, I've got to stop watching Boomerang/Cartoon Network while posting these replies.hehehe, LOL.

Hammeroni, why Don't we make it undersecretary of booze(schnapps, beer, wine, rum, and Drambuie) and

you line up the women? Let's make Rosie"the Fox" and Donna janitorial staff in charge of cleaning the outhouses.

Still waiting for my cabinet post appointment, Mr. President. Hail to the chef Boyardee.

Dear TF, I should have checked my facts. I knew Mickey was running for mayor 2 years ago and that he was in politics. Sorry about the confusion. Thomas Loy Bumgarner

Would you believe that he also was Tennessee Tuxedo and Inspector Gadget? Sorry about that, chief, uh

I mean Stanley. Chumley, let's go see Mr. Whopee and I don't mean VPW. Gee, I've got to get me a life

instead of watching TVLand and Boomerang/Cartoon Network.

Or is that Mike, Allan and Phil aka oldiesman?

Yeah, David. Include the 3 Stooges, Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy. Whoops! I just mentioned staff at Der Weg HQ in New Knocksville. I wonder if Rosie knows that Steve aka Hammoroni has replaced het yet.

Shaz, a little known fact is that Lamsa when he was 11 years old, his family converted to Islam. A fact he failed to tell his teachers at Canterbury School in Istanbul, Turkey or various colleges, much less other Christians. His translation into English was never accepted by the Church of the East(Nestorian). His successor Rocco Ericco from his Nodrha Foundation in Smyna,GA, along with Lamsa tend to believe in the teachings of Unity School of Christianity. Of course, Lamsa died in the 1970's. Pillai originally was Hindu and understood "Christian" expressions from Far Eastern Asian religions which sometimes parralled Lamsa and at other times was radically different.

We do 2 different services: the 9AM is contemporary using music from Hillsongs, Newsboys, David Crowder,

Twilla Parris, and others including Marty Haugen and David Hass. The 11Am is from Service Book and Hymnal(red-1958), Lutheran Book of Worship(green-1978), Hymnal Supplement 1991(burgandy/maroon),

With One Voice(blue-1995), and Renewing Worship Songbook(multicolor-2003). We also have youth worship using DVD's fron Integrity's Worship Together series.

Maybe Paw thought we got to big for our britches. Any way, as I said Tally-ho! A hunting we will go. Ahh, hunter, I see you got the Fox. That's right Flannigan, for I am the Hunter. yuk-yuk! That's a joke there boy.

Been watching too much TV again.

Other authors that Wierwille seemed to borrow were Albert Benjamin Simpson, who was a lay Presbyterian who proceeded the Pentecostal movement by writing Power From On High : The Holy Spirit back in the 1880's and founded the Christian Missionary Alliance Church. Ruben Archer Torrey, an associate of Dwight Moody, whose book is titled Power Filled Living and includes a section on difficulties of the Bible, especially on Wednesday

crucifixation and Saturday ressurrection, long before Bullinger. Dale Carnegie, Norman Vincent Peale, and Robert Schuller(see previous thread on

Faith movement), Watchman Nee, Smith Wigglesworth, Lester Sumrall, Howard Carter, Derek Prince, etc. just to name a few .Plus exceprts from Jehovah(or is it Yahweh's) Witnesses and Herbert and Garner Ted Armstrong.

I was NCWOW during the summer of 1976 in Greensboro. BTW, Mickey Mahaffey

recently in the last few years has been mayor of Asheville,NC.

Tally-ho!

Mr. President, I would like to be part of the cabinet/board of throwing out the rifraf of the previous administration, or is that dispensation

of "the fox" and her cronies?

Actually, it is Evangelical Lutheran church in America(ELCA) and no I am told it was not Ruben, but it might have been Bob Ed(Robert Edward)Wierwille or else it was the funeral director from Miller Funeral Home in St. Mary's. Shudder! A possible Wierwille look alike. About as bad as mistaking Doug McMillan for Loy"Toyboy"Craig Martindale.

I looked in local phonebook and Rosalie's address is listed as New Knoxville/New Bremen Road(edge of TWIHQ property) instead of 5555 Wierwille Road which is listed as Howard Allen's address.

As a postscript, I just got back this past Sunday from Mrs. Wierwille's funeral in St. Mary's where I saw John Paul and his 2nd wife Edna, Kevin Gigou and Sara Kathyrn, Jim and Karen Martin, John and Mary Somerville, John Lynn,Wayne Clapp, Doug McMillan, Ted Farrell, and Rhoda Wierwille as well as Ruben. Yes , I was polite to all of them.

Rhoda was there Friday night and Ruben was there for the funeral on Saturday.ps, It must have been the funeral director or else Bob Ed, since that face looked liked a Wierwille male. Shudder!