When I first started going to Twig, fellowships were self-governing. We met in the park. We met in the basement of the local church. We met at someone's house. We sometimes had a teaching and no manifestations, followed by a party. No one dictated what would be taught. We didn't follow the same boring order in every fellowship. It had something to do with "God working in us to will and to do of His good pleasure," not rules and regulations--even euphemized (is that a word?) as "guidelines. That changed over time.
I stand by what I said in the first place.
Love ya, but you're still mistakenly holding on to the opinion that everything in twi was only as you perceived it.
Okay, for the sake of discussion, let's say twi only CLAIMED that fellowships were self-governing, self-propagating, and self-supporting. If it never was implemented, then twi was hypocritical. Either way, it all got messed up.
When I first started going to Twig, fellowships were self-governing. We met in the park. We met in the basement of the local church. We met at someone's house. We sometimes had a teaching and no manifestations, followed by a party. No one dictated what would be taught. We didn't follow the same boring order in every fellowship. It had something to do with "God working in us to will and to do of His good pleasure," not rules and regulations--even euphemized (is that a word?) as "guidelines. That changed over time.
This is entirely consistent with my early experiences with Twig. Very little formality and requirements in terms of structure and routine. Teachings were of a wide variety and sometimes we simply had Q&A sessions about anything - I mean ANYTHING. Music was optional and when we did have it we hosted any number of people who would show up and play songs and talk about their christian experience even if it involved other churches or alternative religions. Did this change over time ? Yes. To the extent that there was pressure to take classes, go WOW, and abundantly share. But I went to an awful lot of twigs even up until the early 80s and I found drastically different styles at work. Some were all about the "hot bible" while others were so laid back you were never sure if you had even started Twig yet. Some got real deep into word studies while others talked about general christian concepts such as how to represent yourself to the community. So I don't agree that Twigs were a franchise where one was exactly like another. Did it get like this in the mid 80s and later ? I don't know. I wasn't around but before that , it was the people in the Twig who set the tone and pace.
In my mind it was this wide variety and respect for personal needs that made Twig so popular. It wasn't as judgemental and hardcore as it might have become later on which is why there was an abundance (no pun intended) of people who were excited about coming. My point is that it was the people who made Twig so successful. It emerged organically and grew without guidance from the "experts" even though at times HQ might attempt to dispatch people to "fix problems" (many which simply didn't exist but they had to give the Corps something to do). I would also like to point out that many of the late 60s and early 70s spiritual scene involved the concept of informal gatherings and meetings in places like parks, apartments, homes, etc. So it was hardly a stretch for people to warm to the idea of Twig.
Oldies, I don't remember the format coming from HQ as a "commandment". Was there a written law? I ran my fellowships according to the need at the time. Yeah, we had some basics: the tithe and manifestations, but we felt that if the TC was walking in fellowship they could run a meeting in whatever way they saw fit. At least that's how it was in the "good old days".
I would imagine that if a guideline (expected to be followed) was issued, it was due to some not knowing how to conduct themselves according to somebody else's idea of "decent and in order".
The 'cell church' or home group church that has become a part of a growing number of larger churches is somewhat analagous to way twigs. Most of them seem to be very top-down, with teaching lessons supplied, etc. And regular gatherings of the larger bodies, even thouh they're meeting in small groups on Sunday mornings. It's nice perhaps, but the hard core house church movement takes a dim view...
We are in a house church. We had been in a church's "cell group", and they did tell us what we were going to study, the couple that led it were very tied into whatever the leaders told us to do. Long story, but eventually five families left that home group--and ultimately that church, (we were labled the mavericks). The church we were attending seems way more "Twi-ish" than this house church we are now in.
They decided what we would study in the group, they pushed their own promotional class, the people quoted the pastors or other great church leaders as if that was as important as the Bible. We followed the leadership as if we were all a bunch of lemmings.
When my husband lost his job, he went straight to the pastors--with his tithe of that week--a matter of "trusting God". They told him, "well not see you to fall, Mr Psalm". We got one gift from them-- after being told we had to attend a popular Christian financial class conveniently being offered at the time. the gift was $300. And then in a church-wide meeting they had one Sunday night, they excitedly explained how they were going to be pouring a concrete pad for the church's dumpster-- a mere $3000.
Makes ya go hmmmm. Wonder if ya take the money out of the megachurches and really gave it to the poor amongst them, what would happen? Each church has it's marketing plan--and who do they usually win-- the "unchurched"?
I can't actually buy that the organized church is "all bad"--not at all, but I know that in the large one we had attended, Jesus had left the building about the time they built this mamoth of a church building.
Our Home Church is very much like Mark's report states. as well as what Evan described. At this stage it meets our needs. It is sweet family times, and it often does remind me of the early way twigs--the ones where the money didn't go to hq, the rules weren't handed down from the top, and there was variety in what we did and where we met!
Can these home churches go in the wrong direction? yeah-- just like the organized church. I think it really depends on the attendees and who they make Lord of their lives. I also think it's very individual. If I am really following the Lord's guidance-- If he wants me in a mega church--that's where I better be--same as with a small group. As long as I can hear His voice, (not the pastor's), and I obey His voice, I can't go wrong. The location I attend for christian fellowship, is the icing--the relationship with Jesus is the cake!
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diazbro
Oldies, I have no problems believing that you followed any and all rules set down by anyone in a position of authority with TWI.
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Linda Z
Oldies, I still disagree.
When I first started going to Twig, fellowships were self-governing. We met in the park. We met in the basement of the local church. We met at someone's house. We sometimes had a teaching and no manifestations, followed by a party. No one dictated what would be taught. We didn't follow the same boring order in every fellowship. It had something to do with "God working in us to will and to do of His good pleasure," not rules and regulations--even euphemized (is that a word?) as "guidelines. That changed over time.
I stand by what I said in the first place.
Love ya, but you're still mistakenly holding on to the opinion that everything in twi was only as you perceived it.
Okay, for the sake of discussion, let's say twi only CLAIMED that fellowships were self-governing, self-propagating, and self-supporting. If it never was implemented, then twi was hypocritical. Either way, it all got messed up.
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diazbro
This is entirely consistent with my early experiences with Twig. Very little formality and requirements in terms of structure and routine. Teachings were of a wide variety and sometimes we simply had Q&A sessions about anything - I mean ANYTHING. Music was optional and when we did have it we hosted any number of people who would show up and play songs and talk about their christian experience even if it involved other churches or alternative religions. Did this change over time ? Yes. To the extent that there was pressure to take classes, go WOW, and abundantly share. But I went to an awful lot of twigs even up until the early 80s and I found drastically different styles at work. Some were all about the "hot bible" while others were so laid back you were never sure if you had even started Twig yet. Some got real deep into word studies while others talked about general christian concepts such as how to represent yourself to the community. So I don't agree that Twigs were a franchise where one was exactly like another. Did it get like this in the mid 80s and later ? I don't know. I wasn't around but before that , it was the people in the Twig who set the tone and pace.
In my mind it was this wide variety and respect for personal needs that made Twig so popular. It wasn't as judgemental and hardcore as it might have become later on which is why there was an abundance (no pun intended) of people who were excited about coming. My point is that it was the people who made Twig so successful. It emerged organically and grew without guidance from the "experts" even though at times HQ might attempt to dispatch people to "fix problems" (many which simply didn't exist but they had to give the Corps something to do). I would also like to point out that many of the late 60s and early 70s spiritual scene involved the concept of informal gatherings and meetings in places like parks, apartments, homes, etc. So it was hardly a stretch for people to warm to the idea of Twig.
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topoftheworld
Oldies, I don't remember the format coming from HQ as a "commandment". Was there a written law? I ran my fellowships according to the need at the time. Yeah, we had some basics: the tithe and manifestations, but we felt that if the TC was walking in fellowship they could run a meeting in whatever way they saw fit. At least that's how it was in the "good old days".
I would imagine that if a guideline (expected to be followed) was issued, it was due to some not knowing how to conduct themselves according to somebody else's idea of "decent and in order".
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TheEvan
The 'cell church' or home group church that has become a part of a growing number of larger churches is somewhat analagous to way twigs. Most of them seem to be very top-down, with teaching lessons supplied, etc. And regular gatherings of the larger bodies, even thouh they're meeting in small groups on Sunday mornings. It's nice perhaps, but the hard core house church movement takes a dim view...
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Psalm 71 one
We are in a house church. We had been in a church's "cell group", and they did tell us what we were going to study, the couple that led it were very tied into whatever the leaders told us to do. Long story, but eventually five families left that home group--and ultimately that church, (we were labled the mavericks). The church we were attending seems way more "Twi-ish" than this house church we are now in.
They decided what we would study in the group, they pushed their own promotional class, the people quoted the pastors or other great church leaders as if that was as important as the Bible. We followed the leadership as if we were all a bunch of lemmings.
When my husband lost his job, he went straight to the pastors--with his tithe of that week--a matter of "trusting God". They told him, "well not see you to fall, Mr Psalm". We got one gift from them-- after being told we had to attend a popular Christian financial class conveniently being offered at the time. the gift was $300. And then in a church-wide meeting they had one Sunday night, they excitedly explained how they were going to be pouring a concrete pad for the church's dumpster-- a mere $3000.
Makes ya go hmmmm. Wonder if ya take the money out of the megachurches and really gave it to the poor amongst them, what would happen? Each church has it's marketing plan--and who do they usually win-- the "unchurched"?
I can't actually buy that the organized church is "all bad"--not at all, but I know that in the large one we had attended, Jesus had left the building about the time they built this mamoth of a church building.
Our Home Church is very much like Mark's report states. as well as what Evan described. At this stage it meets our needs. It is sweet family times, and it often does remind me of the early way twigs--the ones where the money didn't go to hq, the rules weren't handed down from the top, and there was variety in what we did and where we met!
Can these home churches go in the wrong direction? yeah-- just like the organized church. I think it really depends on the attendees and who they make Lord of their lives. I also think it's very individual. If I am really following the Lord's guidance-- If he wants me in a mega church--that's where I better be--same as with a small group. As long as I can hear His voice, (not the pastor's), and I obey His voice, I can't go wrong. The location I attend for christian fellowship, is the icing--the relationship with Jesus is the cake!
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