I wouldn't be tooo sure and confident everyone who states they are in the middle of it really are---
the upci is a great organization in terms of the things they promote and stand for. i've come to realize after being apart of the upc all of my life that the problem lies in the fact that as an organization we are just not progessive fast enough. what we are good at though is our sunday school programs (2nd to none) our mens and ladies retreats, youth events (camps,conventions) but we it comes to diving into the deeper things that accompany salvation sometimes we come up wanting. but like every organization thats just our bad points we have to learn either to deal with them or move on. while i'm here let me say this though, a lot of the problems in the upc is due to older leadership that would rather hold on to ways of the past instead of look towards the future. then we use scriptures like "seek out the old paths and walk therein", to justify why we stay old fashioned. for petes sake will somebody please preach that the old paths have got to be the Word of God and his ways, not the things that we put into place 50 years ago and try to use bible to support our own ideas
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Zech 4:14 So he said, "these are the two anointed ones, (sons of the oil) to stand beside the Lord of the whole earth."
[quote=SonsOfTheOil;479895]the upci is a great organization in terms of the things they promote and stand for. i've come to realize after being apart of the upc all of my life that the problem lies in the fact that as an organization we are just not progessive fast enough. what we are good at though is our sunday school programs (2nd to none) our mens and ladies retreats, youth events (camps,conventions) but we it comes to diving into the deeper things that accompany salvation sometimes we come up wanting. but like every organization thats just our bad points we have to learn either to deal with them or move on. while i'm here let me say this though, a lot of the problems in the upc is due to older leadership that would rather hold on to ways of the past instead of look towards the future. then we use scriptures like "seek out the old paths and walk therein", to justify why we stay old fashioned. for petes sake will somebody please preach that the old paths have got to be the Word of God and his ways, not the things that we put into place 50 y
There are many UPCs that are progressive. They problem is in order to be progressive they end up being marginalized or isolated by the status quo
__________________ Let it be understood that Apostolic Friends Forum is an Apostolic Forum.
Apostolic is defined on AFF as:
There is One God. This one God reveals Himself distinctly as Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
The Son is God himself in a human form or "God manifested in the flesh" (1Tim 3:16)
Every sinner must repent of their sins.
That Jesus name baptism is the only biblical mode of water baptism.
That the Holy Ghost is for today and is received by faith with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues.
The saint will go on to strive to live a holy life, pleasing to God.
i agree to that as well..going after the Kingdom though will cost every individual and every local church if thats what they really want. they didnt teach us that though at youth camps that as we got older going after God and being progessive just might have isolated and pointed out among those of the same faith.
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Zech 4:14 So he said, "these are the two anointed ones, (sons of the oil) to stand beside the Lord of the whole earth."
I have grown increasingly frustrated with posters bashing the UPC. I totally understand that many have had some very negative and hurtful experiences while attending a UPC church; however, holding on to the pain while tearing down the organization at every chance hasn't done anyone any good.
I have experienced hurt too and I thought that I would never go back, but I realized that if change was every going to occur it would be better orchestrated from within.
Instead of bashing the UPCI why not pray for your local church and the leadership? Stop hating and start loving!!!
I have grown increasingly frustrated with posters bashing the UPC. I totally understand that many have had some very negative and hurtful experiences while attending a UPC church; however, holding on to the pain while tearing down the organization at every chance hasn't done anyone any good.
I have experienced hurt too and I thought that I would never go back, but I realized that if change was every going to occur it would be better orchestrated from within.
Instead of bashing the UPCI why not pray for your local church and the leadership? Stop hating and start loving!!!
__________________ "all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed."
~Declaration of Independence