XXXchurch

Posted by D. Goodmanson on Dec 22, 2005 in Church Technology, Sheep&Goats | 6 comments

(This is an article written for my weekly San Diego Reader column on spirituality and places of worship.)

Wally the Wiener, a 15-foot inflatable penis, stands erect behind XXXchurch’s “Erotica LA” booth. Wally is just one of XXXchurch’s attempts to get attention from the 40,000 pornography fans and stars at the convention. “We have to use outrageous methods to get people to pay attention,” said Craig Gross, a pastor, and one of the founders of XXXchurch. In 2002, Pastor Gross and Pastor Mike Foster founded XXXchurch to create porn awareness, accountability, and recovery to people inside and outside the church.

Pastors Foster and Gross have received a lot of attention because of their involvement in the pornography industry. “At the Erotica show, people are wondering why two pastors are here,” said Gross. “But this is exactly the place Jesus would go. He wouldn’t stand outside picketing the porn industry. He would want to meet these people individually.” This year, XXXchurch’s booth gave “Jesus Loves Porn Stars” T-shirts to porn stars. “We handed out 245 free T-shirts. This is a way for us to plant seeds with porn stars and help them get out of the industry,” said Gross. “We stay in contact with many of the porn stars to keep a dialogue going.” Last month, Trinity James was the first porn star to leave the industry through this campaign. “Trinity was living in Las Vegas and has been doing porn and legalized prostitution for four years. She realized that this is not something she can do any longer.” XXXchurch raised $14,400 to assist James’s transition, which included the cost of the move to Indiana and tuition to cosmetology school. Gross said he hopes this is the first example of many porn stars’ exodus out of the industry.

Full Article: XXXchurch

Kehillas Torah

Posted by D. Goodmanson on Dec 15, 2005 in Church Technology, Sheep&Goats | 0 comments

(This is an article written for my weekly San Diego Reader column on spirituality and places of worship.)

“If someone at our synagogue becomes religious, don’t blame me. I just teach the Torah,” said Rabbi Baruch Lederman of Kehillas Torah. “I am passionate about helping people see the beauty of the Torah. I want to help raise them to a higher level of understanding and increase their acts of kindness to others. This is what life is all about. It’s about a relationship with your creator.” I asked Lederman about his relationship with God. “I pray and talk to God all the time. Life is one giant conversation with God. I love, revere, and fear God. It is very similar to how a child thinks about their parents.”

Fred Wolf, a member of the synagogue, said Lederman helped change his life. “In recent years, I’ve gone through a lot of trials. I went through a divorce with two children and a parent dying. It made me think about what is important in life.” Wolf said this process led him back to his Jewish roots. “I was struggling with the divorce. I entered a period of darkness and depression. Rabbi Lederman helped me out during this time. He was warm and open-minded. He doesn’t lecture people; he enjoys teaching people and letting them make their decisions for themselves. He doesn’t care where you came from; it’s where you are going. He is the most unorthodox orthodox rabbi I know,” said Wolf

Full Article: Kehillas Torah

Holy Spirit Catholic Church

Posted by D. Goodmanson on Dec 7, 2005 in Church Technology, Sheep&Goats | 0 comments

“[When I'm taking the Eucharist], I’m consuming Jesus’ body, if you view it with eyes of faith,” said Eileen Carton, a volunteer at Holy Spirit Catholic Church. “How else can you get that close to God? When I take Eucharist, if I lack faith, I am given faith. If I am burdened, Jesus takes my burden.” Carton said she’s been enamored with communion since she was seven years old. “As a Japanese-American, I was raised Buddhist, but when a friend took me to Mass with her family, I saw the holiness and beauty of the Mass. I was taken aback by seeing Jesus at the consecration. When I saw this, Jesus spoke to my heart and told me I was home. I get so excited about this, I just thank the Lord.” “What really makes the Catholic Church different is that we take Jesus seriously when he gave us the Sacrament of Holy Orders. We take the wine and bread and believe they become the literal body and blood of Jesus,” said Dennis Gorsich, a pastoral associate. “We’re actually at that Last Supper during the Eucharist. It’s like being in a time warp. I often feel closer to God because I’ve taken the Eucharist. Jesus is clearing away the things that are not good in me.

Full Article: Holy Spirit Catholic Church

Calvary Chapel San Diego

Posted by D. Goodmanson on Dec 1, 2005 in Church Technology, Sheep&Goats | 0 comments

“I was stoned when I accepted Christ,” said Jared Lee, a volunteer at Calvary Chapel San Diego. “When my parents got divorced, I started getting into the drug scene. I would smoke an ounce of weed in three days and would steal. Everything was about getting the next high.” Lee’s life changed when three people approached him in Balboa Park and told him about Jesus. “I found hope. There was something more in life,” said Lee. Lee now believes Christianity is the only true way. “God opened my eyes.” Lee joined Calvary Chapel and participated in their Fellowship in Recovery program. “The program follows the same 12-step program for Alcoholics Anonymous. I went from being a curse to society, as a drug addict and a worthless guy, to a blessing. I moved in to help my grandmother when my grandpa died. I am a high school teacher now, and I work with the youth at church. If I hadn’t accepted Christ, I would be in jail or dead.”

Full Article: Calvary Chapel San Diego

New Life Presbyterian Church

Posted by D. Goodmanson on Nov 22, 2005 in Church Technology, Sheep&Goats | 0 comments

“Christians can’t fight battles of sin alone. I failed miserably when I tried to deal with sin on my own. I felt alone. I was fearful of sharing my struggles with others,” said Jim Allsop, New Life Church’s treasurer. Allsop said he appreciates New Life because of the community’s involvement in his life and assistance in his fight against sin. “It’s the body of Christ working together.” Jim Allsop has experienced this community since his arrival in 1991. “A friend introduced me to New Life. At the time, I wanted to find a church that was willing to take on the hard questions about the Bible.” Allsop said one of the difficult questions he came across involved limited atonement. Limited atonement is the belief that Christ’s death on the cross was sufficient only for those who are part of the church. “I always thought Christ had died for everyone. But as I studied the scripture, it became clear that God knew who he was going to save before time began.” Allsop said this belief changed his Christian faith. “This really shook me up. It made me rethink my view of God. I now recognize that I’m so desperate for his grace and mercy every day for the sin that remains in my heart. I’m constantly trying to kill the old [sinful] man and put on the new [Christian] man. It is a daily war.”

Pastor Brian Tallman preached behind the large pulpit, only his chest and head visible to the congregation. “Today, we are examining 1 John 3:4–10,” began Pastor Tallman. “In this text, the children of God and the children of the devil are made obvious by John.” Tallman observed that unlike in John’s time, it has become difficult in the church today to determine who is a Christian. “Today, in the church, there is no distinction in behavior from those inside and outside of the church. According to The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience , those proclaiming to be Christian are no different in their racism, divorce rates, sexual immorality, or physical abuse in the home.” Tallman suggested two reasons why the church has demised: the lack of church discipline and preachers who offer cheap grace. “Preachers today tell people that they can live any way they want. That Jesus makes no demands on how you should live,” said Tallman. Tallman concluded that Christians need to believe the right things about the Bible, love their brothers, and that their faith should manifest itself in how they live.”

Full Article: New Life Presbyterian Church

St. Anthony’s Orthodox Christian Church

Posted by D. Goodmanson on Nov 16, 2005 in Church Technology, Sheep&Goats | 0 comments

“Most people have no idea what the Orthodox Church is. When I joined the church, my [Protestant] family was perplexed. They thought I had joined the Catholic Church, and Protestants are Rome-a-phobic,” said David Hunt. Hunt transferred to St. Anthony’s Orthodox Church from Horizon Church after he started to read church history. “I was happy in a nondenominational church, until I had a family member attend New Life Presbyterian Church and say he had found the true church. This got me thinking, maybe there is something more out there.” Hunt said he began to read Ignatius, Clement, John Chrysostom, and several other early Christian writers. “I was initially shocked and distressed.” Hunt said the shock was over beliefs he held for years without any question that were under attack. Hunt and his family began to seek a new church that reflected three truths he saw in church history. These truths included a church with Episcopal government, sacramental focus, and liturgical service. “The historical church is Episcopal in government. This means that a bishop is over the pastor and that there is a leadership structure. In typical nondenominational churches, if someone doesn’t like a pastor, he can just move on to the next church. All it takes is someone who decides to start his own church, come up with his own doctrine, and he goes off and forms his own church. That was not how it was meant to be,” said Hunt. “A church needs also to be sacramental. There should be a focus on the Eucharist and how God works through mysteries to bestow grace to us.

Full Article: St. Anthony’s Orthodox Christian Church