# 12 Stone Church



## Michael (May 27, 2011)

Those of you familiar with Metro Atlanta may have heard of 12 Stone Church. It's a postmodern megachurch [think Starbucks in the lobby] striving for a deeper and more relevant connection with Jesus.

I've known several people to have gone to this church. I've driven past it many times. But not until this evening did I ever venture onto the website. Under "worship" there was a second option called O2 worship, subtitled "oxygen: something that sustains and fuels". These special worship services are described as follows:



> Five times a year we set aside a night to “breathe deep” in worship, prayer and communion. We come together as a congregation to soak in truth and practices that drive our worship and faith deeper into our lives.
> 
> These evenings are created with an atmosphere of spiritual intensity. We expect God to meet with us and for His Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts. For this reason we ask that you secure childcare for your young children. Childcare is not provided on these evenings.



Wha?? 

We expect God to meet with us...so don't bring your kids...?


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## Scottish Lass (May 27, 2011)

I don't get it either, but it must resonate with a lot of folks. My dad lives a couple miles up from there (off Old P, as a matter of fact) and says the traffic is unreal. He and my mom are PC(USA)/traditional and felt the need to try a megachurch to feel competent to talk about/criticize it and chose 12Stone--even they realized the problems in at least the service they attended.


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## Edward (May 27, 2011)

Looking at the video, I'm thinking "The Electric Kool Aid Acid Test".


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## Rufus (May 27, 2011)

If they want a deeper connection to Christ than they should ditch the starbucks and focus on Him.


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## Jack K (May 28, 2011)

Michael said:


> We expect God to meet with us...so don't bring your kids...?



I don't want to get snarky about any particular church. To be fair, occasional times of gathered worship and prayer without kids around can be helpful. But in doing that, all churches need to remember that the intensity of God's meeting with us ultimately does not depend on an atmosphere we create. And though it's easy to do, we must never make the arrogant assumption that God is more likely to meet with adults, who are able to work up some sort of spiritual fervor, than he is with kids.


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## C. M. Sheffield (May 28, 2011)

This is the first church I've seen with "Earth, Wind, & Fire" as their ministry model! 

[video=vimeo;13953808]http://vimeo.com/13953808[/video]


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## NB3K (May 28, 2011)

I hate unbiblical churches! I understand that we all won't agree on everything, but that 12 stone church needs to be stoned!


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## Miller (May 28, 2011)

NB3K said:


> I hate unbiblical churches! I understand that we all won't agree on everything, but that 12 stone church needs to be stoned!


Maybe they were stoned and that's the problem


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## AThornquist (May 28, 2011)

NB3K said:


> I hate unbiblical churches! I understand that we all won't agree on everything, but that 12 stone church needs to be stoned!


 
They need to be stoned? Would you tell them that to their face, or is the internet just a good place to talk hard without facing the ramifications? I'm opposed to some of their practices as well, but don't forget that there are potentially many true believers there, and they need loving guidance to a better way, not caustic criticism.


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## Edward (May 28, 2011)

Apparently, O2 services are the latest fad. While I haven't researched it yet, I think it originates with Hillsong's September 13, 2009 service at the O2 arena in London. Wikipedia mention here: Hillsong Church London - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Oops. It looks like O2 is now passe. The folks in Atlanta are behind the times - so 'first decade' of the 21st century. The O2 at Summitview Community Church in Greely, CO has now been renamed 'The Rock' The Rock at UNC


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## torstar (May 28, 2011)

AThornquist said:


> NB3K said:
> 
> 
> > I hate unbiblical churches! I understand that we all won't agree on everything, but that 12 stone church needs to be stoned!
> ...


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## Michael (May 28, 2011)

I had just never heard of an O2 service before. I've never heard of worship that excluded children either.


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## JonathanHunt (May 28, 2011)

Being generous, I would say that perhaps on this exceptional occasion in the annual life of the church they want all the adults to be able to be present, not occupied with childcare. The fact that both are not mutually exclusive seems to have eluded them, as it has most modern day churches.


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## NB3K (May 28, 2011)

AThornquist said:


> They need to be stoned? Would you tell them that to their face, or is the internet just a good place to talk hard without facing the ramifications? I'm opposed to some of their practices as well, but don't forget that there are potentially many true believers there, and they need loving guidance to a better way, not caustic criticism.



Maybe I should have said rebuked. Thank you for the rebuke also.

But at the same time, there are so many churches that are not really churches. In my neck of the woods there are commercials on the AM dial for Christ Wesleyan Church, their whole advertisment is:

I'm married, I'm separated, I'm divorced, I'M LOOKING! Christ Wesleyan Church for people like you. Christ Wesleyan Church is a place where people know what it means to fall and pick themselves up again.

Now this is an advertisment to the flesh or is it not?


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## AThornquist (May 28, 2011)

Jason, you're right that there is a healthy place for criticism in every church and that appeals to the flesh ought to be hated. However, the way hatred is expressed is essential to the loving restoration of those who have fallen into sin and the gentle guidance of brethren who don't any other way. Our righteous hatred of error and sin should compel us to restore others in a spirit of gentleness for their good and the glory of God; our goal isn't merely to eradicate darkness by any means possible. 

With Christ Wesleyan Church as an example, there may be sheep there who really have never heard of anything else. What they are saying is all they have known. Before we write them off as a lost cause, the church needs to come along side of them and pull some 'Aquila and Priscilla' tactics. If nothing else, their leadership especially need to be prayed for. They are going to give an account to God for thow they watched over the sheep, which is a scary reality given the things that are being taught from their pulpit. Personally, I need to grow in all of these things; too often I am overly critical and can sinfully enjoy pointing out the theological pitfalls of others. "But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy" (James 3:17).


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