Assembly feedback?

[Pastor Gary]

The top 3 are San Jose CA, Orlando FL, and Columbus OH.

Oooo! Oooo! (in Horseshack voice) I vote ORLANDO!

I think there is something to the possibility of adding vacation days to a family's Assembly plan. I know in days past people planned an Assembly trip AS a vacation but I don't think that's the case as much anymore. I think it would be a top draw. HOT but well-attended.

That's our plan Dewayne. It would be nice to take the family and have something to do during the day. Columbus sounds awful and San Jose is out of the question.

Just curious... why is San Jose out of the question? Distance? An awful lot of us travel way farther every assembly than you'd travel to get there.

Yes Gary. Distance. And pulling it out of where the crowd is will make it smaller than Kentucky. This answer is very selfish, but I'm honest.

Since the percentage of COGOP members is MINISCULE in the US compared to our international membership, you might be shocked at how big an Assembly outside the Bible belt might be... and how different!

[dawgs10]

Would it being in California bump up the international attendance?

[Pastor Gary]

Gary, although I have no idea what it's like to travel as far as you have to, I would travel as far as needed if it was in the budget. Next summer I plan to travel throughout the Pacific, but I have saved and raised money for it well in advance. I respect those that travel, but at the same time have no idea how they afford it.

Let me, respectfully, ask some questions:
Do you drive a car made since 2000? Do you live in a home larger than 1,000 square feet? Do you own a jet ski, fishing boat, RV, Quad or recreational vehicle? Do you hunt, fish or vacation?

I am not being mean or smart-alec about this, just saying; we drive very old cars that were given to us, live in 900 square feet and do not own any kind of expensive recreational toys, because our priorities are not in those things. Not aiming this at you, personally, but I talk to people from the south often trying to get them to support a Compassion International child for $38/month, and am told "I can't afford it!" -- yet they have a 3,000 square foot home (and sometimes a lake house) 3 late model cars, bass boats, season college football tickets, and the list goers on.

Priorities.

[dawgs10]

My car is paid for and the answer is no to the rest. My house is a little bit larger than 1000 sq feet. I know where you coming from and agree. We live on very tight budget to allow for part time ministry work and a full time job to pay most of the bills. If it was absolutely necessary I suppose I could not eat lunch or cut texting to go to the assembly. But to be honest it's the first one I have been to in a few years because of expense. Orlando is a great spot and would allow for many families to combine a vacation with the assembly and make it as close to south America as california is to e pacific island. Listen guys, you have as much of a right to want it in San Jose and I do having it Orlando. But either will be expensive. I think we will get more for our money in Orlando. And Mickey Mouse

[dawgs10]

And you never know. If I decide to become a senior Pastor before then I might have to go to deliver proxies.

[dawgs10]

I am looking forward to perticapating in service outside the Bible Belt 2013. Then I may have a better idea.

[ugpastor]

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[EagerBeaver]

I said it before and say it again: Bring it to the heartland of America. Just get it out of the darn Bible Belt.

West Coast would be awesome. I always got the feeling those of us out there felt distant from headquarters because they never wanted to get it out of their own backyard.

[Billy n NC]

You could view the assembly without commercials. If you clicked ustream you would get commercials. However, if you clicked English at the bottom of screen it would install the windows media player extension and it was been stream by windows media server.

You are correct.. I did not have commercials. clicking on the english icon loaded windows Media player .

I even watch some on my Droid X via the Ustream App and no commercials. but the Ustream PC did have commercials..

Its even better to download the WMV files from the archive. You can fastforward/rewind etc.. I downloaded the complete IGA on our church computer to archive etc. took about 4 gigs of space..
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On another note the Audio Video guys should have talked about video shots with the TV guys. Having IMAG on the center primary screen was awful. Go back and and look at some of the archives P&W When the TV guys would be panning the P&W team with a Toe to head shot you could see there knees/legs behind the P&W heads and shoulders...

All they had /should of done was raise the screen up about 4 feet and had some of the Color panels in place..

Sometimes when the words to the songs were being shown on the bottom thirds you could see bottom half of the words over there shoulders..


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But it did seem to me they had cut the budget for stage decorating from 2 years ago here in Greensboro. I mean it looked nice/ok. but 2 years ago it looked better.

[free]

Here are some of my assembly thoughts after being home for a few week:

- Loved my hotel (Marriott)--it as very convenient to the venue.
- Loved being able to walk around downtown Louisville.
- Thought Brother Howard did an excellent job moderating.
- Love the "family" feel that this church has around the world.
- Enjoyed seeing more people from other countries on program to speak, etc.
- Love the big White Wing style program.
- Liked the "talk time" each night with Amber Payne.
- Call me old fashioned but I still love to hear the BBB play in the evenings.

Here a few things I did not care for:

- The venue--it was a strange seating set up
- Hated the large screen directly behind the speaker--it was difficult to focus on the speaker while seeing a gigantic picture of him directly behind him.
- Love Ron Scotton but the music was a little dated. I know he can sing the newer stuff but maybe he was doing what he was asked to do?
- The chairs were uncomfortable no matter where I sat.
- The bookstore area really did lack this year with vendors, etc.


There is always room for improvement in a meeting of this size but I think CoGoP has some very talented and gifted people and I appreciate their work and sacrifice.

[Mat]

We are now a month past the International Assembly I would like to add some observations:

1 – The “move and flow” of the Spirit has been diminished in the services, to the point that it is limited to “operation within the elite” of leadership. One of the dynamic aspects of the Spirit is its relevance, or timeliness, as related to the circumstance. The process of the “average Joe” having to write down their “word” and submit it to the “generals” for approval to be read some time later has resulted in the lose of urgency. The operation of the Spirit is so “managed” that I feel it is not in control. Instead of such restrictions on the “timeliness” of the “word” perhaps more gifted moderation of the session is called for. The Assembly is losing its “life” under the “heavy-hand” of policy.

2 – If all the business is going to be decided by the General Overseer, General Presbyters and their committees (they are not Assembly committees because the Assembly has no say in who serves or want is presented), then why “pretend” that the membership has any say and why carry on the Proxy System? We are getting more and more “statements” added to the Assembly Minutes that are just read in. I do not believe these statements are really “Assembly rulings” and because of this they are not binding on the local churches and membership. If you condemn A. J. Tomlinson for putting his opinion in the minutes why should we now accept your opinion without a vote?

3 – Perhaps the International Assembly should go to every four years and be moved out of the country (along with the International Offices). Let each General Presbyter have a “convention” relevant to his area. We need a fully staffed North American Office focused on North American local churches that is funded by the tithes of North America. Each Presbyter should be supported by their own area and live in the area they represent. The North American Churches can partner for missions (as well as local churches in other countries) and the General Presbyters can send some support to the International Offices. There are some issues in North America that the International Assembly can not address because of its “global” perspective. Souls in North America are just as valuable as souls in the mission field, even if it cost more to reach them here, and we need a “vision” that is for our region. If we are "excluded" from addressing these issues in the International Assembly then we must have a meeting in which we can focus on them.

Overall the best part of the International Assembly for me was the guest speakers (Synon, Vega, etc) and the missionaries. I can hear these speakers in other venues and missionaries could be brought to something like a North American “convention”. The most disappointing aspect of the International Assembly is how much it is really about the vision and authority of the General Presbyters and the General Overseer. We did not vote on tithes, we did not vote on the “Holiness Document” we did not vote on who is in leadership, we did not vote on the future of TC and we were not given any details on finances. It has become a very “closed system” in which those in charge “commend themselves among themselves” and then tell us what they are going to do. Is this what the “plurality of leadership” was meant to look like?

The good news, we on the local church level are freer than ever to follow the Spirit and do what is best for us. The Pastor and membership can decide who will be a member, where the church is headed and how it is going to get there. We can support missionaries or not, in the “church” or not, and create our own networks. The International Offices are more like a “vendor” who we may or may not “buy” services from. As an example, our local churches can have their own camps and retreats, or use the state office camps, or contract with another organizations camps. One day, instead of sending 10% of our tithes to the International Offices, we may simply purchase the services we need. Just like on the local level, our people support based on faith and commitment, not mandate or minutes. As the International Offices become more detached from the North American churches (after all, they tell us that the church is mostly outside the US) so the North American churches are able to focus on our regional and local vision that God is calling each of us to.

Mat

[dolfan]

The good news, we on the local church level are freer than ever to follow the Spirit and do what is best for us.

Local churches are free to follow the Spirit. You are free to follow Him even if it is not what seems best for you. (Not you, in particular, Mat -- not picking a fight). I don't know what problems local churches may have with your international/N.American level of organization. I do know that the Holy Spirit of God is eager to thrive in the lives of local churches. I quit quoting Bill Hybels a ways back, but this quote of his is true -- "The local church is the hope of the world." A local church sold out to Jesus and everything He does and said is everything. So, yeah, local church. You're free to follow the Spirit. Please do. Our heart's desire (my family, that is) is to do exactly that where we are, and we are overwhelmed with gratitude toward God that in His loving grace He brought us to where we are. It could've been any church that He led us to, but it was this one, and we are blessed and gifted to be in fellowship with these folks and to serve them and to serve with them.

Viva la local church!!

[rjjunior]

So when should we expect the final decision to be made for 2014 IA location?

[Pastor Gary]

So when should we expect the final decision to be made for 2014 IA location?

Today would be an awesome day for the reveal.