Family Workshops, FAMILY WORKSHOPS?!?
Jan 12th, 2009 by BohemianMoon
January 03, 2009
Families at their Best
Willow Creek dives into 2009 with Families at Their Best, a new weekend series
designed for families, whether it’s immediate family, extended family, or family collected along the way.
The series will explore what the Bible says about families, help establish core family values, look at how to make the home radically inclusive, and encourage families to thrive.
With interactive elements created to engage the congregation, this five-week series will include a generational experience as students in Grades 4 and up join their families in the Main Auditorium for two of the five weeks. Concluding the series will be special guest Kate Gosselin from the hit TV show Jon & Kate Plus Eight.
http://wccc.blogs.com/willow_news/
Maybe Kate is going there to learn a few things about parenting and how to treat your family…IMO, that is the only reason she should be there. What insight will she be able to offer? How NOT to talk to your husband? How to belittle your children and exploit them? Ya, I hope these poor folks aren’t paying to see her and learn anything about parenting from Kate Gosselin…YIKES! What will they think of next?
I keep wondering how long and what it’s going to take before the rest of the country sees through these two. I can not understand how someone can see more than two episodes of the show and still think they are Christian, role models, or know anything about parenting. ::shaking head:: It’s so sad to me that people are still being taken in.
I just e-mailed this pastor and laid out for him in excruciating detail why, as a Christian myself, Kon appearing at this family symposium was unbelievably wrong. Others have also written them. GWOP has their e-mail address. I think it is info@willowcreek.org.
Is it possible that there are still people buying this act? Don’t we have a duty to let others know that they are being defrauded?
#3 Virginia~~
I just sent them an email to tell them this is the last person to be talking about family values. Thanks for the address.
I hate to think that someone would try her parenting skills. Are these people blind???
Moon,
I contacted the people at Willow Creek and told them that I was very surprised and confused as to why they would allow someone like Kate Gosselin speak at their church when all she represents is herself. The lady on the phone told me….”well hon the only real thing you can do is email the church and tell them your feelings.” I said well how about I let you in on a few things this woman is doing. I asked her if “love offerings” would be a part of this service? The lady said, “what do you mean?” Obviously no one there does their homework. This is a very wealthy church and Jon & Kate are going to score big on this one. This saddens me greatly!
Couldn’t help but laugh out loud when I read this– Kate Gosselin at a FAMILY workshop??? What the he– does this woman really know about families? She seems to take every opportunity to avoid her own children, under the guise of busy work. Also, she appears to be estranged from her parents, siblings (three sisters and a brother), Jon’s mother and Jon’s brothers. Merely giving birth does not make one an expert on families, IMO.
Bomo Fan~
TO be fair perhaps this church doesn’t take love offerings? It does seem though that most Assembly of God churches do, in my previous research. But perhaps they are paying her just the speaker fee for this only due to this being a part of a series of family workshops that culminates with her speaking on family (what she is going to say is kind of funny to imagine).
In another recent engagement, Kate and Jon did not speak (or attend for that matter) at the morning service, but love offerings were taken for them. They spoke after the afternoon service (they still did not attend the worship part of the service), which tickets were sold (I have to check my records for the amount), but at the afternoon service they did not take love offerings. Picture cards, for $20 a pop were sold after both services, morning and afternoon, as well as their book.
Willow Creek is an amazing church - it is a shame they’ve chosen Kate Gosselin - so it’s good that the e-mails and calls are going out! I’ll e-mail them too! I live sowhat near that church, and I go to a somewhat conservative Christian church. I’m definately in the minority when it comes to the G’s, however. I think people around here think that it’s just so cute and funny to watch this family in action, and they are thrilled to see a TV show thrive that actually talks about a church life and shows prayers, so they close their eyes to the exploitation of family.
Perhaps this is just the thing people need - to see her in action and wonder how in the world they make money, and when they see it’s just by showcasing themselves, they’ll feel as disturbed as many of us do.
Moon,
You dont have to publish this. Jon was interviewed by a television station in utah. http://www.kutv.com The person that interviewed him put him on the spot. Someone posted this on the gosselin do not need our pity blog. If you get a chance read and tell what you think.
IMHO-I think it’s funny that you said “they are thrilled to see a TV show thrive that actually talks about a church life and shows prayers”, I watched the show for over a year and never saw a single prayer, and they only showed the tups at sunday school once. Mostly they show King Kate sitting on the interview throne throwing gods name around when doing damage control. I didnt even know this family was religious until I found their website and checked out their music link and it was mostly christian tunes! Thanks for making me laugh, its been a long day with my little sick with a cold, I needed that
Tanya~
That he is a jackass, lol!
Thanks, it is up as an entry.
Kristie~
I have seem them say a prayer before a meal ONCE. It was on the 4th of July show in the Outer Banks. They were on the porch, everyone had been served and were starting to chow, and then Kate said (paraphrase) “Oh let’s say our prayer/grace” (or something to that effect). It was awkward to say the least. It was clear that they do not usually pray before meals on any type of regular basis.
Just one more instance of them trying to put something out there (that is false) for the viewing audience to “buy”.
I contacted CBN before Kate was to appear. I spoke with their public relations person (a female) and told her how I felt about J&K (not impressed) in a polite way. I also told her that I didn’t feel Pat Robertson needed to have a person like her on the 700 Club show. She was very polite and explained to me that Pat didn’t schedule any guests, he had no control over that. She also told me that she tried to watch the show “once or twice” and turned it off because of Kates’ demeanor toward Jon. She asked me to pray for Kate. I told her that was a good idea.
The point is clear I think, most of these appearance are not because the interviewers love J&K it’s more over a publicity spot many are forced to air, because of commitments to sponsors. Just because we see them on those morning shows as of late it’s because it is a way to promote her and the book at the same time. Or coupon clipping and K-Mart, not because everyone is awestruck by them.
I am still kinda on the fence with the show, but I will say that as far as praying before meals, if it is a habit and done at every meal then they should never have to remind the children to “stop eating” until we pray, Our grand children will sit at the table, hold hands and ask who is gonna say grace. As old as the tups are they should know already they will be doing that with out being told (if it’s done every meal) That is the one thing that I will give the Roloffs credit for is that they do pray, and I don’t think TLC tells the Gosselins they can’t. And if they do the Gosselins should tell TLC to pack up and leave.
I really don’t see or hear that much about their christian walk with God , IMO (only) I would think since they have been so blessed with healthy children, a beautiful home (old home) vechiles paid for, private school, clothes imagineable, and all the other gifts ,too many to mention, I would be every episode saying how blessed and thankful to God and the people who have made this life so easy for us, Because I have news for them what God giveth, he can also take away, so yes I think I’d show a lot more gratitude. Thanks for letting me VENT.
Missy~
Vent away! I am right there with you.
As you stated, if saying a blessing before a meal was a routine part of their meal, no one would ever start eating without it. Certainly at 4.5 and 8 years old. I always said a blessing before our meals, and still do. My son was saying a blessing before he was 2. After the blessing, as soon as my son was verbal enough, we would all talk about what was the best and most challenging part of the day (if there was a challenging part of the day) as we started to eat and share. It is/was habit, routine and always made us stop and count our blessings and give thanks for same.
They say what they think the masses will buy.
First of all I have been attending Willow for 16 years, we have never taken a “love Offering.” The offering is the offering and is dispursed into categories on need based things which does not include the Gosselin family I assure you. Speakers at Willow are paid a standard fee.
I was at the service last night and was not impressed at all by Kate. God got them through everything blah blah blah, but not one mention of HOW God provided. Not a mention of the numerous volunteers or how awesome they were, the time they spent, the hours and love poured on them, the finances taken care of. She did mention the 50 volunteers going in and out of her house everyday and how they never had a minute to themselves.
The two people who came on before Kate and told their stories of how God changed their lives through their difficulty were truly amazing and inspirational and real!
I love this church and I think they booked Kate like a year ago and really maybe fumbled on this one, but hey, we are all human and make mistakes.
Willow is the most amazing church anyone could ever be fortunate enough to be close enough to attend, it’s the REAL DEAL!
kim~
I am so happy to hear that you were inspired by at least by two of the speakers at Willow Creek
If I may ask, what were the difficulties that the other two speakers suffered through? I like stories of inspiration and I am truly interested in how they affected you and why!
May I ask a few questions about Kate as well?
How large was the audience in general? I know you stated that there were two other speakers there, so was the audience for all three, or did persons just come for Kate as well?
I gotta ask - Did she sell pictures of the kids and her book?
I am sorry that it was not as inspirational as you were hoping, but I am ecstatic that you belong to a house of worship that truly resonates with you - a place that you can share and grow in your faith. Many times it takes people years to find that special niche that “houses” all of their needs spiritually. It sounds as though Willow Creek is yours, and a place in which you thrive! Kudos on that to be sure
Hey there,
The auditorium holds 7,000 people and it was overflowing.
The other two people were just two regular people who told their stories on how God helped them through very tought times, they were like 3 minutes each. One girls story was about how her fiance called off her wedding 3 days before it and she was devastated and lost and started attending Willow and got invloved in Axis the “twentysomething” ministry and all of the people that she met and helped her through and brought her to Christ.
The other story was of a man who along with his wife are foster parents to three special needs children and the extremely tough time and rocky road it is and has been but that God is always there and always gets them through even when they don’t think they can make it. They eventually adopted them. Real stories, real people and GOd putting others in their life showing them what it is like to be Christs hands and feet, something Kate never spoke of.
On the last episode of John and Kate they brought the kids to their new house ($1.3 million) and kate looked out the window and then looked at the camera and said “mine,all mine.”
It’s just hard for me to see Christ in them and I know it’s not a Christian thing to say and to judge them is wrong but truly it’s the people God put in their life that got them throught it all and the lack of their acknowledgment to any of it is really bothersome.
Anyway, God is all good and He knows who’s got his heart and who doesn’t. I truly think John and Kate are Christians but are swept up in the creation of this machine of fame and entitlement.
That’s all.
Kim~
Thanks!
Peace and good to you
No, she did not sell pictures. Her book was for sale and she did autograph them for free and you could get a picture with her also if you were quick enough.