Have you Shiny Happy People? Looking for more info? Start here.

Articles about how Bill Gothard mishandles the Bible to support his legalistic viewpoint.

Personal testimonies of finding true freedom through God's matchless grace.

Living and thriving through the grace of God.

Stories and accounts of the destruction caused by the teachings of Bill Gothard.

Tag Archives: atia

Training Center Christmas Memories

27 December 2011, 06:48

Moderator

13

Recovering Grace asked former Advanced Training Institute (ATI) students what they remembered about the Christmas holidays — and the preparations for them — at the various training centers at which they served. While some of the students had pleasant memories, others remembered stress-filled weeks of onerous, highly-detailed work, culminating in large events that they were […]

The Gift of Imagination~

24 December 2011, 06:00

Moderator

18

Ever since I was very young, my life has been filled with villainous plots, daring escapes, and heroic feats. It’s all in my head, of course; I am a champion daydreamer. Most girls go through a horse-loving phase early in life, but not me: I didn’t want a horse. I wanted a flying unicorn. We […]

PTSD for Christmas

20 December 2011, 06:00

Moderator

20

Moscow, Russia. December 1995. — I sat in the lobby of the Moscow Training Center (MTC) orphanage, watching the snow fall. The red carpet and chandeliers cast a cheery glow upon the white blanketed view beyond the windows. I could sit and watch the snow fall for hours. As one unaccustomed to snow, I was […]

My Life in ATI, part three

13 December 2011, 06:00

DavidA

19

Courtship? After ALERT, our family moved to North Carolina. I had a crush on a girl back in Texas and told my Dad about it. My Dad thought that our personalities were not compatible, but I was insistent, so he told her father about it. The girl’s father said that they would be attending a […]

My Life in ATI, part two

5 December 2011, 06:00

DavidA

2

Life Focus Advanced. Soon after I turned 15, I received a letter about a new program called Life Focus Advanced. The concept of the program was this: two Life Focus graduates would room with a leader in training (LIT) for three months and try to counsel and help him out. I was like, “It’s the […]

Life Unexpected

5 December 2011, 06:00

Cyndi

12

Having been raised for 13 years in the Advanced Training Institute (ATI) home school program I was confident of a successful marriage. I followed the formula. I waited for God’s Best. I saved my first kiss until after engagement (though I’m sure I should have saved it for the wedding day). I had my parents’ […]

My Life in ATI, part one

29 November 2011, 06:00

DavidA

8

Beginnings. I was raised in a normal home until we joined the Advanced Training Institute (ATI) in 2000. Up until then we did normal family things and went to church. I had friends and held normal expectations of myself — as did my parents. Our family attended the annual conference in Knoxville and quickly afterwards […]

A Real-Life Lesson

15 November 2011, 05:52

lizs

1

Candles are an essential part in making rooms homey. A room that is going to be your home for a year (or more) needs atmosphere and ambiance, and candles can help to fulfill that need. Some time ago, two girls shared a room in a certain tall building in the central part of the Mitten […]

A Look at Life at the Riverfront Character Inn

8 November 2011, 05:30

lizs

8

Life at the Riverfront Character Inn (RCI) was not exactly like life at the other training centers run by the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) and its home school branch, the Advanced Training Institute (ATI). But there were many similarities. One of the things that set the RCI apart from other training centers was […]

Breeding Relational Immaturity

18 October 2011, 06:00

admin

40

It is no secret that Bill Gothard and the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) have a bizarre outlook on male/female relationships. In a world where falling in love means losing a piece of your heart forever, relationships are a spiritual distraction, and in a place where marriage is a last resort, it is no […]