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: courtship

The Promise of a Thousand Anecdotes

7 January 2013, 06:00

Moderator

59

Expectation vs RealityObjects in anecdotes may be less glorious than they appear.

A recurring question in the comments sections of Recovering Grace and for former ATI (Advanced Training Institute) students who share their stories elsewhere, is how and why loving parents would stay in such a program. Two explanations have been explored on this site, and I’d like to posit and explore a third. The first explanation: […]

Can God Speak Past the Umbrella?

29 October 2012, 06:00

Moderator

21

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ” (I Tim. 2:5). That’s a verse that many of us learned early in our lives. It’s a special verse that assures us we don’t need someone other than Jesus to be our go-between with the Father. He is our […]

The Raising of a Christian Narcissist

17 September 2012, 06:00

Moderator

50

My family joined the Advanced Training Institute (ATI) in the early ’90s, shortly after attending a Basic Seminar, at the invitation of a family which has in recent history become a household name. I was in my early elementary years at the time. I didn’t really understand why we were making so many abrupt changes […]

Here’s The Courtship; Where’s The Love?

25 July 2012, 06:00

Moderator

52

When I was twelve, my parents came home and said, “Just so you know, you’re never going to be allowed to date.” This was fine by me; I was more into books than socializing. In fact, although I had a speech prepared on why I didn’t date, I never did get to use it. Still […]

What Have You Done with My Daughter?

14 July 2012, 06:00

Moderator

35

My first experience with anything Bill Gothard was the Eternal Vision program. My then 18-year-old daughter, who had for years rejected God, had been amazingly touched by God in a Denny’s parking lot. This girl was beaming with joy, sleepless from excitement, and so new and fresh. I urged her to visit some people we […]

Facing the Future….Alone!

2 April 2012, 06:00

JaimeD

13

While I don’t think dealing with an ending marriage and becoming a single parent is easy on any one, I do think those from an ATI (Advanced Training Institute) or similar background face specific challenges due to our upbringing. For instance, I was raised to believe divorce was not an option. It didn’t matter what […]

The Cost of a Vow

14 March 2012, 09:15

Anne

38

From the time I was a little girl, all I wanted was to find my knight in shining armor and be a mommy. If the Disney Princesses had all been around when I was a child, I’m quite certain I would have been enamored by their stories. But they weren’t, and they wouldn’t have been kosher anyway, as […]

The Art of Manipulation

5 March 2012, 06:00

Moderator

23

“Joseph, I wouldn’t be surprised if God caused the plane to crash in order to punish you for not honoring your mother.”  That’s what my mother said to me in the summer of 2002. I was 25 years old and it was the night before 4 of my friends and myself were to board a […]

I Kissed Courtship Goodbye!

13 February 2012, 06:00

admin

64

When I was in my early 20’s I spent about 13 months working at an ACE school in Mexico. It so happened that one of my brother’s friends, a guy I had met previously at the IBLP (Institute in Basic Life Principles) Dallas Training Center, lived there as well. His family would frequently have me […]

Sensitivity vs. Callousness

24 January 2012, 06:00

Moderator

20

Callousness Sometimes Won The leadership at Advanced Training Institute (ATI) training centers could be incredibly insensitive in dealing with personal tragedies and misfortunes. Especially if those situations affected, in any way, the performance of one’s duties at the training center. Sometimes, just the fear that leadership would misunderstand or react insensitively to a situation could […]