The emerging church and the one project part 8

4
“Two years after completing his academy education at La Sierra
Academy, Timothy Gillespie was programming director at Pine
Springs Ranch summer camp. Nine years later he joined the Loma
Linda Academy staff as chaplain. In the meantime he had
completed a bachelor's degree in English and in religious studies
at La Sierra University (1995) and a master of divinity degree at
Andrews University (1997). His involvement with youth continued
as he became youth pastor at La Mesa Seventh-day Adventist
Church in 1997, taught at La Sierra University, and then accepted
the position of young adult ministries at Loma Linda University
Church in 2007.” (http://www.lluc.org/article/89/about-us/staff/timothy-gillespie)
“Timothy Gillespie is the Young Adult Pastor of the Loma Linda
University Church. He has worked at Loma Linda for the past 8
years, becoming the Chaplain at Loma Linda Academy in 2001
and moving to the University Church in 2007. He is married to
Sara and has three kids. … He is working as the Regional
Chaplain for Azusa Pacific University's regional center in San
Bernardino and the High Desert as Director of Chapel Services for
Under Graduate Programs.” (http://the1project.org/board/tim.html)

6
“Music has been a prominent accompaniment to Pastor Gillespie's
ministry. He has played music professionally in the band Big Face
Grace, and still is actively involved in creating music and
supporting local Christian artists.” (http://www.lluc.org/article/89/about-us/
staff/timothy-gillespie)
“After accepting a call to ministry and moving to Berrien Springs he
was a founding member of the band Big Face Grace. BFG played for
a decade in just about every christian venue you can imagine. From
tours to Europe, Canada, Australia, and around the United States.
Bands they played with include; Audio Adrenaline, Newsboys, Skillet--
just to name a few. … Tim currently writes worship music with Chris
Picco, director of Music at Re:Live ministry.”
“Worship Testimony: ‘Worship is who we are. It is not defined by a
song, a lyric, or an expression. It is the response to God and all his
Glory. It is our mandate to call upon a God who is worthy of our
praise. My first transition from Worship from a song service
experience was at WillowCreek at their leadership conference in
1994. Ever since I have been seeking to experience, teach, write and
create worship resources and experiences that resonate with others
who are seeking the same truth in worship.’” (http://www.adventpraise.org/article/65/artists/timothy-gillespie)

8
“Michael [Knecht], Tim [Gillespie], Roy [Ice] and Sam [Leonor] all
went to grad school together at a small University in southwest
Michigan [Andrews University]. They worked together on many
different projects, but music was a priority to all of them. Michael,
had been asked to organize the music for a community event
targeted toward teenagers. Michael played guitar, Tim sang and
Roy played the drums. The crowd went wild. The chemistry was
incredible and the musical relationship continued. There were folk
influences in the music, but the cohesiveness of the group soon
yielded an eclectic yet distinct style.”
“The newly formed band added Sam as bass player and Jason, an
undergrad at the University, as another guitarist. They quickly
began booking gigs, however, had yet to decide on a name. The
first name settled on was ‘the electric fishermen,’ which lasted
about as long as their first concert. They quickly changed their
name to ‘Big Face Grace’ and it worked. The adventure had
begun. BFG has now toured Australia, Finland, much of North
America and parts of Canada.“ cont.

9
“They have thrilled audiences that ranged in attendance
from 3 people to 11,000 and venues from barns to stadiums.
BFG music has been featured on MTV's Road Rules and
ABC's Making the Band. Their CDs sound great, but to
really experience BFG you must see, hear and live their live
show. Big Face Grace is currently spending the majority of
their time writing and recording for their long-awaited new
album. They are also involved in several preliminary film
negotiations. During this time, they will be playing a few
select national dates and various Southern California shows
ONLY. When the album is completed and released, BFG
plans to book a national promotional tour.”
(http://www.esongs.net/biography.asp?ID=441)

“This week in the Andrews University Student Movement they did an
article on ‘Big Face Grace’. Blue Rock is proud of what ‘Big Face
Grace’ is doing. Thanks Tim and Roy.”
“Big Face Grace performed for the BRANCH vespers program last
Friday night in Johnson Gym. During the hour-and-a-half concert, the
Christian rock band, composed of four current and former Andrews
students, played songs from their new CD, Face the World, and some
other unreleased tunes. … Drummer Roy Ice started pounding out the
rhythm and soon the rest of the band(Tim Gillespie, lead vocals and
guitar; Mike Knecht, guitars; and Jeff Wright, bass) joined in on this
song about the Prodigal Son. A professional multi-media presentation
illustrating each song was projected onto a large screen at the back of
the stage throughout the concert.”
“Throughout most of the performance, the band was tight and each
instrument had an integral part in the arrangements. The band's tight
groove was broken about halfway through the concert when a circuit
in the gym blew out, … During the unplanned ‘intermission,’ Gillespie
bantered with the audience and led them in singing some praise
songs. After about 10 minutes power was restored and the concert
resumed.” (cont.)
11

“The audience of mostly college students didn't quite know
what to make of having a Christian rock concert for
vespers. Sometimes they clapped to the rhythm, but most of
the time they sat politely listening to the music. Gillespie
finally got the audience to stand and clap toward the end of
the concert during songs like ‘Ani's Song’ and ‘That Wing.’”
“After playing the audience sing-along ‘Big Fish Manasseh,’
the concert ended on a deeply spiritual note. Big Face
Grace led the audience in several more praise songs and
the Holy Spirit could be felt as Jesus was exalted as Lord
and Savior.” (Mark Feldbush SM Christian Music Reviewer;
http://www.andrews.edu/~rchurch/Blue/ grace)
12

“This letter is in regards to Pastor Nelson's sermon during second
service on Oct. 4 [1997], when he shouted, ‘Christian rock music is an
oxymoron!’ He supported his point by stating that scientific research
shows that a certain kind of drumbeat and guitar sound stimulated
human sexual senses and in some cases, violent thoughts. He also
said that rock music was originally intended by the devil to draw
people closer to a secular world and away from God. …”
Response by Yoshi Abe: “Israelites used a number of instruments to
praise God. … There are endless quotes about how noisy these
people were when they worshipped God with clapping and dancing.
So what happened to the churches today? Why did we change the
style of worship from shouting and dancing with cymbals in our hands
to listening to a pipe organ? As we all know, the Roman Catholic
church took a great place in the history of Christianity. They changed
the focal point of worship from ‘Shout, dance and sing praises to the
Lord with anything that makes noise’ as described in the Old
Testament to, ‘Hush! You must quietly be seated’ style of worship. …”
(Cont.)
14

“The crucial point is not the song itself, but the intention of the music.
… Webster Dictionary defines ‘rock music’ as popular music played on
electric instruments characterized by a strong beat and much
repetition. It seems that the only thing Israelites did not have is the
electrical outlet to plug their instruments. Rock music by definition only
refers to a music created by using such instruments. Presently, Satan
has pretty much controlled these instruments under his hands.
However, if you really study the Bible, these very same instruments
were intended to praise God.”
Response by Matt Lee: “God is a big God. He is the creator of all
things. He is the supreme musician. … I don't see anything as
inherently evil, because in my picture of God it all flows from Him. …
No beat, harmony or melody can be singled out as being ‘evil’, but the
lyrical content and the intentions of the song can. The issue of beat is
really insignificant in comparison to the issue of purpose. Christian rock
can exist. It is just music, newer music, aimed to glorify God. What is
the goal of Christian rock? I can't make generalizations. There … are
bands who are passionately in love with Jesus and are doing all they
can to spread the good news.” (http://www.angelfire.com/yt/christianrockdefense/andrews.html)
15

“Big Face Grace (BFG) is probably the best known Christian
rock band on campus, in part from all the posters advertising
their October 25 [1997] concert and album release, and
because they've been around the longest. BFG front man
Tim Gillespie says the band is in a great position to witness
because they have access to many people. They're able to
talk about God at their concerts, and their albums include
study guides to help bring people closer to God. ‘We see our
music as evangelism,’ Gillespie says.”
16
“The band describes itself as Christian rock, but hesitates to
make comparisons with other secular or Christian bands.
‘Some people have said (our music) sounds like Rage
Against The Machine, but then the next song might be a
praise song,’ Gillespie said, ‘I don't know, I like it.’” (cont.)

“Gillespie is concerned with the criticism Christian rock has
taken, and says he thinks there's a place for their music in
the church. ‘Sometimes I feel like we're fighting the wrong
battles. We end up talking about the two-four beat instead of
the people that we can reach through this music,’ Gillespie
said. He says that most of the younger generation has
grown up with rock music, and that's what they relate to. ‘I
think if the music is done with integrity... it's valid,’ he says.”
(http://www.angelfire.com/yt/christianrockdefense/andrews.html)
17

19
“Tim Gillespie, Seventh-day Adventist minister, used to sing
lead vocals for an alternative punk band in clubs in Los
Angeles. ‘It was the only place we could play,’ he says. ‘We
would've played in an appropriate Christian setting had we
known there were such things, but we figured, Well, you
can't play this music in church, so we better go play it in the
clubs.’ And that's where, with his new band, he'd like to
return one day.”
“Who are Big Face Grace? Tim Gillespie, Jason
Hutchinson, Roy Ice, Michael Knecht and Sam Leonor met
in college and initially formed a band for a series of
evangelistic programs targeted at unchurched high school
students. Following the programs, the local college booked
them for a concert. In three weeks the band wrote 15 songs
and performed under then name Electric Fisherman. Three
months later they became Big Face Grace. …” (cont.)

“Four of the five have a Masters of Divinity degree and are
youth ministers in Seventh-day Adventist churches. All have
a heart for mission, building churches in Mexico and
Panama, establishing schools in Guatemala and the
Ukraine, peaking at a youth evangelistic program in
Moscow, and teaching Bible on the Marshall Islands. ‘Every
Christian has a responsibility to tell people about Christ,’
says Tim. ‘That's what we do as a band.’ But rock music? ‘If
you don't like the music, that's OK, you don't have to. But do
you understand what we're doing as Christian musicians?
Some people will never understand.’”
“Big Face Grace have just recorded a new self-titled album
and signed with a record label but will only tour for three
months to concentrate on ministering to the youth at their
churches. ‘We come back on fire for Christ because of what
we've experienced,’ says Tim. And it gives the youth a
broader vision of what he and the group do.” (http://adventistarchives.
org/docs/AAR/AAR20000429-V105-16__C.pdf)
20

“Welcome to the rock show. You know we play once a year. We’re like the
Ninja band. Ya never know when we’re gonna show up and play once a
year. We’re gonna do it until we are 104, if that’s alright? And at that point
you’re all gonna be old too. So that’s alright.” (Tim Gillespie, 0:55 in the previous
slide’s video clip)
“Now’s this is a chance when you get to sing with us. Pretty simple word.
We should all know it. We should all love it. Cause it’s the word ‘love’. And
so I’m gonna sing it, and you sing it along. It’s kind of high for me, but you
have much better voices than I do. I just want to hear everyone in the
whole room, sitting, standing, whatever, I want you all to sing it. It goes
pretty much like this; LOVE, LOVE, LOOOOVE.” (Tim Gillespie, 1:15 in the
previous slide’s video clip)
“Okay, this [song] is called ‘Who Hoo Hey Hey’. If you’ve never heard it,
it’s really interesting and it’s fun to sing along with. It just goes ‘Who Hoo
Hey Hey Nah Nah, take me away’. Can you sing that? Can you say that,
can you just sing that with me? … One more time just to make sure you
got it. … That pretty much is the sum total of what we did in graduate
school when we started playing music in the band. That, that sums it up.”
(Tim Gillespie, 2:11 in the previous slide’s video clip)
25

27
“Such a beautiful ‘uplifting’ Christian music. Love it! I’m
so sad I couldn't go. I heard that Jesus was there with
Gabrielthe arch angel rocking out with Lucifer. Oops.
Maybe the first two couldn't make it though. But I'm still
so thankful for our leaders who organized such a
spiritual feast!!! And you know why I like it? Because it
reminds me of my hard rock times! Yay! Metallica
Anointed ;)” (egyedp commenting on, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=vhpI1Yj5iXY)

“The things you have described as taking place in Indiana, the Lord
has shown me would take place just before the close of probation.
Every uncouth thing will be demonstrated. There will be shouting, with
drums, music, and dancing. The senses of rational beings will become
so confused that they cannot be trusted to make right decisions. And
this is called the moving of the Holy Spirit.”
“The Holy Spirit never reveals itself in such methods, in such a
bedlam of noise. This is an invention of Satan to cover up his
ingenious methods for making of none effect the pure, sincere,
elevating, ennobling, sanctifying truth for this time. Better never have
the worship of God blended with music than to use musical
instruments to do the work which last January was represented to me
would be brought into our camp meetings. The truth for this time
needs nothing of this kind in its work of converting souls. A bedlam of
noise shocks the senses and perverts that which if conducted aright
might be a blessing. The powers of satanic agencies blend with the
din and noise, to have a carnival, and this is termed the Holy Spirit's
working.” (cont.)
28

“Those participating in the supposed revival receive impressions which
lead them adrift. They cannot tell what they formerly knew regarding
Bible principles. No encouragement should be given to this kind of
worship. The same kind of influence came in after the passing of the
time in 1844. The same kind of representations were made. Men
became excited, and were worked by a power thought to be the power
of God.... ”
“I will not go into all the painful history; it is too much. But last January
[1900] the Lord showed me that erroneous theories and methods would
be brought into our camp meetings, and that the history of the past
would be repeated. I felt greatly distressed. I was instructed to say that
at these demonstrations demons in the form of men are present,
working with all the ingenuity that Satan can employ to make the truth
disgusting to sensible people; that the enemy was trying to arrange
matters so that the camp meetings, which have been the means of
bringing the truth of the third angel's message before multitudes, should
lose their force and influence. …”(cont.)
29

“The Holy Spirit has nothing to do with such a confusion of noise and
multitude of sounds as passed before me last January. Satan works
amid the din and confusion of such music, which, properly conducted,
would be a praise and glory to God. He makes its effect like the poison
sting of the serpent.”
“Those things which have been in the past will be in the future. Satan
will make music a snare by the way in which it is conducted. God calls
upon His people, who have the light before them in the Word and in the
Testimonies, to read and consider, and to take heed. Clear and definite
instruction has been given in order that all may understand. But the
itching desire to originate something new results in strange doctrines,
and largely destroys the influence of those who would be a power for
good if they held firm the beginning of their confidence in the truth the
Lord had given them.” (Ellen G. White to S. N. Haskell, Letter 132, 1900; in
Selected Messages, book 2, pp. 36-39)
30

“To enhance his ministry, he is now a George Fox
University (Newberg, Oregon) doctoral candidate
pursuing a degree in leadership in emerging culture.”
(http://www.lluc.org/article/89/about-us/staff/timothy-gillespie)
“He has recently completed his Doctor of Ministry at
George Fox University in Semiotics and Future Signs.”
(http://the1project.org/board/tim.html)
32

“He is a graduate of Andrews theological Seminary and currently
in the Doctoral Program for Leadership in Emerging Culture at
George Fox University under the direction of Leonard Sweet
(The gospel according to starbucks, Soul tsunami, 11--to name a
few of his writings).” (http://www.adventpraise.org/article/65/artists/timothy-gillespie)
“Second, I would like to thank all my brothers and sisters in my
George Fox University‘s Leadership in the Emerging Culture,
Future Studies doctoral cohort. Our conversations, debates and
differences helped form my ideas and guided me along the
process. In particular I would like to thank Mark McNees, Timothy
Gillespie, Sam Leonor and Kevin Bates for helping me process my
thoughts and being a sounding board for what must have been
seen as crazy thoughts. You are all friends for life. … Fourth, big
props4 go out to Leonard Sweet and Loren Kerns for helping me
redesign my thoughts and to process what I know with what they
know.” (http://johncokeefe.com/John%2C%20OKeefe%20-%20Creatives.pdf)
34

36
“Anticipate change. Proactive leadership in Google
Culture with Len Sweet.”
“The Leadership in Emerging Culture Doctor of Ministry (DMin)
tracks explore the character and shape of effective Christian
leadership in the emerging culture. The … program with Dr.
Leonard (Len) Sweet prepares an advance guard of Jesus
semioticians, leaders adept at seeing signs of Jesus' work in the
world. These followers of Jesus are not afraid of the future but are
excited about its possibilities and promises, while aware of its
perils and pitfalls.”
“The approach is an ancient-future one of MRI (Missional,
Relational, Incarnational) discipleship, using an EPIC
(Experiential, Participatory, Image-Rich, Connective) interface.
Students explore how to transition the church from its current
default of APC (Attractional, Propositional, Colonial) to MRI, and
play with a variety of EPIC interfaces.” cont.

Advances
“Students participate in three face-to-face 'advance' experiences in
Portland, OR, Oxford, UK, and Orcas Island, WA. They meet for a
research course, visit in-person with their advisor, and join
Leonard Sweet for a number of learning sessions. Learn more....”
Online and Hybrid
“The delivery system for the track utilizes a hybrid delivery model.
Students participate in several conferences, receive personal
mentoring from Dr. Sweet and select faculty advisors, engage in
ongoing online interactivity with cohort members and professors,
and engage in reading, reflection, research, and writing. Students
meet weekly with Len Sweet for synchronous chats in SpotOn3D
at an island online learning community called 'Mag Mell'.”
(http://www.georgefox.edu/seminary/programs/dmin-sfs/index.html)
37

“In the course of this book’s retrieval of memory, many
people have helped me find ‘the overgrown path, the secret
staircase, the ancient sewer.’ Mike Oliver and Chris Eriksen,
my graduate assistants at Drew, have thrashed through
many thorny thickets in pursuit of ‘secret staircases.’ …”
“Thanks to two of my doctoral cohorts at George Fox
University, I was able to determine what wood-felling would
give better sight of the trees, and what paths through the
woods we need not cut for ourselves. … My colleague and
friend Loren Kerns kept my focus on beauty, the ‘forgotten
transcendental,’ and helped me to see beauty’s relation to
the truth of goodness and the goodness of truth.’ …”
“Thanks also to my students: … (LEC 7) Kevin Bates, Karen
Claassen, Libby Boatwright, Carla Dyment, Matt Dyment,
Tim Gillespie, Sam Leonor, …” (http://www.scribd.com/doc/13828591/9/ My-characters-
40
all-sound-the-same-because-I-never-listen-%E2%80%9D2)

“Here is a tidbit from a paper I'm working on right now. … This paper is about
the transition from a APC (Attractional, Propositional, Colonial) to an MRI
(Missional, Relational, Incarnational) approach to church. Of course, this is
for Leonard Sweet for my D. Min course:”
“There is probably one elemental belief above all others that is the
motivation for a Christian; that elemental belief/experience is LOVE.
However, the question becomes simply this; how does one define the
greatest love towards another? In an APC model, the greatest love would
be interpreted as the proclamation of the Gospel, a change in behavior,
and an acceptance into the community. (Believe, Behave, Belong) The
most loving thing to do would be the presentation and proclamation of the
proposition. Furthermore, the presentation of the gospel is seen as the
end of a command given as the ‘Great Commission.’”
“The APC church sees the worship service as an opportunity to attract
those outside of the community with an event. Today’s wisdom seems to
say that this is an antiquated method of transference of values, and that
an this model has never and will never be effective when it comes to
fulfilling the great commission. … This model seeks homogeneity not
taking into account the effect that a shift in perceived authority plays in the
worldview of the postmodern, spiritually-minded, person.” (cont.)
42

“A missional response is seen as an answer to this problem. Creating a
worldview in people that speaks to the biblical understanding of the Missio
Dei. This response is made known in people by relationships, and seeking to
become the continued resurrection of Jesus through his incarnation in us.
The first question asked is not; ‘where can we bring God,’ but rather; ‘what is
God already doing, and how can I be a part of it?’”
“The APC model, at its most elemental, is propositional in nature, and seeks
to create a culture of Christianity that is somehow separate from the world.
‘Right Belief’ often trumps ‘Right Relationships’ as it is the knowledge of God
that saves in this [APC] model of church. It is, perhaps, a much more Gnostic
view of God. It is a building built on ‘right belief’ but not on ‘believing in the
right way.’…”
The MRI model seeks to answer this question of ‘what is the greatest love?’
with a relational answer. It promotes relationships to a higher level than the
APC model, and seeks to transfer truth not propositionally, but relationally.
What does this do to truth? It changes it in some respects. Moving from
propositional to relational truth means that we stop saying; ‘this is how it
(truth) should work in your life,’ and move on to; ‘this is how it (truth) is
working in my life. Where the APC model sees opportunity to proselytize and
teach, the MRI model sees an opportunity to build relationship, share story,
and partner with God in his purpose for and healing of the world.” (“Listening and
Writing,” http://timothygillespie.typepad.com/timothy/)
43

“Timothy Gillespie is the Young Adult Pastor of the Loma Linda
University Church. … moving to the University Church in 2007.”
“Re:Live is the official Young Adult community of the Loma Linda
University Church. … The journey of a faith community to define itself
within the context of the Gospel, the Greater Church, and its
Community is always one that is rife with turmoil, trouble and
blessings. No less so for the Journey or Re:Live.”
“Now in its fourth year of existence, RE:LIVE … began in October of
2007 with an attendance the first week of 42. As this was an existing
ministry that was trying to RE:CREATE itself, there was culture and
new traditions, values, and community understanding to be cultivated.
… RE:LIVE really began its formation the first week in January 2008.
At that point, the previous culture was broken and it was time to
establish a new sense of community. The core values that were
agreed upon were: Scripture and Experience, Authenticity and
Transparency, Worship and Beauty, and Diversity and Movement.
These values were preached upon, and ministries were created
according to these elemental values.” (cont.)
45

46
“By June, 2008 it was clear that RE:LIVE was meeting a need in
the community and university. Attendance had grown to about 250
people each week. New ministries with a focus on outreach,
community, and mission were growing. …”
“The end of the summer saw an attendance of over 325 most
weeks and the need for a larger meeting space. A few months of
work and the RE:LIVE community moved to Wong Kerlee
Conference Center in the basement of the Coleman Pavilion on
the University Campus. At the same time, the church voted that
they enlarge the Church’s chapel (where RE:LIVE had been
meeting) from 270 capacity to over 800 seats. We are currently in
a [sic] preparing to build this facility and fundraising for the
project.” (http://www.reliveministry.com /#/about-us/history)

“Here is a growing concern: That my current ministry situation ‘Re:Live’ at
the university church in Loma Linda, is somehow slipping from the larger
church body. While I don't believe this to be the case, many do. Some of
the concern stems from a physical location change that is currently
happening. We have moved back and forth between Chan Auditorium on
the academy campus and Wong Kerlee on the University Campus. This is
not without it's pitfalls, and we don't like being so far away. However, that
is the case right now.”
“So we go down to Chan this upcoming week and immediately there are
people asking me if we are getting ready to move away from the
University church. The answer to this is a resounding ‘NO’. We have no
desire to create something different than what the University Church is.
However, we understand the way things look. The words that have been
thrown out there are ‘two congregations’ within one church.”
“The sad part is, those are very divisive words when it comes to church. I
suppose you could make an argument that there are two congregations,
but that doesn't mean we are heading in separate directions. Rather, it
means two groups heading in the same directions based on the shared
principles and values of the church body. That is very much where we
seek to be.” (cont.) 48

“All this stuff happens to be what I am doing my doctoral work in. The
integration models of postmodern communities within larger, more
modern church communities. We have an opportunities to create a model
that makes sense for all of us who are involved. As we grow, so does the
church. There will inevitably be push and pull between these community,
or better language would be: within THIS community. We are the
University church, and the University church is us. There is no dichotomy.”
“Sometimes worship expression is seen as the dividing factor, and this
does create a divergence in style, but only style, not substance. I love
having our other pastors come and speak at Re:Live because there is so
much wisdom. As well, I love speaking in the main sanctuary in order to
help bring the congregation there up to speed on language and ideas that
change our lives as young people in the church.”
“The problem comes when there is a sense of fear or intimidation or
control. That will be something we have to deal with as both groups grow
larger. The key will be to keep the umbrella we are both growing under
open as wide as possible.” (Tim Gillespie, “A Growing Concern,” http://timothy
gillespie.typepad.com/timothy/)
49

“In July 2010, five simple Jesus followers (Alex Bryan, Japhet De Oliveira,
Sam Leonor, Tim Gillespie and Terry Swenson) got together … in Denver. …
After two days of prayer, fasting, communion and reflection we looked across
the room at each other and acknowledged again that Jesus was number one.
…” (Japhet De Oliveira, “The One Project: Our Purpose and Mission,” http://the1project.org/ assets/documents/the-one-project.
pdf)
“Look, it happened one day in Denver, that we got together, broke and hurting
people—people that a lot of people looked at and said; Oh their great, their
fine, life is good. But we are hurting and burnt out, and dreaming dreams that
we don’t want to think about anymore, because you just want to put them in a
box and hide them cause it hurts to treasure them anymore. And we came
together as friends and we really just wanted to escape for a while. …”
“And I was so broken and hungry, that I said guys, we’ve got to open up. …
And then it happened. And we said, It happened. And we walked away and
said can it get bigger? Can the circle expand? Could it be that we could tear
down the walls? I don’t want to fight the battle anymore! I’m through! I am
tired of seeing members and beautiful people, leaders like you, who crash and
burn and die. I’m tired of seeing honey but it turns to ashes in my mouth. It’s
about Jesus. If people want to march over here, ‘well, we’re the church,’ okay
fine, but I’m going to follow Jesus.” (Terry Swenson, “Jesus in our Experience,” talk given Feb. 8, 2011,
Atlanta One Project; http://the1project.org/media/listen.html)
50

“The central purpose for the existence of Re:Live ministry at Loma
Linda University is not simply for a young adult ministry. It is not for a
‘new take’ on worship, a new effectiveness among 20 somethings, or
a new Adventism. The elemental reason for this ministry is summed
up in one name: Jesus. . . .”
“We believe that the calling of every Christian is a Christo-present
understanding of the world, the culture, worship, relationships and
church. By ‘Christo-Present’ we simply mean that we acknowledge
that Christ is present and in the church in the world around us. We
make up a part of his whole. Our call is to see where God is working;
whether it be in the church, in the culture, in the popular tools of life,
in outreach and mission, or within relationships between those
involved in the community-and to partner with Him to make his
presences more and more well known.”
“To this end, Re:Live ministries are designated with the following
montras [sic]: Re:Create—seeking the presence of Christ in culture.
Re:Wired—Seeking the presence of Christ in Media and technology.
Re:Action—Seeking the presence of Christ in missions and outreach.
Re:Member—seeking the presence of Christ in our community.” (cont.)
52

“We reject the question of What Would Jesus Do? Rather, Re:Live
asks the question; What is Jesus Doing? We are to be transformed by
Christ in us, imparted and imbued into every fiber of our being. …”
“Re:Create: As we create cultural artifacts, we seek to imbue the spirit
of Christ in all that we create. … We believe that Christ still speaks
with a powerful and relevant voice into the culture of both the church
and to those unfamiliar with a church culture. That is the voice we
seek to give a platform through our writing, speaking, video and
music. …”
“Re:Wired: There is a new language that must be acquired in today’s
world. That is the language of media and technology. We use these
tools in order to hold the name of Jesus above all others and declare
and proclaim our love and gratitude to him. We are not simply
reacting to new technology, rather we are harnessing the power of
communication, in all its forms, to forward the Kingdom of God as
made flesh by Christ.” (http://www.reliveministry.com/#/about-us/we-believe)
53

“Evangelism is about reaching out to others.
Really? You think? Brace yourself. In Nudge, author
Leonard Sweet sets out to revolutionize our
understanding of evangelism. He defines evangelism
as ‘nudge’ – awakening each other to the God who is
already there. Sweet’s revolution promises to affect
your encounters with others, as well as shaking the
very roots of your own faith. So brace yourself.”
(http://www.amazon.com/Nudge-Awakening-Other-Already-
There/dp/B004HB1BLU/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348120
188&sr=1-1&keywords=nudge+leonard+sweet)
55

“In his newest book … Leonard Sweet makes the case that there is
something fundamentally wrong with the way Christians conduct
evangelism in today's society. His central assertion is that, like a
door-to-door pots and pans salesman, we view our mission to
convey the message of the gospel as using fear tactics to convince
people of a problem they previously didn't know they had for which
we just ‘happen’ to have the solution. The author's vision of what
post-modern evangelism should look like is quite different. He
spells this out in his concept of nudging people toward Jesus.”
“However, it is in the explanation of what Nudge is that we see the
first subtle touches of Sweet's panentheistic worldview and the
waters of the River of Life begin to get muddied. In his own words,
Sweet writes, ‘Evangelism is NOT bringing God to people or taking
Jesus to the unsaved.’ His core assertion is that, ‘Nudge is NOT
bringing people to Jesus or introducing someone they don't know
but should. Nudge is introducing people to the ‘Jesus in them’, to
the God they already know, but don't know it.’” (http://www.amazon.com/Nudge-
Awakening-Other-Already-There/product-reviews/B004HB1BLU/ref=cm_cr_dp_qt_hist_
one?ie=UTF8&filterBy=addOneStar&showViewpoints=0)
56

“Okay, I think I hate the word postmodern, but I am writing a paper
for my Dmin program, and thought I would share a bit of it with
you. …”
“The differences found between the modern and postmodern
expression of worship is not simply a matter of style. Often, this is
the understanding, even for the postmodern organizer of worship.
However, worship as life (ala Romans 12:1) assumes that worship
is not a place and time, but a continual conversation with God.
Postmodern worship gatherings are as vast and varied as there
are churches, to be sure. And not all contemporary or progressive
worship services have a postmodern ethos. So what is the
postmodern ethos of worship? In a nutshell, if it is possible to do
that, this author would look to a few different words: Authenticity,
Beauty, Creativity and Context.”
“Authenticity: … In keeping with the postmodern value of self-awareness,
they approach God in humility and reality. This, at
times, smacks of the casual, as opposed to the more formal
approach taken by and large by the modern worship experience.”
(cont.)
58

“Beauty: … This is something that is sought not only in music, but also in
environment (as seen from casual, couch and candlelight expressions) to
larger more technologically advanced expressions of worship. Graphic
design has begun to play a larger and larger role the life of the church’s
worship expression. (although some might see this as a marketing tool, it
is an extension of authentic expression and the search for beauty).”
“Len Sweet has made the case for an EPIC experience that catches the
elemental value system of the postmodern search for God. Beauty in
worship connects with particularly the Image-Driven mode of experience.
… The postmodern is rediscovering the use of image (icons, if you will)
within the worship service. The power of image is not lost on those who
have grown up with an abundance of images to reflect on in the secular
world, but with a vast desert of authentic expression of beauty within the
their spiritual context.”
“Creativity: … [T]he use of creativity is not limited to approved norms
that might have been acceptable within the modern context (Hymnody,
Special Music, Corporate Readings, and sometimes, just sometimes,
Drama). For the postmodern, the sky is the limit, as they say. From video
mash-ups, to new takes and arrangements of traditional hymns, to original
dramatic presentations, to original music; the postmodern worship
expression is bursting at the seams with creative expression and
experimentation. …” (cont.) 59

“This means that the postmodern expression of worship changes from here
to there, and from month to month in some places. There is very little that
cannot be changed, and congregations demand that same-said change.
While this is often seen as intimidating, it should be viewed as an
opportunity for dynamism within the community’s relationship with God.
However, this means we cannot ‘doctrinalize’ every aspect of the worship
service. We must hold loosely to that which is sacred, at least in the bovine
quality of its sacredness.”
“Contextualization: Worship needs to make sense to those in the pews or
couches, or chairs. If it does not, then you will lose the imagination of those
seeking to worship together in any given situation. This is why a
contextualization of the worship experience becomes important. To know
your audience, their values, their elemental expectations from a worship
experience … is important to maintain a voice with those who choose your
particular place of worship. …”
“Even video illustrations and dramatic readings can be made from a local
context. This also plays into the postmodern value on the local as opposed
to the global experience. While this plays out in their lives … the same
should be said within their worship experience. This often brings a fear of
the loss of excellence within the worship service. But this is often seen from
the pastor, who may well be stuck within a modern construct of church.
What is authentic is excellent, because it is a true expression of gratitude
and love.” (Tim Gillespie, “Thinking and writing about Postmodernity and worship,” http://timothy
gillespie.typepad.com/timothy/) 60

“Short films are created within the Re:Live community. Many of the
videos are designed to go along with a series whether it’s setting
up a theme, posing a question, or presenting a challenge. We
have posted them for you to view freely, but we invite you to check
out the sermon series (‘Resources’ page) they were meant to
accompany to put things into context.”
“The Interview: God is looking for people who want to bring
change [sic] the world. Are you up for the job interview? Directed
by Hadley for our series on Revolution.”
“Letter to the Galatians: Let this video guide you through, in a
modern day context, what Paul was trying to say the Galatians.
Adam Farnsworth did this one for our series Cannibal Christians.”
“Faith is Splendid: This video was made for our Faith is Stupid
series. Written by Christ Picco and Adam Farnsworth. Have you
ever thought about what faith can sometimes look like to a non-believer?
Has your faith ever been shaken?” (http://www.reliveministry.
com/#/resources/short-films)
62

“TRON Inspired Countdown for Re:Live: Being a child of the 80s, I
feel an odd kinship with original TRON (even though it really is a
terrible film), so when the TRON: Infinity trailer was released it was
strangely captivating. I don't even care if the movie is good or not, the
design is HOT. So, I created this countdown as an homage. The
‘TRON-iness’ doesn't start until about 1:55 into it.” (http://vimeo.com/17930879)
“Heaven is for Losers—Dueling Banjos: For a change of pace here’s
a take on ‘dueling banjos’, ie the second installment of Heaven is For
Losers. There was a certain amount of debate over whether the
ending was appropriate or not – so we went for the element of
surprise.” (http://www.reliveministry. com/#/resources/short-films)
“Heaven is for Losers—Week 4: Video bumper for Re:Live
(reliveministry.com) sermon series: Heaven is for Losers. Shot on
location in Redlands, CA.” (http://vimeo.com/2228758)
“Heaven is for Losers—The Race: Heaven is For Losers is a series
based on the Beatitudes. You know –blessed are the poor in spirit,
etc. The purpose of the accompanying videos was to evoke emotions
attached with losing. This first installment is an action-packed thrill
ride with fitting soundtrack.” (http://www.reliveministry. com/#/resources/short-films)
64

“AC/DC are an Australian hard rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers
Malcolm and Angus Young, … Commonly classified as hard rock, they are
considered pioneers of heavy metal. … As of 2010, AC/DC had sold more
than 200 million albums worldwide, including 71 million albums in the
United States alone. Back in Black has sold an estimated 50 million units
worldwide, making it the second-highest-selling album by any artist.
[Other albums include] Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap; Let There Be Rock;
Highway to Hell” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC/DC)
“Meaning to AC/DC Thunderstruck lyrics, don’t mean war! … If you
notice the middle of the song, the heart of the song is about some
dancers from Texas, that the band obviously had a great time with. … The
rest of the band ended up blown out of their minds at the amount of booze
they had to put down trying for anything from the other girls, … The song
has nothing to do with war, and everything to do with literal dancers from
Texas; … So the question truly presents itself, why is it choreographed as
one of the greatest ‘go onward yee Christian warriors to kill song’???? …
So there you have it, one song that by reading the lyrics, and the true
story behind those lyrics, with names, shows it's about a rocking party
with the best sex, and partying ever.” (http://shtf411.com /meaning-to-ac-dc-thunderstruck-
66
lyrics-don-t-mean-war-t20793.html)

“Music has been a prominent accompaniment to Pastor
Gillespie's ministry. He has played music professionally in the
band Big Face Grace, and still is actively involved in creating
music and supporting local Christian artists.”
“Re:Create: As we create cultural artifacts, we seek to imbue
the spirit of Christ in all that we create. … We believe that
Christ still speaks with a powerful and relevant voice into the
culture of both the church and to those unfamiliar with a
church culture. That is the voice we seek to give a platform
through our writing, speaking, video and music. …”
(http://www.reliveministry.com/#/about-us/we-believe)
69

71
“WHO ARE WE? Re:Live Records exists to partner with
artists, authors, and musicians in order to help them create
and cultivate culture that speaks to their spiritual experience
and the particular voice that God has given them.”
“Re:Live Records partners with Re:Live Ministry in order to
work with those who are contributing to the community and
whom bring the kind of quality that Re:Live Productions
seeks in the projects they support.”
“Artists too often have to forge their way alone, without the
help of an organization that seeks to be a platform for the art
they are creating. Re:Live Records seeks to be that
platform, working with artists that believe it is their God-call
to create.” (http://www.reliverecords.org/#/about-us)

“Re:Live Records has had the distinct opportunity to work with
some incredible artists. All artists have been a part of the
Re:Live Ministry community and actively shared their music
through the years. … Re:Live Record’s hope that you will be as
blessed as we have been having these incredible artists as a
part of our local community.” (http://www.reliverecords.org/#/artists)
“Re:Live Worship: The Re:Live Worship album, recorded in 2011
is a collection of songs written by the worship leaders who have
been with Re:Live since it’s inception in 2008. Engineered and
produced by Jeffrey Lam, Re:Live is working on supplemental
material to release with this album which was released in October
2011.” (http://www.reliverecords.org/#/artists/relive-worship)
72

”Join us for an evening of worship with the Re:Live
Band! This will be a special CD Release concert for our
new album, ‘Our Loudest Praise.’ It will also be a
filming for our Live Concert DVD of the same title. “
74
“Saturday, October 22, 2011, 7:00 pm
Compassio Stage — at CrossWalk Church.
(https://www.facebook.com/events/153439291418446/?source=1)

77
“Hey Greg, That is [the] anniversary of the Great
Disappointment you know! The people at the Univ.
Church talked me into costuming a few people to
look like 1844 time zone. If I get done....I'll come.
Count me in for buying a CD. “
(https://es-la.facebook.com/events/153439291418446/?fref=nf)

“As their conversations unfolded [in Denver 2010], their mission began to
take shape. ‘What if we gathered together leaders from all over the world
to celebrate the supremacy of Jesus in the Seventh-day Adventist
Church?’ ‘What if we gathered and focused on what it would mean for us,
on a personal, and then local, and finally global community?’ ‘What if we
had honest conversation about our legacy, heritage and call for our
Church today?’ ‘What if we brought leaders, youth and adults, young and
old, employed and retired, pastors and members and simply soaked in
Jesus again?’ …With their hearts on fire for Jesus, these seven modern-day
disciples began to seek out others to join them in their renewed
mission to celebrate His supremacy.”
“What began with just seven men who love Jesus grew to nearly 180 at
the February 2011 One project in Atlanta. There, for a day and a half, it
was Jesus alone who took the spotlight. Each of these men shared
personal testimony and reflections about their Jesus: Jesus in our Church;
Jesus in our History; Jesus in our Theology; Jesus in our Mission; Jesus
in our Experience and finally, a Jesus. All. Communion service. The
leaders’ heartfelt testimonies, paired with opportunities for dialog,
responses, prayer and worship through music resulted in a transformative
experience for those who came to see what the One project was all
about.” (http://www.andrews.edu/news/2011/03/one_project.html)
81

“What if, like the old hymn, we surrendered all to Jesus? Would
our fellowships look the same, would our lives look the same?
Would our worship look the same? Would we continue to be easily
offended by people? Or would we become those who could not
get offended because we were too busy being about the Jesus
business we have been called to? Would we cease to be
defenders of the faith, and become disciples of Christ in a more
palpable and palatable way?”
“What if we actually took seriously the idea that Jesus is coming
again? Rather than being focused on the events leading up to the
Second Coming, we might be safe in the knowledge of the Second
Coming, and maintain a focus on Who is actually coming.”
83
“What if the special message that we have for the world is Jesus?
What if our peculiarity was formed from the exalted place that
Jesus had in our theology, worship and fellowships? What if our
lives reflected the highest Christology? ’Jesus. All.’ came out of a
deep frustration from the seemingly ‘Jesus. And . . .’ theology that
many of us have fallen into.” (cont.)

“I desperately want a church that seeks the heart of Jesus. We want a
church that can unite on at least one thing—and only Jesus can be that
thing. We long to hear that those who represent our Church cease
creating boundaries and begin to speak of Jesus in a way that lifts Him up
and draws us in. I long to be part of a people whose greatest identifying
marker is nothing short of Jesus Christ and Him crucified! Every time we
have tried to define ourselves as something other, more or beyond Jesus,
we have failed miserably. …”
“‘There is one great central truth to be kept ever before the mind in the
searching of the Scriptures—Christ and Him crucified. Every other truth is
invested with influence and power corresponding to its relation to this
theme’ (Ellen White, Manuscript 31, 1890). This is what the Adventist
Church’s ‘The One Project’ is—a return to the elemental impulse of
Adventism. It is a clean wall with nothing but the priority of Jesus. It is an
understanding that the Pioneer and Perfecter of our faith is nothing less
than Jesus Christ Himself, and nothing could be more than this! It is an
assent to present truth. … But it is time for us to strip back the wall and go
back to that original simple picture of Jesus and the community of
believers. It is time once again for: Jesus. All.” (http://record.adventistconnect. org
/site_data/88/assets/0036/4019/Record_11_lowrez.pdf)
84

“The enemy of souls has sought to bring in the supposition that a
great reformation was to take place among Seventh-day
Adventists, and that this reformation would consist in giving up the
doctrines which stand as the pillars of our faith, and engaging in a
process of reorganization. Were this reformation to take place
what would result? The principles of truth that God in His wisdom
has given to the remnant church would be discarded. Our religion
would be changed. The fundamental principles that have
sustained the work for the last fifty years would be accounted as
error. A new organization would be established. Books of a new
order would be written. A system of intellectual philosophy would
be introduced.
The founders of this system would go into the cities, and do a
wonderful work. The Sabbath, of course would be lightly regarded,
as also the God who created it. Nothing would be allowed to stand
in the way of the new movement. The leaders would teach that
virtue is better than vice, but God being removed they would place
their dependence on human power, which, without God, is
worthless. Their foundation would be built on the sand, and storm
and tempest would sweep away the structure. “ (Battle Creek Letters, pp.
79-81) 86

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