I've attended this church for about two years because my significant other wanted to try it, but we're done.
This church is more like a tiny cult with no real understanding of the truth. First, the lead pastor Scott Joseph does most of the teaching, but he's a horrible teacher. He brings up Chicago pizza at least twice a month, tithing almost every week, and a short version of the prosperity gospel every Sunday. He has obviously never had to worry about anything in his whole or make a tough decision in his life (except whether or not to be a pilot or a pastor) and doesn't seem to understand that others have had to make much harder choices or had much harder situations in their lives. He never discusses anything people could be going through or any applicable situations like divorce, adultery, drugs, family, children, sex, death, or any other topic that is a real struggle. In the last two years, I swear!, I've heard about prayer, "God is so good," "all you need is Jesus - even if you have depression!," and that we must tithe at least 10% of our income before taxes regularly. For the culty part, they are all about inviting and including new people. They make these little cards to hand out to strangers to invite them to church and pass them out all the time. People invite their friends, family, and strangers, and then people include them in everything that happens. Sounds great until you want something more than from the actual sermon or to learn to really live life with God. If you try to leave, people will do everything to guilt you into staying. They will tell you to just trust Scott Joseph, that he's wonderful, and that it's still a young church. When people do leave, their "friends" cut them off completely. I have heard people say that they miss such-and-such but won't call or text because they "can't be a part of their life anymore." That it's just "too hard to try to have a relationship with them now that they don't go to High Rock anymore." It's fucking weird. And really, the people aren't that loving. They seem that way, until you are going through a real struggle or have a real problem with something. Then they can't have that in their lives. I've heard people turn their backs on others for visiting different churches or saying a bad word about Scott Joseph. After the whole refugee ban, Scott Joseph didn't even acknowledge it that Sunday. He focused on how to pray and that we should be making new friends and inviting them to church more often. They he brought up tithing. I, my significant other, and many of our close friends were upset because we felt that no matter what the politics are, any christian can agree that they should help those in need, which includes refugees. I and some of my friends were involved in volunteer efforts to help refugees resettling in America. So for Scott Joseph to ignore what is a moral and love issue was shocking, but after two years of him not talking about anything in the real world, it was really not a big surprise too. My significant other and I are leaving for these reasons.
Reader beware! This place is a tiny cult that wants your money and will sell you a conservative prosperity doctrine that looks like christianity, but really isn't. read more
