The Ramp

[Karen]

A Personal Witness

When Karen was a teenager and old enough to drive, she had a habit of disappearing for several hours each day. Some people took notice of her habit and assumed that she was up to no good and decided to find out just what she was doing. So, they secretly followed her to find out for themselves once and for all.

They followed her as she drove deep, back into the woods, stopped, parked the car and got out. Karen got on her knees and began praying. Then she began worshipping God and singing and dancing before him, totally alone with her father as far as she knew.

The person went away totally ashamed of their assumptions and ended up sharing their witness of what Karen was doing in secret.

[dolfan]

This is one of the most interesting (to me, at least) threads I've seen in a long time. I'm not jumping in on this one because I'm really seeing both sides of this very well thought out debate. I have my views and peccadillos about Karen Wheaton's TV presence (spelling, Beav? ) but ...... I don't know anything about The Ramp. But, I like the back and forth on it and it makes you think.

[panhandler]

I have never been to The Ramp. I have heard good and bad about it. This doesn't sway me because I hear good and bad about almost everything in the Body of Christ at some time.

I can say that Karen Wheaton is the most annointed female I have ever been around in my life and I have been around some powerful women of God.

[curiouspk]

I've heard Karen Wheaton share her heart, I don't believe she is TBN-ish... or worldly. She has a holiness background (CoGoP) and she is for holiness pretty clearly.

We (may) get too distracted by clothing styles or other stylistic elements that have nothing to do with a person's heart... Man looks at the outward appearance.. but God looks at the heart.

Well, when she's on TBN she sure waddles to their tune. If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, walks like a duck -- must be a duck.

Besides, I've watched them do their routine, and honestly, it's put on. It's learned, mimicked behavior. They jump, they grunge and gothic up, they learn the forms of worship, because it's cool, it's what gets them attention, and it's emotionally satisfying. That is the sad reality I have seen with my own eyes as I have watched those who have been significantly involved in the Ramp....



This is not meant to discount those who are sincere and have truly come to faith in Christ. Nor is it meant to impede them in their walk. Rather I recognize that the overall impact of the ministry has this stigma noted above. That is dangerous for any Christian, especially young people, and even more so young people who are new converts.

Poimen
You find some people just doing a routine with any type of worship. People stand up, raise their hands, sing the songs, and sit back down and there's not any worship in it. I agreed there are some kids that are into the emotionalism of it, but for the most part a lot of them are genuinely worshiping. I have seen the annointing move through Karen and Chosen.

The Ramp provides a freedom for kids to come and worship unhindered that is found in very few places.

From personal experience, God used them to touch me personal in a way that nooone else has been able to.

[pastorables]

A Personal Witness

When Karen was a teenager and old enough to drive, she had a habit of disappearing for several hours each day. Some people took notice of her habit and assumed that she was up to no good and decided to find out just what she was doing. So, they secretly followed her to find out for themselves once and for all.

They followed her as she drove deep, back into the woods, stopped, parked the car and got out. Karen got on her knees and began praying. Then she began worshipping God and singing and dancing before him, totally alone with her father as far as she knew.

The person went away totally ashamed of their assumptions and ended up sharing their witness of what Karen was doing in secret.

WOW! What few hair are left on my head just stood to attention! Our real estate agent just shared this same story with us yesterday. Amazing, this is the second time to hear it in two days.

pa

[Karen]

A Personal Witness

When Karen was a teenager and old enough to drive, she had a habit of disappearing for several hours each day. Some people took notice of her habit and assumed that she was up to no good and decided to find out just what she was doing. So, they secretly followed her to find out for themselves once and for all.

They followed her as she drove deep, back into the woods, stopped, parked the car and got out. Karen got on her knees and began praying. Then she began worshipping God and singing and dancing before him, totally alone with her father as far as she knew.

The person went away totally ashamed of their assumptions and ended up sharing their witness of what Karen was doing in secret.

WOW! What few hair are left on my head just stood to attention! Our real estate agent just shared this same story with us yesterday. Amazing, this is the second time to hear it in two days.

pa

That IS amazing! It is a true event in her life. All things happen for a reason, in God's timing. Pray about it, for God's reason of the witness, for his direction, that you do not step either to the left or to the right of the path that he is setting before you.

May HIS blessings rest upon, and stay with you.

[pastorables]

Chris, be careful. Your judgement is harsh, though probably honest.

I like Chris. I like Chris a lot.

Another democrat - republican thread, eh?

Love ya man!
pa

[pastorables]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQf-fgehi_8

The above link is a clip of the types of things from The Ramp that really minister to me. The dancing is a sidebar that I can take or leave. It doesn't bother me either way. I have witnessed the same kind of dancing and stomping at COGOP Youth Conferences so I will not judge The Ramp negatively based upon one criteria.

I started this thread to note the life flowing from The Ramp, not to critique the things we may not agree with.

pa

[Paully_44]

Why? If I wanted to go clubbing or get in a grungy Gothic mosh-pit type environment I could hit any number of clubs or hangouts hear near Birmingham. Unless of course the ramp has drastically changed since I was last exposed to it.

Let'em dance..... let'em mosh..... let'em get crazy. I wish it was only closer to me, I'd be there.

The Ramp website looks good.

[curiouspk]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQf-fgehi_8

The above link is a clip of the types of things from The Ramp that really minister to me. The dancing is a sidebar that I can take or leave. It doesn't bother me either way. I have witnessed the same kind of dancing and stomping at COGOP Youth Conferences so I will not judge The Ramp negatively based upon one criteria.

I started this thread to note the life flowing from The Ramp, not to critique the things we may not agree with.

pa

I heard this guys testimony at camp this year. it is awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9ywOXNV ... re=related

This is one of the human videos they do. I saw it live at Camp Boothe. It really touched me. This is the cry that I'm hearing from many of my generation.

[Pianoman]

Has anyone ever visited The Ramp? I've watched the program on television several times & all I've ever seen are the young people on the platform dramatizing a song & then a guest speaker ministering? Do they have more going on that isn't televised? I've never seen the people in the congregation "dancing?"

Granted the songs had a lot of choreography - I really liked the messages they presented. They did "The Potter's Hand" and "Now, Behold the Lamb" & I was about to have a run away myself!

I thought it was fantastic that someone would take the time to put together an alternate place young people would actually want to come to & I was amazed at the dedication & time the "Chosen" group on the platform had obviously put into the dramatizations they were presenting.

Granted I was raised in a very strict "bible belt" non-dancing area - I didn't find anything offensive in the dramatizations I watched? But, as I said - I don't know what goes on when they aren't on the air?

[pastorables]

Do they have more going on that isn't televised? I've never seen the people in the congregation "dancing?"

But, as I said - I don't know what goes on when they aren't on the air?

This is a typical RAMP off air.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1JcUMjqVXs

[curiouspk]

I've been there. It is a great place for people from my generation can come and worship God with out being hindered. If you ever get to go, get ready to sit on the floor b/c they move all the chairs back where there's plenty of room to dance before the Lord.

[EagerBeaver]

I've been there. It is a great place for people from my generation can come and worship God with out being hindered. If you ever get to go, get ready to sit on the floor b/c they move all the chairs back where there's plenty of room to dance before the Lord.

Not to mention it keeps the kids off the streets too.

[ErinNicole]

I went to a weekend Ramp conference in Chattanooga a few years back when I was living in Cleveland. Myself and several Lee students attended mostly out of curiousity. Several of my friends (those from non-pentecostal backgrounds) were very put off by it. They didn't understand the need for the dancing or the messages that were given. The rest of us enjoyed it immensely and went back for the next day. We weren't as physically involved as a lot of the people attending but that didn't seem to matter. I even saw Karen quiet a girl who was more distracting than anything, and she did it in a gracious way.

I believe the teenagers in Chosen are very sincere in what they do. They spend many hours praying and fasting for their ministry, and they encourage other young people to do the same where ever they are at. Not everything that was done was up my alley, but I felt it was beneficial to me anyway. I would go back and I would take any of my young people.

Erin