The Unexpected, The Unplanned, & The Unconventional in Church

The unexpected, the unplanned, and the unconventional happened when the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost and launched the Christian church. Pentecost (and what followed after it through out the book of Acts) was the was all about Presence & power of God working in & through ordinary people! Early c hurch gatherings were unprogrammed and led by the Spirit.
–When was the last time something unexpected, unplanned, and unconventional happened at your church?

A sermon about Pentecost is informative.
–Experiencing Pentecost is life-transforming!
(I experienced Pentecost 44 years ago and have never been the same. The fire still burns in my heart and I continually yearn for more of God!)

How’s this for unexpected, unplanned, & unconventional? U can prophesy! Pentecost boldly announced:
“Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.” –Acts 2:17-18 (Paul of Tarsus put it this way: “You can all prophesy.”)

Francis Chan, author of Crazy Love (who stepped down as the pastor of a megachurch so that he could explore humility and simple church) is out of the box and “rethinking church:”
–“In the churches we’ve been used to, many people slide into the last few rows at church and then zip out right as the last song plays. Maybe you know that person or maybe you are that person! We’ve found that in a smaller church setting, everyone is expected to contribute by using their gifts for the benefit of others.”
–“Wouldn’t it be amazing to be apart of a group who wasn’t all caught up in the style of the worship band or who was preaching that week? Wouldn’t it be so refreshing to be apart of a group that gathered just to read the word together, pray together, . . . and be with one another?”
If you like Francis’ vision and want to experience the unexpected, the unplanned, and the unconventional–you will love The Salvation Army Berry Street, 225 Berry St., Nashville, 37207, 10:45 on Sunday mornings.

About Steve Simms

I like to look and think outside the box. In college I encountered Jesus Christ and I have been passionate about trying to get to know Him better ever since. My wife and I long to see the power and passion of the first Christ-followers come to life in our time. I have written a book about our experiences in non-traditional church, called, "Beyond Church: An Invitation To Experience The Lost Word Of The Bible--Ekklesia." If you need encouragement, search for: Elephants Encouraging The Room and/or check out my Amazon author page. Thank you!

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