Author Archives: Steve Simms

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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!

Unicycle Church or 18 Wheeler Church

Posted on March 4, 2014 by Steve Simms

Which is the most effective way to transport the Gospel to our 21st Century, participatory culture? * Clergy — Let one man do it all, like a unicycle?  (Unicycle church.) Or * Priesthood of the Believer — Let everybody participate … Continue reading →

Posted in church meetings, church program, church services, church speakers, clergy, clergy/laity, clericalism, laity, Music City, Nashville adventure, Nashville church, Nashville tourist attractions, oratory, order of worship, organic church, participants, participation, participation in church, participatory church, participatory culture, pastor, priest, priesthood, priesthood of the believer, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, simple church, truck | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

6 Reasons Why The Civil Rights Activits Didn’t Call Their Opponents “Haters”

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Steve Simms

1)  To call someone a hater would have violated Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s determination for the Movement to follow the spirit of the Biblical principles of love and non-violence. 2)  Blacks were clearly hated in the South so there … Continue reading →

Posted in activitists, African American experience, African Americans, biblical, Biblical principles, bigots, British Empire, British history, calling people haters, equal rights, extremist for love, freedom, hate, hate speech, haters, hatred, Jim Crow, love, Love one another, love your enemies, name calling, prejudice, quotation, Quotations, quote, Quotes, racial reconciliation, racism, racists, The Movement | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

1 Speaking to All? Or All Speaking To All?

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Steve Simms

Church is when a group of believers gathers together around the living, resurrected Jesus Christ and focuses their attention on listening to His voice and doing whatever He tells them to do. Church is when the living Christ, in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian community, church leadership, church programs, church services, church speakers, clergy/laity, community, hearing God, hearing Jesus, hearing the Holy Spirit, how to do church, laity, laymen, laywomen, participation, participation in church, participatory church, participatory sermons, praying community, preacher, preaching, preaching the Word, priesthood of the believer, sermons, simple church, speaking, speaking out, voice of God, What is church?, When you come together, where two or three in My name, why go to church, worship, worship service | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments

1 Speaker Church Is Like A 1 Channel TV . . .

Posted on March 2, 2014 by Steve Simms

If church has the same speaker every week, it is like a TV that only gets one channel. Maybe Christian ministry would be more effective at changing lives and transforming our culture if it flowed from one ordinary believer to … Continue reading →

Posted in Behold the Lamb of God, Christian ministry, church programs, church services, clergy, clericalism, house church, Jesus, Jesus Christ, multi-voiced church, non-church, one anothering, open church, open forum, open mic, open mike, open sharing, organic church, participation in church, participatory church, participatory culture, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, sermon, simple church, Spirit-led, takes away the sins of the world, Tennessee | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

I Loved 1,400 Men At A Salvation Army ARC

Posted on March 1, 2014 by Steve Simms

When I was hired as the counselor/chaplain of The Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center (ARC) in Nashville in October of 2002, I had no idea that I would be working with about 1,400 men over the next 5 1/2 years … Continue reading →

Posted in cost of addiction, depression, drug abuse, freedom, heart, heart care, love, Love one another, loving men, recreational drugs, self-destruction, self-worth, selfish desires, selfishness, sex, sexual addiction | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Quotes From ABC’s Nashville TV Series (That Illustrate The Bible “One Anothers”)

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Steve Simms

Come, See God’s Amazing One-Anothers In Action! To stay consistently fired-up for Christ, you need to regularly be around a group of fired-up believers meeting in an environment where they are free to obey the New Testament “one anothers:” “encourage … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative church, alternative lifestyle, alternative to preaching, clergy, clergy/laity, clericalism, house church, Nashville adventure, Nashville charity, Nashville church, Nashville entertainment, Nashville news, Nashville show, Nashville times, one another, one anothering, one anothers, organic church, participatory church, participatory culture, quotation, Quotations, quote, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, simple church, Tennessee | Tagged , , , , | 13 Comments

Get The Scoop On Nashville Street Talk

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Steve Simms

Berry Street Talk Is Full Of The Spirit! * Open participation / Not one-man sermons. * Heart-felt words / Not theological jargon. * Spontaneous sharing / Not scripted speeches. * Loving concern / Not detached instructions. * Spirit-prompted / Not … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative church, alternative to preaching, Nashville adventure, Nashville charity, Nashville church, Nashville events, Nashville streets, non-church, non-traditional church, organic church, simple church | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Jesus Is Alive & Active in the 21st Century — Church Can Catch Him Like A Sail Catching The Wind

Posted on February 24, 2014 by Steve Simms

When the leaves and small limbs of a tree are all leaning in the same direction, you know that something invisible is going on — the wind is blowing the tree.  That’s what happens at The Salvation Army Berry Street.  … Continue reading →

Posted in clergy, clergy/laity, clericalism, how to do church, How to raise a sail, meeting in His name, ordaination, order of worship, organic church, relational church, release of the Spirit, relevation, religion, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Scriptures, simple church, Spirit-led, spiritual church, ways of doing church, why go to church, worship, worship gathering | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Church — A Bottled Water Plant? or A Mighty, Whitewater River

Posted on February 23, 2014 by Steve Simms

Church — A bottled water plant? or A mighty, whitewater river? Contemporary church is too often like a bottled water plant. People sit passively, like flimsy plastic bottles in a row, hoping to receive a single squirt of water from … Continue reading →

Posted in bottled water plant, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, Christianity, church format, church meetings, church program, church programs, church seating, church services, church structure, Holy Spirit, house church, How is water bottled?, institutional church, Nashville adventure, Nashville charity, Nashville church, Nashville news, participation in church, participatory church, participatory culture, plastic bottles, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, simple church, Spirit's flow, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, spiritual church, spontaneity, spontaneous church, whitewater river | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Organic Church — Spirit-Led Assembly Required!

Posted on February 21, 2014 by Steve Simms

Love is not taught by a sermon or a lesson.  Love is caught when hearts are in Spirit-led connection. Church — Spirit-led assembly required!  A church meeting should be a spiritual people-mover — connecting people to God and to one … Continue reading →

Posted in assembly, Christianity, Christianity with Power, church leadership, church meetings, church program, church programs, church services, God, led by the Spirit, organic church, participation in church, participatory church, participatory culture, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationism, simple church, Spirit-led | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments