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!

My Top Ten Blog Posts For Black History Month

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Steve Simms

Would you like to know more about Black History.  Here are my Top Ten Blog Posts about African-American history: 10)  Negro Spirituals — A Message We Desperately Need 9) America’s Forgotten Freedom Fighters 8) Some Americans Suffered An Atrosity 7) … Continue reading →

Posted in 12 Years A Slave, abolitionism, abolitionists, African American experience, Americans, anti-slavery, atrocities, black is beautiful, blacks, freedom fighters, injustice, lashes, Martin Luther King Jr., negro spirituals, race, racial reconciliation, racism, Rosa Parks, runaway slaves, slave owners, slavery, slaves, Top Ten, whipping | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Perhaps God can speak through anybody, not just a preacher!

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Steve Simms

Perhaps we miss out on much wisdom in the average church service, because only one person is permitted to speak week after week. We can all learn from anybody; not just from experts or professionals. Maybe during a church service, … Continue reading →

Posted in church meetings, church programs, church services, non-church, one anothering, open church, open forum, open mic, organic church, participatory church, simple church | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Moving Beyond Accusations of “Hate” to Genuinely Getting Along . . .

Posted on January 11, 2014 by Steve Simms

If a friend, a relative, or even a stranger, in spite of anatomy, proclaimed his arms to be wings and boldly declared that he is a bird; I’d still be nice to him.  I wouldn’t be mean to him, and … Continue reading →

Posted in 21st Century, anatomy, belief, conservative vs liberal, contemporary, contemporary society, culture, culture wars, hate, hatred, love, Love one another, love your enemies, politics, sexual orientation, sexual preference, the right vs the left, true love, values | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

It’s Time For Interactive Church Services!

Posted on January 11, 2014 by Steve Simms

People living in our 21st Century culture of constant interactive media, need more than a passive, authoritarian, spectator church service.  Maybe they need engagement and participation!  Perhaps a church service needs to be more than a Sunday morning love lecture.  … Continue reading →

Posted in interactivity, love lecture, Nashville, Nashville church, non-church, non-church movement, non-liturgical, non-traditional church, open church, open forum, open mic, open mike, participation, participation in church, participatory church, participatory culture, participatory sermons, sermon, sermon-free, simple church, The Salvation Army | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

What if Sunday morning church had less infrastructure and more networking? It could be transformed from a Sunday morning love lecture into a group of people actively living love with one another!

Posted on January 11, 2014 by Steve Simms
Posted in church format, church meetings, church program, church services, life, life together, one another, one anothering, open church, open forum, open sharing, participatory church, participatory sermons, share, simple church, Spirit's flow, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, Spirit-prompted, spiritual church, spiritual formation, spiritual gifts | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

PC is awesome!

Posted on January 9, 2014 by Steve Simms

PC (Participatory Church) is awesome! PC (Participatory Church) allows the living, resurrected Jesus Christ to actively fulfill His role as Head of the Church — not just be a figurehead. PC (Participatory Church) fulfills the words of Jesus:  “For where … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, Bible quotes, Nashville, Nashville adventure, Nashville church, Nashville tourist attractions, participation in church, participatory church, political correctness, religion, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, simple church, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, Spirit-prompted | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

When The Nuns Came To The Salvation Army

Posted on January 6, 2014 by Steve Simms

My wife and I lead a participatory, sermon-free, non-traditional Salvation Army corps (church) called Berry Street Worship Center, located in a low-income neighborhood in Nashville, Tennessee.  Our daughter went to high school at St. Cecilia Academy, a Catholic girls’ school … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Catholic, Catholic girls school, Catholicism, Dominican nuns, durag, Nashville charity, Nashville church, Nashville tourist attractions, organic church, religion, Roman Catholic, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationism, Salvationists, simple church, St. Dominic, Tennessee | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

A family gathering isn’t controlled from a podium on a platform with a fixed program that everyone is prescribed to follow. Instead, a family gathering is allowed to flow and develop naturally and spontaneously. –So, if church is a gathering of God’s family, why do we do church so formally and so differently than a normal family gathering?

Posted on January 6, 2014 by Steve Simms
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | 3 Comments

2013 in review

Posted on January 5, 2014 by Steve Simms

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog. Here’s an excerpt: The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 40,000 times in 2013. If it were a … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

What Does George Fox Say? (About Organic Church)

Posted on January 4, 2014 by Steve Simms

George Fox encountered the living, resurrected Jesus Christ in the 1600s in England and began to realize that faith is not about religion, ritual, and rigid organization, but about an ongoing, real relationship with Jesus.  He and some of his … Continue reading →

Posted in life together, listening, listening prayer, listening to God, parody, participation in church, participatory church, Quaker meetings, radical Christianity, silence, silent worship, simple church, Spirit-led, Spirit-prompted, spiritual, YouTube | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments