Author Archives: Steve Simms

Unknown's avatar

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!

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

The World’s Greatest Expert

Posted on January 3, 2014 by Steve Simms

Paying too much attention to what men say (and preach) can distract you from what God is saying to you.  The world’s greatest expert on God is the Holy Spirit.  And He is the world’s most effective preacher/Bible teacher.  Are … Continue reading →

Posted in Allen Willemsen, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, God, God talks, Holy Ghost, Holy Spirit, Music City, Nashville, Nashville charity, Nashville church, One At A Time Ministries, organic church, quotation, quote, Quotes, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, simple church, Spirit's flow, Spirit-filled, Spirit-prompted | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fire Hydrant Church

Posted on December 31, 2013 by Steve Simms

Perhaps 2014 is the time for the church to open up like a fire hydrant and let the Holy Spirit flow! When I was a kid, the fire department in our neighborhood would sometimes open up a fire hydrant on … Continue reading →

Posted in Catholic mass, church meetings, creativity, fire of the Holy Spirit, fire plug, flow, flow of the Spirit, flowing of the Holy Spirit, followers of Christ, free spirit, freedom, mysticism, Nashville, Nashville church, Nashville tourist attractions, organic church, playing in a fire hydrant, Pope, religious innovation, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, simple church, spiritual flow, spiritual innovation, spiritual life, spiritual power, spiritual presence, spiritual worship | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Why is there so much evil in the world? Because there is evil in every human heart and unless we regularly listen to our conscience and restrain the evil within our own individual heart, it will spill over into our relationships and into the society around us.

Posted on December 30, 2013 by Steve Simms
Posted in moral failure, moral foundations, moral judgment | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Is The Lion Of The Tribe Of Judah Uncontained Or Quenched?

Posted on December 27, 2013 by Steve Simms

“Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David has overcome so that He may open the scrolls and its seven seals.”  (Revelation 5:5) “It is said to have been an expression of the wisest of kings, … Continue reading →

Posted in church, church format, church leader, church leadership, church meetings, church programs, church services, church structure, Jerusalem, Joel, Joel 3:16, let the God of glory thurnder, lyrics, Open the scrolls, Quench not the Spirit, quench the Spirit, quotation, quote, Quotes, revelation, Revelation 5:5, Rick Pino song, roar, Robert Bruce, root of David, seven seals, shelter for His people | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments