Category Archives: Berry Street Worship Center

Church is not for sponges; it’s for sparks!

Posted on November 25, 2013 by Steve Simms

You are not simply a sponge, supposed to sit in a “service” and silently soak up a preacher’s ideas. You are someone who has spiritual insight to share.  Church is not for sponges, it’s for sparks! Our desire at The … Continue reading →

Posted in Arkansas, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, church fire, church format, church leadership, church meetings, church program, church programs, church services, church structure, Little Rock, Music City, Nashville charity, Nashville church, Nashville tourist attractions, order of worship, organic church, simple church, sparks, sponges, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

A Different Worship Leader Every Sunday

Posted on November 3, 2013 by Steve Simms

At The Salvation Army Berry Street we have a different worship leader every week.  Over the past 5 1/2 years we have had about 50 different people/groups lead worship for us.  Why? 1) It keeps one person from being exalted … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, body of Christ, church format, church meetings, church program, church programs, church services, church structure, Nashville, Nashville charity, Nashville church, praise, praise and worship, praising God, religion, religious ceremonies, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Uncategorized, worship, worship center, worship gathering, worship leader, worship styles | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Dorothy In Oz, Wheels, Soul Train, TEAM, Yall, Lights, & A Quiz (Examples/Metaphors of Participatory Church)

Posted on September 28, 2013 by Steve Simms

Some metaphors for participatory church: Experiencing participatory church at Berry Street is like Dorothy stepping into a world of living color when she enters the land of Oz in “The Wizard of Oz.” Church is often like a unicycle, focused … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, big wheel, church format, church leadership, church meetings, church organizational chart, church program, church programs, church quiz, church roles, church services, Dorothy Wizard of Oz, New Testament, plural for you, religion, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationism, Salvationists, soul, soul train, Southern English, team, Team Church, Tennessee, Together Everyone Accomplishes More, unicycle, yall | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

3 ducks, 2 buzzards & some God thoughts

Posted on September 20, 2013 by Steve Simms

3 ducks & 2 buzzards . . . –Earlier this morning I was on a walk in the woods and felt a prompting to go down a short, narrow path to a creek. However, I didn’t want to do that, … Continue reading →

Posted in and Holy Spirit, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, buzzards, Duck Dynasty show, ducks, hearing God, hearing the Holy Spirit, listening, listening prayer, listening skills, listening to nature, prompted by the Spirit, prompting of the Spirit, promptings, spiritual prompting, The Voice, Trinity, walk in the woods, walking | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Church — In Sync or Spontaneous?

Posted on September 9, 2013 by Steve Simms

During praise and worship an image came to my mind. I saw a group of people, all neatly facing the front of the room, sitting at banquet tables with full plates in front of them. Then I saw a man … Continue reading →

Posted in 37207, banquet, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit promptings, in unison, living God, Nashville, Nashville charity, Nashville church, Nashville events, not being fed in church, organic church, praise, praise and worship, praising God, program, programmed, programmed from the front, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationism, Salvationists, spiritual food, spontaneity, The Salvation Army, unprogrammed church, unrehearsed, vision, visions from God, We've always done it that way", Western religion, Western society, Western world, What is church?, what to do in Nashville, worship, worship center, worship gathering | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Early Puritans Practiced Participatory Church

Posted on August 24, 2013 by Steve Simms

Reading a book this morning that I “randomly” found at McKay Books Nashville, I discovered that the early Puritans believed in participatory church. How exciting! “In the conduct of worship the Separatists (early Puritans) stressed spontaneity. Following the regular sermon, … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, British history, Christianity, church history, Edmund S. Morgan, English, English history, history, liturgies, McKay Books, Nashville, Nashville church, participatory church, prayer, prayers, praying, prophesying, Puritan ideas, quotation, quote, Quotes, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, sermon, sermon-hearing, sermons, speech making, speeches, Tennessee, The Salvation Army, Visible Saints | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

The Salvation Army, Bill Hybles, Evangelism, & Berry Street

Posted on August 14, 2013 by Steve Simms

You can see the action of the wind in the leaves of the trees.  You can see the action of the living, resurrected Jesus Christ, when believers gather in His name and ordinary people show and tell what He has … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, books, Colorado Springs, Glen Eyrie, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Nashville, Nashville charity, Nashville church, Navigators, NSE, organic church, outreach, outreach ministry, prompted by the Spirit, prompting of the Spirit, Salvation Army, Say Something, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, Spirit-prompted, Tell Them. Win Them. Establish Them., Walk Across The Room | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments

Frustrated With Preaching? Try Sermon-Free Church

Posted on July 23, 2013 by Steve Simms

I (the sermon-free church guy) love to preach. I miss preaching. I preached regularly on Sunday mornings for about 10 years. However, I got frustrated with preaching because I was growing spiritually, but I didn’t see much spiritual growth in … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative church, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, church format, church leadership, church meetings, church services, faith, faith-based, God's power, non-traditional church, organic church, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Spirit-led, Spirit-prompted, spiritual, spiritual formation, spirituality, the power of God, witness | Tagged , , , , | 13 Comments

Popular Rap Artist, Viktory, to do Nashville Outdoor Concert

Posted on July 8, 2013 by Steve Simms

Popular rapper, Viktory, will do an outdoor concert in Nashville, Tennessee, on July 20, 2013, from 5:00 pm. to 7:00 pm.  And it’s free! To be held on the grounds of The Salvation Army Berry Street, 225 Berry St., Nashville, … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, entertainment, music, Music City, Nashville adventure, Nashville charity, Nashville church, Nashville entertainment, Nashville events, Nashville news, Nashville projects, Nashville streets, Nashville tourist attractions, needy neighborhood, news, outdoor, party, partying, rap, rapper, rapping, real men, Tennessee, The Salvation Army | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Church of the Nazarene Leader Proclaimed Participatory Church

Posted on May 27, 2013 by Steve Simms

Early leader of the Church of the Nazarene, P.F. Bresee, proclaimed participatory church: “‘Pump handle’ religion has to give place to the ever-ready springing up and sending forth of testimony and praise. How often the ‘pump handle’ has to be … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, audience, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, church fathers, church format, church history, church leader, church leadership, church meetings, church program, church roles, church services, church structure, fire, fire of the Holy Spirit, history, Holy Ghost, Nashville, Nashville charity, Nashville church, participatory church, performance, preacher, preaching, preaching the Word, religion, religious innovation, renewal, revival, sermon, sermon-free, sermon-hearing, sermons, spirit, Spirit's flow, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual formation, spiritual innovation, spirituality, symphony, The Salvation Army | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments