Category Archives: Christian community

agendaless, sermon-free church meetings — really?

Posted on January 10, 2013 by Steve Simms

Agendaless, sermon-free church meetings Are happening in Nashville, Music City, Tennessee. Real people show and tell what God is doing in and through them . . .

Posted in agendaless church, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, Christianity, church meetings, church services, ekklesia, open church, organic church, sermon, sermon-free, sermons, simple church | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Church? Prevading Presence or Prearranged Program?

Posted on January 2, 2013 by Steve Simms

Church is the powerful and permeating Presence of the living, resurrected Jesus Christ; not just the mere presentation of a prearranged religious program. Church is a group of people actively engaging God; not a group passively listening to a talk … Continue reading →

Posted in Christ, Christian community, church meetings, church program, church roles, church services, church structure, conformed, contemporary, contemporary society, corrupt culture, countercultural, do church, Do not conform, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ, kingdom of God, kingdom values, lecture, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, meaning, non-church, non-church movement, non-traditional church, power, religious innovation, resurrection, sermon, sermons, Spirit-led, spiritual innovation, spiritual interaction, spiritual power, the way we do church, values | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Is America Violent & Alienated From God Like Jean Valjean In Les Misérables?

Posted on December 28, 2012 by Steve Simms

Les Misérables, the new movie musical staring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, and Amanda Seyfried, beautifully brings Victor Hugo’s 1862 French novel to life.  However, it made me wonder:  Is America violent and alienated from God like the main … Continue reading →

Posted in 20th Century, 21st Century, alternative lifestyle, Augustine, brainwashed, brainwashing, C.S. Lewis, Christ, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, Christian values, Christianity, conscience, conversion, convert, conviction, conviction of sin, cruel, devotion, discouragement, evangelism, faith, faith-based, faithfulness, fear, feelings, freedom, French novels, God, harmful thinking, hearing God, history, human nature, Jesus, Jesus Christ, John Wesley, life, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, meaning, message, misery, moral failure, moral principles, morality, morals, movie, movie review, movies, musicals, mysticism, new birth, obedience, persecution, popular culture, prayer, relevation, religion, repentance, salvation, search for significance, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual formation, spiritual healing, spiritual themes, spiritual transformation, values, Victor Hugo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

A Steve Jobs Of Religion? — Come On Church, Innovate!

Posted on December 18, 2012 by Steve Simms

An Eric Weiner quotation from the Op-Ed page of The New York Times, December, 2011: “We need a Steve Jobs of religion. Someone (or ones) who can invent not a new religion but, rather, a new way of being religious. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, Apple Computer, being religious, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, biblical, Biblical concept, Catherine Booth, Christ, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, Christian organizations, church, church meetings, church programs, church roles, church services, church structure, creativity, East Nashville, environment, freedom, Holy Spirit, humility, improv, improvisation, insight, interactive, intuitive, Mr. Job's, Music City, non-church, open church, operating system, organic church, participatory church, questions, Quotations, quote, Quotes, religious innovation, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, simple church, speak the truth in love, spiritual innovation, straight forward, support group, unencumbered, William Booth | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments

12/12/12 — 12 Out Of The Box Thoughts About Church

Posted on December 12, 2012 by Steve Simms

Here are 12 out-of-the-box thoughts about church on 12/12/12. 1)  Church is not God in a noose, but God on the loose! 2)  Church is not spectators sitting, but believers battling the forces of darkness! 3)  Church is not a … Continue reading →

Posted in agenda, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Christian community, church meetings, church program, church programs, creeds, denominations, do church, early church, followers of Christ, freedom, furnace, gifts of the Spirit, God on the loose, godly sorrow, guide, hype, ice maker, idealism, improv, improvisation, inner coach, lecture, message, miracles, moral failure, move of God, movement, non-church, people of God, power, powerhouse, preaching, Protestant, repent, repentance, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, seduction, sermon, sermons, service, shocking statements, sin, soul food, speaking out, spectators, Spirit-led, spiritual fire, spiritual training, spiritual transformation, spiritual warfare, still small voice, submission, supernatural, surrender, surrender to God, testimonies, testimony, The Salvation Army, theology, thoughts, tradition, two or more, Western religion | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Church is doing daring deeds; not contentment with comfortable creeds.

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Steve Simms

Church is Christ indwelling, not institutional selling — His holy Presence, not human hype. Church is not laid back religion; but dynamic interaction with the living God! Come and do daring deeds with us As we come together in Jesus’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Christ, Christian, Christian community, church, church meetings, church program, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, simple church, spiritual athletes, spiritual disciplines, spiritual skills | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Quantum Church Is A Leap Into Another Form Of Reality

Posted on December 6, 2012 by Steve Simms

Quantum church, like quantum mechanics, is a leap into another form of reality.  Quantum physics studies the subatomic world of infinitesimally small particles and waves. The subatomic, quantum world operates differently than the world of clearly defined matter that we … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, angels, belief system, Bible, Biblical concept, brokenness, Catherine Booth, Catholic mystics, Christian, Christian community, Christian values, church, church meetings, church program, church programs, church roles, church services, church structure, devotion, ekklesia, faith, faith-based, freedom, gifts of the Spirit, God experiment, God's authority, guidance, Holy Spirit, house church, improv, improvisation, inner peace, insight, inspiration, interactive, international movement, invisible, Jesus, Jesus Christ, joy, lifestyles, move of God, movement, Music City, Nashville, nature of God, non-church movement, non-material reality, non-traditional church, order of worship, particles, quantum mechanics, Quantum physics, Quotations, quote, Quotes, relational church, relevation, religion, religious ceremonies, religious tradition, repentance, revelation, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, self-denial, sharing, simple church, soul, soul food, spirit, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual interaction, spiritual warfare, spooky action, subatomic, submission, surrender, surrender to God, testimonies, testimony, The Salvation Army, The Voice, Uncategorized, voice of God | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Characteristics Of Compromised Christianity

Posted on December 5, 2012 by Steve Simms

Christianity is a challenging faith — a heavenly vision, a high calling — beckoning men and women to live life at a higher level than that of merely satisfying their cravings, compulsions, and self-interest. However, rising above our baser nature … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, Christ, Christ followers, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, church, church history, church program, church programs, compromise, conformed, convenience, convert, corrupt culture, criticism, culture, disciples, discipline, followers of Christ, idealism, immaturity, insight, instant oatmeal, institution, intimidation, Jesus, Jesus Christ, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, minute rice, mission field, missional, moral principles, moral restraints, morality, race, racism, reformation, regulations, religious ceremonies, religious relic, religious tradition, rules, service, spiritual warfare | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

How Did You Choose A Church?

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Steve Simms

People choose churches for many reasons — because of:  the building; the youth program; the pastor; their comfort level with the sermons; the friendliness of the people; the popularity (coolness) of the church; the size of the church; the influence … Continue reading →

Posted in Christ followers, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, Christian values, church meetings, church program, church services, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Can What You Know Prevent You From Learning?

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Steve Simms

Millions of Europeans knew that the world was flat.  They had no desire to sail off of the edge of the world.  So ships sailed close to shore and no one learned that there was a new world across the … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic Ocean, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Christian, Christian community, Christian organizations, Christian values, Christopher Columbus, church, church meetings, church program, church programs, church roles, church structure, Claude Bernard, Columbus, courage, creativity, decision-making, denominations, do church, Europeans, Ferdinand and Isabella, followers of Christ, guidance, history, inspiration, religious ceremonies, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, Spain, the Americas, voyage of discovery | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment