Category Archives: church meetings

God’s voice is heard in humble, human hearts.

Posted on June 26, 2013 by Steve Simms

God’s voice is not heard through hype, hoopla, or hierarchy; it is heard in humble, human hearts.  In the Bible, church is not a preplanned program, but God’s powerful presence being poured out on people! (See Acts 2).  When believers … Continue reading →

Posted in church format, church leader, church meetings, church program, church programs, church roles, God, God calling, God's voice, hearing Jesus, hearing the Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit, Music City, Nashville, Nashville adventure, Nashville church, Salvation Army church, sermon, sermon-free, sermon-hearing, Tennessee, The Salvation Army, The Voice, tradition, voice of God | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Church Piano or Piano Church?

Posted on June 24, 2013 by Steve Simms

Church is like a piano.  Here is a piano lesson for the church. A piano has 88 keys, 52 white & 36 black. But what if 87 keys are stuck and only one key is free to make a sound? … Continue reading →

Posted in black keys, church format, church leader, church leadership, church meetings, church programs, church roles, church services, church structure, Holy Spirit, How many keys on a piano?, keys, music, Music City, Nashville adventure, Nashville church, Nashville events, non-church, non-traditional church, piano keys, piano lessons, religion, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, The Salvation Army, tickle the ivories, white keys | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Is Christ Preempted In Church Services?

Posted on June 21, 2013 by Steve Simms

Is Christ preempted in church services? What would you think if you went to a meeting to hear a special speaker and the person who was supposed to introduce the speaker stood up and spoke for 30 minutes and then … Continue reading →

Posted in Christ, church format, church leader, church meetings, church program, church programs, church services, preempted, role of Christ in church, sermon, sermon-hearing, sermons, special speaker, speech making, Team Church | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Normal Christian Fire = Church Ablaze

Posted on June 19, 2013 by Steve Simms

Faith is God’s fire roaring in your heart; not religious ideas resting in the back of your brain. The normal condition of a Christ-follower is to have a heart constantly ablaze with love for God. When normal believers, full of … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, church fire, church meetings, church program, church programs, church services, faith, faith in God, faith-based, filled with the Spirit, fire, fire of the Holy Spirit, let the redeemed of the Lord say so, organic church, Quench not the Spirit, quench the Spirit, Tennessee | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Lights of the Round Table / Spirit-Prompted Church Meetings

Posted on June 17, 2013 by Steve Simms

King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table reveal a biblical way of holding church meetings. 1)  The knights set at a round table so that no one, not even the king, could be at the head of the table and … Continue reading →

Posted in Camelot, Christ, church format, church leadership, church meetings, church roles, church services, church structure, Code of Chivalry, equality, Head, Head of the church, hiearchy, Jesus, Jesus Christ, King Arthur, knighthood, knights, Matthew 20, moral, moral foundations, moral judgment, moral laws, moral leaders, moral principles, moral reformer, moral restraints, morality, organic church, Round Table, simple church, values | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Could Church Services Be Like A Handbell Choir?

Posted on June 14, 2013 by Steve Simms

Have you ever seen a group of people play a tune with handbells? Each person holds two bells and all the bells play different notes. As a director leads them, each person plays one of his bells at the proper … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian community, Christianity, church leader, church leadership, church meetings, church program, church programs, church services, encountering God, experiencing God, participants, participators, participatory church, religious innovation, spiritual transformation | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Real Church = The Real God, Real Power, His Real Presence Through Real People

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Steve Simms

Do we go to church to be taught a religious lesson . . . or to encounter and surrender to God’s presence?  A listening mind can learn lessons about God; but it takes a hungry heart to head wholeheartedly into … Continue reading →

Posted in Acts, Apostle Paul, Christianity, church format, church meetings, church programs, church services, first time visitor, glory, glory of God, holiness, Isaiah, lecture, listening, O taste and see that the Lord is good, organic church, organization, presence of Christ, presence of God, psalm, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, tears, The Salvation Army, why go to church | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

An Anglican & A Baptist Describe Participatory Church

Posted on May 28, 2013 by Steve Simms

Anglican priest, Robert Wild, describes participatory church: “God can speak to each person through the others and guide the entire assembly toward a common mind, toward consensus.” Baptist pastor, Ed Stetzer describes participatory church: “In all of our research on … Continue reading →

Posted in Anglican priest, church format, church leader, church meetings, church program, church programs, church roles, church services, clergy, clergy/laity, consensus, Ed Stetzer, laity, layman, laymen, ministry, missional, missionary, pastor, preacher, quote, Quotes, Robert Wild, simple church | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

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

Benjamin Franklin & Sermon Free Church

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Steve Simms

I think Benjamin Franklin would have loved sermon-free church because it gets people actively involved and transforms them from passive pew-sitters to spiritual go-getters! Ben said: “I wish it (Christianity) were more productive of good works. I mean real good … Continue reading →

Posted in American history, American Literature, Ben Franklin, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, church format, church meetings, church roles, church services, church structure, Doing the most good, good sermon, good works, history, involve me and I learn, memory, Nashville, organic church, pew, prayer, praying, preacher, preaching, quote, Quotes, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, sermon, sermon-free, sermon-hearing, sermons, simple church, teach me and I, Tennessee, The Salvation Army | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments