Category Archives: church programs

Beyond Leadership To Overseership

Posted on March 20, 2014 by Steve Simms

The Bible refers to overseers in the body of Christ but never calls them leaders. “An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach . . .” –1 Timothy … Continue reading →

Posted in basketball, basketball officials, bishops, Christ followers, Christianity, church format, church leader, church leadership, church meetings, church organizational chart, church overseers, church program, church programs, church roles, church structure, Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit flow, leading others, New Testament, organic church, overseers, oversight, prompting of the Spirit, Quench not the Spirit, quench the Spirit | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

Talking About Jesus Like He’s Not In The Room

Posted on March 8, 2014 by Steve Simms

This was inspired by Kim Walker with Jesus Culture lyrics to You Won’t Relent:  “I don’t want to talk about You like You’re not in the room.  I want to look right at You, I want to sing right to … Continue reading →

Posted in Alphonsus Liguori, Christ, Christ in you, Christ in you the hope of glory, Christ's presence, Christ-centered, Christian community, Church of Christ, church programs, church services, church structure, hearing God, hearing Jesus, historical Jesus, I don't want to talk about You like You're not in the room, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus is alive, Jesus rose, live and unrehearsed, live church, living words, lyrics, open church, open sharing, organic church, presence of Christ, presence of God, quotation, quote, Quotes, real presence, religious ceremonies, resurrection of Jesus, seek God's face, simple church, spiritual combat, spiritual flow, spiritual power, spiritual presence, spiritual reality, testifying, testimonies, testimonies in church, testimony, voice of God | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

1 Speaking to All? Or All Speaking To All?

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Steve Simms

Church is when a group of believers gathers together around the living, resurrected Jesus Christ and focuses their attention on listening to His voice and doing whatever He tells them to do. Church is when the living Christ, in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian community, church leadership, church programs, church services, church speakers, clergy/laity, community, hearing God, hearing Jesus, hearing the Holy Spirit, how to do church, laity, laymen, laywomen, participation, participation in church, participatory church, participatory sermons, praying community, preacher, preaching, preaching the Word, priesthood of the believer, sermons, simple church, speaking, speaking out, voice of God, What is church?, When you come together, where two or three in My name, why go to church, worship, worship service | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments

1 Speaker Church Is Like A 1 Channel TV . . .

Posted on March 2, 2014 by Steve Simms

If church has the same speaker every week, it is like a TV that only gets one channel. Maybe Christian ministry would be more effective at changing lives and transforming our culture if it flowed from one ordinary believer to … Continue reading →

Posted in Behold the Lamb of God, Christian ministry, church programs, church services, clergy, clericalism, house church, Jesus, Jesus Christ, multi-voiced church, non-church, one anothering, open church, open forum, open mic, open mike, open sharing, organic church, participation in church, participatory church, participatory culture, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, sermon, simple church, Spirit-led, takes away the sins of the world, Tennessee | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Church — A Bottled Water Plant? or A Mighty, Whitewater River

Posted on February 23, 2014 by Steve Simms

Church — A bottled water plant? or A mighty, whitewater river? Contemporary church is too often like a bottled water plant. People sit passively, like flimsy plastic bottles in a row, hoping to receive a single squirt of water from … Continue reading →

Posted in bottled water plant, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, Christianity, church format, church meetings, church program, church programs, church seating, church services, church structure, Holy Spirit, house church, How is water bottled?, institutional church, Nashville adventure, Nashville charity, Nashville church, Nashville news, participation in church, participatory church, participatory culture, plastic bottles, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, simple church, Spirit's flow, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, spiritual church, spontaneity, spontaneous church, whitewater river | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Organic Church — Spirit-Led Assembly Required!

Posted on February 21, 2014 by Steve Simms

Love is not taught by a sermon or a lesson.  Love is caught when hearts are in Spirit-led connection. Church — Spirit-led assembly required!  A church meeting should be a spiritual people-mover — connecting people to God and to one … Continue reading →

Posted in assembly, Christianity, Christianity with Power, church leadership, church meetings, church program, church programs, church services, God, led by the Spirit, organic church, participation in church, participatory church, participatory culture, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationism, simple church, Spirit-led | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Church — Getting Christ To Flow Out Of Ordinary Believers

Posted on February 16, 2014 by Steve Simms

If, as the New Testament says, Christ is living in believers, why don’t church services focus on how to get Christ to flow out of ordinary believers; rather than spending so much time and effort trying to get religious teachings … Continue reading →

Posted in Christ, church format, church meetings, church program, church programs, church services, how to do church, new kind of church, New Testament, order of worship, organic church, participatory church, role of Christ in church, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, ways of doing church | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

3 Categories of “Church” in the 21st Century

Posted on February 15, 2014 by Steve Simms

3 Categories of “Church” Services in the 21st Century1) “Church” services that deny God’s existance (“atheist church”);2) Church services that present programs & talks about God;3) Church services that depend on and actively demonstrate God’s real presence and power.#s 1 … Continue reading →

Posted in atheistic church, church format, church meetings, church program, church programs, church services, deny God, types of church | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Purpose of Church — Running Religious Programs or Connecting People With Christ?

Posted on February 14, 2014 by Steve Simms

The purpose of church is not to run religious programs.  The purpose of church is to help people connect with, follow, and daily obey the living, resurrected Jesus Christ. When people begin to listen to Jesus and do what He … Continue reading →

Posted in church format, church meetings, church program, church programs, church structure, organic church, prompting of the Spirit, promptings, purpose of church, simple church, Spirit-led interaction | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Church — A Flow Or A Show?

Posted on February 2, 2014 by Steve Simms

Is church more of a show or more of a flow?  Wind and rivers are symbols of the Holy Spirit. The wind blows, a river flows; but the church tends to show what it knows through programs and presentations rather … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, church format, church leadership, church program, church programs, church roles, church services, church structure, flo, flow, flow of the Spirit, flowing of the Holy Spirit, lecture, lecture series, led by the Spirit, life, Music City, Nashville, Nashville adventure, Nashville church, Nashville tourist attractions, Romans 8:14, simple church, Spirit-led, spiritual flow, spiritual life, spiritual worship, TN, tree of life, tree of the knowledge of good and evil | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments