Category Archives: clergy/laity

Søren Kierkegaard Promoted Sermon-Free, Participatory Church

Posted on March 30, 2014 by Steve Simms

Søren Kierkegaard Promoted Sermon-Free, Participatory Church “Christianity should not be lectured about. Christ says, my teaching is food. Christ has not appointed assistant-professors — but followers.” –Søren Kierkegaard “The greatest possible error arises when we reduce the clergy to teachers. … Continue reading →

Posted in acting, Christian community, church format, church meetings, church programs, church services, clergy, clergy/laity, clericalism, doctrine, dogma, eloquence, lecture, life, lifestyle Christianity, non-traditional church, nonconforming, obedience, open church, oratory, order of worship, organic church, participation in church, participatory church, preach without words, preacher, preaching, professors, quotation, quote, Quotes, reasoning, religion, religious academics, religious tradition, Søren Kierkegaard, sermon, sermon-free, sermon-hearing, sermons, simple church, teaching, witnesses | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

March Madness Style Excitement In Church

Posted on March 7, 2014 by Steve Simms

March Madness boring?   If basketball officials acted like pastors; personally planned and programmed each play, prompted those present when to stand and when to sit, and then presented a 30 minute talk; March Madness would be boring. I’m glad that … Continue reading →

Posted in basketball officials, basketball players, basketball plyaers, boredom, church format, church leadership, church services, clergy, clergy/laity, coaches, Jesus, Jesus Christ, ministers, Nashville, Nashville church, officials, officiating, organic church, pastor, preacher, priest, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, simple church, worship, worship service | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Unicycle Church or 18 Wheeler Church

Posted on March 4, 2014 by Steve Simms

Which is the most effective way to transport the Gospel to our 21st Century, participatory culture? * Clergy — Let one man do it all, like a unicycle?  (Unicycle church.) Or * Priesthood of the Believer — Let everybody participate … Continue reading →

Posted in church meetings, church program, church services, church speakers, clergy, clergy/laity, clericalism, laity, Music City, Nashville adventure, Nashville church, Nashville tourist attractions, oratory, order of worship, organic church, participants, participation, participation in church, participatory church, participatory culture, pastor, priest, priesthood, priesthood of the believer, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, simple church, truck | Tagged , , , , , | 3 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

Quotes From ABC’s Nashville TV Series (That Illustrate The Bible “One Anothers”)

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Steve Simms

Come, See God’s Amazing One-Anothers In Action! To stay consistently fired-up for Christ, you need to regularly be around a group of fired-up believers meeting in an environment where they are free to obey the New Testament “one anothers:” “encourage … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative church, alternative lifestyle, alternative to preaching, clergy, clergy/laity, clericalism, house church, Nashville adventure, Nashville charity, Nashville church, Nashville entertainment, Nashville news, Nashville show, Nashville times, one another, one anothering, one anothers, organic church, participatory church, participatory culture, quotation, Quotations, quote, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, simple church, Tennessee | Tagged , , , , | 13 Comments

Jesus Is Alive & Active in the 21st Century — Church Can Catch Him Like A Sail Catching The Wind

Posted on February 24, 2014 by Steve Simms

When the leaves and small limbs of a tree are all leaning in the same direction, you know that something invisible is going on — the wind is blowing the tree.  That’s what happens at The Salvation Army Berry Street.  … Continue reading →

Posted in clergy, clergy/laity, clericalism, how to do church, How to raise a sail, meeting in His name, ordaination, order of worship, organic church, relational church, release of the Spirit, relevation, religion, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Scriptures, simple church, Spirit-led, spiritual church, ways of doing church, why go to church, worship, worship gathering | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Your Church Has Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, & Teachers

Posted on December 2, 2013 by Steve Simms

Every church is full of gifts that God has given — apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers (see Eph. 4:11). There is not just one pastor in a church and none of the other gifts.  There are many of these … Continue reading →

Posted in church leader, church leadership, church meetings, church services, clergy/laity, Ephesians 4:11, evangelism, finding your gift, gifts, gifts to the church, giving, living out your faith, ministry, Nashville, Nashville adventure, Nashville church, Nashville tourist attractions, organic church, participation, Salvation Army, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationism, Salvationists, sent ones, simple church, spiritual gifts, you can all prophesy | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Making Peace — Words To Wake Up The 21st Century Church

Posted on November 3, 2013 by Steve Simms

I was given a book, Making Peace, (published by Moody Publishers) by my leaders in The Salvation Army.  Once I started reading the book, I couldn’t put it down and read through it at one time. The book is bold, … Continue reading →

Posted in church format, church leader, church leadership, church meetings, church program, church programs, church services, clergy/laity, Jim Van Yperen, Mood Press, Moody Press, Moody Publishers, order of worship, organic church, priesthood of the believer, quotation, quote, Quotes, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

God’s Spiritual Sprinkler Systems

Posted on July 13, 2013 by Steve Simms

According to the New Testament, God wants church services to be spiritual sprinkler systems where the Holy Spirit freely flows from everyone present. (See 1 Corinthians 14:26.)  This is God’s powerful “prophetic activation” (a phrase made popular by Sandy Powell … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, 1 Corinthians:14, Christlike, church history, clergy, clergy/laity, God, Jesus Christ, laity, layman, laymen, laywomen, Martin Luther, Music City, organic church, prophesy, prophesying, quotation, Quotations, quote, reformation, reformer, round robin, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, sprinkler system, Tennessee, The Salvation Army, TN, unbeliever, worship, worship gathering, worship leader | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Every Christ-follower is clergy & is called to be God’s minister/witness, regardless of his/her job.

Posted on July 12, 2013 by Steve Simms
Posted in Christian, Christian community, church, church leadership, clergy/laity, participatory church, pastor, preacher, preaching, preaching the Word, simple church | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment