Category Archives: house church

Let’s go BC — beyond church

Posted on December 28, 2015 by Steve Simms

Johnny Hart, creator of the comic strip, BC, defined prayer as “allowing God to have His will in your life on His terms.” That’s also a great definition of going “BC–beyond church.” Church meetings are set up by the will and … Continue reading →

Posted in Beyond Church, Bible, comic strip, ekklesia, house church, I did it His way, organic church, prayer, simple church, Uncategorized, Wizard of Id | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

An experience while in ekklesia

Posted on December 21, 2015 by Steve Simms

Yesterday while meeting in ekklesia at The Salvation Army Berry Street, I kept feeling my phone vibrating in my pocket. I would then put my hand on the phone, but it wasn’t vibrating. This happened over and over. Finally words … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14, birth of Christ, birth of Jesus, Christmas, dropped calls, gifts of the Spirit, house church, Matthew 10:19, open church, organic church, organic church in institutional church, oxymorons, prophetic, prophetic insight, simple church, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Freedom’s Ekklesia Song

Posted on November 29, 2015 by Steve Simms

Ekklesia — When we see a Gathering be a Body led by Christ; The living Jesus Christ. Ekklesia — A galleria Of God’s gifts flowing Through ordinary People like you and me. Christ will lead ya. He will build His … Continue reading →

Posted in house church, I will build my church, Matthew 16, organic church, participatory church, simple church, the gates of hell will not prevail, Uncategorized, When you come together, worship | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Getting in tune with the Spirit is like learning to balloon

Posted on November 19, 2015 by Steve Simms

Getting in Tune With the Spirit is Like Learning to Balloon A group can’t learn ballooning By listening to a lecture on hot air. They need to be untethered And go careening in the clouds, Controlled by the currents of … Continue reading →

Posted in church, ekklesia, gifts of the Spirit, Holy Spirit, house church, simple church, Spirit-led church, spiritual gifts, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Ekklesia plugs into the Scriptures and the Spirit’s current.

Posted on August 20, 2015 by Steve Simms

Welcome to ekklesia where: * You “behold the Lamb of God” working in and through ordinary people, (John 1:29); * “Christ in you” (everyday people) is “the hope of glory,” (Colossians 1:27); * Jesus’ sheep hear His voice in and … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible quotations, Bible quotes, Bible verses, biblical Christianity, Biblical principles, house church, Music City, Nashville, Nashville church, Nashville churches, Nashville tourism, Nashville tourist attractions, Salvation Army, Salvation Army Nashville, simple church | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

30/11 (About 30 minutes in a secular used bookstore = 11 books about participatory church)

Posted on September 8, 2014 by Steve Simms

In September 2014, my wife and I stopped by The Book Cellar  in Crossville, Tennessee on our way to Gatlinburg.  Were were there about 30 minutes and I left with a stack of books. To my surprise, 11 of the … Continue reading →

Posted in bookstore, cell groups, Crossville, Darrell W. Robinson, Eddie Gibbs, Garrison Keillor, Gatlnburg, George Barna, Harold R. Eberle, house church, Jim Smoke, Joel Balin, Jr., Laney L. Johnson, living stones, Martin Luther King, Michael Gleason, new wineskins, order of worship, organic church, participatory church, quotation, Quotations, quote, Richard Halverson, Robert & Julia Banks, simple church, Tennessee, worship, worship leader, worship styles | 6 Comments

Democracy, Ekklesia, & Church (It’s Greek to most of us.)

Posted on August 29, 2014 by Steve Simms

An ekklesia was the governing body of an ancient Greek city-state and the world’s first expression of democracy.   It was made up of all of the adult, male citizens in a particular city-state and met 40 times per year to … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, ancient Greece, ancient Greek wisdom, assembly, church history, church meetings, early Christians, early church, first church, fresh expressions, Greek, Greek city state, Greek New Testament, Greek philosophy, Greek word, house church, I will build my church, Matthew, Matthew 16, messy church, movement, Nashville, Nashville church, New Testament, New Testament quote, one anothers, organic church, Roman Empire, Rome, Salvation Army, simple church | Tagged , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Should Church Meetings Be Choreographed?

Posted on June 2, 2014 by Steve Simms

We think of surrendering to the Holy Spirit as an individual thing, but perhaps it is also something that we need to do when we meet together as a church. Perhaps we need to yield our program and our agenda … Continue reading →

Posted in church leader, church leadership, church program, church programs, church roles, house church, how to do church, how to get involved in church, open church, order of worship, organic church, scholarship, simple church, worship, worship gathering, worship innovation, worship service, worship styles | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

The Right Way To Have Church

Posted on May 28, 2014 by Steve Simms

Is there only one, correct way of doing church?  Sometimes it seems so. For five hundred years there has basically been only one, right way of doing church. Regardless of denomination or doctrine, church has almost universally contained a central, … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, 1 Corinthians:14, Bible, biblical, Biblical concept, church history, communion, denominations, doctrine, doctrines, Fresh Expressions movement, homiletics, homily, house church, Lord's supper, Martyn Atkins, Methodism, Methodist church, open church, organic church, participation in church, participatory church, preacher, preaching, preaching the Word, Protestant, pulpit, pulpit ministry, sacrament, sacraments, sermon-hearing, sermons, the right way to do church, UK, ways of doing church, worship, worship gathering, worship service | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Did modern innovations in churches create worship wars?

Posted on May 23, 2014 by Steve Simms

Church innovation has become widespread & refreshing! Guess what is my favorite church innovation. Over the past generation or two, the way of having church in our society has changed a lot as we have seen new ideas creatively introduced … Continue reading →

Posted in Bob Rognlien, changes in worship, church meetings, church program, church seating, church services, church speakers, competition, conflict, contemporary Christian music, contemporary church, contemporary society, controversy, debate, definition, experiential worship, house church, how to do church, hymn, hymns, innovation, lip syncing, open church, open sharing, organic church, participatory church, participatory culture, participatory sermons, pew, Power Point, powerpoint, quotation, Quotations, quote, raising hands, simple church, worship, worship dancing, worship drama, worship gathering, worship innovation, worship leader, YouTube | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment