Category Archives: improvisation

Church is Like Breathing (& Other Free Flowing Ideas)

Posted on March 27, 2014 by Steve Simms

A church meeting is like breathing: 1) Someone can program and control it; or 2) People can let go and let it flow. What would happen if a group of believers would begin to gather, not merely to sing and … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative church, alternative lifestyle, American church, American values, church programs, experiencing God, experiential worship, experimental church, faith, faith in God, faith-based, flow, flow of the Spirit, flowing of the Holy Spirit, freedom, God, God's presence, improv, improvisation, innovation, inspiration, led by the Spirit, non-church, non-traditional church, open church, open forum, open mic, open mike, open sharing, simple church | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Talk Church Is Better Than Talk Radio

Posted on May 18, 2013 by Steve Simms

Talk church is better than talk radio.  Its talking points are about the living, resurrected Jesus Christ. Sit-back-and-listen-church makes people passive.  Open line, talk church makes people powerful in God as they show and tell what God has done on … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, church format, church history, church meetings, church program, church programs, church roles, church services, church structure, faith, faith in God, faith-based, great awakening, hearing God, hearing Jesus, hearing the Holy Spirit, improv, improvisation, Jesus Christ, John Miley, led by the Spirit, listening, Methodism, Methodist class meeting, Nashville adventure, Nashville church, Nashville tourist attractions, non-church, open church, participants, participators, participatory church, power, powerful, quote, Quotes, religious innovation, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, Spirit-prompted, spiritual church, spiritual flow, spiritual formation, spiritual innovation, spirituality, The Salvation Army | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Two Questions About Human Leadership Vs. The Spirit’s Leadership In Church

Posted on January 26, 2013 by Steve Simms

Here are two questions about church leadership for pastors and so-called laymen: Question #1: Who is the most capable church leader in the world? Answer: The living, resurrected Jesus Christ present in our midst when we gather in His name. … Continue reading →

Posted in Christ followers, Christian, Christian community, Christian organizations, church, church history, church meetings, church program, church programs, church roles, comfort, comfort zone, congregational, deciision making, decision-making, earn his keep, East Nashville, God's government, guidance, homes, house church, human leadership, improv, improvisation, laymen, Laymen's prayer revival, Music City, Nashville, non-church, non-church movement, non-traditional church, order of worship, participatory church, pastor, religious ceremonies, religious innovation, religious tradition, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, spiritual leaders, The Salvation Army | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 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

Optimize Your Faith With Participatory Church

Posted on December 8, 2012 by Steve Simms

Faith can be enhanced or it can be diminished.  It is the responsibility of each individual to cultivate, nourish, and grow her/his faith or to allow it to wither away and possibly die.  Jesus illustrated this principle in the Parable … Continue reading →

Posted in AA, Alcoholics Anonymous, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, Christ, Christ followers, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian organizations, Christian values, church, church meetings, church program, church programs, church roles, church services, church structure, corps, encouragement, faith, faith-based, followers of Christ, freedom, honesty, Houston, improv, improvisation, insight, kingdom of God, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, mysticism, Nashville, New Testament, organic church, participatory church, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, simple church, spiritual athletes, spiritual awakening, spiritual disciplines, spiritual growth, spiritual interaction, spiritual training, spiritual warfare, testimonies, testimony | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

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

Imagine If Church Had More And Less

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Steve Simms

What if would happen if church had . . . More of the Spiritual Guide speaking inside of everybody present and less of the one man sage on the stage?  (1 John 2:27) More prayer, less pride?  (2 Chronicles 7:14) … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, 1 John 1:9, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, brokenness, Christian, Christian community, Christian organizations, Christian values, Chronicles, church meetings, church programs, church roles, church structure, confession of sin, East Nashville, gift of God, gifts of the Spirit, God's authority, God's government, Holy Spirit, house church, I Corinthians 14:26, improv, improvisation, inward change, Isaiah, John, keeping it together, lifestyle Christianity, Matthew, moral failures, Music City, non-church, non-traditional church, participatory church, prayer, pride, religion, religious ceremonies, repentance, sage on the stage, self-focus, simple church, societal, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual interaction, Tennessee, The Salvation Army | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Better (More Biblical) Way To Have Church?

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Steve Simms

Should church teach people: 1) To quietly sit and listen and mentally learn a lesson? (The traditional way of doing church.) Or 2) To actively participate and take possession of Christ-like attitudes and actions?  (The only way of doing church … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, biblical, Biblical concept, Christ followers, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, Christian organizations, Christian values, church meetings, church program, church roles, church structure, disciple making, do church, faith, faith-based, house church, hymn, I Corinthians 14:26, improv, improvisation, interpretation, Music City, open church, participatory church, speaking in tongues, tongue | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Let Jesus Run The Sunday Church Service

Posted on October 6, 2012 by Steve Simms

Come to Berry Street and see The Holy Spirit set free, No program, no plan led by man; Why should we run things when God can? We gather as “two or more” Then let Jesus have the floor; And He … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street Worship Center, Christ, Christ followers, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, Christian organizations, Christian values, church, church meetings, church programs, church roles, church structure, corps, denominations, disciple making, disciples, East Nashville, followers of Christ, freedom, gifts of the Spirit, guidance, hearing God, hearing Jesus, Heaven's door, Holy Spirit, house church, improv, improvisation, Jesus, Jesus Christ, move of God, movement, Music City, non-church, non-traditional church, participatory church, relevation, religion, revival, revolution, salvation, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, simple church, soldiers, Spirit-led, spiritual awakening, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual warfare, surrender, surrender to God, testimonies, testimony, two or more, voice of God | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments