Category Archives: Nashville church

Get The Scoop On Nashville Street Talk

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Steve Simms

Berry Street Talk Is Full Of The Spirit! * Open participation / Not one-man sermons. * Heart-felt words / Not theological jargon. * Spontaneous sharing / Not scripted speeches. * Loving concern / Not detached instructions. * Spirit-prompted / Not … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative church, alternative to preaching, Nashville adventure, Nashville charity, Nashville church, Nashville events, Nashville streets, non-church, non-traditional church, organic church, simple church | Tagged , , , , | 4 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

Salvation Army Flag Prayer Walk Report — Nashville’s McFerrin Park Neighborhood

Posted on February 20, 2014 by Steve Simms

* A Morning Flag-Prayer-Walk In East Nashville’s Mcferrin Park Neighborhood Today! * I left The Salvation Army Berry Street Worship Center walking on Meridian Street and a guy named, Crump (a 60-something man holding a jar 1/2 full of beer), … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Cleveland Street, fire station, firemen, McFerrin Park, Meridian Street, Nashville adventure, Nashville charity, Nashville church, outreach, outreach ministry, prayer without ceasing, prayers, praying, praying in the Spirit, religion, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, spiritual warfare, The Salvation Flag, witness, witnesses | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

New Page Church = Purch/Participatory Church

Posted on February 4, 2014 by Steve Simms

Perhaps it is time for the 21st Century Western church to turn the page and flip through the Bible, stopping at the one place in the New Testament where we are told how to do church:  “When you come together, … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Chinua Achebe, cleansing the temple, David James Duncan, Hillary Clinton, It takes a village, kingdom of God, narrow is the way, Nashville, Nashville church, New Testament, participatory church, participatory culture, simple church, The Salvation Army, the way we do church, the Western church, Things Fall Apart | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

A Non-Charismatic Seminary Professor Speaks Out For Participatory Church

Posted on February 4, 2014 by Steve Simms

Charles H. Kraft, professor of anthropology and intercultural communication at Fuller Theological Seminary, in Pasadena, California speaks out for participatory church.  In in his book, Christianity With Power:  Your Worldview and Your Experience of the Supernatural, although he says that … Continue reading →

Posted in anthropology, California, Calvin, charismatic, Charles H. Kraft, Christianity with Power, Holy Spirit, intercultural communication, interpretation, Luther, Nashville, Nashville church, Nashville tourist attractions, non-charismatic, Pasadena, quotation, Quotations, quote, reformer, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, sermon, speaking in tongues, Spirit's flow, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, Tennessee, the Reformers, worldview | Tagged , , , , , | 2 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

Can A Church Meeting Be Full Of Awe?

Posted on February 1, 2014 by Steve Simms

In the Bible, early church meetings are described with these words: “everyone was filled with awe.” Awe is an overwhelming feeling of amazement, wonder, and respect. When was the last time you felt awe in a church service?  So how … Continue reading →

Posted in awe, awe inspiring, awesome, Christ's presence, flow, flow of the Spirit, flowing of the Holy Spirit, Matthew 18:20, Music City, Nashville, Nashville adventure, Nashville charity, Nashville church, Nashville tourist attractions, open church, open forum, open mic, open sharing, order of worship, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Tennessee, there am I in the midst of them, where two or three in My name | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

America — is it working?

Posted on January 23, 2014 by Steve Simms

America, how’s it working? Our American culture trains us to flow unrestrained with our feelings, our sensuality, and our desires. This training, however, releases hateful and evil behavior. For example, last night NBC News reported that 20% of American college … Continue reading →

Posted in American, American church, American values, Bible, Christ in you, Christ in you the hope of glory, culture, culture wars, joy, joy unspeakable, Music City, Nashville, Nashville adventure, Nashville church, recreational drugs, The Salvation Army | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

It’s Time For Interactive Church Services!

Posted on January 11, 2014 by Steve Simms

People living in our 21st Century culture of constant interactive media, need more than a passive, authoritarian, spectator church service.  Maybe they need engagement and participation!  Perhaps a church service needs to be more than a Sunday morning love lecture.  … Continue reading →

Posted in interactivity, love lecture, Nashville, Nashville church, non-church, non-church movement, non-liturgical, non-traditional church, open church, open forum, open mic, open mike, participation, participation in church, participatory church, participatory culture, participatory sermons, sermon, sermon-free, simple church, The Salvation Army | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

PC is awesome!

Posted on January 9, 2014 by Steve Simms

PC (Participatory Church) is awesome! PC (Participatory Church) allows the living, resurrected Jesus Christ to actively fulfill His role as Head of the Church — not just be a figurehead. PC (Participatory Church) fulfills the words of Jesus:  “For where … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, Bible quotes, Nashville, Nashville adventure, Nashville church, Nashville tourist attractions, participation in church, participatory church, political correctness, religion, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, simple church, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, Spirit-prompted | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments