Category Archives: organic church

Religion/Grace/Church Without Laymen

Posted on September 29, 2014 by Steve Simms

Religion asks: “What’s the least I can do and still go to Heaven?” —Recipients of grace ask: “What’s the most I can do to love, honor, serve, and obey the One who died on the Cross to save me from … Continue reading →

Posted in clergy, clergy/laity, clericalism, cross, equality, going to Heaven, grace, grace card, grace definition, grace of God, inequality, lay speakers, lay testimonies, layman, laymen, laywomen, open church, open forum, open mic, organic church, royal priesthood, simple church, sin, Spirit prompting | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Did Catherine Booth encourage Quaker-style meetings?

Posted on September 27, 2014 by Steve Simms

For almost 7 years, we at The Salvation Army Berry Street Worship Center in Nashville, TN have (instead of a 1-man sermon) been having participatory, Quaker-style, Sunday morning worship meetings where everyday people show and tell what God has done. … Continue reading →

Posted in aggressive Christianity, Friends meeting, Friends' worship, Nashville, Nashville church, Nashville streets, organic church, participation in church, participatory church, Quaker light, Quaker worship, Quotations, quote, street talk | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Is a 1-Man Sermon Like A Centipede With Only One Functioning Leg?

Posted on September 21, 2014 by Steve Simms

A church where 1 man does all the talking is like a centipede where only one leg does all the walking.  (See 1 Corinthians 14:26)

Posted in alternative church, alternative to preaching, alternatives to sermons, church meetings, clergy, clergy/laity, clericalism, message, message in church, multi-voiced church, open church, open forum, open mic, organic church, participatory church, participatory sermons, preaching styles, pulpit, pulpit ministry | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Man Up! (Participatory/Organic Church Reaches Men!)

Posted on September 19, 2014 by Steve Simms

“The typical U.S. Congregation draws an adult crowd that’s 61% female, 39% male. This gender gap shows up in all age categories.” –Churchformen.com.  Why does church in the U.S. not reach more men? “Men are hard-wired for risk taking—particularly young … Continue reading →

Posted in attracting men, BNA, churchformen, David Murrow, fresh expressions, marketing to men, men in chuch, men in church, messy church, Music City, Nashville, Nashville adventure, Nashville charity, Nashville church, organic church, participation, participatory church, quotation, Quotations, quote, reaching men, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, simple church | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Preaching In My Dreams–Boy, I Miss It! (A Nashville Story)

Posted on September 18, 2014 by Steve Simms

I miss preaching . . . I woke up this morning dreaming that I was preaching. Although I haven’t preached a “traditional” sermon in several years, I really miss it. When I preach, I feel the Holy Spirit surging through … Continue reading →

Posted in BNA, Christian conferences, fresh expressions, Fresh Expressions movement, messy church, Music City, Nashville adventure, Nashville charity, open forum, open mic, open sharing, order of worship, organic church, participatory church, religion, renewal, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvation Army Nashville, simple church | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Spirit-Led Church–Where Ordinary People Are The Playmakers

Posted on September 14, 2014 by Steve Simms

Go with the best flows! –Life’s a flow show — currents streaming in us and around us — rivers flow, sap flows, blood flows, thoughts flow, emotions flow, time flows, information flows. But not all flows are equal — love … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, fans, organic church, participatory church, playmaker, questions, rivers of living water, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvation Army Nashville, Salvation Army officer, simple church, spectators, Spirit directed, Spirit-led, Spirit-led church, spiritual flow, sports fans | Tagged , , , , , | 17 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

Holy Ghost (the movie) — Live it out in church meetings!

Posted on September 7, 2014 by Steve Simms

“Can the Holy Spirit direct a movie? In this fast-paced documentary, Darren Wilson sets out to make a movie that is completely led by the Holy Spirit. No plan, no script, no safety net–just go wherever he feels the Spirit … Continue reading →

Posted in christian movies, church, led by the Spirit, movie, movie review, organic church, participatory church, religious movies, simple church, Spirit directed, Spirit's flow, Spirit-led, Spirit-led church, Spirit-prompted, spiritual adventure, spiritual fire, spirituality, Wanderlust, world primer | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Let’s Get Ecclesiological And Set The World On Fire For God!

Posted on September 5, 2014 by Steve Simms

Let’s get ecclesiological — not just with talk but with how we walk out being the church! Some people think that I think too much about church, but hey, I’m an ecclesiologist and we’re really into ecclesiology. (The word “ecclesiology” comes … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, church revitalization, church study, dead church walking, early church, ecclesiastical, ecclesiological, ecclesiologist, Greek, Greek language, Greek New Testament, Greek word, Harry Reeder, having a form of godliness, Matthew 18:20, Nashville church, New Testament, New Testament church, ology, organic church, participatory church, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, simple church | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Hart Street Worship @ Trevecca University (Thursday Night Testimony Time)

Posted on September 3, 2014 by Steve Simms

Hart Street Annex at Trevecca Nazarene University has become the site of a contemporary, creative weekly campus worship meeting for students and others.  The meetings are based on open sharing and participation and are held every Thursday night at 7:00 … Continue reading →

Posted in ball fields, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, campus fellowship, Christian colleges, Christian spirituality, Christianity, college experiences, college students, college testimonies, contemporary Christian music, contemporary worship, Do as I have done, fellowship, Jesus statue, Jesus washing feet, map, Millennials, music, Music City, Nashville events, organic church, pictures of Trevecca, praise and worship, Salvation Army, sports, sports fields, statue, students, the heart of worship, Trevecca, Trevecca campus, Trevecca events, Trevecca map, university, youth ministry | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments