Category Archives: organic church

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

C.H.U.R.C.H — A Poetic Acrostic

Posted on October 29, 2013 by Steve Simms

A poetic acrostic defining church: C — Christ-followers H — Hanging out together U — Under the influence of the Spirit, R — Responding directly to His promptings, C — Celebrating the glory of H — His holy Presence! Check … Continue reading →

Posted in acrostic, C H U R C H, church format, church leadership, church meetings, church services, church structure, definition, Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit promptings, organic church, simple church, Spirit's flow, Spirit-led, Spirit-prompted | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

The Dangerous 21st Century Needs Spiritual Trailblazers

Posted on October 25, 2013 by Steve Simms

The way ahead in the 21st Century is no yellow brick road. It is a dangerous wilderness and we Christ-followers need to cast aside our comfort zone, come out of our church customs, and cut a new trail — following … Continue reading →

Posted in Adam S. McHugh, church, Gideon, John the Baptist, open church, order of worship, organic church, overseer, overseers, oversight, politics, politics and religion, quotation, quote, Quotes, Solomon, unpredictable, unprogrammed church | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Robert Kennedy’s “Ask Why? . . . Ask Why Not?” Applied To Church

Posted on October 10, 2013 by Steve Simms

I like to apply the idea from Bobby Kennedy’s “Ask why? . . . Ask why not?” quote to church.  Here goes: “There are those that look at church as a programmed religious service and ask why?  I dream of … Continue reading →

Posted in 1968, American history, Back to Methuselah, background, Bobby Kennedy, British history, dream, famous speech, history, I dream of things that never were, Irish history, Irish parliament, media, movie, organic church, President Kennedy, presidential campaign, quotation, quote, Quotes, senator, Shoeless Joe, speech making, speeches, W.P. Kensella | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Wanted: Pioneers To Blaze A Spiritual Trail

Posted on October 8, 2013 by Steve Simms

Pioneers Wanted To Blaze A Trail Into God’s Spiritual Frontier. . . * Hearing God’s voice and doing what He says; * Permitting believers to minister to one another; * Considering others better than yourself; * Allowing Christ, Himself, to … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative church, alternative to preaching, God's voice, hearing God, hearing Jesus, hearing the Holy Spirit, Nashville, Nashville adventure, Nashville church, Nashville news, Nashville projects, new frontier, new kind of church, New Testament, one another, one anothering, one anothers, organic church, prompted by the Spirit, prompting of the Spirit, promptings, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationism, Salvationists, selfish desires, Spirit-prompted, spiritual, spiritual adventure, spiritual church, spiritual disciplines, spiritual discovery, spiritual experience, spiritual innovation, spiritual interaction, spiritual leaders, spiritual prompting, spiritual training, spiritual transformation, spontaneity, The Salvation Army, wagon train, ways of doing church, worship, worship leader, you can all prophesy | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Church — In Sync or Spontaneous?

Posted on September 9, 2013 by Steve Simms

During praise and worship an image came to my mind. I saw a group of people, all neatly facing the front of the room, sitting at banquet tables with full plates in front of them. Then I saw a man … Continue reading →

Posted in 37207, banquet, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit promptings, in unison, living God, Nashville, Nashville charity, Nashville church, Nashville events, not being fed in church, organic church, praise, praise and worship, praising God, program, programmed, programmed from the front, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationism, Salvationists, spiritual food, spontaneity, The Salvation Army, unprogrammed church, unrehearsed, vision, visions from God, We've always done it that way", Western religion, Western society, Western world, What is church?, what to do in Nashville, worship, worship center, worship gathering | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Two 19th Century Women Promoted Participatory Church

Posted on September 7, 2013 by Steve Simms

These two 19th Century women promoted participatory church: Florence Booth of The Salvation Army said:  “The greatest care is needed that a sense of the value of testimony should be preserved throughout The Army. Salvationism is neither comforting nor complete … Continue reading →

Posted in 19th Century, church history, converts, Ellen G. White, Florence Booth, gifts of the Spirit, Holy Spirit, organic church, participatory church, Salvation Army, Salvation Army women, Salvationism, sermon, sermons, Seventh Day Adventists, testimonies, testimony | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

What The Church Can Learn From A Muppet Movie

Posted on September 6, 2013 by Steve Simms

One animated Muppet with all the other Muppets immobile and neatly placed in rows, would not make much of a Muppet movie. Instead, all the Muppets need to be animated and participating interactively with one another. No one Muppet dominates … Continue reading →

Posted in animated, animation, Berry Street, Bible, Bible concepts, church format, church leadership, church program, church programs, church roles, church services, church structure, faith, faith in God, faith-based, freedom, Nashville, Nashville church, open mic, open mike, organic church, participation, participatory church, puppets, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, soul, speaking, speaking out, spiritual formation, spirituality, The Salvation Army | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Multivoiced Church — A Spiritual Sprinkler System

Posted on August 15, 2013 by Steve Simms

Perhaps a church service is like a sprinkler system on a golf course in Arizona. If only one sprinkler works and all the rest are shut down, almost all the grass dries up and withers. However, if every sprinkler shares … Continue reading →

Posted in active participants, Arizona, Berry Street, Building a Multivoiced Church, Christian, Christian community, Christianity, church programs, church services, community, discipleship, golf, golf course, living water, multi-voiced church, Nashville, Nashville church, Nashville news, organic church, participants, participatory church, quotation, quote, Quotes, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, sermon, sermon-free, sermon-hearing, sermons, Sian Williams, simple church, sprinkler system, Tennessee, The Power of All, The Salvation Army, voices | Tagged , , , , , , | 16 Comments

The Salvation Army, Bill Hybles, Evangelism, & Berry Street

Posted on August 14, 2013 by Steve Simms

You can see the action of the wind in the leaves of the trees.  You can see the action of the living, resurrected Jesus Christ, when believers gather in His name and ordinary people show and tell what He has … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, books, Colorado Springs, Glen Eyrie, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Nashville, Nashville charity, Nashville church, Navigators, NSE, organic church, outreach, outreach ministry, prompted by the Spirit, prompting of the Spirit, Salvation Army, Say Something, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, Spirit-prompted, Tell Them. Win Them. Establish Them., Walk Across The Room | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments