Category Archives: participation in church

Emil Brunner Quotes about ekklesia

Posted on May 19, 2017 by Steve Simms

Ever since I encountered the risen Jesus in a Spirit-led meeting on a college campus, I’ve wanted to go beyond the formal way of doing church and meet the way Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 14:26. In 2008, The Salvation … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, books, church government, church leadership, church services, Dones, house church, organic chruch, participation in church, participatory church, simple church, Spirit-led, Spirit-led church, worship | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

There’s a whole lot of chexit going on!

Posted on November 4, 2016 by Steve Simms

For the past few decades, there has been a whole lot of Chexit going on in America and in other Western countries. Chexit is a word that I coined that was inspired by another coined word: Brexit. Brexit refers to … Continue reading →

Posted in Chex cereal, Christianity, congregational participation, facilitation, heart religion, house church, making church more participatory, Nashville, nones, not religion but relationship, organic church, participation in church, participation in meetings, relationship with God, religion, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, simple church, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Letting God Have The Liberty To Use All His Letters! (Free The Keys!)

Posted on December 31, 2014 by Steve Simms

Participatory church is effective because it allows God to use all the keys on the keyboard, not just one kkkkkkkkkkkey! Church members are like the letters of the alphabet — when they all participate together (as led by a wise, … Continue reading →

Posted in analogy for church, interactive church, keys, mutual ministry, organic church, participation in church, priesthood of the believer | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

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

The audience of One — (Who should be on the church platform?)

Posted on August 18, 2014 by Steve Simms

The audience of One!  Most churches have a platform or stage that lifts one person (or a few people) above the rest of the people and creates the atmosphere of an audience watching a performance.   However, the New Testament … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative church, audience, church architecture, church format, church furniture, church leadership, church meetings, church programs, church seating, New Testament, order of worship, organic church, participation in church, participatory church, stage | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

A highly planned program without personal interaction would make for a boring family gathering or party. What about church?

Posted on August 10, 2014 by Steve Simms

What about church?  A highly planned program without personal interaction would make for a boring family gathering or party!

Posted in creativity, innovation, multi-voiced church, participation, participation in church, participators, participatory church, participatory culture, participatory sermons | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Leaf Blower Church

Posted on July 28, 2014 by Steve Simms

Leaf Blower Church Here’s my view of a church meeting: We are all leaves who want to line up in nice, neat rows, And appoint a Pastor Leaf to preach to us. However, God wants to blow on each of … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, open church, open forum, open mic, open mike, open sharing, participants, participation, participation in church, participatory church, participatory culture, participatory sermons, preacher, preaching, prompted by the Spirit, prompting of the Spirit, sharing, sharing Christ, simple church, Spirit's flow, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, Spirit-led church, Spirit-led interaction, Spirit-prompted, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Question/Answer About Participatory/Organic Church (from a Salvation Army officer)

Posted on July 27, 2014 by Steve Simms

Question:  I recently received this question from Bronwyn Barkmever, a Salvation Army officer in Australia on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/NashvilleBerryStreet): “We are embarking upon an adventure of ‘out of the box’ worship and want to take this opportunity to explore different … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, Canada, heart, heart-felt, lay testimonies, laying on hands, participation, participation in church, participatory church, pastor, Q&A, questions, questions and answers, quotation, Quotations, quote, Quotes, salvation, simple church, Speak Lord, speak the truth in love, testimonies, testimonies in church, testimony, Toronto, Whatever He says to you | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Quotes & Notes on Spirit-Prompted Church Meetings

Posted on June 13, 2014 by Steve Simms

Hear God where you are.  Follow Him to where He is.  D.L. Moody said:  “The preaching that this world needs most is the sermons in shoes that are walking with Jesus Christ.” Within every person is a spiritual cell phone … Continue reading →

Posted in Azusa Street, Bob Kuhn, C.H. Mackintosh, church services, church structure, clergy, clergy/laity, clericalism, D.L. Moody, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, G. Campbell Morgan, Nashville, Nashville church, ordaination, ordained, order of worship, organic church, out of the box, outpouring of the Spirit, participation in church, participatory church, preaching, priesthood of the believer, religion, ringtone, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvation Army Nashville, sermon-hearing, sermons, Tennessee, The Apostolic Faith | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

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