Category Archives: participatory church

AA Church

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Steve Simms

An Innovative Idea For Sunday Morning Church — Function Like An AA Meeting! Here’s a description of a typical AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) meeting from the AA of Australia web site: “AA meetings are very informal. Just take a seat and … Continue reading →

Posted in 12 step meeting, 12 steps, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Christianity, church format, church meetings, church program, church roles, church services, order of worship, organic church, participation in AA meetings, participatory church, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, simple church, Spirit-led, Spirit-prompted, telling their stories, The Salvation Army | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

What The Church Can Learn From Basketball Officials

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Steve Simms

From preschool to the NBA Playoffs — from high school to March Madness — basketball officials could serve as great examples of an alternative way for pastors to conduct church services. Rather than being the center of attention and running … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative church, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Christianity, church format, church meetings, church program, church roles, church services, church structure, clergy, creativity, high school basketball, innovation, Nashville adventure, Nashville events, Nashville projects, officials, organic church, participatory church, pastor, simple church, spiritual growth, spiritual innovation, spiritual leaders, spiritual life, sporting event, sports, The Salvation Army | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Holy Spirit Surfing–A Fresh Wave Of Churching

Posted on February 17, 2013 by Steve Simms

Holy Spirit surfing is a fresh, creative way of doing church — an innovative style of churching.  However, it’s not new — it was written about in the New Testament (see 1 Corinthians 14:26) and was the common practice of … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, church format, church meetings, church program, church roles, church structure, churching, contemporary churches, flow, flow of the Spirit, flowing of the Holy Spirit, hearing God, hearing Jesus, liturgical churches, morphed, move of God, movement, Music City, Nashville, new wave, non-liturgical, participatory church, praise and worship, presence of Christ, presence of God, prompted by the Spirit, prompting of the Spirit, Protestant, Quotations, quote, Quotes, religion, religious innovation, Spirit surfing, Spirit's flow, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, Spirit-prompted, spiritual, spiritual waves, The Salvation Army, wave of the Spirit | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments

Searching For A Different Way Of Churching? (Try Facebook-Style Church)

Posted on February 16, 2013 by Steve Simms

Think Facebook is exciting? You should try Facebook-style church! You’re not on Facebook so you can hear from only one person . . . You’re on Facebook so you can connect with and hear from many different people. You’re on … Continue reading →

Posted in Facebook-style, like, Music City, Nashville adventure, Nashville charity, Nashville events, Nashville projects, Nashville tourist attractions, new kind of church, open church, order of worship, participatory church, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, searching, share, simple church, social media, spiritual church, The Salvation Army | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Reader’s Digest Acknowledges Participatory Style Of First Century Christian Worship

Posted on February 2, 2013 by Steve Simms

Contemporary society is moving toward more participation in management and meetings.  This can be seen in business management styles, the Oprah Show, and even Facebook.  However, the contemporary church seems stuck on sermons — non-participatory, one-person, lectures. However, early Christian … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, After Jesus, aristocrats, church, church history, church meetings, church program, church roles, Corinth, edification, first century, First Century Church, freedmen, hymn, hymns, Music City, Nashville, participatory church, Paul of Tarsus, Quotations, quote, Quotes, Roman, Roman Empire, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, simple church, slaves, speaking in tongues, Spirit-led, Spirit-prompted, spiritual awakening, spiritual innovation, spiritual interaction, surrender to God, testimonies, testimony, The Salvation Army, tongues, triumph of Christianity | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 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

Tag Cloud For Spirit-Led (Rather Than Human Programmed) Church . . .

Posted on January 4, 2013 by Steve Simms

A tag cloud is a visual representation of the frequency of the use of words (tags) to find a website (sometimes called a word cloud or a weighted list in visual form).  What words would be in a tag cloud … Continue reading →

Posted in 2 Corinthians 14:26, action packed, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible type revival, biblical, Christian organizations, church meetings, church program, church programs, church roles, church services, contagion, controversial, faith-based, Holy Spirit, house church, Jesus, Jesus Christ, participatory church, religious ceremonies, religious innovation, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, simple church, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual innovation, supernatural, surrender to God, tag team, tags, testimonies, testimony, website | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

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

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

Should church services consist of humanly planned and directed programs or be supernaturally led by the Holy Spirit?

Posted on December 1, 2012 by Steve Simms

Should church services consist of humanly planned and directed programs or be supernaturally led by the Holy Spirit? Experience Spirit-led, participatory church where people show and tell what God has done at The Salvation Army Berry Street, 225 Berry St., … Continue reading →

Posted in church meetings, church program, church programs, church roles, church services, church structure, Nashville, Nashville projects, participatory church, submission, surrender to God, Tennessee, testimonies, testimony | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment