Category Archives: participatory church

Soccer church? Or American football church?

Posted on September 30, 2014 by Steve Simms

  American football style church = the quarterback (pastor) is responsible for getting the ball (the Gospel) to others. Soccer style church = any player can move the ball and/or pass it to others.

Posted in church community, church format, church leadership, church meetings, church programs, church roles, church structure, interactive church, interactive learning, interactive sermons, interactivity, order of worship, organic church, participatory church, participatory sermons, pastor, quarterback, simple church | 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

1 Man Can’t Reflect The Body Of Christ — It Takes A Village

Posted on September 25, 2014 by Steve Simms

1 man can’t reflect the body of Christ.  That takes a village. Christ-followers are puzzle pieces, each picturing a particular part of Christ. When a group gathers and each person present is allowed to openly participate and share his/her part, … Continue reading →

Posted in Christ, Head of the church, participatory church, Protestant, Protestant Reformation, Team Church, telling their stories, testifying, the pope, the Western church, think outside the bun, types of church, unprogrammed church, unscripted church, ways of doing church, Western Christianity, Western religion, Western society, What is the true church?, why go to church, worship, worship service, you can all prophesy | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 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