Category Archives: Salvation Army church

Nashville Sounds in Participatory Church

Posted on June 28, 2014 by Steve Simms

Participatory church presents the profundity and wisdom of ordinary people as they show and tell what God is doing in their lives.  Here are some Nashville sounds from an organic church in Nashville — The Salvation Army Berry Street Worship Center … Continue reading →

Posted in God's voice, harpists, hearing, hearing God, hearing the Holy Spirit, listening, listening prayer, listening skills, listening to God, listening to the Spirit, music, Music City, organic church, participatory church, relevation, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Nashville, sermon-hearing, sharing, silence, silent worship, simple church, sound of His voice | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

Nashville’s Hands-On, Science-Lab Style, Doer Church

Posted on June 23, 2014 by Steve Simms

Doer church? What if a church gathered to let people be doers — to let them hear what the Spirit is saying to them and then actually do it? “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only.” (James 1:22). … Continue reading →

Posted in be doers of the word, East Nashville, McFerrin Park, Music City, Nashville, Nashville adventure, Nashville charity, not hearers only, organic church, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvation Army Nashville, Tennessee | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

The Word, The World Cup, & CPR

Posted on June 18, 2014 by Steve Simms

Perhaps we need more on Sunday mornings than religious education and/or personal motivation. We need the inner transformation that comes from following and obeying the living, resurrected Jesus Christ together in a meeting! I read the Bible almost every day … Continue reading →

Posted in Music City, Nashville, Nashville church, organic church, prayer, religious education, repentance, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvation Army Nashville, Salvationism, Salvationists, transformation, transformation movements, USA | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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

Participatory Pentecost

Posted on June 6, 2014 by Steve Simms

The first Pentecost was participatory as the power and presence of the Holy Spirit fell on all the people present in the place and they all spoke up and praised God as prompted by the Spirit. Pentecost was not a … Continue reading →

Posted in Acts, Acts 2, Bible, Bible quotes, biblical Christianity, book of Acts, founder, General William Booth, open church, open forum, open mic, open mike, open sharing, organic church, pentecostal experience, pentecostals, people of faith, people of God, quotation, Quotations, quote, Quotes, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvation Army Nashville, Send the fire, simple church, Spirit's flow, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, Spirit-led church, Spirit-led interaction, Spirit-prompted, tongues, tongues of fire, William Booth | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Have We Silenced God’s Lambs (Keeping Them Silent With Preaching)?

Posted on May 24, 2014 by Steve Simms

Have we silenced God’s lambs with a gag rule for church?  Perhaps. I believe that many people have powerful messages from God burning in their heart, but they are too intimidated to share them because: 1) They are never given … Continue reading →

Posted in lay preaching, laymen preaching, multi-voiced church, Music City, Nashville, Nashville charity, participation, participation in church, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Nashville, shared sermon, speaking up, Who can preach? | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Karaoke Spoken From The Heart (Lay Witness Missions)

Posted on May 22, 2014 by Steve Simms

Before people in the USA sang karaoke, they spoke it spontaneously, from the heart as they told how the living, resurrected Jesus Christ had changed their life.  It was called Lay Witness Missions.  This spoken karaoke began in United Methodist … Continue reading →

Posted in a shout out, Ben Johnson, can I get a witness, Christian history, church history, church meetings, church program, church programs, church services, evangelism, evangelistic meetings, Frank Billman, Jesus, Jesus Christ, lay evangelist, lay speakers, lay testimonies, lay witness coordinator, lay witness movement, lay witness team, layman, laymen, laywomen, Methodism, Methodist class meeting, Methodist revivalists, Methodists, Music City, Nashville, Nashville church, non-traditional church, open church, open forum, open mic, open mike, open sharing, religious karaoke, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, sharing, sharing Christ, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, Spirit-led church, spiritual experiences, spiritual karaoke, spoken karaoke, team, testimonies, testimonies in church, testimony, witness, witnesses, witnessing, worship, worship service | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

How To Make Church Exciting: Let God Run It!

Posted on May 17, 2014 by Steve Simms

Too many people find church boring.  But, hey, it’s not their fault.  It is not people’s responsibility to sit in a boring church service and make themselves excited.  Christianity, the most exciting facts in the world, should never be presented … Continue reading →

Posted in bumper sticker, Christian, church meetings, church program, church programs, church services, class meetings, Friends, Jesus Take The Wheel, Layman's Prayer Revival, Let go and let God, Max Lucado, Methodism, Methodist class meeting, Methodists, presence of Christ, presence of God, programmed, programmed from the front, programming, purpose of church, Quaker meetings, Quakers, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Nashville, The Christmas Candle | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Church? A Preacher Performing or People Participating

Posted on May 16, 2014 by Steve Simms

Should there be more than one way to hold a church service? Perhaps we should allow many ways of having a church meeting; instead of the one (almost universal) way of church based on sermon-hearing. Christians invite people to church … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Christianity, church meetings, church services, creating an environment, interactive church, John Heider, multi-voiced church, Music City, Nashville, Nashville church, organic church, participatory church, quotation, Quotations, quote, religion, religious meetings, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvationism, sermon-hearing, Spirit-led church, unprogrammed church, Warren Bennis | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Broom Church or Single Straw Sermons

Posted on May 14, 2014 by Steve Simms

Which is more effective at releasing the Holy Spirit’s power and presence — broom church or single straw sermons? All our focus on one straw can’t sweep a floor clean; but many straws, led together as a broom, can transform … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, church format, church meetings, church program, church programs, church services, church structure, house church, multi-voiced church, open church, open forum, open mic, open mike, open sharing, order of worship, organic church, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, simple church, sweeping, worship, worship center, worship gathering, worship service | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment