Category Archives: simple church

5 ways to recover from hurt in church

Posted on November 30, 2017 by Steve Simms

Ouch! Even the title of this post is a bit painful. However, if you’ve ever been hurt by church (and/or by people in church) here are 5 things that can help you heal your hurting heart. 1) Forgive. It’s hard … Continue reading →

Posted in bitterness, blame, Bless those who curse you, church mediation, ekklesia, forgiveness, house church, organic church, peace, peacemaking, prayer, reconciliation, resentment, root of bitterness, simple church, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What happened to The Salvation Army Berry Street?

Posted on October 14, 2017 by Steve Simms

Numerous people have asked Ernie (my wife) and me what happened to Berry Street and why we are no longer there. If you have read some of my blog posts, then you already know a lot about The Salvation Army Berry … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult Rehabilitation Center, alternative church, ARC, church, ekklesia, nontraditional church, organic chruch, Salvation Army, Salvation Army ARC, Salvation Army Berry Street, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvation Army Flag, Salvation Army Nashville, Salvation army officers, Salvation Army soldiers, simple church, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

When Christians meet heart to heart, it’s ONEderful!

Posted on September 20, 2017 by Steve Simms

Here are some quotes from the book, ONE: Unfolding God’s Eternal Purpose From House To House that illustrate that when Christ-followers meet from house to house, it’s ONEderful! Google “Amazon’s One Unfolding Purpose.” “According to New Testament revelation, every believer should be … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian community, Christian unity, church community, freedom, freedom in Christ, house church, New Testament church, organic church, organic church blogs, simple church, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nashville church that meets like AA, Al-Anon, & NA

Posted on July 24, 2017 by Steve Simms

Millions of people have found comfort, help, & serenity from various types of support groups, such as, AA, Al-Anon, and NA. Al-Anon’s web site states: “Everyone at the meeting shares as an equal.” It also says: “We help each other … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, celebrate recovery, Christian recovery, recovery, recovery quotes, Salvation Army, Salvation Army Berry Street, Salvation Army Nashville, self-help, self-help group, simple church, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Theology without testimony is like learning about ice cream without eating it

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Steve Simms

Many people have never discovered that when people open up and begin to testify to one another about their love for Jesus, they experience an amazing sense of kinship. Christianity isn’t just about dispensing information about God. It’s about making … Continue reading →

Posted in by the word of their testimony, house church, lay testimonies, Lay Witness Missions, lay witness movement, Martin Luther King, organic chruch, personal testimonies, salvation testimonies, simple church, testimonials, testimonies in church, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ekklesia’s worth 1,000 words (#UnconferenceNashville quotes)

Posted on June 28, 2017 by Steve Simms

Church looks to one person for ministry; ekklesia looks to one another. Here are a few quotes from people who attended UnconferenceNashville @ The Salvation Army Berry Street June 23-25. “Who knew? I thought that I would learn about ekklesia. … Continue reading →

Posted in Beyond Church, Christ the Head of the church, Christian conferences, Christianity, experiencing God, fellowship, house church, organic church, Quotations, simple church, Uncategorized, worship, worth a thousand words | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A poem about an altar call

Posted on June 19, 2017 by Steve Simms

The beauty of an altar call, When people open their hearts And respond in obedience to God, Doesn’t have to be confined To a few minutes at the end Of a church service. Why not open up the meeting From … Continue reading →

Posted in Beyond Church, ekklesia, house church, organic chruch, simple church, Uncategorized, unchurching | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Preachers interesting & ordinary people boring?

Posted on June 15, 2017 by Steve Simms

Church acts like preachers are interesting & ordinary people are boring. (It could be the opposite.) Protestants made church a classroom. Perhaps church would be more effective as a prayer closet! The body of Christ is a team ministering together; … Continue reading →

Posted in Beyond Church, church reform, church refugees, ekklesia, house church, preachers, simple church, social media, testimony, Uncategorized, unprogrammed church, unprogrammed meetings | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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 , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Are you happy now?

Posted on April 19, 2017 by Steve Simms

Self-focus forfeits happiness. Asking, “Am I happy?” opens the door to unhappiness. A key ingredient in the pursuit of happiness is self-forgetting. You are the one who is painting the canvas of your life. How you doing with it? Could … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian support group, ekklesias, hope, hope in Christ, house church, organic chuch, organic church, recovery groups, self-denial, self-focus, self-forgetting, simple church, support groups, Train yourself unto godliness., training, Uncategorized, unchurching | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment