Category Archives: simple church

Talking About Jesus Like He’s Not In The Room

Posted on March 8, 2014 by Steve Simms

This was inspired by Kim Walker with Jesus Culture lyrics to You Won’t Relent:  “I don’t want to talk about You like You’re not in the room.  I want to look right at You, I want to sing right to … Continue reading →

Posted in Alphonsus Liguori, Christ, Christ in you, Christ in you the hope of glory, Christ's presence, Christ-centered, Christian community, Church of Christ, church programs, church services, church structure, hearing God, hearing Jesus, historical Jesus, I don't want to talk about You like You're not in the room, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus is alive, Jesus rose, live and unrehearsed, live church, living words, lyrics, open church, open sharing, organic church, presence of Christ, presence of God, quotation, quote, Quotes, real presence, religious ceremonies, resurrection of Jesus, seek God's face, simple church, spiritual combat, spiritual flow, spiritual power, spiritual presence, spiritual reality, testifying, testimonies, testimonies in church, testimony, voice of God | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

March Madness Style Excitement In Church

Posted on March 7, 2014 by Steve Simms

March Madness boring?   If basketball officials acted like pastors; personally planned and programmed each play, prompted those present when to stand and when to sit, and then presented a 30 minute talk; March Madness would be boring. I’m glad that … Continue reading →

Posted in basketball officials, basketball players, basketball plyaers, boredom, church format, church leadership, church services, clergy, clergy/laity, coaches, Jesus, Jesus Christ, ministers, Nashville, Nashville church, officials, officiating, organic church, pastor, preacher, priest, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, simple church, worship, worship service | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Church Is Like A Swiss Army Knife

Posted on March 6, 2014 by Steve Simms

A church service is like a Swiss Army Knife — full of spiritually gifted people.  It can use the same person to speak, week after week, while the others are closed down (pic 1).  Or it can allow everybody to … Continue reading →

Posted in How many blads in a Swiss Army Knife?, interactive, interactive church, interactive learning, Nashville, Nashville charity, Nashville church, non-church, non-liturgical, non-traditional church, nonconforming, open church, open forum, open mic, open mike, open sharing, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, simple church, Spirit-led, Spirit-prompted, spiritual giftings, spiritual gifts, spontaneous church, Uncategorized, What is a Swiss Army Knife | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Unicycle Church or 18 Wheeler Church

Posted on March 4, 2014 by Steve Simms

Which is the most effective way to transport the Gospel to our 21st Century, participatory culture? * Clergy — Let one man do it all, like a unicycle?  (Unicycle church.) Or * Priesthood of the Believer — Let everybody participate … Continue reading →

Posted in church meetings, church program, church services, church speakers, clergy, clergy/laity, clericalism, laity, Music City, Nashville adventure, Nashville church, Nashville tourist attractions, oratory, order of worship, organic church, participants, participation, participation in church, participatory church, participatory culture, pastor, priest, priesthood, priesthood of the believer, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, simple church, truck | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

1 Speaking to All? Or All Speaking To All?

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Steve Simms

Church is when a group of believers gathers together around the living, resurrected Jesus Christ and focuses their attention on listening to His voice and doing whatever He tells them to do. Church is when the living Christ, in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian community, church leadership, church programs, church services, church speakers, clergy/laity, community, hearing God, hearing Jesus, hearing the Holy Spirit, how to do church, laity, laymen, laywomen, participation, participation in church, participatory church, participatory sermons, praying community, preacher, preaching, preaching the Word, priesthood of the believer, sermons, simple church, speaking, speaking out, voice of God, What is church?, When you come together, where two or three in My name, why go to church, worship, worship service | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments

1 Speaker Church Is Like A 1 Channel TV . . .

Posted on March 2, 2014 by Steve Simms

If church has the same speaker every week, it is like a TV that only gets one channel. Maybe Christian ministry would be more effective at changing lives and transforming our culture if it flowed from one ordinary believer to … Continue reading →

Posted in Behold the Lamb of God, Christian ministry, church programs, church services, clergy, clericalism, house church, Jesus, Jesus Christ, multi-voiced church, non-church, one anothering, open church, open forum, open mic, open mike, open sharing, organic church, participation in church, participatory church, participatory culture, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, sermon, simple church, Spirit-led, takes away the sins of the world, Tennessee | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Quotes From ABC’s Nashville TV Series (That Illustrate The Bible “One Anothers”)

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Steve Simms

Come, See God’s Amazing One-Anothers In Action! To stay consistently fired-up for Christ, you need to regularly be around a group of fired-up believers meeting in an environment where they are free to obey the New Testament “one anothers:” “encourage … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative church, alternative lifestyle, alternative to preaching, clergy, clergy/laity, clericalism, house church, Nashville adventure, Nashville charity, Nashville church, Nashville entertainment, Nashville news, Nashville show, Nashville times, one another, one anothering, one anothers, organic church, participatory church, participatory culture, quotation, Quotations, quote, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, simple church, Tennessee | Tagged , , , , | 13 Comments

Get The Scoop On Nashville Street Talk

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Steve Simms

Berry Street Talk Is Full Of The Spirit! * Open participation / Not one-man sermons. * Heart-felt words / Not theological jargon. * Spontaneous sharing / Not scripted speeches. * Loving concern / Not detached instructions. * Spirit-prompted / Not … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative church, alternative to preaching, Nashville adventure, Nashville charity, Nashville church, Nashville events, Nashville streets, non-church, non-traditional church, organic church, simple church | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Jesus Is Alive & Active in the 21st Century — Church Can Catch Him Like A Sail Catching The Wind

Posted on February 24, 2014 by Steve Simms

When the leaves and small limbs of a tree are all leaning in the same direction, you know that something invisible is going on — the wind is blowing the tree.  That’s what happens at The Salvation Army Berry Street.  … Continue reading →

Posted in clergy, clergy/laity, clericalism, how to do church, How to raise a sail, meeting in His name, ordaination, order of worship, organic church, relational church, release of the Spirit, relevation, religion, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Scriptures, simple church, Spirit-led, spiritual church, ways of doing church, why go to church, worship, worship gathering | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Church — A Bottled Water Plant? or A Mighty, Whitewater River

Posted on February 23, 2014 by Steve Simms

Church — A bottled water plant? or A mighty, whitewater river? Contemporary church is too often like a bottled water plant. People sit passively, like flimsy plastic bottles in a row, hoping to receive a single squirt of water from … Continue reading →

Posted in bottled water plant, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, Christianity, church format, church meetings, church program, church programs, church seating, church services, church structure, Holy Spirit, house church, How is water bottled?, institutional church, Nashville adventure, Nashville charity, Nashville church, Nashville news, participation in church, participatory church, participatory culture, plastic bottles, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, simple church, Spirit's flow, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, spiritual church, spontaneity, spontaneous church, whitewater river | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment