Category Archives: unprogrammed meetings

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

Let’s meet . . .

Posted on February 27, 2017 by Steve Simms

Let’s meet as a bouquet of Christ-followers, all radiating His glory together. Let’s meet like a box of chocolates, all sharing Jesus’ sweetness with one another. Let’s meet as a bunch of grapes, all clustered & connected to Christ the … Continue reading →

Posted in AA meetings, business meetings, celebrate recovery, Class meeting, holding meetings, meaningful meetings, Meeting for Worship, Methodist class meetings, recovery groups, successful meetings, Uncategorized, unprogrammed meetings | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

416 unprogrammed worship meetings @ Berry Street

Posted on March 11, 2016 by Steve Simms

I am amazed and deeply moved to be a part of celebrating 416 unprogrammed worship gatherings at The Salvation Army Berry Street this Sunday! What a joy it has been to go beyond church with so many dear brothers and sisters … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative church, East Nashville, ekklesia, house church, open church, participatory church, simple church, Tennessee, Uncategorized, unprogrammed church, unprogrammed meetings, worship | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Cereal, cars, & church alternatives . . .

Posted on February 11, 2016 by Steve Simms

If for many centuries, almost everyone in the world who ate breakfast always had some brand of cereal, we would think it strange if a few people started talking and writing about having pancakes for breakfast. Breakfast cereal eaters might … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative church, Beyond Church, change in church, change management, changes in worship, ekklesia, fresh expressions, house church, lay testimonies, messy church, nontraditional church, personal testimonies, Quakers, salvation testimonies, simple church, Spirit-led, Uncategorized, unprogrammed meetings | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Beyond a church program into waiting on God’s presence

Posted on January 19, 2016 by Steve Simms

What if “wait upon the Lord” Literally means to set aside Our church programs, plans, and agendas, And for all present to wait and listen Until the living God, Himself, Tells someone to say or do something? “But they that … Continue reading →

Posted in caught up with God, ekklesia, flowing in the Spirit, house church, Meeting for Worship, Quaker worship, run and not be weary, simple church, soaring in the Spirit, Uncategorized, unprogrammed meetings | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

SMS; smart man speaking? Or PGP; personal God prompting?

Posted on December 2, 2015 by Steve Simms

Since the Protestant Reformation, church has been built on a lecture format — one smart man speaking (SMS) to silently siting spectators. However, Jesus taught that His ekklesia (the word was mistranslated into English as church) would be built on … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, book review, church program, church programming, Flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, Holy Spirit promptings, humility, kingdom of God, Matthew 16, promptings of the Spirit, Protestant Reformation, revelation, Spirit-promptings, the Kingdom of God is at hand, Uncategorized, unprogrammed church, unprogrammed meetings | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Beyond laid back lectures to lively one anothering!

Posted on October 1, 2015 by Steve Simms

Learning by lectures while leaving out supervised, hands on experience, leaves learners unable to effectively do in real life what they learned in the lectures. Examples: Would you trust? 1) A doctor who make As in all her lecture classes, … Continue reading →

Posted in Andrew Mason, Andy Stanley, Bible, How many one anothers are in the, Nashville, one anothering, Salvation Army, sermons, simple church, Spirit-led, unprogrammed meetings | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Could Church Can Can?

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Steve Simms

Could church can can? Here are some definitions of can — 1) to preserve in a metal container; 2) to prepare or script in advance in standardized form (a canned speech); 3) to fire an employee (The boss canned me); 4) to be able to … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Thessalonians 5:19, become like a little child, Bible, I can do all things through Christ, interactive church, Matthew 18:13, Philippians 4:13, Quaker meetings, Quench not the Spirit, Quotes, Roger Green, Salvation Army, unprogrammed meetings, unscripted, Whatever He says to you do it | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Gg Meetings Make Men (And Women) Mighty!

Posted on June 9, 2015 by Steve Simms

I walked into a God-gathering (Gg) while in college and was instantly transformed as I heard ordinary people tell about their experiences with Jesus. I have never been the same. To this day I still get tears in my eyes … Continue reading →

Posted in AA meeting, AA meetings, Berry Street, Gg, Global Foundation, Gregory Palamas, interactive, Janet Munn, Jesus Christ, Matthew 23:10, Meeting for Worship, Moravian prayer, organic church, participatory church, Quotations, Quotes, Salvation Army, teaching, the Cookery, TN, unprogrammed meetings | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Let God’s Geysers Gush! (A 1-man monologue or mosaic of many messages?)

Posted on April 11, 2015 by Steve Simms

How may people should be allowed to talk in a church meeting? Did God design church meetings to be 1-man monologue?  Or mosaic of many messages? Perhaps we need tag team time — time for taking turns talking in church meetings. … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, church mosaics, facilitation, Nashville, organic church, Salvation Army, tag team, unprogrammed meetings, you can all prophesy | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments