Category Archives: worship

When church is scripted, the freedom to flow in the Spirit is restricted to the agenda. When church is spontaneous, the Holy Spirit can break out in glorious demonstrations of His power and presence.

Posted on December 10, 2013 by Steve Simms
Posted in church program, church programs, church services, order of worship, participation, participation in church, participatory church, scripted, simple church, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, Spirit-prompted, spiritual, spiritual flow, spiritual innovation, spiritual life, spiritual movement, spontaneity, worship, worship gathering | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

An interview with Paul of Tarsus

Posted on November 26, 2013 by Steve Simms

(An interview with Paul of Tarsus based on 1 Corinthians chapter 14.) Me: “So, Paul, who can prophesy?” Paul: “You can all prophesy.” Me: “What happens if everybody prophesies?” Paul: “If an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, 21st Century, church meetings, church programs, church services, church structure, convicted of sin, God, God demonstrations, God experiment, God is really among you, God with us, hymn, judging, judgment, one anothering, one anothers, organic church, participation, participatory church, participatory sermons, Paul of Tarsus, prompted by the Spirit, prompting of the Spirit, promptings, prophesying, prophet, prophets, public speaking, public worship, quotation, Quotations, quote, Quotes, relevation, religion, revelation, secrets, secrets of your heart, sin, What is church?, When you come together, worship, worship center, worship gathering, you can all prophesy | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

A Different Worship Leader Every Sunday

Posted on November 3, 2013 by Steve Simms

At The Salvation Army Berry Street we have a different worship leader every week.  Over the past 5 1/2 years we have had about 50 different people/groups lead worship for us.  Why? 1) It keeps one person from being exalted … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, body of Christ, church format, church meetings, church program, church programs, church services, church structure, Nashville, Nashville charity, Nashville church, praise, praise and worship, praising God, religion, religious ceremonies, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Uncategorized, worship, worship center, worship gathering, worship leader, worship styles | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Wanted: Pioneers To Blaze A Spiritual Trail

Posted on October 8, 2013 by Steve Simms

Pioneers Wanted To Blaze A Trail Into God’s Spiritual Frontier. . . * Hearing God’s voice and doing what He says; * Permitting believers to minister to one another; * Considering others better than yourself; * Allowing Christ, Himself, to … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative church, alternative to preaching, God's voice, hearing God, hearing Jesus, hearing the Holy Spirit, Nashville, Nashville adventure, Nashville church, Nashville news, Nashville projects, new frontier, new kind of church, New Testament, one another, one anothering, one anothers, organic church, prompted by the Spirit, prompting of the Spirit, promptings, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationism, Salvationists, selfish desires, Spirit-prompted, spiritual, spiritual adventure, spiritual church, spiritual disciplines, spiritual discovery, spiritual experience, spiritual innovation, spiritual interaction, spiritual leaders, spiritual prompting, spiritual training, spiritual transformation, spontaneity, The Salvation Army, wagon train, ways of doing church, worship, worship leader, you can all prophesy | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

God ideas or God demonstrations?

Posted on September 20, 2013 by Steve Simms

Participatory church presents God as a present reality as ordinary people are filled with wisdom, love, power, eloquence, faith, demonstrations of the Spirit, and the glory of God!  It moves beyond God ideas to God demonstrations. When hot coals are … Continue reading →

Posted in active participants, care enough to send the very best, church services, congregations, demonstrations of the Spirit, gifts of the Spirit, Jesus Take The Wheel, membership, open church, order of worship, participants, participation, participatory church, quotation, quote, Quotes, Scott Thumma, spiritual fire, spiritual gifts, spontaneity, The Other 80%, Turning Your Church's Spectators, ways of doing church, wisdom, words on fire, worship | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Church — In Sync or Spontaneous?

Posted on September 9, 2013 by Steve Simms

During praise and worship an image came to my mind. I saw a group of people, all neatly facing the front of the room, sitting at banquet tables with full plates in front of them. Then I saw a man … Continue reading →

Posted in 37207, banquet, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit promptings, in unison, living God, Nashville, Nashville charity, Nashville church, Nashville events, not being fed in church, organic church, praise, praise and worship, praising God, program, programmed, programmed from the front, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationism, Salvationists, spiritual food, spontaneity, The Salvation Army, unprogrammed church, unrehearsed, vision, visions from God, We've always done it that way", Western religion, Western society, Western world, What is church?, what to do in Nashville, worship, worship center, worship gathering | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Church — Spirit-Directed Team or Laid Back Audience?

Posted on July 27, 2013 by Steve Simms

Is church a Spirit-directed team that ministers to one another? Or a laid back audience that watches a religious program? (Search: “One another verses of the New Testament” and see.) If you live in the Nashville, Tennessee area, come and … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Bible study, biblical, Biblical concept, Nashville, one another, one anothers, pray for one another, praying community, Team Church, Team Jesus, Tennessee, the way we do church, the Western church, What is church?, What is the true church?, worship, you can all prophesy | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

God’s Spiritual Sprinkler Systems

Posted on July 13, 2013 by Steve Simms

According to the New Testament, God wants church services to be spiritual sprinkler systems where the Holy Spirit freely flows from everyone present. (See 1 Corinthians 14:26.)  This is God’s powerful “prophetic activation” (a phrase made popular by Sandy Powell … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, 1 Corinthians:14, Christlike, church history, clergy, clergy/laity, God, Jesus Christ, laity, layman, laymen, laywomen, Martin Luther, Music City, organic church, prophesy, prophesying, quotation, Quotations, quote, reformation, reformer, round robin, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, sprinkler system, Tennessee, The Salvation Army, TN, unbeliever, worship, worship gathering, worship leader | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Church flows from the Spirit; it’s not produced by a program.

Posted on January 12, 2013 by Steve Simms

Church is God’s orchestra, playing His symphony, as each member focuses on, listens to, and obeys the Conductor — the living, resurrected Jesus Christ. Come and experience God’s orchestra playing in Nashville every Sunday morning at 10:45 as each member … Continue reading →

Posted in awe, awe inspiring, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Christian values, Christianity, church, church meetings, church program, church programs, church roles, church services, church structure, live performance, live to please God, LP Field, music, Music City, musicals, Nashville tourist attractions, order of worship, organic church, praise and worship, Ryman Auditorium, Son-shine, spirit, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, spiritual innovation, spiritual interaction, spiritual transformation, Tennessee Titans, testimonies, testimony, Titans' stadium, Uncategorized, unprogrammed church, What is church?, worship | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

21 Creative Blogs About Christmas

Posted on December 25, 2012 by Steve Simms

Happy birthday, Jesus!  Here are some blogs I wrote about You and and Your birth: The World’s Most Unusual Christmas Greeting Christmas Eve Eve — The Night Before The Day Before The Fiscal Cliff The Christmas Drug — The High Hopes … Continue reading →

Posted in 'Twas the night before Christmas, angels, angels watching over you, Angels We Have Heard On High, belief, belief system, Biblical concept, blog readers, Christ, Christian values, Christmas gifts, Christmas shopping, Christmas shopping season, Christmas traditions, culture, customs, cute story, devotion, entertainment, faith, His story, inspiration, Jesus, Jesus Christ, majesty, mystery, mysticism, prayer, reading, Reason For The Season, religion, religious ceremonies, religious innovation, religious tradition, Spirit-filled, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual healing, spiritual transformation, tradition, Uncategorized, virgin Mary, worship | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments