Tag Archives: organic church

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

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

Church — Getting Christ To Flow Out Of Ordinary Believers

Posted on February 16, 2014 by Steve Simms

If, as the New Testament says, Christ is living in believers, why don’t church services focus on how to get Christ to flow out of ordinary believers; rather than spending so much time and effort trying to get religious teachings … Continue reading →

Posted in Christ, church format, church meetings, church program, church programs, church services, how to do church, new kind of church, New Testament, order of worship, organic church, participatory church, role of Christ in church, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, ways of doing church | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

Curriculum-Free Sunday School

Posted on February 13, 2014 by Steve Simms

Curriculum-free Sunday school?  Yes!  Why has church bound the Bible to Sunday school curriculum booklets, when it can speak directly to & through ordinary people? For years I have led curriculum-free adult Sunday school classes.  When this concept is first … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Bible study, book, booklet, curriculum-free, Ephesians, Holy Spirit, interactive Bible class, participatory Bible study, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Sunday school classes, Sunday school ideas | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

New Page Church = Purch/Participatory Church

Posted on February 4, 2014 by Steve Simms

Perhaps it is time for the 21st Century Western church to turn the page and flip through the Bible, stopping at the one place in the New Testament where we are told how to do church:  “When you come together, … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Chinua Achebe, cleansing the temple, David James Duncan, Hillary Clinton, It takes a village, kingdom of God, narrow is the way, Nashville, Nashville church, New Testament, participatory church, participatory culture, simple church, The Salvation Army, the way we do church, the Western church, Things Fall Apart | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

A Non-Charismatic Seminary Professor Speaks Out For Participatory Church

Posted on February 4, 2014 by Steve Simms

Charles H. Kraft, professor of anthropology and intercultural communication at Fuller Theological Seminary, in Pasadena, California speaks out for participatory church.  In in his book, Christianity With Power:  Your Worldview and Your Experience of the Supernatural, although he says that … Continue reading →

Posted in anthropology, California, Calvin, charismatic, Charles H. Kraft, Christianity with Power, Holy Spirit, intercultural communication, interpretation, Luther, Nashville, Nashville church, Nashville tourist attractions, non-charismatic, Pasadena, quotation, Quotations, quote, reformer, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, sermon, speaking in tongues, Spirit's flow, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, Tennessee, the Reformers, worldview | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Can A Church Meeting Be Full Of Awe?

Posted on February 1, 2014 by Steve Simms

In the Bible, early church meetings are described with these words: “everyone was filled with awe.” Awe is an overwhelming feeling of amazement, wonder, and respect. When was the last time you felt awe in a church service?  So how … Continue reading →

Posted in awe, awe inspiring, awesome, Christ's presence, flow, flow of the Spirit, flowing of the Holy Spirit, Matthew 18:20, Music City, Nashville, Nashville adventure, Nashville charity, Nashville church, Nashville tourist attractions, open church, open forum, open mic, open sharing, order of worship, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Tennessee, there am I in the midst of them, where two or three in My name | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

How (I Was Taught) To Act In Church

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Steve Simms

How I was taught to act in church:  Be quiet, sit still, behave, just listen, be passive, don’t talk, watch the preacher, be like everyone one else, don’t ask questions, only do what the program says, don’t laugh, don’t be … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, Bible quotes, biblical, church format, church meetings, church program, church programs, church services, community, Music City, open church, open forum, open mic, open mike, open sharing, participatory church, religious ceremonies, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, simple church | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

What if Sunday morning church had less infrastructure and more networking? It could be transformed from a Sunday morning love lecture into a group of people actively living love with one another!

Posted on January 11, 2014 by Steve Simms
Posted in church format, church meetings, church program, church services, life, life together, one another, one anothering, open church, open forum, open sharing, participatory church, participatory sermons, share, simple church, Spirit's flow, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, Spirit-prompted, spiritual church, spiritual formation, spiritual gifts | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

PC is awesome!

Posted on January 9, 2014 by Steve Simms

PC (Participatory Church) is awesome! PC (Participatory Church) allows the living, resurrected Jesus Christ to actively fulfill His role as Head of the Church — not just be a figurehead. PC (Participatory Church) fulfills the words of Jesus:  “For where … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, Bible quotes, Nashville, Nashville adventure, Nashville church, Nashville tourist attractions, participation in church, participatory church, political correctness, religion, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, simple church, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, Spirit-prompted | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments