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On similar paths

Often I get the question, “Are there any other churches doing this?” when explaining the idea of a “simple church network.”  While we know that many Christians outside of North America experience church differently than our traditional Sunday service-centered church, consider the following findings of the Barna Group that may be surprising:

The most prolific response (in nationwide studies concerning house church involvement) comes when adults are asked if they have “experienced God or expressed (their) faith in God in a house church or simple church meeting in the past month,” regardless of whether it is affiliated with some other church entity. This definition, certainly the broadest of the six variations tested, finds that one-third of adults claim to have been involved in such a gathering during the preceding month.  (Read Entire Article Posted By “The Barna Group” Here)

Since I have began walking down this path, I have been extremely encouraged by how many people are experiencing church life outside of the traditional setting.  I always hesitate to point to others “on a similar path” because 1) without being involved in the church or network, it’s hard for me to know how similar they really are, and 2) God is still very much revealing to us the path He has for us.  With that being said, as I have spoken with, read about, and in some cases visited those involved with the groups linked below, I do find great encouragement that we are not alone.  Perhaps you will also.

Apex, Dayton, OH– “Apex is actually a network of dozens of small community churches, organized into geographic regions, which meet in our members’ homes throughout the Miami Valley area.”

Communality, Lexington, KY – “A slowly-growing network of small community groups, or ‘primary communities.’  Communality provides a place to explore faith and relationships in a context of sacrificial service.”

Cornerstone Simple Church, Cincinnati, OH – “Cornerstone Simple Church Network (CSCN) is a growing family of simple/house churches intent on being alive with Jesus, mutually encouraging and spontaneously reproductive.” (Note: This is the simple church network that Jeff Spencer, who visited the “vision class” last Sunday, is involved with.)

Vineyard Central, Cincinnati, OH – “We’re a collection of home churches.”

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