Teachings
Posts linking to teachings from the simple church alliance or other encouraging sources.
8 Ways To Start A Simple Church
8 Ways To Start A Simple Church There are no formulas for how to start a simple church. The Holy Spirit must be the Initiator and Leader if a real church community is to be birthed. Even still, I can imagine some ways God could use you to birth simple churches: 1. LTG – As you and a friend or two begin a Life Transformation Group (LTG) and you see that LTG multiply into two LTGs, a simple church can be formed. It’s logical and natural that you say, “why don’t we all share a meal together?” If married, the husband’s and wife’s LTGs can come together weekly for simple church! There are many advantages to this because the multiplication of disciples is...
Read MoreWatch The Star of Bethlehem Online
Friends, Several years ago a friend involved in a simple church hosted a viewing of The Star of Bethlehem movie. Since watching it, I find myself thinking about it and bringing it up in conversation most every Christmas. I wanted to let everyone know that this movie is now available on YouTube and I’m linking below a version that can be watch in HD (You may need to adjust the settings to watch it in HD. You can do that by clicking the gear). Perhaps you will not agree with everything suggested in this video/Bible study, but it is a fascinating theory and something that is well worth taking an hour to consider this Christmas. The film seeks to examine,...
Read MoreAn Online Simple Church Multiplication Course
I wanted to share with everyone a very good online simple church course. “Multiplication Concepts” is led by my new friend Curtis Sergeant. Curtis is involved in simple church multiplication and church planting movements across the globe. Curtis has a tremendous heart for our world and for those who are hopeless and in need of Christ. It is out of this heart, his lifelong experiences in the harvest fields, and a close examination of the Scriptures that have given birth to the thoughts shared here in these training videos. While you may not follow 100% of everything that Curtis suggests, I know that anyone who is interested in seeing disciples and...
Read MoreA Simple Church Gathering Format
If there is one thing I am not a fan of, it is trying to come up with a formula for “church.” Simple Church at its core is about following Jesus and allowing him to lead us as individuals and as a local church. There is great opportunity to experience Christ this way in the context of simple church. When you are simple in form and not tied to meeting times and agendas, you can experience a lot of freedom in what you do when you get together for “church.” That being said, I think that it could be a mistake for leaders to not have a loosely held plan to help those in your simple church community focus on Christ and do the things that we see...
Read MoreKeep It Simple Podcast Relaunch!
For over two years now, Tom Lecompte and I have co-hosted the simple church podcast “Keep it Simple.” Tom, from New Covenant Fellowship (a house church network in Louisville, KY) and I originally started the podcast because we thought it would be a good opportunity to connect and discuss simple/house/organic church issues we were wrestling with. Two years into it, we are still going and now we want to “relaunch” the podcast with a specific focus on helping others understand and carry out simple church principles with the hope of seeing new simple churches started. If we only had 6 or 7 podcasts to help you get started with simple...
Read MoreA Good Video Explaining Simple Church
There are a lot videos floating around that aid in explaining simple church and house church ideas. We’ve gathered several here on this website. This particular video pulls from a few of my favorites. I also like the presenters thought about how simple churches can multiply… be in two simple churches at the same time! I’m interested in your thoughts on this idea. In some ways I think that the first “community” someone would be involved in could be something like a “Life Transformation Group” or a smaller disciple-making relationship of two or three. Nonetheless, I think he does a good job of explaining visually the hope of...
Read MoreMessage of the Month – A Simple Church On Every Street
Starting this month, I will highlight a message that I feel is important for believers to consider, especially those of us seeking to walk with Jesus outside the traditional, organizational structures. It’s always been a challenge for me to break-away from the school year calendar. August continues to feel like the start of a new year for me. Perhaps that is one of the reasons I am thinking a lot these days about refocusing on the vision God has for me, my family, and for the Simple Church Alliance. For my first “message of the month,” I would like to share a message I gave a while back to a traditional church congregation highlighting the vision...
Read MoreA Video Message From Gavin – The Simple Church Vision
Below Gavin Duerson shares the vision of the Simple Church Alliance and challenges simple church leaders to consider how specifically God is asking them to live out the Great Commission. We would love to hear from you about how you are led to answer the questions Gavin asks in the video! Please email us at simplechurchalliance@gmail.com
Read MoreThe Telephone Game and the Reliability of the Gospels
Are we crazy for believing the stories in the Bible? Are we to be pitied more than all men (as the Bible itself suggests we are if the stories are not true)? Is it more reasonable to believe that, like in the telephone game, the story we have down on paper is nothing like what really happened in the beginning? In a recent conversation with a friend about the reliability of the Bible, the telephone game argument came up. I really appreciated the honesty of my friend in sharing his doubts. The truth is that he simply was articulating a doubt that I think haunts many believers. In the telephone game a person whispers a message to a friend, it’s passed around...
Read MoreExplain Simple Church In 2 Minutes On A Napkin
In our “Introduction” section we have included a few of our favorite videos that explain what simple church is, how it functions, and why we feel it’s important to encourage in the region. I recently added the video below to the list. Perhaps it can help you to better understand what simple church is all about and serve as a tool for you when sharing the idea with friends and family?
Read MoreKeep It Simple Podcast!
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