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Invitation to Rest (by Karla Duerson)

It started like the sunrise–warm, gentle, faithful, quiet and full of beauty. You know how God works: He strings along a message like a strand of pearls–unmistakable and full of grace and glory. I think it began with rereading The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry in which John Mark Cromer encourages the reader to slow to the pace of Jesus. He poses a question, “What has happened to the personal quiet time?” He wonders if the QT was abandoned as a legalistic relic of the late 1990s. “Let’s bring it back.” He concludes. I felt a nudge in my heart like… Read More »Invitation to Rest (by Karla Duerson)

Retreat Wrap-up

On September 25th and 26th, we resumed our annual Simple Church Retreat. Having missed this yearly time of fellowship, gathering with other simple church leaders again at the Stanford Inn at Wilderness Road was so refreshing. We spent the weekend reading and reflecting on a great little book by Henry Nouwen entitled In the Name of Jesus. Almost prophetically, Nouwen describes the kind of leader the church will need in the 21st century–lessons he learned once moving as a priest to a home for adults with disabilities. Kaleb Phillips, a dear friend and fellow simple church leader in Nicholasville, recommended… Read More »Retreat Wrap-up

Simple Church Retreat (Sept. 25-26) Registration Deadline Friday!

“In total there are currently (mid 2021) at least 22.6 million house churches worldwide with a total of around 300 million members. They are, considering all internal and contextual factors, by far the most viral, adaptable and multipliable segment of Christ‐followers globally. If their number continues to grow at a very realistic rate of 20% per year, they will reach a membership of more than 4 billion people within the next 30 years – while most traditional church systems are in overall decline.” – Wolfgang Simson You Are Invited! Karla and I would like to invite you to join us and others from simple… Read More »Simple Church Retreat (Sept. 25-26) Registration Deadline Friday!

2021 Simple Church Retreat (September 25-26)

Karla and I would like to invite you to join us and others from simple church communities across the region this September 25-26, at the Stanford Inn at Wilderness Road.  My prayer is that this time will serve to refresh and encourage you as we seek clarity about what Jesus is up to in our day.  In the spirit of simple church, there will not be long presentations to sit through, but rather conversations to explore and relationships to discover and develop with others whose pursuit of Christ has led them (or may be leading them) outside the religious institutions that… Read More »2021 Simple Church Retreat (September 25-26)

Live Not By Lies – Book Discussion (Part 2) – July 25

Simple Church Alliance will host a book discussion on Live Not By Lies – A Manual For Christian Dissidents (Second Half of Book) by Rob Dreher (author of The Benedict Option) Sunday, July 25th, 2021 // 6PM-7:30PM 3060 Harrodsburg Road (First Southern Nat’l Bank, 2nd Floor) A light dinner will be provided and we do ask that you RSVP for this discussion by emailing us here. Part 2 – Resisting Soft Totalitarianism This month’s discussion we will focus on the second half of the book Live Not By Lies.  We will examine the ways Christians in the past have survived totalitarian… Read More »Live Not By Lies – Book Discussion (Part 2) – July 25

Live Not By Lies – A Book Discussion – May 23rd

Simple Church Alliance will host a book discussion on Live Not By Lies – A Manual For Christian Dissidents by Rob Dreher (author of The Benedict Option). Sunday, May 23rd, 2021 // 6PM-7:30PM 3060 Harrodsburg Road (First Southern Nat’l Bank, 2nd Floor) A light dinner will be provided and we do ask that you RSVP for this discussion by emailing us here. Why this book? A friend in simple church recently passed this book along to me. I have enjoyed a number of good discussions since then regarding the assertions and warnings presented in the book.  Are we living in  a… Read More »Live Not By Lies – A Book Discussion – May 23rd

Discovery Bible Study in Simple Church

From my experience, a major obstacle standing in the way of many Christians engaging in discipleship, leading Bible Study, or helping start a simple church is the perception that they are an unqualified Bible scholar.  While deepening knowledge and understanding of Scripture is to be desired, the lie that we are not qualified is major tool of the enemy in keeping Christians from helping friends and family understand God’s Word and grow in their faith. However, for centuries missionaries have  helped new believers in places where no such qualified teachers exists to quickly and simply learn and teach others the… Read More »Discovery Bible Study in Simple Church

Spring Network Gathering – April 10

UPDATE: We are good Saturday… Rain or Shine!  If rain, we will be in the large “tabernacle” on there grounds with plenty of space to spread out to your comfort level.  Plus putt putt will be indoors too!   Simple Church Friends, The Saturday after Easter (April 10th) we will host a Spring Network Gathering at Adventure Serve in Wilmore, KY!  We will be outside in their amphitheater and enjoy music, prayer, and and time of encouragement.  Also, Adventure Serve was the recipient of a portable Putt-Putt golf course and since it’s Masters Tournament weekend, I thought we’d have a golf… Read More »Spring Network Gathering – April 10

Sending Out the Roberts Family

Shortly after starting Simple Church Alliance, God placed our family right in the middle of a unique simple church community–the skate church with the Roberts family. I met Josh Roberts after hosting a the local skate shop in my backyard for a cookout and skating on our ramp. One of the kids on the team mentioned attending Josh Roberts’ baptism and how Josh’s life had radically changed. I knew I had to meet him.  Less than twenty four hours later, I was sitting with Josh at a local skate park hearing his story of how God grabbed his attention at a… Read More »Sending Out the Roberts Family

Simple Church Introduction Workshop

Saturday, March 27 / 9-11AM / 3060 Harrodsburg Road, Lexington, KY (First Southern National Bank 2nd Floor) / Free Breakfast provided. Covid-19 is teaching us many lessons about the modern faith community experience. Many sense that our experience of “church” will need to change if we are to learn from the realities that Covid-19 has exposed. Join us as we re-consider the New Testament church, discuss possible lessons we can learn going forward and how Jesus and his church can be experienced in simpler ways that can meet the challenges of a post Covid-19 world! During this workshop you will:… Read More »Simple Church Introduction Workshop