Skip to content

simple church alliance

“New Life” and “Family” Testimonies

The following is an excerpt from our friends in Jessamine Co, Kate and Kaleb, who lead a couple of simple churches there!  God continues to do amazing things through their availability to young men and women in need.  Read their entire newsletter here. // What’s Been Happening? New Life! The best thing I can share with you from the last couple of months is that a young girl named Kailee gave her life to Christ. Here’s the simple version of the story that I’m sure started a big party in heaven. Kailee started coming to our Wednesday simple church a few… Read More »“New Life” and “Family” Testimonies

Network Easter Gathering – April 1

We want to invite all simple churches, their friends, and family throughout the region to come together this Easter Sunday morning (April 1st) for a time of worship and testimony! We are going to pack out The Prayer Room on Broadway for a lively morning of singing and stories of new life followed by a lunch at First Southern Bank Community Room for any and all who can join us! Worship and Stories of New Life! Have you or someone in your simple church experienced new life in Christ this past year?  Have they experienced a fresh start as a result of… Read More »Network Easter Gathering – April 1

Becoming A Church

Becoming a Church I often get to have conversations with people about the nature of a local church.  Some wonder, “Is my Bible study or small group a local church?  Why or why not?  Could we become a church?”  Even if not asked explicitly, these questions may tumble around in hearts and minds as we collectively wrestle with what it means to be the Body of Christ. – I have mentioned Zumé Project before and how many Christians find it to be a helpful tool in seeing the formation of disciple-making simple churches.  In the appendix of the Zumé Guidebook, there is… Read More »Becoming A Church

2017 Year End Letter

Friends, Several years ago I had the picture in my mind of a harbor filled with families working to load up their belongings and family members into a multitude of sailboats. They each were getting in position to leave. They were not coming back. Each boat was filled with their family and friends and they were setting out on an incredible journey–a journey that no doubt would be filled with hardship and adventure, challenges and exploration of the unknown. Boats were loaded and friends and family were in place as they raised the sails. There was a slight breeze that… Read More »2017 Year End Letter

Evaluating Your Simple Church (Part 1)

Evaluating Your Simple Church (Part 1) By Gavin Duerson How do we evaluate our simple church community?  We may shy away from examining ourselves because we can be afraid of what we will find.  However, when handled properly, taking time to assess your simple church can help your community grow into all that God desires for it to be. Jesus encouraged personal reflection and evaluation (Luke 10) as did the early disciples (1 Cor. 11).  Many of the letters we read in the New Testament include evaluations of the church’s activity.  Because God loves us and wants us to grow closer to Him, we should… Read More »Evaluating Your Simple Church (Part 1)

June 4 – Network Worship By The Creek

Please join friends of simple church for an awesome evening on Hickman Creek as we enjoy a time of worship and fellowship with our extended friends and family!   TIME: Sunday, June 4, 6-9 pm Music: We are inviting simple churches from the region to lead us in a set of worship songs.  If you or you simple church is interested, please let us know! RSVP: If you help lead a simple church, then please RSVP for the total number of folks coming with your group.  If you are not connected to a simple church community, then just RSVP for you,… Read More »June 4 – Network Worship By The Creek

Simple Church Tithe?

Recently, a blog post by John Piper about tithing the local church caught my attention for two reasons. First, John Piper stated that he would never say “you must give your tithe to my church.” I affirm this in regard to simple church and I appreciate this statement from one of the nation’s leaders in the legacy church.  Indeed, Piper points out in this article that the Bible offers no justification for a mandated 10% tithe to a local congregation. Secondly, his comments about giving to the local church highlight one of the blessings, if not advantages, of giving in a simple church:… Read More »Simple Church Tithe?

What A Night!

Thanks to everyone who made it out last night to our Simple Church Alliance network Christmas gathering!  It was a great time and I only wish I could have spent more time getting to know all the new folks a bit more and connecting with old friends! …Hopefully we will see everyone again soon in 2017! * You can check out some photos from last night HERE. (if you have some good ones please shoot them to me if you don’t mind!) * We recorded the music and hope to have “A Simple Church Christmas Vol.2” available by next Oct.  You can download Vol. 1… Read More »What A Night!

Baptisms and Such

God has been moving! The past six weeks have been some of the fullest, most rewarding, and most draining times of our lives and certainly of our ministry. Since the middle of September we have seen eight young people profess faith in Jesus as Savior and step into the waters of baptism. To put this in perspective, in the previous year we had baptized four people, all of which were amazing stories of redemption. During the past few weeks though, God has really been doing some cool stuff…..early church in the book of Acts type of stuff! Our gatherings have… Read More »Baptisms and Such