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Simple Church Gathering

Summer Celebration Gathering – August 17

Sunday, August 17 // 5-9PM // Bluegrass Christian Camp, Athens KY // 7463 Athens Boonesboro Rd, Lexington, Kentucky 40509 The Simple Church Alliance is a network or “alliance” of people following Jesus outside the traditional “church” path.  Simple churches are small, reproducible families of faith who get together weekly in homes, parks, and cafes to have a meal with Jesus and encourage one another.  Four to five times a year we invite those involved in simple churches along with their friends and neighbors to come together larger family of people involved in simple church communities across the region. On Sunday… Read More »Summer Celebration Gathering – August 17

The Lords Supper – The Reason We Gather?

The meal is potluck, or as we jokingly say, “pot-providence.”  Everyone brings food to share with everyone else.  When the weather is nice, all the food is placed on a long folding table outside.  A chest full of ice sits beside the drink table.   Kids run wildly around.  They are having so much fun that they must be rounded up by parents and encouraged to eat.  After a prayer of thanksgiving is offered, people line up, talking and laughing as they load their plates with food.  In the middle of all the food sits a single loaf of bread next… Read More »The Lords Supper – The Reason We Gather?

Communion Lessons: Childlike Humility

By Karla Duerson Gavin asked today, “In what way does God want me to be more childlike in my humility?” referring to Matthew 18:2-4 from the Bible.  Nothing personal came to mind at first.  Then later when I was cleaning up from our Simple Church gathering, something came. It was a new thought based on a familiar dilemma.  Normally, after everyone leaves I busily and easily put all the dishes in the washer, scrape the leftovers into the garbage disposal, put the toys in the bin, place books on the shelf, but then I come to the elements.  I go… Read More »Communion Lessons: Childlike Humility

Why Do You Gather With Your Simple Church Family?

Why do you gather with your simple church family? I think this question is very important for all believers—especially those of us in simple church—to consider.  How we answer this question reveals our motives and sets our expectations when gathering with our brothers and sisters.   Do you come together to be fed? Do you come together to receive? Do you come together so you can be heard? Do you come together so you can check your box? Do you come together to put others in their place? Do you come together to air your complaints? Do you come together… Read More »Why Do You Gather With Your Simple Church Family?

Why Not One Another Each Other?

Why Not One Another Each Other? – a simple way of thinking about how to spend time with your simple church family!  As I meet with people transitioning to simple church one of the more common questions I get is “What are we supposed to do when we meet together?”  This question is understandable as “what we do at church” each week is usually determined by the church staff and that, for the most part, has not veered to far from the Opening Prayer-Opening Song-Announcements-More Songs-Special Song-Sermon-Offering-Closing Song-Closing Prayer format–regardless if you attend a small church or a mega church.  Of… Read More »Why Not One Another Each Other?

Last Sundae – A Story of Healing (Updated!)

October 12, 2012: I thought I would briefly share a story from our simple church gathering last week: There is a couple in our simple church that have a tremendous desire to reach out to their neighbors.  They are prayerful about seeing a simple church birthed in their neighborhood, and while they patiently wait for that day to arrive, they have been busy loving their neighbors in the name of Jesus (and even some of my neighbors!)  One man on their street has cancer and they asked him if he and his family would like to receive prayer for before… Read More »Last Sundae – A Story of Healing (Updated!)

End of Summer Celebration – Aug. 19

This is a time for fellowship, worship, encouragement, and sharing a meal with others on a similar path. We hope that you can join us as we come together and remind one another that not alone in the journey with Christ outside what many would consider the traditional church route.

So What Are We Going To Do When We Meet?

As we approach what I am calling the “soft launch” of a simple church network (Jan 16), questions concerning what exactly we are going to do when we meet seem to keep surfacing. Perhaps you are wondering this as well? It’s amazing how tempting it can be to try and answer this question for everyone. So far on this journey, I’ve become increasingly aware of how much we (including myself) like to have our spiritual lives dictated to us.  Just come to ____.  Just read _____.  Just do _____.  Just pray like ____.  Just worship God like _____. We like… Read More »So What Are We Going To Do When We Meet?