I have read several books about simple church this year. These books have helped me, but my deepest lessons have come through actually “doing” simple church. I would like to share a few truths I’ve learned during the course of the past year:
* God is at work in the United States (and specifically in Kentucky) initiating a discipleship/simple church movement.
* My family and I can obediently express our faith outside the traditional church structures.
* Observing the Lord’s Table together with the Body, within the context of a meal, is more powerful and rich in meaning than I thought possible.
* The challenges involved with including children in simple church gatherings are insignificant when compared to the blessing they are to the community.
* The traditional church CAN play a significant role in launching simple churches.
* Simple church is simple in form, but difficult at times to live.
* For simple church to reproduce, it requires a willingness of all involved to continually live outside comfort zones.
* If we allow Him, Jesus can really lead a meeting and teach us when we gather for simple church.
* Simple church reproduction begins with disciple reproduction (and a Life Transformation Group is a great way of making disciples at the personal level!)
* Many people in our area have deeply embedded and resistant ideas about church which are not necessarily biblical.
* A husband’s and wife’s joint commitment to simple church is extremely important.
* It really is important for every believer to engage others in conversations about Jesus. This is how discipleship begins.
