I was introduced to the idea of simple church this year. After meeting with Gavin a few times, I started a simple church in the honors dorm at UK. Meeting twice a week, we attracted dozens of brilliant students that had written off church for life.
After school ended for summer, this incredible group of people created an online bible study that met three times a week online using a video conference site called Google+. In July I left for Hong Kong, and gave the administrative responsibilities for the group to Steven, a man who had never read the Bible before summer 2013. By the end of the summer, the group had read Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, John and Matthew. The Spirit was moving powerfully in my friends’ lives, and fruit was evident already.
Fall semester this year was difficult for us. School and work overburdened our schedules, and we learned firsthand the commitment and attitude we have to take to sustain a community for Christ at campus. After months of silence, the group reconvened in November and started meeting at a bagel shop close to campus. This proved instrumental in keeping the group together. In late December, our group has decided to start two new ones in dorms across campus.
Every turn that our group has taken has been completely unpredictable and shocking. Some of us feared we would dissolve at any moment, but opportunity after opportunity arrived, and we took hold of them. I am utterly amazed at how God worked in our lives this year.
This year truly has been an unparalleled time fo growth for all of us in our relationship and knowledge of Christ. Simple church created an environment where this growth could occur; without it, I would be a different person today. Our group has been a lifeline, a place of rest, a place of wisdom, a place of growth.This is what simple church is to us.
Our Year In Simple Church (part 4) By Luke Long http://t.co/cfzwapxyN7