Skip to content

Gavin Duerson

husband. dad. simple church alliance. inside joke music.

Moving from Solitude to Community to Ministry

“By community, I don’t mean formal communities. I mean families, friends, parishes, twelve-step programs, prayer groups. Community is not an organization; community is a way of living: you gather  around you people with whom you want to proclaim the truth that we are the beloved sons and daughters of God.” – Henri Nouwen One unique aspect of our simple church is that we have two small children in our community with the rare genetic disorder—Trisomy 18. As we have learned to be parents to our daughter Wylie and witnessed God reveal Himself through her amazing life, we have continually been… Read More »Moving from Solitude to Community to Ministry

Thy Kingdom Come: Living in Light of Heaven’s Reality

Introduction: A Future Hope That Shapes Our Present When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we say the words, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” But have we ever stopped to consider what that truly means? How does our understanding of God’s kingdom shape the way we live today? For many of us, the concept of a kingdom can feel foreign. We live in a democratic society where the idea of a king is often associated with oppression. But Jesus is a different kind of King—one who is loving, all-knowing, and self-sacrificing. He… Read More »Thy Kingdom Come: Living in Light of Heaven’s Reality

Tony Campolo

I just learned that Tony Campolo passed away. When I was a new believer in high school, I heard Tony speak a few times and was encouraged greatly by his enthusiasm for following Jesus. I ended up devouring many of his books. I remember being inspired to serve Christ with my whole life a few times when I heard him speak. One particular time, I remember accidentally stumbled into this music festival at Six Flags in Georga, and there he was, passionately pleading with the crowd to follow Jesus. It was a significant moment in my early Christian life. During… Read More »Tony Campolo

Christmas Celebration Gathering December 15

Join simple/house/organic church communities from the area for a special Christmas celebration potluck on Sunday, December 15th, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. We invite all to come ready to share stories of what God has done this year and celebrate the birth of Christ together. Drinks and meat will be provided, so plan to bring a side dish and/or dessert. We will have a meal and time to share stories and Christmas carols. Please feel free to bring a friend! Location:  First Southern National Bank, 3060 Harrodsburg Road, Lexington, KY 40503.  Please park in the rear of the building and… Read More »Christmas Celebration Gathering December 15

Update: Network Gathering Sept 29 / Retreat deadline / more…

Fall Network Gathering   On Sunday, September 29th at 11 AM we will have a fall network gathering for all simple church friends!  Come together for a bring-your-own picnic lunch at Camp Kearney in the back of Jacobson Park in Lexington!  Note that some picnic tables are available.  We do have indoor space if the weather doesn’t cooperate.  Please take this opportunity to bring a frisbee, a football, or anything you and your kids might enjoy doing outside (Bikes? Fishing poles? hammock?). Perhaps this could be a great way to introduce a friend to simple church? We will pull folks… Read More »Update: Network Gathering Sept 29 / Retreat deadline / more…

2024 Simple Church Retreat Oct 19-20

Come to Stanford, Kentucky’s second oldest town this year to connect with and learn alongside simple/house/organic church practitioners from around the region at the 2024 Simple Church Retreat/Conference October 19-20! Since 2012, we have hosted an annual overnight opportunity for Christians asking similar questions to come together for a time of equipping and encouragement—questions like: What is a church really and how simple can it be? What are the challenges we would need to overcome in order to be a part of a simple/house church? Am I even allowed to start a house church and if so how does that… Read More »2024 Simple Church Retreat Oct 19-20

Updates & Prayer Requests

* We recently hosted author Wayne Jacobsen and his wife Sara for a day retreat/conversation. I was blown away by the response with almost fifty folks joining us in Lexington from as far away as Oregon, Texas, Arkansas, and Tennessee! I also was grateful that so many families in the region discovered us and connected with other believers.  We continue to witness a growing hunger for people to “find church” outside the box! If you are not familiar with Wayne, he helped contribute to the book The Shack; however, I highly encourage checking out the books Finding Church, He Loves… Read More »Updates & Prayer Requests

The Power of a Quiet Life

I wanted to make a short post encouraging all here to check out this recent message from Francis Chan: The Power of a Quiet Life. I am speaking at a baccalaureate service for Allan County Scottsville high school this Sunday (prayers appreciated) and in preparation have been thinking of many of the ideas that Francis shares in this talk. It is such a timely message for all of us! If you find yourself feeling the pressure to constantly update the world about your life on social media or if you are someone who just wonders if your life is big… Read More »The Power of a Quiet Life

A Conversation With Wayne and Sara Jacobsen – June 1 (ALMOST FULL)

NOTE:  ONLY A FEW SPOTS LEFT! On Saturday, June 1st we will host a conversation with Wayne and Sara Jacobsen here in Lexington, KY from 10am to 4pm.  Our conversation will address many of the topics in Wayne’s writings including the books Finding Church and He Loves Me. Over the past several years, I have handed out more copies of Wayne’s book Finding Church than any other as I have sought to encourage others to see the New Testament church in a simpler light.  What is more, Wayne has really helped me understand the vital connection between understanding the nature of… Read More »A Conversation With Wayne and Sara Jacobsen – June 1 (ALMOST FULL)

Good Friday Gathering – March 29 6:30PM

Simple Church Alliance Friends… We are hosting a worship gathering on Good Friday, March 29 at 6:30 PM at The Prayer Room on Broadway in Lexington (1218 South Broadway, Lexington, KY)! We’d love to have you join us! We will have coffee and some light refreshments. RSVP’s are appreciated. If you would like to share a song, testimony, or Easter related reading come prepared to do so! Feel free to contact us if you have any questions! See you on March 29th!