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A “Radical” New Teaching Method Discovered?

Wired magazine has posted an article that examines how Sergio Juárez Correa in Mexico has been experimenting with a “radical new teaching method” that is having an amazing impact on his students.  As the western church continues to cling to many of the same ideas about education and discipleship found in modern academia, I think that we, the Church, would do well to rethink our ideas about learning as Sergio.  In fact, I think that the ideas about learning he “discovered” are really not new at all, but very much a return to the methods that Jesus used to make disciples in the New Testament.  The author summarizes Sergio’s ideas about learning this way: Knowledge isn’t a commodity that’s delivered from teacher to student but something that emerges from the students’ own curiosity-fueled exploration. Teachers provide… Read More »A “Radical” New Teaching Method Discovered?

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 course you could try this in simple church, but most have found that to be…well awkward.  So why not “one another each other?” Below is a list of the “one-another” and “each other” passages found… Read More »Why Not One Another Each Other?

Discipleship Tool: Life Transformation Groups

How do I make a disciple? Make no mistake: there is no formula or ten-step process for making disciples. However, when Jesus told His disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations,” I believe they understood what He meant. After all, they had been discipled by Jesus and had observed firsthand the way He made them His disciples. When it comes to making disciples, we can look to how Jesus discipled the apostles and how they replicated His methods as they discipled others. I addressed seven key principles here, but the first overarching principle I see in disciple-making is this: we seek to help others learn to depend on Jesus—not us—above all. Neil Cole helped me see a tangible context for applying Jesus’ way of discipleship today. Life Transformation Groups (LTGs) are simple, reproducible,… Read More »Discipleship Tool: Life Transformation Groups

Meeting Ideas (Part 1)

I wanted to share some abbreviated notes from Frank Viola’s book Finding Organic Church.  Perhaps it may encourage you as we “learn how to meet” together in our simple churches.  Please note that, to my knowledge, the Frank Viola that wrote this book is not the same Frank Viola that played for the Mets and signed the ball above. Chapter 15:  Learning How To Meet : Meeting Content 1) Sing Together – without instruments, without a song leader or a music leader, learn lots of new songs together. 2) Share Together – Viola suggests the following “share together” exercises for the first six months (it could vary in time depending on the number in your group.) Exercise 1: Life Story.  Each person share their life story including their testimony of how they came to faith… Read More »Meeting Ideas (Part 1)