Skip to content

Blog

Simple Church Alliance Blog

Back 2 Basics (Part 2) – Keep it Simple Podcast #129

What practically are the basics when it comes to functioning as simple church? How do we let Jesus truly be the leader of the church and our times together as a church family? In part two, Tom and Gavin discuss the practical implications associated with experiencing the church family as people following King Jesus together!  Help the algorithms like this podcast by liking, subscribing, commenting, and sharing this episode on platform of your choice.  Thanks!   YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/4akPPQ4ypNE Also available in audio only: Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/show/6hIJbIDV340lDCXSAa1l10?si=03923399655a4de7 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/keep-it-simple-a-simple-church-podcast/id767718695?i=1000556808547 Visit the podcasts website: www.keepitsimplepodcast.com More information on simple church here: www.SimpleChurchAlliance.com

Back 2 Basics (Part 1) – Keep It Simple Podcast #128

What do we mean when we talk about house church, organic church, or simple church?  I’m really excited to share these next two episodes with everyone as Tom and I discuss this foundational question!  Today, a lot of folks mean a lot of different things when they talk about “church” and specifically house church.  In fact, my understanding of church and the role the local house church plays within the Kingdom of God has changed over my 10+ year house church expedition.  In this two part series Tom and I will go “back to the basics” of what it exactly we are learning regarding simple church.   I hope these videos help you in your journey!  If so, please like and subscribe to us on YouTube, Spotify, ApplePodcast, etc and leave questions and comments on… Read More »Back 2 Basics (Part 1) – Keep It Simple Podcast #128

Good Friday Worship and Prayer (Network Gathering)

You are invited to a Good Friday worship and prayer gathering on April 15th from 6:30-8pm!  Let’s come together this Good Friday at the Prayer Room on Broadway in Lexington, KY!  Local house church friends will lead this time of worship and prayer. If you would like to share a poem, song, or scripture during this time, come prepared to share it. We hope you can join us! This event is for all in the city and especially those of us in simple/house/organic church communities that are looking to connect and worship with others in the region.  RSVP’s are welcome but not required.  If you would like to learn more about the Simple Church Alliance and how we seek to connect and serve simple/house/organic church communities, visit www.simplechurchalliance.com or contact Gavin Duerson here. Prayer Room… Read More »Good Friday Worship and Prayer (Network Gathering)

Deconstructing – Keep it Simple #127

Christians “deconstructing” their faith has garnered a lot of attention recently.  In this new episode of Keep it Simple: A Simple Church Podcast, Tom and Gavin this trend and ask several questions that are relevant to those in simple church…

Mars Hill – Keep it Simple Podcast #136

The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill, a recent podcast produced by Christianity Today has generated a lot of discussion among those interested in the Church. In the most recent episode of Keep It Simple: A Simple Church Podcast, Tom and Gavin discuss this podcast and extract lessons for those of us in simple church. Please like and subscribe to our YouTube channel to make sure you get all the videos of the podcast as we reboot it on this platform. You can listen online at our website: http://www.keepitsimplepodcast.com  Listen and subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3KxxijeLM1ZdhdiISYm2HQ?si=d468d1720f9d49f7 Listen and subscribe on Apple Music: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/keep-it-simple-a-simple-church-podcast/id767718695?i=1000552597297 Please leave a comment on Youtube or below and let us know your thoughts!YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/GiJyoBzEWqg    

Network Gathering – Back 2 Basics Breakfast – Feb.19

Join simple church friends and family from the region for a Back2Basics Breakfast where we will enjoy food and a conversation about the basics of simple church. This is an excellent opportunity for anyone interested in the idea of simple church to meet others following Christ in simple/organic ways and have their questions answered. We encourage all who are a part of a simple church to join as well as your experience will certainly contribute to the discussion! We hope you will consider joining us. We do ask for RSVPs to be emailed to us here as we want to make sure to have enough coffee and food! If you have questions let us know. It should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway… No strings attached! We simply want to provide a connecting… Read More »Network Gathering – Back 2 Basics Breakfast – Feb.19

Support Simple Church Alliance

Friends, I cannot thank you enough for supporting our family and the ministry of simple church.  A gift to Simple Church Alliance allows me to serve in the role I do and it has enabled me to navigate a very tumultuous time for our family these past two years as we have been in and out of the hospital with Wylie. Thanks to all who have supported us in this special way.  We are eternally grateful. The past year has been a challenging but wonderful year and we could not be more grateful to still be here after ten years of offering support, mentorship, and encouragement to those seeking to follow Christ “outside the box!”  In many ways,  2022 will begin a new chapter for Simple Church Alliance!  We would be honored for you to partner… Read More »Support Simple Church Alliance

A Joyful Feast as an Act of War?- A liturgy for feasting with friends

This liturgy was shared by my wife Karla at our dinner table this past weekend and also with our church family in our home Sunday morning.  It’s found in a book series entitled Every Moment Holy and also available for download on their website www.everymomentholy.com.  The series focuses on liturgies for every day life.  A reading such as the one below can be a great exercise for a simple church community to share together.  In this “liturgy for feasting with friends,” a picture of what simple church gatherings can be is painted in the opening sentence–a picture that I think is worth imagining.  McKelvey suggests that “feasting and all enjoyments gratefully taken are, at their heart, acts of war.” It is certainly true that when we gather we are building one another up and encouraging… Read More »A Joyful Feast as an Act of War?- A liturgy for feasting with friends

Thankful

On Thanksgiving day we headed to Berea to spend Thanksgiving with our family.  It was Wylie’s first Thanksgiving at her grandmothers.  Jesus often explained that forgiveness of our sin was a greater miracle than those involving earthly matters. In light of seeing my car yesterday and the taking the pictures above, It made me think of just how incredible his forgiveness truly is.  His earthly intervention on behalf of Karla, Neva, and Wylie this Thanksgiving was no small matter!  Here is how Karla put it: Raise your hand if you love trees! Well, I do. My attention has been drawn to them even more after reading Matthew Sleeth’s book Reforesting Faith. In it, he states that of all living things mentioned in the Bible, people are first and trees are second. Every major event is… Read More »Thankful

Keep It Simple Podcast #125 – A Long Overdue Update

Hello Friends! Tom and I are rebooting the podcast and will be giving YouTube a try in addition to Apple Podcasts and Stitcher (hopefully Spotify soon as well). We started this podcast many years ago as an excuse for Tom and I to get together and discuss issues that we were encountering through simple church. Surprisingly, several of you have followed along and shared with us how this has encouraged you in your journey. We even have made some friends a long the way because of these discussions! I do look forward to this new season of the podcast and discussing several topics that are on my heart as well as any topics or questions you may have! – Gavin YouTube Description: Tom and Gavin are back after a long delay to reboot the podcast… Read More »Keep It Simple Podcast #125 – A Long Overdue Update