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A Letter To A Church

In recent months, a simple church here in Lexington sent out a family to join a new family with the hopes of seeing a new simple church birthed.  It’s been very exciting to see how God is growing a new community of faith through the willingness of these families to “go” and not simply stay where they were most comfortable.  Recently, several members of the original  simple church wrote a creative letter of encouragement to this new simple church.  I was really impressed with the time and energy they put forth and I thought i would share it with you here.  Enjoy!  

Get The Picture?

At a recent simple church training, we discussed the importance of clearly communicating the values and vision of simple church. We challenged the leaders from each simple church to visualize simple church alliance. Below are a few of the images. How would you visualize simple church multiplication?

Simple Church Camp Out! (March 23-24)

Brice Burton in Somerset and Chris Phebus here in Lexington are going to head up a camping trip for simple church folks and their friends.   The camp out will take place near Somerset in the Daniel Boon National Forest.  You will be able to drive a car to the site.  We’ll have some mild hiking opportunities, caving, repelling, and there is a nice waterfall as well!  You can come for one night or two.  Tons of fun for whole family!!!  Contact Chris at Chris@phebusphotography.com to get signed up and included on all the details. View This Event On FACEBOOK

Easter Celebration!

The Simple Church Alliance will host an Easter Celebration Gathering on Easter Sunday, April 8th from 5PM to 7PM.  There will be a Communion Meal at 5pm followed by a time of celebrating our risen Savior through song, teaching, and fellowship!  We also hope to witness several baptisms this evening as well!  If you or someone you know would like to take part, please let us know.  We pray that you will be encouraged as you come alongside others participating in (or interested in) simple/organic/house church communities across the Bluegrass!  Please feel free to invite friends and family as well! The Simple Church Alliance will provide meat and beverages.  Please bring a side dish or dessert.  The Celebration will take place in the Gym at First Alliance at 2201 Old Higbee Mill Road, Lexington, KY.… Read More »Easter Celebration!

From Ordinary to Extroardinary: A note on the “Launch” (Audio)

A note on last Sunday’s official “launch” from First Alliance: I am very grateful to First Alliance Church for their encouraging words and support over the past year and a half and especially this past Sunday.  I only hope that ALL who are part of simple church felt encouraged and commissioned as Karla and I did.  My hope and prayer was that the focus of the “send off” was on Jesus and His call to all of us to go and make disciples.  I believe that for disciples and simple churches to multiply a bottom up, grassroots movement, must occur.  I’m convinced that leadership is a gift from God and a gift to the church and that Jesus’ leadership model was one of  servant leadership.  I believe strongly that discipleship and simple church multiplication is… Read More »From Ordinary to Extroardinary: A note on the “Launch” (Audio)

Launch Time!

If you are new to one of the simple churches in our area then it’s possible that you may not understand the role the people involved with First Alliance Church have played in helping us begin down the simple church path.  Not only have they made it possible for me to devote all of my energies to sharing the simple church vision with people in this region, but they have done something that I think is truly commendable:  Given permission.  By putting their blessing on the Simple Church Alliance, every member of their traditionally structured church as been encouraged to explore simple church.  In doing so they helped us all to embrace simple church as a response to God’s work in our world instead of a reaction to more traditional or institutional structures.  The leadership’s… Read More »Launch Time!

Women’s Retreat

From Karla Duerson: Women’s Retreat! Feb 24 Friday – Feb 25 Saturday 6:30 – 4:30 pm (EST) Bluegrass Christian Camp Athens Boonesboro, Lexington, KY, 40509 ———————————————— Maybe we will be having our own women’s retreat one of these days. I hope we do! In the meantime, I did want to invite you all to go to the FAC one at Bluegrass Christian Camp. I am signed up to attend. If there are some who want to go from our group, we are invited to stay at the Jirak’s home so we can make it “our own.” (The overnight accommodations at the camp are already filled). Here are the details from the FAC website: Refresh: Connection through Fellowship February 24-25 Bluegrass Christian Camp – Summit Retreat Center Take time away to listen, rest, talk, and refresh.… Read More »Women’s Retreat

Simple Church Cross Cultural Missions?

How can simple churches engage in God’s work outside of their oen cultural contexts?  Felicity Dale at simplychurch.com has written about this very subject and in a recent post writes: How are people in simple/organic churches currently actively engaging in cross-cultural missions? People move with their job. Because they already are familiar with simple church principles of mission (find a person of peace and start something around them), it is natural for them to make disciples and start churches in their new location. People go with a traditional denominational entity or other mission sending agency. They are supported financially in full or in part by their local simple/organic church or network of home churches. Again, they understand missional principles from their experience at home. People within organic church organize teams to go on short-term mission… Read More »Simple Church Cross Cultural Missions?

Like A Might Wave: Church Planting Movements (Video)

Below is a link to a video produced by the Southern Baptists explaining church planting movements (CPMs). Essentially, this video lays out why we believe that simple church is in fact a response to what God is doing throughout the world (and yes, here in the USA) rather than a reaction to traditional church structures. We pray that by God’s grace the ten common characteristics identified in CPMs around the world, as highlighted at the end of this video, would also exist throughout the simple churches in our region. May we see something like a “mighty wave” of God move through our community as in other parts of the world! Click to Watch Video (or copy and paste: http://www.imb.org/main/downloads/embedvideos.asp?flashvars=mvid=2109&mvidext=flv )  

Lessons Learned In 2011

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… Read More »Lessons Learned In 2011