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2017 Year End Letter

Friends, Several years ago I had the picture in my mind of a harbor filled with families working to load up their belongings and family members into a multitude of sailboats. They each were getting in position to leave. They were not coming back. Each boat was filled with their family and friends and they were setting out on an incredible journey–a journey that no doubt would be filled with hardship and adventure, challenges and exploration of the unknown. Boats were loaded and friends and family were in place as they raised the sails. There was a slight breeze that began to blow. However, they knew that a powerful wind was coming and when it did, they would be ready to move. Call this a “vision.” Call it a thought or picture. Call it crazy.… Read More »2017 Year End Letter

Christmas Gathering Dec. 17

This year, we will return to downtown Lexington for a network wide Christmas celebration! Join us for an evening of fellowship and worship through Christmas songs and carols! In addition, we will join with friends from Bridges International! Bridges is a ministry to international students and families in the area.  Many international students come to the US with a desire to meet Americans and learn about Christianity but unfortunately never enter the home of a Christian while here.  Bridges International hopes seeks to give opportunities for Christians to build relationships with those visiting our universities.  We hope that this evening will be an excellent way for us to show hospitality to and share our faith and lives with many of those from around the world living here in our backyard.  Perhaps you will begin a friendship that… Read More »Christmas Gathering Dec. 17

Free Music: A Simple Church Christmas Vol. 2

I wanted to pass along this free download to A Simple Church Christmas Vol. 2! Every year we invite simple church communities and their friends to come together and celebrate Christ’s birth. In addition to enjoying fellowship and food, we have enjoyed sharing the story of Christmas through song. Several years ago we released volume one of these recordings and now I have for you volume two featuring recordings from our past two Christmas Celebrations! As we get ready for Christmas and our this year’s Simple Church Christmas Celebration on December 17th I wanted to edit and make these available!  We hope you enjoy them and these recordings become a wonderful soundtrack to your Christmas season!  We hope you can join us when we come together again on December 17! To Listen or Download 1. Click… Read More »Free Music: A Simple Church Christmas Vol. 2

Two Churches at The Same Time

One of the take-a-ways from my time with Lee Wood at our simple church conference was the simple concept of “two churches at the same time.” One of the biggest challenges for simple churches is grasping how we can be a committed and intimate community of believers that also grows into multiple simple churches.  Growing together and outward can seem at odds.  Often, our minds are bent toward the “splitting” (grow the group and then split it in half when it gets too big).  Others envision sending folks out of the group to start new groups as opportunities arise.  Because we perceive that both of these options neccesitate saying goodbye to those we love and enjoy, we can be consciously or subconsciously averse to both. This is where being in two churches at the same… Read More »Two Churches at The Same Time

Francis Chan – Rethinking Church (Video)

I’d like to thank my friend Brian for sharing this short video of Francis Chan “rethinking church.”  Francis Chan left his mega church about the same time we started down the simple church road and . observing his journey from mega church to multiplying house or simple churches has been encouraging!  Due to his prominent voice in the American church, he is also helping others who share his convictions find courage to explore church outside the box. In this video, he gives is a great 10 minute explanation of simple church and what we are trying to encourage here!  In recent posts we have discussed evaluating our churches.  Does your church family look like this?  What changes would have to be made in your life to help your church family function more like what Francis… Read More »Francis Chan – Rethinking Church (Video)

Evaluating Your Simple Church (Part 2)

In my last post, I discussed the importance of evaluating your simple church.  Today, I would like to suggest a guideline to help simple or house churches evaluate their communities.  Once again, the attitude and heart behind any evaluation is the most important part.  If not done with humility, love, and a desire to become all that Jesus desires for your community to be, attempts at evaluation can easily slide into a discouraging time where harsh judgment and legalistic remedies prevail.  Nonetheless, just as it would be important for a couple to communicate about ways they can improve their marriage and family, the same is true for the people who are the simple church. We can evaluate our simple church by examining the Church in the New Testament.  A passage that paints a picture of… Read More »Evaluating Your Simple Church (Part 2)

Evaluating Your Simple Church (Part 1)

Evaluating Your Simple Church (Part 1) By Gavin Duerson How do we evaluate our simple church community?  We may shy away from examining ourselves because we can be afraid of what we will find.  However, when handled properly, taking time to assess your simple church can help your community grow into all that God desires for it to be. Jesus encouraged personal reflection and evaluation (Luke 10) as did the early disciples (1 Cor. 11).  Many of the letters we read in the New Testament include evaluations of the church’s activity.  Because God loves us and wants us to grow closer to Him, we should not fear asking Him to lead us in a time of honest reflection and evaluation.  In the same way that failing to have our health evaluated regularly is a mistake, I believe failing to have regular spiritual… Read More »Evaluating Your Simple Church (Part 1)

WeAreChurch.com – Francis Chan

Recently a new friend asked if I knew about what Francis Chan was doing in California.  My friend thought that our work here sounded similar to “We Are Church,” The ministry Francis Chan started a few years ago.  So I visited their website and this is how they describe their “structure.”  What do you think? Now it’s one thing to identify these four values, but it’s certainly another thing to be part of a body that actually exhibits these qualities. In truth, these biblical values aren’t new at all, and many contemporary churches claim to pursue these values, but both the Bible and experience have shown that these qualities don’t just come about by accident. We pray that, by the Holy Spirit, God would guide the intentionality behind our church structure. Our structure isn’t perfect, and being… Read More »WeAreChurch.com – Francis Chan

“Church At The Home” by Susan & Jake Norris

I got involved with home church back in 1978 in Manchester, NH.  I’ve found that it’s been the greatest involvement with any group of people because of the focus on Jesus Christ. Living the word of God as a lifestyle and not a manmade religion, has made the difference in my ability to grow with God and get to know my Lord. When I walked in the room for the first time and heard the Bible being taught, I knew that this was what I had been looking for. I had come home. It was electric! I took some Bible classes to get familiar with some foundational Scriptures that opened up a whole new way of seeing things. I experienced a lot of healing when I went from using my own five senses, to walking by… Read More »“Church At The Home” by Susan & Jake Norris