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Every “Christian” Couple Should Talk About This

As my wife Karla and I have had the opportunity for informal premarital counseling experiences with several young couples, our own marriage has been strengthened as we have helped guide others through the process of answering some important questions: “Where will we live?”  “How will we raise our children?”  “How will we handle our finances?”   I believe that a continual open dialogue about these questions and others are essential for the unity of husband and wife as well as enjoyment of the marriage relationship.  For Christians, however, there is one question that precedes all of these important marriage questions.  I find, though, that this one gets much less attention than it deserves. “How are we, as a couple/family, going to actively participate in the Great Commission?” Even more specifically, I like to ask the… Read More »Every “Christian” Couple Should Talk About This

A Letter From Karla and Gavin

Dear Friends and Family, Here we are at the end of one year and the cusp of another. As we reflect on 2014, we are moved to express our gratitude to you. We wake up and get to do what we are doing because of the great love and support we receive from you. We continue to serve with the faithful pioneers of Simple Church Alliance. We have been trusting God together with this endeavor for four years. In 2014, we have enjoyed celebrating marriages including Kye and Kendall’s beautiful ceremony on the Wheeler’s farm and Dirk and Charity Joy’s in historic Lexington. Our friends Lindy, Katherine, and Emmalee were baptized. Leaders from here and across the globe gathered for our third conference at Asbury. Preparations are being made for more babies and more marriages.… Read More »A Letter From Karla and Gavin

Form Follows Life

“Planning, building, and organizing is so engrained into our way of life, that we are certain that if we put the externals in place then life will flow.” – Simple Church Journal

My Gripes About The House Church Movement (Guest Blog)

My pastor friend has the answers for the wrong complaints. He should listen to what is really wrong with the House Church movement. From people within it. From those road-testing the new models. Kicking the tires. He should listen to me. Because I have some gripes about the House church movement. I need to vent them. And he needs to hear them. Here they are:

New Day of Month For Simple Church Trainings

Simple Church Training – Now on the THIRD THURSDAY OF EACH MONTH. UPDATE:  See HERE FOR DETAILS FOR JUNE 19! Each month we gather together for an informal “training” of sorts.  We find that providing an opportunity for those seeking to lead simple churches (or just looking for the encouragement to start) is helpful in encouraging one another and helping rotationally connect various simple churches.  There are now a couple of different simple church communities that primarily are gathering on Wednesday nights so we thought we would give thursday nights a shot so that some of those folks can benefit from the training opportunities.  Starting in June, we will shift our day to the third thursday of the month.  Same start time and place – 6-8pm at 3060 Harrodsburg Road.  So the next several training… Read More »New Day of Month For Simple Church Trainings

8 Ways To Start A Simple Church

There is no formula for how to start a simple church.  The Holy Spirit must be the Initiator and Leader if a real church community is to be birthed.  Even still, I have seen several ways God can use you to give birth to a new simple church family! 1. LTG – As you and a friend or two begin a Life Transformation Group (LTG) and you see that LTG multiply into two LTGs, a simple church can be formed. It’s logical and natural that you say, “why don’t we all share a meal together?” If married, the husband’s and wife’s LTGs can come together weekly for simple church! There are many advantages to this because the multiplication of disciples is the building block of the new simple church! 2. Just Start Gathering – Sometimes… Read More »8 Ways To Start A Simple Church

6500 New Churches A Year Needed?

Note: Originally posted on March 10, 20011 – This post continues to be one of my most recommended posts to those wrestling with the “Why simple church?” question.     Several years ago, a good friend recommended this post at www.plantingchurches.org. Here is an excerpt: According to census data, the population of the US currently is roughly 300 million.  In 2050, they project that they the population will be 400 million.  While many surveys suggest that 40% of Americans attend a church service regularly, that number is largely inflated.  According to David T. Olson’s book, The American Church in Crisis, in 2005 the number was closer to 17.5%.  That seems more realistic to me.  Multiple studies have also suggested that about 4,000 churches close their doors annually.  So let’s play with those numbers a little.… Read More »6500 New Churches A Year Needed?

Beachheads – A Guest Blog by Joseph Horevay (Neo House Church Network)

Beachheads The early hours of June 6, 1944 the Axis defenders saw, through the early morning haze off the Normandy Coast, a vast armada of Allied ships carrying hopeful liberators to those occupied shores. That wicked empire was secure as long as freedom’s defenders remained on distant shores. As young men dashed from plywood transports onto the blood soaked sands of invasion beaches named Juno, Omaha, Sword and Gold a watching world finally obtained the hope that the oppressor’s jack-boot would at last be removed from beloved homelands. A beachhead is the first fruit of invasion, a foothold that precedes liberation. Beginnings Reneé and I walked carefully along the grid of unpaved streets of Capricorn, a squalid, crowded “unofficial” township outside the margins of Cape Town, South Africa. With four young missionaries we traversed these… Read More »Beachheads – A Guest Blog by Joseph Horevay (Neo House Church Network)

How Would You Answer?

“I really want to start following Jesus…what should I do?”  If a friend asked you this question today, how would you respond?  For me this scenario highlights the “church” paradigm shift that has transpired in my life and touches on a key reason why I believe so strongly in the simple church journey. For most of my life, I have thought the appropriate response to a disciple would look a little like this checklist: –“Find a good church”–maybe mine, maybe another if it would be a better fit. –Set up a meeting with the pastor of the church to talk about membership and getting baptized. –Check into various ministries in which to serve and meet other people with similar interests who are also following Jesus. –Start regular Bible reading–maybe I would even recommend a place… Read More »How Would You Answer?