SimpleChurch Journal

Simple Church Online Course: Register Now

You can now register for the upcoming “Simple/House Church Revolution Online Course.”

Beginning date is February 9.

NOTE, you can register immediately as there are only 15 spaces remaining on a first come, first served basis!

The goal of this course is for participants to discover more fully God's story and the nature of His church in a way that fully celebrates the freedom of the Gospel and the simplicity, reproducibility, and joy of simple, participatory, 24/7 church life.

• It’s interactive with lots of opportunity to share and hear from others who are on a similar journey.
• It provides a lot of great material that challenges our perspectives and paradigms in order to help us shape our own non-traditional journey.
• It can be life-changing as it sets our course as pursuers of Jesus in the context of simple church life.

Who is this course for?  It’s ideal for those who are newly exploring simple/house churches or who are in the process of starting simple/house churches or networks of simple/house churches.

This course helps move us from head knowledge to the practice of principles that can release the DNA of living, reproductive, Jesus-led, simple-house churches that are making disciples who make disciples.  

We continue to offer this course when possible because of the feedback we have received from people who have participated in the past:

"A unique and extremely insightful collection of resources, experiences, and other people who will finally let you know that you are not crazy for hoping that there is more of Jesus to be known and shared in a way that is actually simple."

Read more of the description and register here.  Look forward to this journey together!

New Directions for a New Year: Am I Open?

“The wind blows wherever it pleases; you hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.” John 3:8

You are likely reading this because you have demonstrated an openness to new paradigms and new leadings of God’s Spirit. Think of how God has changed your thinking in recent times about your church and ministry life:

• It’s about being God’s people 24/7 not attending a meeting
• It’s about a Jesus-lifestyle not an organization to belong to
• It’s about incarnating God into the world not attracting people to a clubhouse
• It’s about gathering in a participatory manner rather than being priest-led
• It’s about discipling by relationship rather than by program
• It’s about leadership that empowers and releases rather than controls

And with these new paradigms, you have likely stepped out of former places of ministry and church-going and explored new ways to walk life out as a follower of Jesus. You have learned to live the adventure of following God rather than living out of pre-determined programs.

But, it is a new year and God is ever on the move. What He led us into last year is only a stepping stone for where He wants to take us in the coming year. God calls us continually to fresh revelations and new directions because we are designed to be led by the Spirit of God. This means as soon as we find a new place to rest in, God is likely to move us on if we are listening.

My personal tendency is to take the direction and understanding from yesterday and camp out! Wherever I have been with God, that is where I want to stay. But God is far more dynamic and adventurous than that. He has more for me. He has more than I can ask for or imagine. But I must be willing to move with Him to enter into this year’s promised land.

“In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted.” Exodus 40:36-37

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” Isaiah 43:19

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 2 Corinthians 3:17

God has blessed the work we have been involved in on African soil. Teams of disciple-making, house-church planters and leaders are deployed in several different countries. But, I am so aware that I simply want to continue doing the same-same I have been doing. Why change? Why not replicate next year what God showed us last year? Because God continues to move on... and my heart is deeply challenged: am I open and willing to move with Him this coming year?

Waiting on God

Sometimes we wait. We don’t know what the next step is. We wait on God.

• We have left a church situation not knowing what is next, and now we wait.
• We want to connect organically with ‘house church’ people, but for today it has not happened, so we wait.
• We have promises God has given to us. Awesome promises. But, for now, we wait.
• We need a provision, or a healing, or a breakthrough. But up to now… we wait.

Though I personally do not like these times of waiting, I am in such a season now and this is not unusual. These are prime times in God’s economy in which He shapes us, re-shapes us, and most importantly, draws us close to Him.

God, let me use this season well. The purpose of waiting is not to deprive me, but to fill me with a greater abundance of You which is, in the end, the greatest gift of all. May I walk with you through to this fullness of Your life and presence that You desire for me and that truly meets each and every need of my heart and life.

Sure, the other end of the waiting will come. It always does. God is always faithful to lift us, bless us, and move us into the next and better season. His promises and purposes are always for our good. But, I also know that there is something deep happening during the waiting time itself when I allow my heart to open its receptors more fully to the presence, beauty, and life of God. Therefore, often this season delivers more into my heart and life then the promise fulfilled that I have been seeking.

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13

This is what God is speaking to me today during the waiting period. While I wait, I can do more than wait. I can seek Him. And that is more than enough when He is found by me. Let it be so. He never fails to meet us when He is the single, deep cry of our hearts. And that is enough.

The Call of God

(Re-posted from 10/16/12)

Some may still believe that the “call of God” is for those select few who have a ‘higher’ purpose than others: to be ‘in ministry,’ or to be ‘a pastor,’ or to serve in ‘fulltime Christian service’ as though there is any other way to live for Jesus.

Fortunately, one of the primary messages of God’s movement in simple/organic churches is the truth, and practical outworking, that all are equally called and gifted for the purposes God shaped each for.

However, just because we leave traditional church structures, it does not automatically follow that people will discover and move more deliberately in their calling or destiny.

First of all, calling and destiny in Christ are for the sake of the kingdom.  It’s not enough just to seek personal fulfillment and ‘doing what I’m made to do’ as though that is the end goal.  Yes, God has shaped us uniquely, but those special abilities, personalities, and gifts that we have been given are designed to be used in allegiance to Jesus and his kingdom purposes.  I don’t mean that we use them separate from the world.  No, we are meant to use them in the world and in all places where we live and interact.  But ultimately, as we submit our total self to God, we expect to see our uniqueness used in a way that reveals the Kingdom of God in word and/or deed and ultimately leads to disciples being made—people growing in their ability listen to and follow the voice of Jesus.

Secondly, our calling and destiny is often shaped most clearly by pain and difficulties.  This is something that is often resisted.  While we may follow the vision of another for a season, as we grow into our own uniqueness, a deeper, more personal calling always comes out of the brokenness that we walk through.  Oswald Chambers put it this way:

We take our own spiritual consecration and try to make it into a call of God, but when we get right with Him He brushes all this aside.  Then He gives us a tremendous, riveting pain to fasten our attention on something that we never even dreamed could be His call for us.  And for one radiant, flashing moment we see His purpose, and we say, “Here am I! Send me” (Isaiah 6:8).

Finally, our calling and destiny do not simply appear as we plow helter-skelter through life.  Rather, it becomes clearest as we find ourselves present to God Himself.  This is one of the benefits of getting our eyes off of ‘the church organization,’ or ‘the church leadership’ and onto Jesus.  As Leanne Payne says:

Saints of all ages have made it their business to be present to God, and out of this has sprung their truest vocation.  They become, therefore, the ones who blaze spiritual trails for others.

Perhaps my deepest cry is that the church, as fragmented and unfocused as it sometimes is, will somehow come forth and give birth to an entire generation of trailblazers who are so present to God and to their true calling/destiny in Him, that their imprint on the world is the unmistakable imprint of Jesus himself.

Walking Butterflies

(Re-posted from 11/25/13)

I believe we have seen a profound movement, over the past decade or two, of people metamorphosing out of religious mindsets and structured church settings into a greater freedom in Christ.

However, I sense that many who have become butterflies do not fully know how to use their wings. There could be a host of people who are no longer caterpillars, whose wings are full of life, yet continue to walk because, for a variety of reasons, they are not ready to embrace the purposes God has called them to in their freedom. They are the walking butterflies.

Just a thought.

Here are some possible reasons why people may not yet be flying.

1. Some are still looking for another butterfly to hand them the external model for ‘how to do church.’ We are so accustomed to others showing us ‘the way’ that we continue looking for the ‘simple church manual’ or the ‘organic church step-chart’ that will give us the exact system to follow. In other words, some are not ready to trust that Jesus can speak to and lead them personally without someone else’s blueprint.

2. Some do not trust that God can help them connect with their unique destiny and Kingdom purpose. Or, perhaps more to the point, some are not willing to take the risk to step out into their own special Kingdom purpose and destiny. It’s just easier to lose themselves in lesser focuses.

3. Some still devalue themselves and/or their calling as being less significant than that of others.

4. Some avoid the silence and have not taken the time to seek God deeply in those quiet places where He can speak profoundly to them and give them the confidence as well as direction needed to move out and fly.

By the way, butterflies that never fly, never reproduce. Maybe as we all find ourselves and our courage, we will see a whole new generation of butterflies begin to emerge!

Pray for a Person of Peace

The exceptionally fruitful leaders in Africa that we work with often remind us of the significance of praying for and obediently seeking out the person of peace. The person of peace (Luke 10, Matthew 10) is one who opens the door of the Gospel to others. This person may be a believer or non-believer, but his/her response to the transformation from Christ causes them to influence many others.

These Africans often word it this way: “God prepares persons of peace. You don’t! You must pray and ask God to lead you to these people. When God leads you to a person of peace that He has prepared, then movements happen! If you are not finding those whom God has prepared, there will be no movement.”

Their point is that we are entering into a supernatural arrangement with God when we pray for persons of peace and look for them in our goings and comings. When God connects us with such a person, our influence is magnified through them because they are receptive to the things of God.

Now, granted this looks very different in different contexts. No question! At the same time, there is a principle here that is timeless: pray for and seek out the persons of peace God has prepared. This will open doors for our influence to extend beyond the groups or gatherings that we have become comfortable with. This will challenge us, at times, to go beyond our normal circle of relationships to seek out where God may be working. And, this will give us the opportunity to see God work rather than try to carry the work on our own shoulders.

(As a side note, your prayers are much appreciated as we are currently asking God for several new apostolic persons of peace who are ready to move in new areas of Africa with the capacity for regional or national movements.)

Simple Steps of Obedience

“It’s not hard to obey when we love the one we obey.” Ignatius of Loyola

“We learn more in one year of obedience to Jesus than in one hundred years of studying theology.”

In my last post, It’s Not About BIG Anymore, I suggested that walking in partnership with Jesus from a position of humility was the true mark of the upside-down Jesus-follower. But humility, though a vital foundation, is just a beginning.

The next step, perhaps, is to recognize that Jesus is the one who builds his church and he does it his way. Our part is to learn the lifestyle of loving him, listening to him, and surrendering our self to the simple steps of obedience he calls us to. It is the collective obedience of his disciples that results in the “big” kingdom outcomes that transform people, nations, and even the world.

It is the collective obedience of his disciples that results in the “big” kingdom outcomes that transform people, nations, and even the world.

Now, this certainly sounds simple… but it is not easy. In my own soul is an abundance of self-seeking, self-will, and an automatic careening after self-interests many of which mascarade as good things. The process of weeding out the weeds on a daily basis (taking up the cross) is an ongoing one that starts and stalls and starts again. But I desire to keep moving ahead because the call of the surrendered, obedient life is the call to a life of purpose, freedom, and joy. And it is the only pathway I know of for Jesus to build his kingdom-people into the kind of expression of himself that truly impacts others.

So...

He speaks.

I love him.

I listen and surrender to his leading and direction.

God accomplishes God-purposes.

Daily.

Maybe we need not wait for the next big thing to come along in the world of church and churchdom. Rather, maybe God is waiting for his church, his ekklesia, his people, to learn the simple steps of growing up into a lifestyle of simple love-motivated obedience thus expressing him more fully in the world.

“The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.” Eph 1:23 The Message

It's Not About BIG Anymore

America is often known for being big: big land, big houses, big cars, big companies, big drinks that come with free refills…

And we learned to measure our churches by the same standard: big buildings, big programs, big organizations, big influence numerically… even big sales of books and music. Whether leaders or not, our egos have enjoyed being part of that which is bigger and/or better in the world of church-dom. Let’s be honest.

The challenge is that Jesus was just the opposite. His was a small band of disciples, whose feet he washed like a household servant, that would eventually turn the world on its head.

He demonstrated absolute humility coupled with a deep investment into that which the world would naturally see as inconsequential.

Are we ready to follow this example? Are we willing to let go of our own fascination with any type of recognition and or ‘bigness’ in order to invest in the least, or the lost, or the most forgotten, or the overlooked? Are we passionate about the one person in front of us? Are we willing to give our lives for obscurity and pour ourselves into others no matter how small or big, recognized or hidden? In short, do we have the humility to walk in partnership with Jesus and leave the results to Him? This may be the true mark of the upside-down, simple, organic, Jesus-first revolution that the ‘church’ (ekklesia) is being transformed into. May God help us, strengthen us, encourage us… and may we embrace the humility to be transformed and used His way!

Comments?

Prayer

Prayer opens doors!

• What is your vision of the abundant life that God has promised you? Pray on it!
• Where are you stuck, frustrated, broken down, or discouraged? Pray it through - wrestle it out with God.
• What is the purpose God has given you that He wants to work out through you? Pray until it begins to become reality and then pray on it ongoing.
• What is the next step for _________ part of your life? Pray until you know!
• Trying to sort out your church life? House church? Simple church? Traditional church? Missional church? Pray until God reveals His next step for you!

I am just back from Africa where the leaders reminded me that the heart of their disciple-making movements is finding persons of peace who will reach others and disciple others who will do the same. AND, the key to finding persons of peace is a simple one: PRAYER. “God prepares these people of peace. Through prayer, we find them!” In their experience, prayer opens the doors for movements to happen!

Yes, prayer opens doors…

AND prayer is the doorway to a deep relationship with God.

Remember that Jesus prayed for us that we would enter into an abiding fellowship with the Father as the way in which the world (and us) would be transformed. John 17. This is why He continually calls us into prayer! He wants to fellowship with us!

Prayer is both the experience of time with God (Jesus was all night in prayer) and a lifestyle (abide in me).

Prayer is both the result of our organic relationship with the living Christ, and it develops that relationship further.

Prayer is opening our heart, pouring out our needs and wants, and prayer is also waiting and listening and opening ourselves to what Jesus’ will is. I like the way The Passion Translation expresses Revelation 3:20:

Behold, I’m standing at the door, knocking. If your heart is open to hear my voice and you open the door within, I will come in to you and feast with you, and you will feast with me.

When prayer develops, it becomes a feast.

Somehow we have to find our way past just the religious approach to dutiful prayer. Though we most often start at that point. Pray is a dynamic interchange between mortal and immortal that takes us beyond ourselves and connects us relationally to the eternal, majestic God. May we find a way to touch on that reality as prayer becomes the foundation of a life lived in the presence and miracle-working power of God. In this way, it moves from duty to delight and from heavy lifting to feasting.

And, in this way, we discover a life lived in feasting-style prayer is a life lived by the impetus, motivation, and power of God.

Prayer opens doors and is the doorway to deep intimacy with our God.

Simplifying Discipleship

(This was first posted in 2010. But, as I am traveling in Africa I am reminded that these simple discipleship principles have led to movements throughout East Africa that we have had the privilege of being involved in. David Watson is often credited for these principles that help make discipleship both simple and reproducible.)

At the heart of simple/organic church life is the lifestyle of discipleship (following Jesus) and discipling others.

The difficulty is that we often make discipleship far too difficult.  When we see discipleship as primarily about imparting knowledge from one to another, then we need an expert (knowledgeable) who also excels at communicating knowledge to another (teaching gift).  Many people do not see themselves as qualified enough (not enough knowledge as compared to professionals or those who have attended seminary) and not gifted enough (again, comparing themselves to those with excellent teaching gifts).

The result is that we have turned discipleship over to the professional teachers (pulpiteers and well-known author/teachers) and the programs that these same people develop.  In the process we exclude 90% of the Body of Christ from being active disciplers which is exactly what Jesus asked each of us to do.

Fortunately, simple/organic church planters, and those who have studied or experienced church planting movements, have re-discovered the keys to discipleship and have given those keys back to every-day-believers where they belong.

Here are two of those keys:

1. Discipleship can and should be discovery-based.  This means that new believers can actually discover what they need to know about God by opening the Word of God themselves while the Spirit leads and teaches them.  In this case, I do not need to be highly knowledgeable nor an effective teacher to come alongside someone who is going directly to the Word to learn from God and to encounter God.

We have put far too much effort into spoon-feeding new Christians by providing milk for them to drink through our pre-digested sermons, notes, teachings, and pre-packaged lessons.  The result is that believers do not learn the basics of understanding the Word for themselves, listening to the voice of the Spirit through the Word, and applying it.  This latter is the meaning of a disciple: one who hears Jesus speak and follows him.

While teachers can play a helpful supportive role, scripture is abundantly clear that the Holy Spirit is to become the primary teacher in a believer’s life (1 John 2:27).  This takes the pressure off of the discipler if we are willing to take on a support role in a disciple’s life rather than the main role.

2. The second key is often called “obedience-based discipleship.”  However, since the word “obedience” often conjures up images of legalistic adherence to rules (which is not the same as simply obeying Jesus), I sometimes prefer the term: “active-surrender-based discipleship.”  In using this term I will quote Thomas Merton who said: “we must know the truth, we must love the truth we know and we must act according to the measure of our love.  Truth is God himself who cannot be known apart from love and cannot be loved apart from surrender to his will.”

Okay, so maybe that’s just a way to say that the way to experientially know and encounter God is to love and obey him.

But, here’s the point.  A disciple is one who loves and obeys.  Period.  Therefore obedience-based discipleship (or surrender-based discipleship) focuses on becoming one who follows, one who walks out what God has shown, one who consistently steps into the place of “your will not my will be done.”  Why does this matter?  Because, again, knowledge is not the focus here.  A new disciple will gain the knowledge that he/she needs over time if he is applying what he is hearing through obedience.

Therefore, again, an expert is not needed (nor a great teacher) in order to show the way.  Rather, simply a fellow-Jesus-follower is all that is necessary to come alongside other disciples and point the way (through his/her own walk) to an abundant, Spirit-filled, life-filled, adventure-filled, personally-transforming, world-impacting, miracle-walking, Jesus-following lifestyle.

The bottom line here is that a disciple is one who is coming to know God himself through personal experience (followership) NOT merely a bunch of knowledge ABOUT God.  The former comes through self-discovery of who God is and walking with him. 

To disciple someone, then, is nothing more than:

1. Bringing them to the Scriptures to feed.
2. Asking how God is speaking to and leading them (through the Scriptures and the Spirit).
3. Asking how they are walking out what God is speaking (obedience out of love).
4. Helping them to do the same with others.

It really IS that simple.