There are challenges in the organic/simple church movement:
- Believers seeking the latest fad rather than a deeper lifestyle of faith and sacrifice.
- Churches that are simply smaller versions of institutional ones.
- People attending house churches to see if this model can meet ‘their needs.’
But there is another side that is sometimes less visible: a growing swell of simple folk who just want to live like salt and light in a broken world. The same way Jesus did.
These are people who are making friends with no strings attached—just out of love for others. They genuinely care about the people around them and others are surprised by this brand of ‘Christianity’ that is both compassionate and deeply personal.
These are people who are starting simple gatherings around food, or videos, or a Bible study in their neighborhoods, or in their work place, or local coffee shop. They are not counting numbers or marking their success by how many meetings they start. Yet, they are passionate that others encounter Jesus.
These are people who are finding new ways to use their God-given gifts and passions to help others and in the process see Jesus glorified. They are starting simple ministries, or opening their doors to neighbors, or visiting jails, or preparing for careers where their gifts can be fully invested for the Kingdom within their society, or pioneering non-profits.
These are people who are scheming ways to reach out and touch the deepest needs of their communities without seeking credit for their efforts.
These are people who build authentic relationships that draw others out and that make room for deep connections leading to changed lives.
These are people who are working among some of the less-acceptable people in our society: the mentally ill, the sexually addicted, the repeat offenders.
These are people who are selling their homes and moving to Tanzania because God has spoken to them about a group of people there who are broken and oppressed but who have never heard the name of Jesus.
These are people who are simply learning to live their lives naturally, yet supernaturally, in whatever way God has made him/her, enjoying life while being a genuine God-lover in a world that is becoming more and more love-less.
These are people who will not be writing books or blog posts about what they are doing. Their ‘results’ may not make the traditional church world stand up and applaud. In fact, many of their closest Christian friends may not think much of them.
These are people who will never make headlines. They may never have something that could be labeled a ‘ministry’ or recognized as a ‘movement.’ They are motivated, instead, by the longing to just follow Jesus.
These are people who are seeking to live their lives fully around their love for Jesus and their desire to hear and follow His voice alone. Their follower-lifestyle invites others to do the same.
These are people who would not think of themselves as revolutionaries. But they are. They are part of the quiet, underground swell of simple folk who want to do nothing more than love God and love others—simply, organically, authentically, and purposefully.
I meet these people every day. This gives me great encouragement that the true revolutionary wave is growing.
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