What is Simple Church?
Simple Church is a very old, new idea.
Simple Church is missionally designed to train and empower a grass-roots, lay-led global house church movement.
Simple Church is front-line missionary focused on reaching the unchurched secular people with the Everlasting Gospel of Jesus.
Simple Church is similar to Adventist Frontier Missions. But Simple Church is different. It focuses on western cultures that were once Christian countries but have again turned secular.
Simple Church can train you, no matter where you live.
Why was Simple Church birthed?
Simple Church is lowering the bar on what it means to "do church" and raising the bar on what it means to "go and make disciples."
In the west we have elevated how we do church to such a status that in most cases it takes a professional and often a professional team to pull it off each week.
Simple Church makes it possible for every Christian to be part of a New Testament house church planting team.
Why not automatically connect house churches to local established congregations and pastoral leadership?
There are a couple reasons:
1) Pastors come and go. While one pastor may be supportive of simple churches, the next pastor may close them down.
2) House churches that are assigned to an established "mother" congregation are ultimately accountable to that church board. Typically church board manage and maintain an organization. Current trends have affirmed this maintenance focus.
Simple Church
makes it possible for front-line missionaries to put the new wine into new wine-skins.
What does the Simple Church Network do?
This network serves to educate local conferences and church administrators regarding the Simple Church paradigm.
Provides a structural umbrella under which Simple Church CORE4 planters can connect with other CORE4 planters in their mutual efforts to share the Everlasting Gospel.
Maintains accountability within and between CORE4 teams.
What makes this network different from other house church networks and fellowships?
Simple Church is a global network.
Simple Church is not dependent upon or linked to established congregations. Instead Simple Churches are linked to each other.
Simple Church home-grows its coaching leadership. A simple church coach will have actually raised up and multiplied simple churches.
As more house church networks and fellowships develop, how does a person understand the differences between them?
How to Choose a House Church Network: Questions you Need to Ask Before You Connect with a House Church Network or Fellowship will help you identify the spoken or unspoken core values of a house church network or fellowship.
Many churches, conferences, and denominations are starting to use the popular “house church” lingo, but they do not all fully embrace the Biblical theology of “church.” The results are cosmetic adjustments that limit the lay power of a grass-roots movement.
How big did a New Testament house church get?
On average, 10—35 people.
How many people does it take to start a simple church?
Four lay-people. Two of the four serve as co-leaders, one as a host coordinator, and one as a details coordinator to take care of finances, membership, and miscellaneous details. These four lay-people are called the CORE4.
How do I find a CORE4 planting team?
This is the fun part because God leads. Download and print out these business cards. Ask God to bring names of people to your mind. As names pop into your mind, write them down and make a point to give them one of the business cards. You could say something like, "take a look at the web page and if you are interested in exploring it more with me, let me know."
God will lead you. As people get back with you, assume they are wanting to move forward and as God leads you, invite them to become part of the CORE4 (which you might need to explain).
As your CORE4 comes together, find a time when all of you can go through Phase One of the training together. Even if you have already completed phase one, it will be a good review for you and by doing it together you will build a stronger CORE4 team.
The business cards were designed to be printed on Avery 8879 Template, purchased at Office Depot; each sheet provides 10 business cards.
Out of all the research what are the more convincing reasons to plant house churches? There are four:
1) The average church in the United States will spend as much as 64 percent of its budget on staff salaries. Additionally, it will spend as much as 30 percent of its offerings on maintaining its buildings. Researchers say that churches spend between 82 - 96 percent of their financial resources on maintaining themselves. This does not include the millions that are spent on building bigger buildings.
2) Smaller churches are more effective in growing than larger churches. Since house churches multiply before getting "big" they continually capitalize on this growth dynamic.
3) The younger the age of a church the more effective it is in reaching people. When a house church multiplies, it essentially resets its time clock as it starts over.
4) People are no longer depending upon "professionals" to tell them how to find God. They are taking this as their personal responsibility. This is a good thing.
“The new Revolution differs in that its primary impetus is not salvation among the unrepentant but the personal renewal and recommitment of believers. The dominant catalyst is people’s desperation for a genuine relationship with God. The renewal of that relationship spurs believers to participate in spreading the gospel. Rather than relying on a relative handful of inspired preachers to promote a national revival, the emerging Revolution is truly a grassroots explosion of commitment to God that will refine the Church and result in a natural and widespread immersion in outreach.”
What are people looking for?
To simplify their life
To
re-prioritize their lives
To cultivate a deeper walk with God.
Are there "poor" reasons for wanting to plant a church?
Unfortunately there are many. Only a few will be listed, but there will be common denominators that can be identified. Some of these reasons include: I don't like our pastor; I don't like the music in our church; I'm having some theological questions; I have to travel a long ways to church; I don't want to be accountable; I want to keep my tithe; and even, I just want to worship God.
Good reasons to plant a simple church? To reach unreached people with the Everlasting Gospel. Simple Church is front-line missionary work.
When did formal church buildings begin to replace home churches?
History tells us that Constantine's contributions to Christianity were many, including the following:
From informal home to formal church building*
From the seventh-day Sabbath to first-day Sunday worship**
From lay-led to paid professional clergy*
*Houses that Change the World by Wolfgang Simson
**From Sabbath to Sunday : A Historical Investigation of the Rise of Sunday Observance in Early Christianity by Samuele Bacchiocchi
Simple Church is going back to the New Testament way of life: lay-people, leading home churches, on the seventh-day Sabbath.
Is Cell Church different than house church?
Yes, Cell Church still follows the basic Constantine format - weekend celebration worship services which usually take place in a public setting plus a pastor/staff who plans and coordinates the worship service. The cell groups meet during the week as do most small groups.
What books should I read? (Listed in suggested order.)
Revolution by George Barna is a must read for anyone interested in house churches. He articulates the reasons why 20 million (between 2000-2005) left local typical churches in their search for God.
The American Church In Crisis by David T. Olson, 2008, provides you with some of the most recent research on the spiritual and religious trends of North America.
Missional House Churches by J.D. Payne, 2007, chronicles a research study on house churches found in North America. Of all the books I've read, this book gives irrefutable statistical evidence as to why house churches cannot be ignored.
unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity and Why It Matters by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons is sobering.
The Search to Belong by Joseph R. Myers explains a paradigm shift and what it means to "belong" in today's world. This book is very challenging, especially in how a church relates to the question of belonging.
Revolution in the Church by Russell Burrill is a short and easy read that prepares the way for the coming Revolution.
Evangelism, and Gospel workers, by Ellen White. These two books are recommended by Dr. Cho, pastor of the world's largest church in Seoul, Korea.
Fire Your Pastor: Hope for a Lost World by Lonnie Wibberding. This book has an edgy title but it is well written and is recommended by Russell Burrill. A free PDF copy is available at www.FireYourPastor.org Lonnie is an Adventist pastor.
Recovering an Adventist Approach to the Life & Mission of the Local Church by Russell C. Burrill. Burrill carefully chronicles the development of early Adventism through the 21st century and uncovers issues that contribute to current conditions.
Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God (workbook) by Henry T. Blackaby, Richard Blackaby, and Claude V. King, provides a breath of fresh air. For those who have grown up with a highly intellectual approach to spirituality, this book leads one to experience a relationship with God. Get a head start as this book is part of the Simple Church training.
Is this movement primarily young people?
No. Researchers note that the house church movement crosses all generational lines. That means there are as many older people as middle aged and young people who are leaving the typical church to gather in house churches.
Is Simple Church limited to North America?
No. Simple Church is able to train you no matter where you live in the world.
Are Simple Churches (house churches) the same as the book called Simple Church?
No. The book, Simple Church by Thom Rainer & Eric Geiger is an excellent book that talks about simplifying the typical/average church. It is NOT talking about Simple Church House Churches, which is an altogether different paradigm. It can be confusing because both use the same term—Simple Church. Names for house churches include: Organic Church, Greenhouse, Simple Church, Mini Church, and House Church.
Is Simple Church a “new” idea?
House churches were the norm in the New Testament, as believers shared the Gospel of Christ in a secular culture similar to what is now seen in North America. We have come full circle. Today we again live in a secular western culture. House church may be new to us, but it is a very old “new” idea.
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