Simple Church Journal

Francis Chan, always an engaging writer, provides a current and fresh look at God’s design for what we commonly call “church.” Rather than comment myself, let me share several quotes and just encourage you to make this a must read!

God designed the Church to be much more than what the majority of us experience in America. There are many of us who believe this and want change. The good news is that God wants this change even more than we do.

The early church didn’t need the energetic music, great videos, attractive leaders, or elaborate lighting to be excited about being a part of God’s body. The pure gospel was enough to put them in a place of awe.

If you think that sitting back and letting the church staff feed you will bring you the most fulfillment, you are so wrong. God promised that those who give will be most blessed (Acts 20:35).

When the Bible describes the power available to you, doesn’t it sound like hyperbole? It seems so extreme, yet we see so little of this in our own lives and in the Church. The discrepancy could challenge your faith in the Scriptures—how can the Bible promise things we never experience in real life? But are you willing to consider that the Bible is accurate and the Church has domesticated us to the point where we doubt our power?

Church, the answer is not to build bigger and nicer cages. Nor is it to renovate the cages so they look more like the wild. It’s time to open the cages, remind the animals of their God-given instincts and capabilities, and release them into the wild.

Alan Hirsch said, “In so many churches the mission of the church has actually become the maintenance of the institution itself.”

It’s time to train people to live in the wild again.

There are elements of modern churches that on the surface seem like good ideas, but they can actually keep us from the biblical vision of unity, true fellowship, mutual love, and pursuit of the mission. Too many look at these elements and insist you can’t have a church without them.

I believe God is leading a movement in this country toward simple, smaller gatherings, and I long to see this movement gain greater traction. I get so excited when I dream about the Church spreading in small, invigorating expressions that look and feel like the early church. My goal is to get you dreaming about this as well.

My hope is simply to convince you that there are compelling ways of living as the Church that look nothing like our traditional models. My goal is to get you dreaming, to keep you from settling, to affirm that nagging sense you can’t shake that God wants something more for His Church than what you’re experiencing.

I have been thinking that my longing to see unreached people continues to be a driving passion in my own life—especially those who have never had the opportunity to really hear and understand the Good News that Jesus has for them!

But I have been asking myself… Is it worth dying for and am I willing?

Why am I thinking about this?

Maybe it’s the recent story of the 26-year-old American missionary who was killed by a remote Indian tribe. He had planned the trip for two years knowing that his own death was highly likely. His friends didn't stop him because 'that’s what God is calling him to do.’

Or maybe it’s our recent trip to Africa where good friends are now routinely going into dangerous situations:

• Our friends from Rwanda are now making their third trip into a remote area of South Sudan. If someone there had not taken on the role of their personal bodyguard, they likely would have been killed the first time in.
• Our friends from Kenya are routinely going into areas of Turkana and Pokot (remote north) where children carry guns and deadly cattle rustling is the norm.

So, this has brought me to some measure of self-examination. Do I still truly and fully believe deeply that the unreached and the mission that Jesus initiated is worth dying for… and worth giving up my life for?

I hope to say, ‘yes!’ I think back to oh so many years ago, when I was lost. I mean really lost. 19 years old and alone. And confused. And terribly misguided. Headed for more and more trouble. Without purpose or direction or hope. When Jesus sought me out, reached in, and poured grace and forgiveness and unimaginable love. And I went from lost to confidently saved, from pauper to prince, from prisoner to free indeed, from orphan to adopted by Father. From death to life everlasting. How can I not still want this for others with the willingness to pay any price!

But then the follow up question is, ‘so what does that mean?’

For now, I suppose it means that I do not want my focus and passion for the lost to diminish. This is a blog about ‘church’ in the sense of desiring to see expressions of church that reflect life without institutional trappings. But, at the end of the day, none of this matters if my heart is not reflecting that which Jesus himself died for: those who do not know Him including those who are currently beyond the reach of the Gospel.

Maybe this season of Advent is a good time to reflect and renew my own heart in the focus that led to Jesus’ own coming and how I want my coming year to walk out as a result.

Something worth dying for gives life a passion and focus that makes life worth living for!

(Readers, forgive me if I add one more thing on a ministry note. I rarely mention our work and efforts through Appleseed Ministry on this blog, but we have a special year-end focus related to unreached areas and helping the Gospel go to where it is NOT. These funds go 100% directly to field work, not to us, not to our organization, and not to administration. Your partnership here–as well as many other wonderful efforts around the world–can impact directly those who have not heard.)

No matter what stage of my walk with Jesus I am in, I find myself frequently challenged to 'take courage' and step out of the boat when Jesus calls.

Have we lost the art of risk when it comes to our faith?  Are we settling for play-it-safe, cookie-cutter religion that has no life, teeth, focus, or power to it?

I know risk and faith can be used by irresponsible people to do irresponsible things. But not risking can be used by overly responsible people to avoid the adventure God has called them to. I can fall, all too often, in this latter category!

It’s almost impossible to see God-things happen while we are playing it safe.

Most churches are playing it safe.  Many Christians are playing it safe.  Yes, risk can sometimes bring with it the element of danger.  But, then again, not risking when faith calls us forward could be even more dangerous!

So, today might be a great day to pray about getting out of the boat, burning that play-it-safe bridge, starting that new God-venture or God-inspired adventure, going after that dream even though the stakes are high.  Really, what do you have to lose?  Really?  And, really, what might you have to gain?

As we travel in Africa this month, I am reminded that God is doing something special through those who find themselves seeking and living simple/organic expressions of church life. In fact, you might be key to the army God is preparing for needed global impact.

Though progress is being made, some estimate there are still over 6,000 unreached people groups (out of 11,700 total people groups) in which less than 2% are believers.  To live within such an unreached group means that it is highly likely you will live and die never hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

So, why might simple/organic church folk be the very army that God is preparing for global impact?

1. Training is needed throughout the world in disciplemaking movements that lead to church planting movements so that these large groups of unreached people can be reached with the Gospel.  While business/institutional models of church hinder these movements, simple/organic church folk understand the type of church gatherings that can help facilitate and release such movements.  This understanding is needed throughout the world.

2. Simple/organic church folk understand that money is not needed for the church to grow and reproduce making it much easier for the Gospel to go forward.  Furthermore, much money can be freed up from the west, through simple/organic church expressions to flow into unreached parts of the world. 

3. Simple/organic church folk understand that the life of a Jesus follower is a 24/7 lifestyle rather than the passive attendance of church services.  This means more vibrant, impactful disciples are made.

4. Simple/organic church folk are committed to hearing and following the voice of Jesus and none other.  As we continue to tune our ears more and more to him, it is likely that his heart for ‘all peoples’ will motivate more and more people to reach beyond the comfort of their own people group and extend themselves to reach others.

5. Simple/organic church folk understand that the church is a going organism, not a come-and-sit event.  Our mentality is to be involved with Jesus in his mission throughout the world.  We live with a readiness to go where he sends!

I posted this several years ago. But it is a good reminder to myself and, hopefully, all of us regardless of what context we are in.

I have found that the key to our gatherings is to learn to listen to the Holy Spirit– all of us.

In my past life, as a pastor of a traditional church, I felt the responsibility to hear what God is saying and to pass that word along to "the people."  Of course, God's word is always God's word and it will always bear fruit.  But how much more fruit is available when every Christian discovers his/her gifts and his/her ability to hear the "rhema"– the living Word through the written word– and to be able to share those gifts and His word with one another.

The  shifts the responsibility for hearing from God to each person– to everyone— and that takes some getting used to. But what an explosion can take place as the church worships and listens. Jack Deere (Suprised by the Voice of God) shares this:

The New Testament church was not only the dwelling place for the presence of God, it was also a learning center for the language of the Holy Spirit. People not only worshipped God in church, but they were equipped to hear him, and after hearing God, they were able to give something to someone that would build them up.

In preparation for this, Jack challenges us to consider why we gather as a church. It's not about tickling our spiritual ears or getting a little spiritual lift (though these may well happen), rather he suggests that we gather for four reasons: 1. To hear Jesus and be healed by Him, 2. To worship God together, 3. To be equipped to do the work of ministry, and 4. To be built up in Christ. He contends that all of this can take place only as every person gest involved– bringing something edifying to share, learning to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying, and ministering to one another.

If you lived in the New Testament times, you prepared your heart to come to church, you prepared your heart to worship, you came expecting to be equipped for ministry, and you asked God to give you a gift to bring with you so that you might be used to strengthen someone else. This was the New Testament way of going to church.

Someone noted that “thinking outside of the box keeps you from suffocating inside of one.” We must continue to allow God to shape us and our expressions of his church (ekklesia). He is an innately creative God. It is in this vein that I offer the following thoughts. This is not a definitive way to think of church community or gatherings. It is simply an alternative to a one-size-fits-all type of thinking that may free some of us to be more creative in our experience of church life and community.

I find that my own experience of ‘church gatherings’ involves, realistically, three or more micro communities. I have a couple of house church fellowships that I regularly connect to you. These provide a sense of God-connection, worship, prayer, Bible focus, and spiritual friendship. In addition, I have a specific support group and small network of friends that I frequent providing me with a place for deep community-life where transparent sharing and transformation is facilitated. Finally, I have a number of groups that I spend time with who share my mission focus and keep me accountable and motivated to use my gifts to make a difference in the world.

Having considered this, I am reflecting on three elements of church community that one does well to be intentional about, though there may be a variety of ways to incorporate these elements into our lives. Sometimes I, and others, refer to these three aspects as Up, In, and Out. They are also clearly outlined in Acts 2:42, 47.

1. Up. This refers to fellowshipping with others in ways that encourage and build our vertical relationship with God: prayer, worship, Bibles discovery, etc. (Apostle’s teaching, prayer).
2. In. This refers to sharing real life with one another. Transparency, ‘confessing of sin,’ and sharing our burdens and real-life concerns with one another. (Breaking of bread, fellowship).
3. Out. This refers to our mission in the world to see others impacted by the power and love of God. (Favor with all the people).

There may or may not be one, specific group of people that provides us with all three elements perfectly, and multiple ‘micro communities’ may best suit us at certain times. I love the house church gatherings that I connect to. But those who gather are involved in very different missions out in the world. Therefore, I find it very powerful to also connect with those who are more specifically focused on the type of mission work that I am involved in. Thus my own need for a different micro community. Furthermore, I also find that the kind of deeper sharing that continues to bring healing to my heart and soul is best facilitated in specific types of groups or with a friend or two whom I can be fully honest with.

Again, I am not trying to prescribe everyone to my current ‘gathering’ scenario. But I have discovered that being intentional about all three elements of church (ekklesia) has given me a foundation for, perhaps, the strongest spiritual life I have had in my life. I believe the principle is that, yes, we need each other and that these three prongs provide us with strong community support for our walk with Jesus. The ‘how to’ of walking that out… well, that’s where there remains much room for creativity and exploration.

Share your experiences with this?

Sometimes we can look at the church here in the west and wonder if we, as followers of Jesus, are impacting people at all. Is the leaven of our lives working its way into the lump of worldly dough that we are surrounded by? Of course, such a pessimistic view is not warranted. Each of us, as salt and light, is always making a difference in the lives of those around us and we are finding wonderful ways to be used by God wherever we live and serve. God is surely at work and He will continue to use us to bring his kingdom to those who are ready.

But it is also good to step back and look at the global picture and realize that amazing things from a worldwide perspective have been happening, are happening, and will continue to take place.

Progress!

Wolfgang Simson reports:

Our own continuous research has shown that the single largest apostolic initiative in the last 20 years is the house church movement. It has now crossed a historic threshold and milestone of 10 million new house churches planted globally since 1998 and has added at least 100 million new souls to the Body of Christ. This is why it is crucial that this momentum continues until it reaches what we call the “Starfish goal” of 200 million house churches/Kingdom communities (see: The Starfish Vision).

He also reports on this development in his own country of Germany:

Only recently (2018) one house church network, Hope Germany, has grown to more than 1,000 newly planted house churches, and there are about 40 other networks in Europe with typically between 50‐100 house churches.

Our own work, that takes us to many continents, allows us to see beyond our western world and remember that our own home-country is not the only consideration in God’s global plans. As such, clear progress abounds much of which is coming through movements of disciples making disciples resulting in hundreds and thousands of simple/house church gatherings starting in many parts of the world.

This article reports on the impact taking place by “movement ekklesia” which are disciples, as in the first century, multiplying rapidly without the need for dedicated buildings:

• Recently Credible organizations and networks reported approximately 2,500 movement engagements, including nearly 500 movements that had produced millions of new disciples. As 2017 ended, the count was nearly 650 movements with 50 million disciples!
• New disciples in ‘multiplying movements’ among the unreached are ‘increasing many times faster than any other large population on the planet.’

 This report concludes that ‘thousands more movements are still needed, yet there are many reasons to hope expectantly for their continued multiplication.’

So, are you and I part of kingdom progress that is exciting, clear, and on the increase? Most definitely.

Some excellent twitter-thoughts from a variety of folk I follow:

Steve Simms @CSteveSimms
When I read the book of Acts & see the passion & joy of early Christianity, I wonder what happened?
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Rob Ross @oikosministries
“The model we have used — a church, a pastor and a commitment by people to support the enterprise — is getting harder and harder to maintain.” We need to think different ( individually together).  #everydayfaith #simplechurch #musingsofamilkman
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Dan White Jr. @danwhitejr
What we learn from Christendom is that it was well constructed to create church-goers but not well suited to cultivate Jesus-followers.
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Brad Brisco @bradleybrisco
We often wrongly assume the primary activity of God is in the church. But the primary activity of God is in the world, and the church is an instrument created by God to be sent into the world to participate in what God is already doing. #kingdom #missiodei #mission
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Traviskolder @traviskolder Courtesy of @CSteveSimms..

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Lesslie Newbigin @LesslieNewbigin
Foreign missions are not an extra; they are the acid test of whether or not the Church believes the Gospel.
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Lesslie Newbigin @LesslieNewbigin
The deepest motive for mission is simply the desire to be with Jesus where he is, on the frontier between the reign of God and the usurped dominion of the devil.
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Scott Sauls @scottsauls
The Kingdom of Jesus does not advance through spin, political maneuvering, manipulation of power, or “taking a stand” for what we believe. Rather, the Kingdom of Jesus advances through subversive acts of love.
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Ann Voskamp @AnnVoskamp 

“You put aside the commandment of God to cling to human traditions (Mark 7:8).

Jesus repeatedly challenged his disciples to avoid the yeast of the Pharisees who placed the traditions of men above the commandments and word of God

“How ingeniously you get round the commandment of God in order to preserve your own tradition.

Clearly, Jesus never intended that the traditions of the Pharisees would be replaced by the traditions of New Testament era churches that no longer serve the life of the disciple. Yet we all fall into this way of thinking

First, let’s be reminded that the commandments of God, when energized within us by the Spirit of God, are the pathway to immeasurable joy, not some kind of religious, duty-bound, heart-deprived existence. “The commandments of the Lord are right. They make the heart rejoice.” Psalm 19:8. Aligning heart and life with God’s ways, as the Spirit leads and works in us, produces freedom of soul and spirit like nothing else. Jesus called his disciples away from the traditions of religion in order to call them into the experience of life, in the Spirit, wholly devoted to the joy of following Him

Now, let’s consider why the ‘commandments’ of God are not always easily embraced. On the front end, when confronted with Jesus’ challenges, his words can often seem unsettling:

• Love God with your whole heart
• Love your neighbor as yourself
• Give to the poor
• Go and make disciples of all nations
• Take up your cross
• Be mature (embrace growth and transformation)
• Forgive as you have been forgiven
• Pray for your enemies
• Abide in me
• Give up everything you have

Indeed, as we look at such ‘commands’ realistically, I can understand why it seems much easier to simply take on the basic traditions of: going to church, meeting at Bible study, doing a daily devotion, giving a tithe, serving as an usher, etc, etc, etc. The traditions of western, cultural Christianity are actually quite comfort-able and easy to settle into especially considering the alternative of fully surrendering heart and and life to God’s life-transforming call.

But Jesus, in making such strong challenges like I have listed, was not creating rules of religion, rather he was inviting people to do whatever it takes to move out of self into daily, obedient, joyful life with Him! These ‘commandments’ help us confront and shake off the parts of ourselves that keep us bound up in self-willed living so that we can enter into the joy and freedom of God-centered, God-infused living. He does not bind us up afresh with His commands, but as we walk with Him daily, His word transforms us in the most profound and genuinely freeing way.

I meet people every day who, out of frustration or pain from their church traditions, want to leave those traditions but, really, just want to replace them with some newer, more comfortable, traditions. Perhaps we all continue to miss the point. When we stop clinging to our quest for easy traditions, we become more open to the Person who is drawing us into a much deeper, real, and fully-alive life.

There are two truths championed by simple/organic church paradigms that are vital to the health of the whole church:

1. There are no superstars in the Kingdom of God. Rather, spiritually speaking, we are all superstars equally filled with the Spirit, equipped with gifts of the Spirit, and called to a vocation of serving others.
2. When ministry is recognized by worldly standards (size, scope, media recognition) this has no bearing and is often counter to actual Kingdom impact.

This is on my mind because it seems the news is filled with the misbehavior of political and Hollywood ‘stars.’ And more significantly, the church as we know it, in regards to those who are publicly recognized, is not far behind. Without making comment or judgement on anyone in particular, it is enough to note that super-stardom is a difficult role to handle. It is rare for humans to handle worldly honor well. But, for the church, the point is a simple one: worldly acclaim is not a Kingdom marker.

Now, to be fair, almost all of us are guilty. Either we have allowed worldly acclaim to get to us in some measure personally, or we have looked to certain other people with a measure of veneration because of worldly markers. Or both.

Thus it might be a good idea to re-look at the most influential individual in all of church history who described his ministry this way:

I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.

He concludes this self-examination with this statement:

If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am.  (1 Corinthians 11)

Now, Paul has given us markers to aspire to and to measure others by. Further, I am reminded that the power of the church is found in everyday believers (the only kind there are) stepping by faith into their gifts, their calling, their spiritual vocation and serving others with no expectation of being recognized for anything other than their utter weakness apart from God.

Let us each aspire to be all that we can be in the Kingdom by faith (embracing whatever challenges and persecutions God has for us) while avoiding all trappings of veneration in this world. The church will shine more brightly and the world will be impacted more powerfully.