Why a Simple Church?

Simple. Defined by Merriam-Webster as an adjective

           : not hard to understand or do

           : having few parts; not complex or fancy

           : not special or unusual

Sounds easy enough. Yet we live in a society where bigger is usually considered better, where you “get what you pay for” and there are always upgrades available. And yet God, in His infinite wisdom, has often chosen the simple to confound the wise. From Ten Commandments, the Pharisees extrapolated 248 additional commandments and 365 prohibitions. From meeting in houses in the early days of the church, we went on to build some of the most beautiful structures ever seen.  Oh, we can make things complex, can’t we? But bigger is not always better and sometimes, more expensive just means it costs more.

Ileen and I have been called to a path less travelled. We hear Father directing us towards simple church. Also referred to as house church and organic church, the idea is to distill the church experience down to the basics. While I am of the opinion that there are some fundamental issues with today’s church in America, please, please don’t misunderstand me; I am not making a case for the simple church at the expense of the institutional church.  I just happen to think that perhaps going back to the beginning, as best we can, may result in the church life that I read of in the New Testament. Of course, since a lot of Paul’s writings were directed towards churches with issues, I may need to be careful what I wish for.

So, what are we wishing for? First and foremost, God.  Engaging with Him and being discipled like never before. Community. Being engaged with believers in loving community like never before. Obedience. Carrying out the primary commands to love God and love others like never before.

Sounds great, right? But why simple church? Can’t we do all those things in an institutional church setting? Certainly, the answer has to be yes, it can be done…but is it the best way? Maybe “yes” for some and “not so much” for others.

I grew up a skinny kid…Six feet five inches tall before my sophomore year of high school was complete. I could eat anything I wanted and not put on weight. And did I eat! My poor parents…literally! I did my best to eat them out of the house. But then around 26 or 27 years old, my metabolism changed and I joined the ranks of the dieters and I’ve been a member ever since. Now that I’ve been dieting off and on for 25+ years, I know a few things about how to succeed at dieting. Things like keeping junk food out of the house, like committing to meet someone at the gym…you get the idea…little hacks that keep you accountable and committed.  But that’s just me. I have some friend’s that won’t waver a bit even if there’s ice cream in the house (Mmm, ice cream…but I digress) and would never miss a workout, no matter the weather.

So, what’s my point? For Ileen and I, the point is to position ourselves in the best possible place to hear “well done”.  Simple church seems to be that place. There is no preacher or Sunday school teacher to do our studying for us. There is no women’s ministry to handle benevolence. There is no financial committee to determine where the giving should go or how much. Instead, there’s just a small gathering of believers that desire to engage with Father, fellow believers and our community. And kind of like dieting, We want to remove any options that allow for inertia or the option to be part of the “80” in the “80/20” rule.  Simple church, at its very core, offers reliance on Father, demands accountability to each other, provides opportunity to truly know and love your brothers and sisters in Christ as well as exchange some of the time spent serving in the institutional church with getting to know those that you come in contact with in your daily life.

Certainly, there will be bumps in the road and maybe even some detours...but we are excited to know that Father has a purpose and a plan and is revealing it to us even now. So pray for us...that we won't run ahead of Him, that we'll follow closely behind, that we won't take our eyes off of our incomparable Jesus (I love describing Jesus as incomparable! Don't know why that is...but I do).

Your Brother and Sister in Christ, Jeff and Ileen

And so the Journey Begins...

I own my own business. I haven't always but for the past 5 years I've been self-employed. Owning your own business is a lot of things but predictable is not one of them. And I discovered something about myself...I like predictability. I like routine. There is something comforting in routine and sameness and I didn't expect that. 

“We are, all of us, creatures of habit, and when the seeming necessity for schooling ourselves in new ways ceases to exist, we fall naturally and easily into the manner and customs which long usage has implanted ineradicably within us.”― Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Beasts of Tarzan

In fact, if Mr. Burroughs is to be believed, the fall into those habits is natural and unable to be removed (that's what ineradicably means...impossible to root out). But routine and predictable become boring and stodgy and eventually unproductive. 

I am a Christian. I wasn't always but for the past 40+ years...I have been. And in those 40 years, I've seen the "seeming necessity for schooling" cease to exist and fell naturally into the rhythms and routines that are the norm in churches across the country today. And I've found myself comfortable. And bored. And unproductive. 

But God is not a creature of habit. In fact, 2 Corinthians 5:17 declares that in Christ, old things are passed away and a new life has begun. Recent events at church caused me to pause and re-evaluate. And it became clear that I had settled into routines and become unproductive. Perhaps more disturbing, I looked to assign the blame elsewhere. But Father pressed into my spirit that I was the shepherd of my family and that handing ourself over to the programs at the church did not relieve me of my obligations. What's more...I was missing out on the opportunity to hear from Him and share that with my wife and family. Let that sink in for a minute...Almighty God, Creator of the Universe, is willing to personally show me how to be a husband to my wife and a father to my children. And, for too long, I've preferred my comfort and routine to His presence. 

So after much prayer and angst, Ileen and I have reached the decision that now is the time to pursue a vision that Father has placed upon our heart and we will be leaving Foothills. We wanted to let you know this for several reasons. First and foremost, you have had an impact on us and our family and we love you dearly. Beyond that, we want to make sure that our reasons are not misunderstood or lumped into the current situation, although that has certainly been a catalyst for our decision.

What we thought it would be like...

I wish I could say that Ileen and I definitively have the answers that we are seeking.  We don’t. But God is leading and we must follow. He has lead us in the direction of simple church (also known as house or organic church) and we have been praying, researching, reading and even reviewing criticisms pertaining to the concept. We are challenged and intrigued…

·        By the notion that the church can be led by the Holy Spirit and Jesus is the “Senior Pastor”.

...and what it feels like now that we're standing on the brink!

·        Believers being equal and hearing from God corporately.

·        God gifting and equipping the church as He promises in Ephesians 4.

·        By the idea that leadership is not in charge but rather are facilitators, care-givers and “guard rails”.

·        Expressing the love and light of Jesus with each other in such a way that the world takes notice and desires to know Christ (John 13:35).

·        Abandoning programs and traditions in favor of “wherever He leads”. It is in John chapter 21 where Jesus tells the disciples to throw their nets out on the opposite side…It looked the same…really wasn't very different or radical…yet, because it was Jesus, there was more fish then imaginable.

There are so many more thoughts that escape me as I write but the overarching concern is to “participate” in Jesus’ church in such a way that it pleases Him by being about Him, in Him and through Him. To join Thomas in exclaiming “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28)

Additionally, Ileen and I will pursue a vision that God has placed upon our heart. We call it “Worship without Walls” and we look to facilitate a regular, perhaps monthly, local gathering of believers in such a way that they are encouraged and refreshed and prepared to do whatever God has gifted and burdened them to do. We hope to break down the walls that separate believers and  circumvent the denominational divide by gathering people together and letting them get to know each other and surround the community we live in with the Father’s love…coming at the lost from all directions.

We are publishing this blog for a couple reasons...we want to chronicle the adventure and share the journey with those that will pray for and with us as we seek to be salt and light right where Father has us...and we hope that others will be inspired to join us. Not necessarily "us" us, rather the "us" that is a group of believers that not only desire more of our incomparable Savior, Jesus, but are willing to step out and away from comfortable arrangements and known entities and see what might happen when Father is given a free rein to lead and direct without the constraint of habits or traditions.

We strongly covet your prayers…we really don’t have a firm idea of where this is going; only that we won’t have peace until we follow this wherever He leads. Some have expressed an interest in learning more; we will use this blog to share as we go along. We will also post times/dates and locations as they become known. We hope and desire that this simply denotes a new chapter in our continuing relationships as friends and fellow sojourners in Christ. We hope you understand and encourage you to talk to us about any questions or concerns.

Your Brother and Sister in Christ…Jeff and Ileen