What is a self-governing community? “A Lot like Love”

Short version … for those on the run …

What is the goal of parenting? Short answer? Love. Longer answer? To enable our children to stand on their own feet as mature adults; in order to cooperate with Father God’s purpose in this world in keeping with their own unique call and gifting. Father God’s goal for us as individuals is the same. Short answer: love. For a longer brief, it’s well captured in the idea of the “fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22, 23); one dimension of which is “self-control” (v. 23). Exercising self-control refers to one, who submitted to the leadership of the Spirit, selflessly serves the Father’s purposes secure in themselves, able to stand on their own feet.

The goal of a simple church community is the same. To collectively stand on their own feet – not dependent on artificial props and external support systems – able to serve God’s revealed purposed together, having discovered their shared call and synergising their communal giftedness. That’s a mouthful! Thus, the potent and punchy phrase: self-governing.

In the “long version” (below) we look at the critical New Testament phrase “brethren” and some of the implications of such a blessed community; a spiritual family that can “stand on its own” but is not alone.

What is wrong with institutional church? “Honey, I blew up the church”

Short version … for those on the run …

In an idealistic sense, when this question is phrased, “What’s wrong with the contemporary church?” the answer is: nothing. God responds to the pure faith in His people’s hearts and He continues to bless and use many expressions of church. In an honest sense though, it doesn’t take rocket science to see the systemic inconsistencies in the modern church when compared to the simplicity and power of the early church.

When the question is put this way: “What’s wrong with institutions as a context for missional community?” the problems become more readily apparent. Perhaps this question could be answered with another question: “What is the best place to raise a child: an orphanage or a family?” In other words, the problem is not a “people-issue”; it is a “system-issue”. Too often, the modern church depends on institutional systems that askew our foundational dependence on the Lord Himself; soliciting our loyalties, usurping both our affection and attention.

What’s more, in an institutional construct, structures and systems always trump relationships; that is, the true relational design implicit in being a Kingdom community is lost in the labyrinth of institutionalism. As the saying goes, the “house (in this case, the institutional system) always wins”.

In the “long version” (below) we look at how the church lost its simplicity and became entrenched in a man-made institutional construct. We also begin to explore how we can respond today in rediscovering church as organic, relational and fluid instead of institutional, hierarchical and rigid; a family community rather than a business enterprise or religious establishment.

What is simple church? “Honey, I Shrunk the Church”

Short version … for those on the run …

To be honest, the first time I heard the term “simple church” I recoiled from it as though one were suggesting we turn God’s idea of His ekklesia into something more “simplistic” to satisfy our own ends. However, this is not the intent at all.

If I spoke of simplifying my life I would be referring to a desire to get back to basics or, better yet, a resolve to return to a more holistic, authentic lifestyle. I would be suggesting that I have unnecessarily complicated my life in some way and want to rid myself of the superfluous clutter I’ve somehow accumulated.

It is in this way that I use the phrase “simple church”. Yes, it is an expression with limitations; as is any term we place in front of the word “church”. However, it is helpful in capturing our desire to return to the simplicity and purity of the organic, relational, missional church we read about in the New Testament.

And thus, it also implies the need to shed the complexities and clutter we’ve added to the concept of church; acknowledging that there are more than a few sacred cows that need to be turned into juicy hamburgers.

In the “long version” (below) we unpack this thought further and offer a working definition for the phrase “simple church”, suggest some valid synonyms and explain why “simple church” captures our desire to return to a Biblical, Kingdom way of life.