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.
Continue reading ‘What is simple church? “Honey, I Shrunk the Church”’
