Page 029 - The Simple Church Life (Part 1)
*Verses from AMP
"And I will bring the blind by a way that they know not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known. I will make darkness into light before them and make uneven places into a plain. These things I have determined to do [for them]; and I will not leave them forsaken" (Amp: Isaiah 42:16).
Don Graves and Ron King wrote an article about how the church needs to remain simple. They stated,
"As simple churches, we are committed to a methodology for doing and being a church that seeks to be uncomplicated in nature, essence and expression. We believe the church of Jesus Christ in all her ways share similar values, but not always similar outward expressions. And for us, those expressions are far too often barriers to those who most need to experience the presence of Jesus Christ. Simple churches come in all shapes, sizes, cultures and theological distinctives. But we do seem to share a common thread:
"1. SIMPLE MISSION: What do we see as our prime directive from the King and how do we accomplish this? We make disciples! We do this by being incarnational in our mission. We carry the life of Jesus in cracked vessels so that the power and beauty we experience and demonstrate is of God and not ourselves."
"2. SIMPLE LEADERSHIP: Who are those among us whom the Spirit has touched to help us reach our full potential in the things of Christ? We recognize those among us who are called by the Spirit to be the spiritual moms and dads of the community. We deeply honor the work of the Spirit of God in those humble servants… Those who serve are those identified as having the spiritual gift of leadership, those who are able to share leadership. Simple leadership may be rotational or situational leadership-not just taking turns, but a community recognition of God’s calling and expression of that calling with a spirit of humility and the ability to listen in each circumstance."