What is simple church? Simple church is our Foursquare family’s preferred term for what is often called house church. By simple church, we mean a way of doing, or being, the church that is so simple that almost any believer will say, “I can do that!” Think about the church described in the New Testament, flexible and responsive to the needs of people—that is simple church.
Simple church is a response to God’s call to re-examine everything about church in light of the Bible, and to simplify what has become complicated by buildings, events and programs. It is best described by values and practices such as the following:
- Simplicity: Formal programs give way to informal expressions of life and outreach.
- Intimacy: Both with God and one another.
- Community: Relationships are at the core of everything.
- Family: Healthy families are the church, and leaders are spiritual parents.
- Supernatural lifestyle: Simple church people are aware of the need to live naturally supernatural lives in a broken world.
- Participation: Everyone has something to contribute.
- Modeling discovery-based learning: This is a return to the Hebraic model Jesus used as His primary means of teaching and training.
Traditional churches share many of these values. But some particular distinctions that may be helpful for understanding are the following:
- The small group meetings are the church—larger gatherings are simply the churches gathered for a larger meeting.
- Leadership in a simple church is viewed as the shared responsibility of every member.
- Every member (including children) is encouraged to participate in all gatherings and expressions of ministry.
- Personal care for one another takes place through all members of the group.
By: Tammy Dunahoo and Rod Koop, central office Published: December 8, 2009
Source: http://www.foursquare.org/news/article/new_approaches_for_a_new_year