3 Reasons why we converted to Simple Church (And how those reasons stack up 3 years later).

 

  1. Church Planting would be easier.

    One of the driving passions of my (previous) ministry was Church Planting. Church Planting had become increasingly unpopular in the Evangelical / Pentecostal Church because of the financial costs, skills, man power and efforts required to start a new church. Compiled to this was the high rate of failure that new churches experienced and the toll it took on church planters. So when 4 years ago I first heard about Church Planting Movements in Asia (rapid multiplication of house churches) and the rapid growth of Simple Churches in the West (people leaving Normal Church and starting to meet more simpler) I naturally put the two together in my mind. Within moments my mind had shifted from the concept of planting traditional type churches to starting simple home based churches and that is originally what we started doing.

So where are we at now 3 years in regards to Church Planting? I can confidently say that planting house churches are a piece of cake compared to starting traditional churches, having now done both. If one is passionate enough it is reasonably simple to see a good number of house churches started. I was passionate and trying to start lots of house churches for 4 months and then after hearing Wolfgang Simson speak everything changed for me (too long to go into here). Since then my World view has changed a lot over these three years. I personally am no longer so confidant either Biblically or from my Christian World View that New Zealand's problems will be solved by more Church's. I am becoming more convinced that what New Zealand needs is more people who follow Christ to live out the principles they proclaim and it is through this that any nation will be transformed. At this time I am not actively pursuing planting simple churches (though am happy to help others who are). Having said that, I still believe that any person or group who is thinking of church planting whether on a large or small scale in New Zealand would be crazy not to seriously consider going down the simple church path, as it is easier to give birth to lots of rabbits than an elephant.

 

Read Part2 here http://everyhomeachurch.blog.co.uk/?s=3+reasons+part2&sentence=AND&submit=Search