Post Tenebras Lux

Much talk is beginning to emerge on the concept of “Simple Church,” so much in fact, to merit a book of the same title by Thom Rainer. What is simple church, and why is it generating so much buzz?

At the heart of simple church are relationships. I believe that the Simple Church movement is a backlash against the megachurch movement of the 1980’s and 1990’s, where large, program-driven, faceless churches ruled much of the American evangelical landscape. Simple Church purposely clears out programs in order to create an environment where people can stop, breathe, and relate to one another in their faith journeys with Christ.

The church of which I am a member, Christ Our Hope Church, has walked the Simple Church line since before Simple Church became trendy. Only recently have I heard the buzz amongst missional circles concerning the benefits of simplicity in church structure. Last Friday my eyes were renewed to the power of relationships in the church when I shared an anecdote about our low-structure church culture in preaching class at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. I received some skeptical looks from some of my fellow students, which I interpreted as annoyance. I was encouraged however, at the mid-class break when another student approached the professor and asked the professor who made the Simple Church comment. After pointing me out to him, this student approached me to tell me that he was a member of a church who was struggling due to be burdened with programs which had no real function but to keep the congregants from really interacting with one another. In a most warm and heartfelt tone, he expressed how refreshing the simple church concept was and his plan to recommend that to his church in an attempt to “start from scratch” and recover true Christian identity founded upon their common union with Christ in the Gospel.

The Gospel and the Church: It is what Christ came to accomplish and inaugurate, and it is ours to treasure and enjoy.