Simple Church:

Simple Church: Returning to God's Process for Making Disciples Author: Thom S. Rainer, Eric Geiger

The simple revolution has begun. From the design of the iPod to the uncluttered Google home page, simple ideas are changing the world. Simple Church clearly calls for Christians to return to the simple gospel-sharing methods of Jesus. No bells or whistles required, so to speak.

Based on case studies of four hundred American churches, authors Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger prove that the process for making disciples has quite often become too complex. Simple churches are thriving, and they are doing so by taking these four ideas to heart: Clarity. Movement. Alignment. Focus.

Each idea is examined here, simply showing why it is time to simplify. Dowload Sample Chapter 27-Page PDF @

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Simple Church Returning to God’s process for Making Disciples By Thom Rainer & Eric Geiger

Simple Church Defined

A simple church is designed around a straightforward and strategic process that moves people through the stages of spiritual growth. The leadership and the church are clear about the process (clarity) and are committed to executing it. The process flows logically (movement) and is implemented in each area of the church (alignment). The church abandons everything that is not in the process (focus).

Clarity

Clarity is the ability of the process to be communicated and understood by the people. Understanding always precedes commitment. If people are to embrace and participate in the ministry process, they must be able to internalize it.

Movement

Movement is the sequential steps in the process that cause people to move to greater areas of commitment. Movement is about handoffs. Movement is what happens in between the programs. Movement is how someone is handed off from one level of commitment to a greater level of commitment.

Alignment

Alignment is the arrangement of all ministries and staff around the same simple process. Alignment to the process means that all ministry departments submit and attach themselves to the same overarching process. When a church is fully aligned, all ministries are operating from the same ministry blueprint. The ministries not only embrace the simple process, but they are engaged in it. Each ministry department mirrors the process in that particular area.

Focus

Focus is the commitment to abandon everything that falls outside of the simple ministry process. Focus most often means saying "no." Without focus, the church becomes cluttered despite its process. Without focus, the process is buried somewhere underneath a myriad of special events and activities.

Less is More

Fewer programs means: more focus on the programs offered. more excellence. more energy for each program. more money allocated to each program. more people coming to the ones that are offered. more attention from the people in your church. more impact.
Ministries and Programs Ministries are different from programs. Ministries are either entire departments (see ministry expansions) or specific groups (see ministry additions) that help move people through one aspect of the process.

Ministry Expansions

Ministry expansions are new ministries that are geared toward a specific age group or life stage. The church ministry is expanded to focus intentionally on a specific group of people. These groups were formerly a part of a different ministry, now they have their own identity.

Ministry Additions

Ministry additions are new ministries that fulfill a specific function within the simple process. These ministries must be set up to help move people through the process of transformation.

For example, the baptism ministry team make is easy for people to move to baptism.

Four Examples

Cross Church

Immanuel Church

Christ Church

North Pointe Community Church

Cross Church

They have a simple three-step purpose statement that is also its process. "Love God, love others, serve the world." One member said, "The worship service helps me love God more, and my small group is where I learn to really love others. I serve on the greeting team that allows me to serve others."

Measuring Method

Cross Church takes a horizontal attendance measuring approach that allows them to track the percentage of the congregation in each process area. The change in percentages over time gives them a sense of movement within the process.

Measurement Matrix

Immanuel Church

They concluded that fully committed believers would be intimate with God, and other Christians, people who grow in their faith, and are servants in the Kingdom of God. They describe their discipleship focus as a process. They call it Connecting, Growing, Serving. First, Immanuel seeks to connect people to God and others. They desire to see people become "connecting believers." Next they challenge "connecting believers" to become "growing believers" by engaging in opportunities for deeper spiritual growth.

Finally, the process ends with "growing believers" committing to become "serving believers."

Christ Church

God impressed on their pastors’ hearts to focus people on four things: an intimate relationship with God, community with others, serving, and influencing nonbelievers.

They committed to one statement that would feature their simple process:
Connect to God, others, ministry, and the lost.

Discipleship includes being intimate with God (connect to God), living in community with other believers (connect to others), serving the Body of Christ (connect to ministry), and sharing the gospel (connect to the lost). Define it; illustrate it; measure it; discuss it;

Northpointe Community Church The image of a home Foyer is the welcoming place Move to the living room for connections The kitchen is small groups where discipleship occurs Simple Church is NOT Simple It is not a quick fix It is not whacking programs, it is building a culture of simplicity The philosophy is simple implementation is not It shouldn’t be the next fad for church growth (WillowBack 2.0)

What it Takes

Serious praying

Casting vision to create the future

Building consensus amidst diversity

Designing the organizational structure

Managing change biblically

For Additional Resources go to: http://www.arsenalbooks.com/products.asp?dept=1053