Simple Church folks vs. Institutional Church folks...One church after all?

My brothers and sisters,

How do we pursue this heartfelt passion of reflecting the character of the Father here on earth without striking battle lines within our own family? When is it that everything but Christ fades from our vision into the background of man-made distinctions? How do we walk together with those who have determined the distinctions they have constructed are important to their faith and walk?

They are many that have experienced great hurt in any number of fellowships whether they be labeled institutional, simple, organic, para-church etc. There are many large, denomination or independent, gatherings of people who are doing great things for the kingdom of God and doing so with His blessing. We must be very careful not to add more clutter around the centrality of Jesus and forget the Father’s heart in all of this. The Father is always seeking to restore and He actively seeks to speak to His children. Therein is the rub; what is He saying to you personally about this young lady? What is your part? Let the Holy Spirit steer you and lead you to His conclusion. No matter where she is to fellowship, build the appropriate relationship and begin the disciple’s process of living life together. Seek the Lord and sincerely ask “What is my part in this Lord?” He will answer. Teach this new believer from the beginning that the Father speaks to her heart as well; show her how to listen.

It will be a mystery to us at times as to how someone can “do this” or “do that” and call it “church”. It will be a mystery to us, but that is perfectly natural, we aren’t building it. In Matthew 16 Jesus clearly tells us all “I will build my church…” and He is without a doubt building His church. Whatever dissolves and is blown away as so much chaff, He did not build. The gates of hell will not prevail, not “might not”, but will not. He told us to go and make disciples, that is our call and design; be one and make one or two or ….you get the picture.


Jesus does not need us to defend His work, it will defend itself. This is a lesson I have begun to process over these last few months by seeking to be a part of what He is building by doing what He tells me and forfeiting the mission to tear down what man has constructed. If it is to fall down, it will fall on its own. If we do what we do in the Body His way, what is supposed to die will reveal itself.



It is the sincere conviction of many that the institutional church is dying and divinely so. That may be the case, I’m not sure, but I do know this; the Church is not dying, it is growing. The labels (IC) can die or be birthed again and again, they are something we have created, defined, embraced and then abandoned. New labels (constructs, movements, denominations) we should be wary of creating because by definition and design they divide. How wonderful would it be to be “Simply Church” instead of Simple Church? Living the abundant life instead of labeling the next: “this is where you get it”.

The church that is growing is the church who seeks the heart of the matter; the Father desired sons from the beginning and made provision for restoration (from the beginning) of these sons (men and women: Galatians 3.28) for the purpose of enjoying a familial relationship forever. There is a relationship with meaning that isn’t just perceived, but realized in living life together. Our Lord’s battle involves the hearts of men and so must ours. We protect what we build and fail; sometimes we defend what we build and say Jesus built it, and still fail. If we strive to be a part of His building program beginning with the hearts of men, then we needn’t be concerned, there is no failure possible.

What do you do with the new believer? Begin the walk of family with them, teaching the ways of the household; show them where the Father has hidden the good cookies! We do not know how much time with have with anyone God has put in front of us; it could be days or many years. We do know that He has a part for us to play and we are to be attentive to their needs and His purposes. Pour out the life that lives in you for however long you can and be listening.

How do we walk in fellowship with those of us with different “definitions” of what is appropriate in this Kingdom walk? Take every opportunity to build and forget the tearing down, if it is hay and stubble there is a wind that will come along eventually. Agree on God’s goodness and man’s desperation in most things and take every opportunity to share what you have been told to share by the Father. Michael rightly pointed out that The Father hates division, hates it and only those who are willing to approach unity in the Father’s desire for His children will be able to see the bigger picture from His perspective. There will be differences always, but they pale in comparison to how important each one of us is to Him and our mission to impart the truth of that importance to one another.

Whether we meet in buildings, houses, Moose Lodges (my personal favorite), store fronts, book stores, Chick fil-A (another personal favorite), Ice skating rink (not a favorite) or Starbucks it doesn’t really matter. Remember Jesus spoke in the synagogues, and they were the creation of man and weren’t the Father’s intention for the Jews.

Can we address the heart of the matter wherever we are in such a way that Jesus is preeminent in all things and the Kingdom that is at hand becomes evident? If we fellowship where it is not; begin to reveal what needs to be built and forget about tearing anything down, it will fall on its own, but our relationships with one another and Him should stand by the grace of God.