“God wants us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time… this is the New Covenant I’ll make with my people, says the Lord: I
will put my laws in their hearts so they will understand them, and I will write them on their minds so they will obey them.” Heb. 10:10 & 16
What is going on and why the need for “Simple Church”? According to statistics, more than 80% of people will never see the inside of a Church Building. Attendance in many churches is declining. It is already recorded that the divorce rate under Christians have exceeded worldly standards. People of all ages, but especially young adults and teens have no recollection of basic Bible stories like Noah, Moses, and even David. Youth in general lack the basic knowledge of right and wrong. There is a general relational disconnect because of social media and slavery to the “internet matrix”. Families are too busy and fathers struggle to take up their roles as priest, king and prophet of the households. An estimate of 33% of children worldwide do not have their biological father in their home! The moral fiber of society is at its lowest in many decades and rapidly declining. Government is taking basic Bible teaching out of our Schools and Educational Institutes and parental rights out of parent’s hands. Shocking realities like putting the human rights of the “woke” minority first; child/human trafficking; immorality & abortions need vital attention and action from Christian Leadership and every Christian with a voice in all spheres of society. Many businesses are open 7 days a week, forcing employees to work on rest days. Satan’s works are evident in society and therefore it is as clear as daylight that we are failing as Christians. We have become so program-driven and busy, that many churches have neglected the basic key: relationship with God and fellow-man. To truly ‘connect’ with people’s hearts, still remains the most powerful tool in spreading the fragrance and Word of God’s Kingdom on earth.
During many years of ministry, we have come to realize that the body of Christ [leaders and followers alike] is not “whole” and therefore we struggle to be “holy”. Many Christians have sat in churches for many years, attending Bible Colleges and all kinds of courses/camps, yet, the body of Christ still suffer brokenness; dis-functional families and financial dilemmas.
Simple Church/Organic Church is a worldwide growing phenomenon of hungry individuals and families desiring to have more. They are waking up to an urgency in wanting to be carriers of the “grace” of God – making a difference in their own families and society… to become the “change agents” of society. Rather than focusing on quantity and numbers, we focus on the quality of coaching/mentoring and discipleship. Small groups are not just gathering in houses, but also at businesses; malls; coffee-shops; parks and any place that accommodates a designated group of one-hearted individuals. The brave [and ‘called’] even infiltrate – ‘Heaven forbid’, the pubs; slums and other dark places of this world like prostitute houses. They are reaching out to prisoners; refugees; the homeless and breaking children free from slavery.
After God has called us into full-time ministry at a wonderful and well-known mega-church for five years, He lead us into marketplace-ministry and fellowship on a home-church basis as part of our Makarios Communities vision in 2008. The home-church fellowship came unexpected but very spontaneously! The heart of home-church is a deeper dimension of relationship – sharing the joys and challenges of our lives with one another; eating and fellowshipping together and sharing the responsibility of ‘being Christ’ in the family & in the marketplace… and last but not the least: reaching out to places and people that God points out to us – in compassion and practical help. We also visit other churches and strengthen other ministries where we can – as lead by the Holy-Spirit. The Holy-Spirit has a funny way of stirring God’s prepared works up in your heart!
Something we’ve also experienced to be different in home-church is that the financial offerings to God are firstly distributed towards meeting some needs in your own fellowship before reaching out to other ministries/missions or worthy causes in society. Charity begins at home doesn’t it? We were amazed by true stories of other pastors – one of them, instructed by the Holy-Spirit, sowed half of the income [tithings & offerings] towards the care of his own congregation and outward missions before meeting the salaries of the staff and paying for the maintenance of the building! It goes without saying that the Lord backed them all the way in this! Another breath-taking true story is that of a pastor who for about three years sowed almost ALL THE FINANCES towards making the members of his church debt-free! This happened after he (braggingly) presented the Lord with a debt-free church (building), upon which the Lord informed him quite simply that His church was actually NOT debt-free! Very surprised, he then heard the Lord saying that His church (inside the building) was under heavy burdens of debt.
As pastors of our home-fellowship, we have also learned through mistakes and hurts that it doesn’t help to have a forward drive in helping others when your ‘own family’ is not healed or in a good place. It became a priority to work towards healing our own ‘sick’ first and keeping the healthy strong before we could really consider going after the ”young and the lost’ big time? Like Paul, we can’t say that we have achieved perfection yet, but we can say that God has changed our priorities…
Whether we are part of a mega church set-up with cell groups or a smaller gathering in the marketplace / homes / a farmstead or village in a rural area, we still face the same realities in our desire to be more effective:
- returning to God’s original Biblical pattern in very practical ways – in all spheres of life! Only Christianity in its most simple form will truly draw those who are lost or in need… I have never encountered people asking me where I’m going to church without me getting involved in their problems in some or other way or giving them what they had need of in that given moment…
- how to give newcomers the immediate Biblical ‘keys’ to the Kingdom and to teach them the basics so that their lives can start changing to change those around them in the process. All Christians and leaders need to remember that the ‘John 4 woman at the well’ only needed one encounter with Jesus Christ before she went back to her village and told EVERYONE! Her testimony brought her whole village to Him within a period of TWO days!!! Many in her village believed in Him because she IMMEDIATELY started sharing her story – simple evangelism. We as leaders sometimes give our followers the impression that they are not capable of great things unless they follow a certain pathway for success.
- genuine love will always remain the strongest force. Asking someone how they are, with no intention to help, fools nobody? Faith driven by love… faith in action is the righteousness of God. Love rejoices in giving. It is more blessed to give than to receive, says the Bible. It also TAKES a lot of financial resources to care for God’s children and those who are lost? His goodness displayed through us, will lead many to repentance. The big question is: “Can you live more simple, so that someone else can simply live? How can people ever experience the Father’s love for them without your care?” Sela.
Only in surrendering to become the “New Wineskin [in renewed ways of thinking and doing]” will we become more effective in all areas. Every individual/disciple is a potential leader and can facilitate a small group. Where 2 or more gather in His Name, is He not in our midst? We sometimes need to get uncomfortable to get into God’s plan for our life.
It is in every person’s heart to become a hero for God!
“God, send us!”
Andre & Christa
Some interesting links:
We have partnered with Leadership Int ZA and African Leadership to start Biblical Leadership Training Centres (BLTC) for leadership in our circle of influence. Should you want more info, contact us at info@makarioscommunities.co.za. Our goal is to train and equip leaders with Truth and Knowledge of the Word, raising committed and influential Overseers.
