The focal point of this part of our web guide is on the Simple Church Movement, a loosely connected network of intentionally small congregations that meet in restaurants, businesses, parks, homes, or other settings.
The term "Simple Church" emerged in the Western church in the early 200s out of frustration with the complexity and misplaced priorities of traditional congregations. Leaders like Ed Stetzer and Daniel Im coined the term to describe fellowships that emphasize common life over programs, often meeting in unconventional venues rather than formal church buildings.
Like the "Home Church" Movement" movement," the movement draws inspiration from the house churches of the 1st century, as recorded in Acts, as well as the modern resurgence of home churches popularized in the 1960s and 1970s. The Simple Church movement includes underground house churches in restricted countries, such as China and the Middle East, and a 2008 book by Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger, which linked organizational simplicity with numerical growth in North American congregations.
While Home Churches are generally independent of larger church networks, many Simple Churches still connect with wider church networks or convene occasionally with larger church bodies.
Simple Churches pivot on four interrelated concepts: 1) Common life in Christ (members prioritize shared spiritual practices, such as singing, prayer, teaching, and meals, including the Lord's Supper, in a familial atmosphere that fosters mutual care and accountability; 2) Limited group size (fellowships intentionally cap their gatherings so every member can engage face-to-face, ensuring no one remains anonymous or disengaged; 3) Christ-centered simplicity (worship focuses directly on Scripture, mutual edification, fellowship, and prayer, foregoing elaborate programming or hierarchical staffing structures; and 4) Reproducible multiplication (the design is easily replicated in homes or other informal spaces, enabling rapid church planting and organic mission outreach without heavy infrastructure).
Simple churches offer several practical benefits, such as enhanced integration of new believers through personal contact and cohesive community rhythms. This relational assimilation helps newcomers feel immediately known and cared for. Simpler organizational systems reduce administrative overhead, allowing members to devote more time to discipleship and mission rather than building maintenance or program coordination. Additionally, there are fewer financial obligations, such as property upkeep or salaried clergy, which frees up resources for local outreach and global missions, deepening missional engagement.
While the Simple Church model has strengths, there are also drawbacks. Viewing the Book of Acts as a prescriptive blueprint can lead to the erroneous belief that early church methodologies are mandated for all contexts, rather than descriptive histories of what happened at that time. The small scale of Simple Churches can limit the scope of specialized ministries, like children's education, counseling, and recovery groups, that often require dedicated facilities, trained staff, or certified volunteers. Additionally, flat leadership structures can lack formal accountability mechanisms, increasing the risk that pastoral care, teaching quality, or theological oversight may vary widely from one fellowship to another.
Critics of the Simple Church movement often portray Simple Churches as disgruntled offshoots of established congregations, motivated more by dissatisfaction than by a coherent theological vision. There is also a concern that the emphasis on limited size can foster insularity, making fellowships vulnerable to spiritual isolation and resistant to outside correction or broader denominational support. Informal leadership training also raises questions about doctrinal depth and teaching consistency, particularly when peer-led worship supplants credentialed pastoral instruction.
The Simple Church movement reimagines Christian gatherings around intimacy, simplicity, and replication. Its roots in early house churches and its modern champions reveal both potential and limitations. Time will tell whether the Simple Church movement will evolve into just another denomination.
Recommended Resources
Presenting a simplified approach to being the church, the site focuses on developing close personal relationships with the triune God and one another. At its core is the belief that the church is not a building or program, but a community of believers practicing intimacy, simplicity, and participation. Each article invites readers to reflect on their spiritual journey, exploring various themes such as belief, surrender, and living a supernatural lifestyle in everyday contexts.
https://www.churchsimplified.org/
The Simple Church Global Network is a grassroots, family-based movement of lay-led house churches. It is an organic, decentralized network of missional entrepreneurs who take seriously the commands of Jesus to read, obey, and share the Gospel. The site offers coaching, interactive tools, and global community support for both new and seasoned house church leaders. Key offerings include online training and coaching, an interactive map, and the ability to add new home churches to the map.
https://www.simplechurchathome.com/
This is a voluntary alliance or association of simple churches originating in Central Kentucky in 2010. As a voluntary association of individuals and faith communities, members are bound together through friendship and a shared vision for what it means to be part of God's family. A description of the Simple Church movement is provided, including its core values. Other topics include books, events, music, podcasts, poems, and teachings, as well as an informational blog.
https://simplechurchalliance.com/
Devoted to making disciples of all nations through a variety of means, the Simple Church Network encourages grassroots, lay-led movements and emphasizes faith communities that actively interpret and apply scriptural teachings. The web platform invites participants to join a global mission of disciple-making and mutual edification. Its site features member reflections and testimonies, articles on theology, mission strategies, and church practices, along with photos and audio recordings.
https://simplechurch.org/
The Simple Church is a community-focused church based in Bossier City, Louisiana. Their guiding principle ("Life is complicated. Church shouldn't be.") is featured on the index page of its website, which includes a description of its services, with live services streamed online, as well as age-specific ministries, life groups for deeper community connections, and volunteer and care resources, including prayer requests and support teams, event schedules, and contact details.
https://www.thesimplechurch.tv/
Simple Church is a movement of conversational-style churches that focus on authentic relationships with Jesus and one another, the idea being to make faith accessible, relational, and mission-driven. Founded in early 2014 with fifty people who attended the first service at the Event Center in West Des Moines, Iowa, the movement has grown into a network of campuses throughout West Des Moines, Des Moines, and nearby communities. Its model, philosophy, and core values are set forth.
https://www.simple.church/
Dedicated to reproducing disciples and cultivating simple, organic churches, this blog by Roger Thoman critiques program-driven religious systems and invites readers into a Spirit-led lifestyle of communion, service, and authentic faith. Key themes include abiding in Christ as a daily lifestyle rather than a theological concept, dying to self through an inner crucifixion, and rediscovering the ancient path lived from the inside out, and fostering a daily experiential walk with Jesus.
https://www.simplechurchjournal.com/
