Wineskin - Community of Faith
There are several terms used for the church (ekklesia) which gathers in other than an edifice designed for that particular purpose (e.g., community of faith, simple church, house church, home church, organic church, open church, etc.). Basically they all refer to a group of people coming together with Christ as their center, and the Bible as their ultimate authority for faith and practice. We prefer the term, Community of Faith. The word "church" is generally understood to describe a building in America rather than the "body" of Christ.
By 'simple church' we mean:
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A way of doing and being the church that is so simple that any believer would respond by saying, "With some training, I could do that!"
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The kind of church that is described in the New Testament. Not constrained by structure but by the needs of the extended family and a desire to extend the Kingdom of God (the rule and reign of God) by reaching spiritual "searchers" and church dropouts with the good news of Jesus!
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A church that gathers in homes, at school, or at the workplace but realizes that church is more than a place or a meeting. It is the incarnational expression of Jesus in our communities.
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A church that listens to God, follows His leading and obeys His commands.
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A church led by spiritual "fathers and mothers" (We call them our Servant Leaders) who raise spiritual "sons and daughters", and in turn, releases them to live the great adventure of planting more "simple" churches.
