Jeff has done a wonderful job over the past year or so in keeping up to date with this blog. Now that he is going to be working primarily on his blog "Until All have Heard," we want to say a big "thank you" for all the work he has put into this site. We
recommend that you sign up for his new blog to keep up to date with the pioneer thinking he is putting into the missions situation worldwide (untilallhaveheard1.wordpress.com.)
Who are we? Our names our Tony and Felicity Dale. Originally from England, we have been living in Texas for the past twenty years. We have been on the simple church journey for much of the past thirty years, having been involved in the British House Church Movement prior to coming here. Because of our current involvement in a website and magazine called House2House, we have the privilege of hearing the stories of what God is doing from all over the nation (and increasingly, the world).
So what of this blog? We will try, as the title suggests, to keep somewhat up to date with what is happening in the world of simple church. This will tie in with some of our own musings about the current organic church situation and any "strategic thinking" we are doing. We welcome the response and input of others because we know we don't always get everything right and we love the "iron sharpening iron" process. We will include some stories (like Sophie Muller's story) that we become aware of, and report on related gatherings that we have the privilege to attend.
God is doing extraordinary things in our day and He is leading His people in paths that have been largely untried for centuries. How do we know that this is the Holy Spirit at work? Sometimes, from our vantage point, when we try to evaluate the apparently small and unimportant things that we are involved in, it is tempting to wonder if house/simple/organic church is just another good idea. But then we look around and realize that God is doing the same things everywhere. All over the world, and across this nation, God is speaking the same things to His people who are listening. And as they respond to His voice and embark on this adventure of vibrant and missional communities of faith, they are slowly finding one another and realizing they are not alone on the journey. Jesus is building His church.
It is to these people that this blog is addressed. We desire to be another voice and an encouragement on the journey.
2 replies on “Thank you Jeff!”
Glad to know simplychurch.com will continue. Have had it on my OMEA blog reader for quite some time now and enjoy each new post. I will add Jeff’s new URL to keep up with his excellent postings as well.
I hope this isn’t bad blog etiquette, but I’d like to ask a question that’s not directly related to your post.
I’m interested in the potential for evangelism in house/simple churches in the USA. Jeff Gilbertson has already reported that most people in US HCs were believers before they came, and I’ve often heard from H2H sources about explosive HC-based evangelism taking place in the developing world. So this has left me wondering… Tony and Felicity, what was your experience during the emergence and growth of the HC movement in the UK? I’m guessing that it started out in ways that are similar to what we’re seeing in the US: believers migrating from legacy churches to HCs. But as it progressed, did you see a shift, or signs that evangelism per se was ramping up in the houses?
Thanks!
Tim