Kevin J Bowman's Page

Hi, and welcome! Are you currently in a simple church in the area?

Welcome! I see you're in Illonois. We are homeschoolers in Fuquay-Varina, NC. It's great to hear that your daughter is flourishing in the home environment!

Thanks for your reply. It is nice to see someone other believers in the area living out their faith in this way. Unfortunately, my husband and I are not apart of a simple church right now. We are still in the Institutional Church and are working on getting out. There is a lot of fear in leaving...and we don't really know any like-minded people, so it's made it hard. We hope to be a part of a simple church someday in the near future.

Hi Kevin, I read your Newbie discussion. Tim and I left the pastorate 14 years ago. Tim has written a book to help guide those who have left the institution. Escaping Church: A Guide for Life Outside the Instutition is avaliable as an e-book at our website, www.timmather.com. I know this sounds like a shameless plug. But I offer it as a very helpful resource. You can read some excerpts of Escaping Church Tim has blogged here. Find them at his MY PAGE.

When we first broke our church into 15 house groups (which we later learned was a really bad idea), we eventually had people from all over attend who were from other churches. We didn't care. We held people with an open hand. We felt that was another of the IC failings, trying to control what people do. It is a long and often grueling process of detoxing from the institution. Some people have to do both because making an abrupt seperation is too traumatic for them.

If you have questions you'd like to discuss directly, my contact info is on the website. Tim and I have helped many in and out of the IC. We have spoken at many simple groups. We offer ourselves and our experience as a resource.

Blessings,
Katie

Hey kevin, I'm Katie Mather's daughter and web designer. I'm on the amature side of this techy world so if you don't mind tellin me how you fix the problems you showed her? I don't check my SimpleChurch account much, so would you mind emailing me at [email protected]?

Kevin:

Blessings to you as you make this transition. I would encourage you to follow Him. The purpose and plans of the LORD our God are sewn up in Jesus and we the Church as His body are to be the fullness of Him who fills all in all. (Eph 1:22-23) We are to relate to one another in a way that reveals Him to each other, and we are to provoke one another to the kind of love and good deeds cause us to reveal Him to the world around us as well. Jesus is to be seen in the likes of us. Pray for vision about gatherings, and then just do what you have likely done all along. Talk with people about He who the Head of the churcn and who holds the preeminence, Jesus. As you find those with a like heart for focussing on Him, not programs or pastors or traditions, fellowship in the kind of community you've evidently experienced.
Let the Holy Spirit administrate gifts and ministrys through one another to one another under His Headship.

gratefully redeemed.

Randy

Thanks for the offer. My husband and I will definitely keep that in mind and contact you if/when we would like to come :)

Blessings to you and your family!

Thanks for the invitation Kevin (and Kevin's wife :))...haha. I didn't think you were rude at all. I actually thought you were being very kind and open.

I talked to my husband and he is open to meeting you and your family. He is actually a big board game guy, so you caught his attention with that...haha. We don't have any kids-yet! We are hoping to start growing our family very soon, though :).

I will have to look at the calendar a little closer and get back to you guys soon. Hopefully in the next month or so. That would be really nice. Thank you so much for your openness.

God's blessing on you and your family.

Hey Kevin,

I'd love to connect with you on SimpleChurch - feel free to add me if you'd like.

your brother,

Mike
http://zoecarnate.com

Hello brother! Wow, what a beautiful family! My name is Sandor Szabo, and that gorgeous lady at my right is my fiance and soon to be wife, Rosalinda. She currently lives in Cebu City, Philippines and we are hoping and praying for her to be here as soon as next month. She has her interview and medical exam left for her k1 fiance visa. It is a long process that started in May of last year. Yet we know that God has perfect timing, and we are growing so wonderfully as a couple in our union together in Christ even though we are 10,000 miles away.
I just wanted to greet you and your family in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ! I am fairly new to this site, yet I love it already. I really love connecting with our brothers and sisters in the Philippines who are planting new testament style churches there that are free to express the corporate LIFE of Jesus Christ and meet in homes under His headship where the clergy/laity caste system has been set aside to let family and the true Spirit of brotherhood in Christ to prevail!
I am also happy to meet any brothers and sisters in Illinois who have been hungering for "more" in their experiences in church life so far, like me, and have gone way outside the box to meet with others in an open particpatory meeting and learning the "one anothering" of church life which is invested in everyday community.
God Bless you brother!
Your brother, down the road, kinda (hahahahahaa)
Sandor Szabo