Mitchell Istre's Page

We moved here from Orlando where we served in a mega church. Northland Church, we could not find a place or group with the GO mindset. We started attending Northland online and they trained us in Simple. We started a beach ministry out of that training. We still worship with Northland on Saturday @ 5PM EST. We have a Super Son In The Sun Event all day on Sunday on the beach. We serve Monday - Friday on the beach with a simple ministry sharing Jesus to the lost and Simple to the churched. Not our plan, but led by Holy Spirit, Simply. We have seven miles of beach and would like to see others join and plant on the beach near us. We have locals and visitors so it is a exciting new way for us to Go! We love it and have shared Christ with many people in past 2 months. We are trying to network with others so we can advise people where they can find a simple church in their area. That is why we started to network with others like yourself.
How about you? What are you doing? We tried to find a place to fit in but God had other plans. Thanks for the feedback and chat. Sam Lewis

Hi Mitchell, it feels like there are more than one of you writing! Enjoy reading your comments on the discussion post "Meeting Opposition"... are you going to attend the national house church conference next weekend in Dallas? Its not too far from you and you might be blessed in it! ... and welcome to simple churhc.

Ok, lets see if I can explain it... there isn't a model for what we do... we don't have a house church meeting as such. If anything we have organically derived meetings that occur spontaneously daily. Like meeting after work , or sometimes during work with 2-4 others who happen to be there and we launch into the latest word God is speaking to us about Glory, or Grace, Or the Heavens, or Sin and Redemption. God is often showing up and touching us. We went to the home of one who is near foreclosure, and ended up in a prayer and word sharing meeting. We met with another customer at a coffee shop and shared about what Jesus wants from us. and in both these cases helped them understand how to listen to Jesus, and listen for Jesus. It is overwhelming how much he wants to be right in the middle of our lives, and we worship at work, and more often even in the middle of the aisle at the hardware store. Not just share... worship.

If you want some good examples of what is happening with organic church people, try subscribing to John White and Kent Smith's Stories of the Revolution. You might enjoy it! http://storiesfromtherevolution.blogspot.com/ Blessings ... Carolyn

PS... I do meet online with Skype with 4-8 others every week where we gather our hearts issues and share them together and pray. Not much of a meeting, and I do believe there will be meetings, but we are learning to live just now, so meetings will have to wait. C.

Hello again. about simple and organic church. Labels can be awkward these days. However, I see simple church as being a specifically planned gathering of beleivers for the purposes determined by the Lord for them... perhaps prayer, or study, or relationship, or worship, or more than one of these, or others. He would be expected to be included in these meetings.

Organic church however, occurs on more of an unplanned, or even if planned, it is a naturally occuring gathering, such as when some in my business stay late, and share and pray together. The groups occurs naturally, or organically, and the commonality is naturally derived. Such groups could include simple churches made of neighbors, or friends that meet for coffee, but that also include Jesus in their meeting.

I have no idea if this is a correct interpretation. I would yield to John White or Kent Smith, or to Felicity and Tony Dale for a more experienced view of the word usage. I use the terms because they fit my situation. I find that I end up having some form of church about 4 days a week, but its never planned. As we are meeting this way, it seems more and more important to gather together with an action step or purpose in mind. But, if we do that, and the group doesn't ever do it again, I am not reqretful, I just want to make disciples by introducing people to Jesus, help them hear him, and be ready for what ever else is on my path.

Once a week there are several of us who "gather" on skype online. We are from all over the state, and we find Jesus impacting us thru the group in ways that we have needed. this is more like simple church to my mind. No agenda, but God does show up! c.

Mitchell, please remember that my terminology might not be all the way accurate. Organic doesn't equate with spontaneous, but rather just natural association. There can be planned and scheduled meetings, but some have church without them. The organic part is that the gathering is naturally derived, like a family, or group of coworkers, or neighbors.

Jesus is the Lord of the church, and the Holy Spirit is the one that brings the hearing and the understanding. He actually can lead and can teach. In the new style church, doctrine is a foundation, rather than a banner to be waived. If we share hearts openly, this is the relational part, and if we share listening to Jesus, he will bring us into more agreement than just a doctrinal agreement can do. When we gather, and doctrine does become a topic, its amazing how the holy Spirit will bring up something to consider, and if we love one another, we will likely agree when we hear it spoken.

The fear of aberrant faith keeps us from trusting the Lord himself to use what he has given us to keep us in the truth. That is the job of the Holy Spirit. Of course scripture is important, foundational, but it is opened up by him, and confirmed by him, and by the hearts of those who gather... not the heads. If he is the God of the universe, he is able to give us a book to help us understand. But it is he who speaks from the pages. And we listen to the counsel of others who know him.

Having others with odd ideas is not nearly as scary to me now as it used to be. The truth is still true and the Lord brings those around as they listen and hear others. The only time there is worry over someone like a JW joining the group is when they come to speak and to convert rather than to hear and share the heart.

The biggest problem I have encountered is when universalists invade and use terms that sound the same but have totally different meaning than what is being spoken. That is deceptive, and its a red flag. Also, when someone steam rolls others with scripture, because God works within a culture of honor and acknowledging the truth is more effective than seeking to identify error. We can be wrong... and forgiven...