# Simply Kingdom, Simple Church

## Metadata
- Author: [[Charles Kridiotis]]
- Full Title: Simply Kingdom, Simple Church
- Category: #books
## Highlights
- But 'church as we know it' is declining in many European nations. In my own country, the Netherlands, two churches are closing every week. That's 1,000 churches by 2025, a quarter of the total. ([Location 74](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01E4CZG3A&location=74))
- A gradual shift is taking place from 'regular church' with a large building, Sunday service, paid professionals, and 'one-size-fits-all' to new expressions like simple churches, pop-up churches, neomonastic communities, 24-7 prayer rooms, festival churches, social enterprises, online communities with meet-ups, and much more. Current church forms will remain, but become part of a much more colourful palette. ([Location 79](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01E4CZG3A&location=79))
- New communities will be started 'bottom-up', no longer 'top-down'. The new groups spread via friendships and relationships into all kinds of social networks, and therefore often will be versatile and mobile. ([Location 85](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01E4CZG3A&location=85))
- Take simple churches, the topic of this book - small churches that meet in houses, schools, offices, cafes, or outdoors. They have six ingredients: Jesus, friendship, prayer, sharing a meal, serving other people practically, and sharing the Gospel. In Europe these simple churches grow on average 20% each year. Because they're so simple, everyone can do it. All you need is a table, a fridge, and an open heart for people! ([Location 91](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01E4CZG3A&location=91))
- Satan did not know that a whip of iron and bones, a crown of thorns, a handful of nails and a wooden cross, meant for the destruction of King Jesus, the Son of God, would be the instruments that signalled the beginning of the end of his rule over humanity. King Jesus, the Son of Man, pleasing his Father in every way, obedient in everything, even to death, broke the dividing wall of sin between God and humanity. His crucifixion and resurrection effectively destroyed the power of Satan, sin and self. King Jesus, the Messiah, ascended into heaven to rule at the right hand of His Father and then sent the Holy Spirit to earth to usher in a new era. ([Location 112](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01E4CZG3A&location=112))
- This was the church, a mobile, dynamic, naturally supernatural multiplying community of people who loved God in worship and thanksgiving, listening to and obeying His word, sharing meals together with the breaking of bread and drinking from a cup of wine as they remembered what Jesus had done on the cross. They loved each other, sharing their lives and food, clothing and money. God worked miracles, healings and signs and wonders through their hands and words, healing broken bodies and minds and restoring people into fellowship with himself. ([Location 122](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01E4CZG3A&location=122))
- About 320 years into the life of the church, a diabolical event took place that seemed to hijack God's plan. The Emperor Constantine, a worshiper of Apollo, the sun god, and other gods, looked for a sign in the heavens that would assure him that the gods were with him in his war against Maxentius. ([Location 132](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01E4CZG3A&location=132))
- This was syncretism and a far cry from a personal encounter with God, repentance from sin and full trust in Jesus alone for salvation, followed by baptism and the fruit of a transformed life. His involvement in church matters resulted in the popularisation of Christianity and transformed it into a State religion. Over a period of time a large number of pagan priests became Christian priests. Temples gradually became places of Christian worship and a mixture of pagan and Old Testament practices were introduced that robbed the church of a vibrant personal faith encounter with Jesus. Any voice that spoke up against this popularisation was quashed by the Roman religious and governmental structure dressed in the ecclesiastical garb of an Old Testament priesthood hierarchy where only an approved and "qualified" small and protected elite were allowed to read and interpret the scriptures, preach, teach and minister. The majority of the people over time were schooled into being unquestioning passive hearers paying their tithes for the maintenance of religious buildings and a religious system that emasculated the church. ([Location 138](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01E4CZG3A&location=138))
- Yet, with every new discovery that influenced change and brought renewal there were always two areas that were hardly affected at all: an adherence to dedicated religious buildings that were mistakenly believed to house the presence of God and hierarchal governmental structures that placed leadership in the hands of the select few who acted as religious custodians of the status quo. ([Location 153](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01E4CZG3A&location=153))
- There have never been so many Bible believing, born-again, filled with the Spirit Christians in the world as there is at the present time -- and according to David Barret, editor of "World Encyclopaedia of Christianity," the percentage has increased dramatically since the late 1800's. ([Location 162](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01E4CZG3A&location=162))
- In the unity, wisdom and counsel of the Godhead distinct roles were decided that each would fulfil. Generally, it is God the Father who plans, the Son who acts on the plan and the Holy Spirit who completes the plan. Each member of the Godhead contributes a distinct function to complete their common purpose and will. In creation the Father plans, the Son speaks it into being and the Spirit is present to complete it. In redemption the Father sends the Son, the Son does the will of the Father and the Holy Spirit is present to enable him to do it and to then reveal what He has done. ([Location 253](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01E4CZG3A&location=253))