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Pastor Steve Durkac

Foley, Alabama

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Category Archives: Simpler Church

Simpler Church posts are related to best practices of pastoral ministry and leadership for simpler expressions of church communities.

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Church Without Church

Pastor Steve Durkac Posted on January 11, 2023 by Steve DurkacJanuary 13, 2023

In our modern American vernacular the term “church” often refers to a building where people meet on Sunday mornings for worship. However, the biblical definition of church is really those called out of the world to follow Christ Jesus. So my headline for this post is a reference to those who follow Jesus without being in regular involvement with an institutional church where people gather on Sunday morning for worship. I meet these people everyday … Continue reading →

Posted in Simpler Church | Tagged House Church, Organic Church, Simple Church

CrossHope Chapel

Pastor Steve Durkac Posted on August 28, 2022 by Steve DurkacJanuary 9, 2023

For nearly 12-years CrossHope Chapel was an informal, simpler expression of church, where one could encounter the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, engage others in authentic New Testament fellowship, and be encouraged through the verse-by-verse study of the Bible. It was the open study of the Bible that was probably the mark of CrossHope Chapel as a church fellowship. Opening to a selected book of the Bible and reading chapter by chapter then discussing … Continue reading →

Posted in Mere Observations, Simpler Church | Tagged Calvary Chapel, Calvary Global Network, COVID, CrossHope Chapel, House Church, Nondenominational Church, Organic Church, pastoral ministry, Simple Church

Church Purposes & Governing Values

Pastor Steve Durkac Posted on July 26, 2022 by Steve DurkacJuly 27, 2022

When it came to how we did church, CrossHope Chapel held to the following four church purposes and seven governing values that guide our practices and focuses as a church.    Biblical Purposes 1. We seek to be a church where one can safely, without denominational bias, “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18), 2. We seek to be a church where focus on the New Testament … Continue reading →

Posted in Simpler Church | Tagged church, CrossHope Chapel, Governing Values

Pandemic, Western Church, & Simpler Community

Pastor Steve Durkac Posted on October 22, 2021 by Steve DurkacOctober 22, 2021

I want to continue some thoughts from my last post and email sent to CrossHope Chapel titled “Pastor Appreciation & Keeping Community.” It had occurred to me that some good may come out of  the COVID-19 pandemic for the western church. My thought has been that a remnant within today’s western church may be nudged back to a more biblical practice of gathering for fellowship through smaller, simpler community approaches. So here, I want to … Continue reading →

Posted in Simpler Church | Tagged Acts 2:42, community, Constantine, Matthew 18:20, simpler, smaller

When Organic Church Goes Bad

Pastor Steve Durkac Posted on March 7, 2021 by Steve DurkacMarch 7, 2021

Organic things go bad. Fruit grows old, vegetables go rotten, and meat will decay. When it comes to organic church groups, the principle is the same. Organic church can go bad, too. I’ve been mauling over this for sometime now and because my blog gets a good deal of traffic on my Simpler Church category posts, I thought the time has arrived for me to make mention of this. I don’t expect every organic church … Continue reading →

Posted in Simpler Church | Tagged Acts 2:42, House Church, Organic Church, Simple Church

Dear Small Church Pastor

Pastor Steve Durkac Posted on September 29, 2020 by Steve DurkacSeptember 29, 2020

There is encouragement for you in the account of Jesus speaking with Peter as recorded in John 21:15-19. Peter was discouraged, he felt defeated, and not exactly engaged in the mission that he had previously responded to when the Lord called him. The focal point of this narrative is in John 21:17 when Jesus said to Peter, “Feed my sheep.” I point this out because you have likely been there, too. As a small church … Continue reading →

Posted in Simpler Church | Tagged discourage, discouragement, feed his sheep, John 21:17, Pastor, Small Church, small church pastor

Not Returning to Church After COVID-19?

Pastor Steve Durkac Posted on July 29, 2020 by Steve DurkacJuly 29, 2020

I have had at least three conversations in the past two weeks with individuals who have told me that when their church goes back to regular in-person worship services, they will not. All three of these people were from different congregations representing Southern Baptist, Pentecostal, and Nondenominational but all three cited a similar reason as to why they are not planning on returning their church. All three agreed that they are happy watching their pastor’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Simpler Church | Tagged American Church, church, COVID-19, fellowship, House Church, Micro-Church, start a house church

No Official Church Membership?

Pastor Steve Durkac Posted on April 28, 2020 by Steve DurkacApril 28, 2020

The church I serve as pastor, CrossHope Chapel, does not have an official sign on the dotted line type of local membership. You can’t sign anything that says you want to be a member of CrossHope Chapel or you can’t sign any commitment to be a member of CrossHope Chapel. One becomes a member of CrossHope Chapel by being a member of the larger universal body of Christ, by being in Christ in faith and … Continue reading →

Posted in Simpler Church | Tagged church, CrossHope Chapel, membership, parishioners

Will COVID-19 Change American Church?

Pastor Steve Durkac Posted on April 6, 2020 by Steve DurkacApril 6, 2020

The COVID-19 crises is changing the ways we do life in America, and it is yet to be seen how much of those normal ways of doing life will return. I suspect a good deal of what was normal a few months ago will come back, but I also suspect a lot will not. I also suspect that it won’t return to feeling the same. I am not convinced that on the other side of … Continue reading →

Posted in Simpler Church | Tagged America, American Church, church, coronavirus, COVID-19, House Church, Simple Church

The Post-Coronavirus Church

Pastor Steve Durkac Posted on March 29, 2020 by Steve DurkacMarch 29, 2020

The coronavirus is challenging many of the ways we do life in America. Some businesses are discovering that employees can work from home, families are adjusting to actually spending more time together, and church members are realizing that a weekly formal program may not be as necessary to their personal spiritual growth as they once thought. I am guessing that a lot of us are really missing weekly fellowship with like-minded believers in Christ. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Simpler Church | Tagged Brad Brisco, church plant, CrossHope Chapel, House Church, Micro-Church, Non-traditional Church, nontraditional church, Simple Church, Steve Durkac

Organic Pastor in Simple Church

Pastor Steve Durkac Posted on September 16, 2019 by Steve DurkacSeptember 16, 2019

In 2006 I was working at a local hospital as a chaplain and taken back by a high number of patients who could express and articulate their personal belief in Jesus Christ and convictions in biblical doctrines, yet who also had no involvement and fellowship in any church congregation. Many of these same individuals also shared stories with me of their experiences with area churches that told of similar accounts of not being able to … Continue reading →

Posted in Simpler Church | Tagged church planting, church start, House Church, Micro-Church, Organic Church, Pastor, pastoral ministry, Simple Church, start a house church

12 Statements of Advice to a New Pastor

Pastor Steve Durkac Posted on May 10, 2019 by Steve DurkacMay 10, 2019

I belong to a Facebook group of some 4000 small church pastors, and recently someone asked what “What would be your advice to a new pastor?” The first thought that came to my mind was “Study, study, study.” Then as I thought it over further, a slew of things came to mind, so here they are… • Study God’s Word, memorize God’s promises, and make your preferred Bible your personal friend by marking it up … Continue reading →

Posted in Simpler Church | Tagged advice, church planting, new pastor

Advice to a Church Planter on a Theology of Pastoral Ministry

Pastor Steve Durkac Posted on May 10, 2019 by Steve DurkacMay 10, 2019

If we were to meet over coffee to talk about your hopes to plant a church, I would begin by asking you if you have developed a theology of pastoral ministry. A theology of pastoral ministry isn’t much different than having a theology of God or a theology of the return of Christ or any other conviction of biblical beliefs. Having a clear understanding of what you believe God wants from you as a pastor … Continue reading →

Posted in Simpler Church | Tagged 1 Peter 5:2, Acts 6:4, advice, church planting, Ephesians 4:11, pastoral theology, theology of pastoral ministry

Why Not to Start a House Church

Pastor Steve Durkac Posted on December 5, 2018 by Steve DurkacDecember 5, 2018

Don’t start a house church because you want to be in charge. That’s not a good reason. Worse yet, you can not sustain a house church if you just want to be the boss. My personal opinion is that it is perhaps the one really bad reason to want to start a house church. I happen to think that starting a house church because you disagree with your current church or minister are not actually … Continue reading →

Posted in Simpler Church | Tagged CrossHope Chapel, House Church, Organic Church, pastoral ministry, Simple Church, start a house church

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