A small group of us began meeting in a house in Raleigh, North Carolina back in the year 2000 seeking for a way to experience deeper intimacy with Jesus and one another. Coming out of different traditional or “legacy churches” (ones that meet in a building, with a formal service), we initially began meeting applying much of the same mindset of the legacy church only in a smaller context. During our journey, we have had exposure to some leaders and authors in the area of house or simple church expressions. These individuals include: Tony and Felicity Dale, Neil Cole and Wolfgang Simpson. As we have continued to learn about the distinctions of simple church expressions, the Holy Spirit helped us integrate the new ways of thinking and being…while deconstructing the vestiges of the more traditional expressions of “legacy church”.

In this process we have gone through changes in location, name, leadership, identity and styles of meeting during the past eight years. We smile as we look back and see the many ways that our Lord has been faithfully leading us by His Holy Spirit. We have had some come through our fellowship that have stayed and continued to worship and be connected with us. Others have come to check out this expression of the Body of Christ and have decided to return to a legacy church expression.

Currently, Sojourners Simple Church Network, based in the Raleigh area, is a network of simple churches and ministries, woven together by shared vision, values and relationships. What keeps us connected is our love of God as Father, Jesus as Lord and Savior, and belief in the Holy Spirit as Comforter, Counselor, and Empowering Presence. We share the common goal of seeing the Kingdom of Heaven move forward as we lift up the name of Jesus wherever He leads and plants us. We want to show and tell everyone ‘who’ Jesus is through our own personal testimonies and the wineskin of simple church. We have discovered that the Lord has planted a “missional” DNA within us that drives us to go and make disciples of Jesus, for Jesus.

Some of us have been doing simple church for several years and some have recently moved from the legacy or traditional church to churches that meet in homes. Some of us focus on the growing Hispanic community and international students on our college campuses, and others are involved in overseas missions. Many of our members in the past eight years have gone on short and medium termed mission trips including Mozambique, South Africa, Sudan, Mexico, El Salvador, Ecuador and China. There are several leaders in Sojourners that are ordained by established denominations. Everyone has something that is different and meaningful to contribute to the house church fellowships.

To sound momentarily academia-based, you could say that "those in the network are strongly Evangelical in theology and outlook, many are Charismatic and Pentecostal in worship expression and in the view of the contemporary workings of the God's Spirit." To say it another way, we all believe that everyone needs to hear from and experience God for themselves.

By definition, a "Sojourner" is one who is "sojourning, traveling, and journeying; walking as a pilgrim and an alien." We see ourselves that way, in that God has put us here as temporary travelers, to show people that He is real, that He is good, and that He is Love. And while some Sojourners see house church as a refuge and haven for the wounded, most Sojourners see the house church as a new (old) way to "go and make disciples of all nations." (Matthew 28).

"And remember, the land must never be sold on a permanent basis because it really belongs to me. You are only foreigners and tenants living with me."—Leviticus 25:23

"'Once you were not a people; now you are the people of God. Once you received none of God's mercy; now you have received his mercy.' Dear brothers and sisters, you are foreigners and aliens here. So I warn you to keep away from evil desires because the fight against your very souls. Be careful how you live among your unbelieving neighbors. Even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will believe and give honor to God when he comes to judge the world."
—1 Peter 2:10-12

TO SUMMARIZE:

Our Family Tree:

St. Francis of Assissi	Amy Semple McPherson	St. Augustine	John Calvin
John Wesley	Smith Wigglesworth	Martin Luther	Martin Luther King
What is church without coffee?	C.S. Lewis	Mother Teresa	Billy Graham