Have you ever felt that something was wrong with the Church? Have you ever questioned the teaching of your pastor or church leaders, but knew that there was no way to approach them without being reprimanded? Have you ever witnessed arrogance or pride in those supposedly "serving" in ministry?

 

 

Break free of religion and artificial authority! Jesus declared us free to serve him without bowing to the idol of commercial Christianity.

The reality is that the institutional church (or the "commercial" church, as we call it) looks disturbingly different from the true Church that Jesus, the Apostles, and the Prophets birthed. Much of what our current contemporary Christian culture promotes is opposite of the values that Christ taught. Selfless service to your brothers and sisters in the faith has taken back seat to expensive outreaches, lavish buildings, and heretical teachings on prosperity designed to actually steal the wealth of the true Church that is trapped within the walls of the institution.

 

But, what if the real Church is not a denomination, or a place to go on Sunday? What if a 501(c)3 has nothing to do with what Jesus intended? What if numeric growth, fundraising, and pastor worship was not the focus of the real Church? If you believed that, would you stay plugged into your church?

 

We want to encourage you to UNPLUG from this environment. For those that have attended a church all their lives, it is a bold move that will, at first, alienate you from many of your church friends. But, Jesus defined the true Church, the Ekklesia, as a gathering of two or three in agreement about who He is and why that matters. Even the word 'ekklesia' means something so difference from the poorly chosen 'church', which has its roots in the word 'lordship'. We are 'called out' - destined to unplug from the institutions and those over those institution to be led by Christ and the Holy Spirit.

 

Doesn't that just SOUND right?

 

 

We issue a challenge to believers everywhere to stop supporting commercial churches with their unmerited authority and unscriptural financial requirements. Find two, three, or ten and decide to begin meeting weekly. We did, and our lives have been changed forever. There will be those that will criticize and refuse to understand. But, you know what God is speaking to your heart, so act accordingly.

 

When we begin meeting, we really did not know what to do or expect. Most of us had been institutional church members for most of our lives. But, we allowed ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit. So, we do not really want to teach people how to do it our way. But, here are some guidelines that we follow in our circle of friends. We welcome you to use them as well. Don't worry, we won't require a tithe or offering for using them!

 

 

 

With those simple guidelines, go and start your own unplugged group. Let your current church know what you are doing and why. You might find that others are inspired to do the same simply because you had to courage to unplug. Remember - you are not alone! There are hundreds of other groups like yours such as home churches, cell groups, independent study groups, and other unplugged groups that have thrived and changed the face of the Church forever.