Keeping It Simple

Welcome to Season 2: Episode 20! In this episode, Scott and Luis had the joy of interviewing a fellow Pacific Northwesterner in Dusty Benner. Dusty is a lead pastor and microchurch leader in Boise, Idaho. Dusty Benner’s life revolves around the person and mission of Jesus. He has been married to his wife Chandra for 20 years and is a proud dad of 5 kids. He serves as the lead discipler of Sojourn Alliance Church and is one of the founders and directors of The Syndicate. This conversation centers around Dusty's experience in the microchurch world and he has deep insights that are helpful for the Pacific Northwest context. Enjoy the conversation! Be prepared to take notes! 

Thank you for listening! Please like, share, and subscribe to Keeping It Simple. To be in contact with us please email [email protected] or visit simplechurchcollective.com for more information. 

Music produced by Jesse Calentine, find him on Instagram: @Jessecalentine

Here are links to stay connected to Dusty and his work: 

https://www.facebook.com/sojournalliance

https://sojournalliance.com/

https://www.thesyndicateboise.org/

https://www.facebook.com/thesyndicateboise/

Welcome to Season Two: Episode 19, in this episode Scott and Luis wrestle with the idea of slowing down our pace of life to better be in alignment with Jesus. It is no secret the American culture values work and productivity, sometimes to a fault. The way of Jesus still values work and productivity, but it is different. The Simple Church Collective has come together to pursue a lifestyle of building the Collective slowly and intentionally rather than fast and recklessly. It is the conviction of Luis and Scott that slow is the new fast. It is better to go slow in the right direction than fast in the wrong direction. We hope this episode is encouraging and applicable to you! Enjoy the conversation! 

Thank you for listening! Please like, share, and subscribe to Keeping It Simple. To be in contact with us please email [email protected] or visit simplechurchcollective.com for more information. Stay tuned for more episodes!

Music produced by Jesse Calentine, find him on Instagram: @Jessecalentine

Welcome to Season Two: Episode 18 with Carlos Piñero. Scott and Luis had the opportunity to interview a like-minded leader in the Dallas-Fort Worth area (Texas). Carlos is the director of a network of microchurches known as "Citizen House". Carlos is a like-minded practitioner of the micro expression of the church. It is always great to listen to someone else doing similar things in a different context! Enjoy the episode!

Carlos & Lydia Piñero have spent their 12 years of marriage pouring their lives into making disciples at churches in Denver, Phoenix, and Dallas. They're passionate about raising their five kids in an authentic community and helping others discern where God is calling them to plant the Gospel. In January 2021, they were sent from a multi-site church in Dallas/Fort Worth that Carlos was on staff at to plant Citizen House - a family of microchurches reaching those who may never step foot in an established church.

Check out their website here: citizenhouse.org

Thank you for listening! Please like, share, and subscribe to Keeping It Simple. To be in contact with us please email [email protected] or visit simplechurchcollective.com for more information. Stay tuned for more episodes!

Music produced by Jesse Calentine, find him on Instagram: @Jessecalentine

Welcome to Season Two: Episode 17. In this episode, Scott is out sick so Melissa is back for a great conversation with Luis about things to consider when launching a new simple church! It is a very practical episode about the steps taken to launch a new simple church and the roles that are needed by a launch team. We would love to hear your feedback on the episode. Are there things that are not mentioned that we should consider when launching a new simple church? Is there something you have questions about? Reach out at [email protected]

Thank you for listening! Please like, share, and subscribe to Keeping It Simple. To be in contact with us please email [email protected] or visit simplechurchcollective.com for more information and graphic for the discipleship roadmap and the unbeliever to disciple-maker pathway!

Music produced by Jesse Calentine, find him on Instagram: @Jessecalentine

Welcome to Season Two: Episode 16 where Scott and Luis interview Bill Couchenour. Bill is one of the coordinators and leaders of Exponential (an organization that specializes in church multiplication and leadership development) that set the Simple Church Collective on the journey of pursuing simple churches (microchurches). Bill has as much experience as anyone in the mircochurch world. Enjoy this interview as we talk about what Bill sees happening in the Church of America and where we are headed. Having Bill on was a special treat, get your notepad out and be ready to take notes! 

Here is Exponential's website: https://exponential.net/

If you are interested in joining an Exponential learning community reach out to Bill through email: [email protected]

Thank you for listening! Please like, share, and subscribe to Keeping It Simple. To be in contact with us please email [email protected] or visit simplechurchcollective.com for more information! Stay tuned for more episodes!

Music produced by Jesse Calentine, find him on Instagram: @Jessecalentine

Welcome to Season Two: Episode 15. In this interview, Scott and Luis hosted a conversation with a great friend of the Simple Church Collective, Matthew Erikson. This is Matthew's 3rd time on the podcast and per usual, there are nuggets of wisdom throughout the conversation! If you are a church planter, looking into church planting, or someone seeking to understand fundraising better -- this episode is for you! Enjoy the conversation and be prepared to take notes! 

Here is a biography on Matthew: Matthew Erikson was born and raised on Whidbey Island and now currently serves in ministry as the pastor for Hope Church in Oak Harbor. He is married to Stephanie and has three children. Matthew started his professional career with the Starbucks Coffee Company where he worked in all levels of retail management up to district manager. Matthew received a call to ministry in 2010 and is now licensed and ordained with the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA). He has a certificate in Pastoral Ministry through the C&MA, a B.S. in Communication from Arizona State University, and is completing an M.A. in Ministry Leadership from Fuller Seminary (2022). Along with being a pastor, Matthew also serves as a coach and specializes in fundraising for ministry purposes. You can reach Matthew through the following avenues:

Email - [email protected]

Website - www.hopechurchoh.org

Thank you for listening! Please like, share, and subscribe to Keeping It Simple. To be in contact with us please email [email protected] or visit simplechurchcollective.com for more information! Stay tuned for more episodes! 

Music produced by Jesse Calentine, find him on Instagram: @Jessecalentine

Welcome to Season Two: Episode 14. In this interview, Scott and Luis hosted a conversation with a great friend of the Simple Church Collective, Matthew Erikson. This conversation might be especially helpful for people working two or more jobs and trying to figure out how ministry can work in the midst of co-vocational living. We hope you enjoy this conversation and find it both encouraging and insightful! 

Here is a biography on Matthew: Matthew Erikson was born and raised on Whidbey Island and now currently serves in ministry as the pastor for Hope Church in Oak Harbor. He is married to Stephanie and has three children. Matthew started his professional career with the Starbucks Coffee Company where he worked in all levels of retail management up to district manager. Matthew received a call to ministry in 2010 and is now licensed and ordained with the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA). He has a certificate in Pastoral Ministry through the C&MA, a B.S. in Communication from Arizona State University, and is completing an M.A. in Ministry Leadership from Fuller Seminary (2022). Along with being a pastor, Matthew also serves as a coach and specializes in fundraising for ministry purposes. You can reach Matthew through the following avenues:

Email - [email protected]

Website - www.hopechurchoh.org

Thank you for listening! Please like, share, and subscribe to Keeping It Simple. To be in contact with us please email [email protected] or visit simplechurchcollective.com for more information! Stay tuned for more episodes! 

Music produced by Jesse Calentine, find him on Instagram: @Jessecalentine

Welcome to Keeping it Simple Season Two: Episode Twelve! In this episode, Scott and Luis interviewed a friend of the Simple Church Collective, Myron Pierce. Myron currently leads Mission Church in Omaha, Nebraska. Myron has a deeply impactful story about meeting Jesus behind bars and being transformed into a missional leader seeking to reach every inner city in America. The conversation touches on church impact, entrepreneurial mission, what Myron's vision for the future is and so much more! 

Here is a bio on Myron: Myron is the most unlikely leader in his region. At the age of 18, he stood before a judge while facing 200 years in prison due to his life of gang banging, drugs, and crime. 

While facing a life sentence of prison time, one thing changed - his heart. He’d surrendered his soul to the Lord Jesus. While leaving the courtroom with a 16 to 33-year sentence Myron had heard a whisper. "I'm going to get you out of prison to plant churches.” This word from God became the vision that has now inspired thousands.

Through a series of miracles, the prison doors opened for him after 8 years. Myron received his B.A.. in Biblical Studies and Business Leadership at Grace University. He is currently working towards finishing his M.A.. in global leadership from Crown College.

Myron has authored several books, of which his latest book Digital Ministry has become a number one bestseller in Amazon. Myron has launched a host of churches, and businesses. He is now the Lead Pastor of Mission Church, a grassroots inner-city mission with a dream to saturate every inner city with diverse Hope-filled churches. He also leads and owns Village Social & Village Detailing. Myron is also the founder of Shift Omaha, a North Omaha entrepreneurship incubator that exists to shift 10% of North Omaha into an entrepreneurial mindset.

He and his wife, Kristin, live in the heart of North Omaha with their three sons and daughter.

For more ways to connect to Myron, check out these websites to keep up with Myron's work. 

Sidehustlepastor.com

myronpierce.com

Thank you for listening! Please like, share, and subscribe to Keeping It Simple. To be in contact with us please email [email protected] or visit simplechurchcollective.com for more information! Stay tuned for more episodes!

Music produced by Jesse Calentine, find him on Instagram: @Jessecalentine

Welcome to Keeping It Simple Season 2: Episode 12. In this episode, we have a special guest: Emily Diaz. Emily Diaz is a co-church planter of Iglesia Ciudad de Gracia in Albuquerque, NM, a Spanish-speaking church serving the growing Latino population in the southwest.  She is also a church planting project manager and coach with Stadia Church Planting where she serves dozens of diverse leaders starting new churches across the United States each year.  She is passionate about Jesus and justice, loves a great cup of coffee and a long hike, and thinks that her four kids are the absolute best! 

This episode features a great conversation about simple churches and how Stadia Church Planting can be a resource for current church planters and future church planters. Enjoy the conversation between Scott, Luis, and Emily- it is well worth your time! Enjoy the episode! 

Thank you for listening! Please like, share, and subscribe to Keeping It Simple. To be in contact with us please email [email protected] or visit simplechurchcollective.com for more information! Stay tuned for more episodes!

Music produced by Jesse Calentine, find him on Instagram: @Jessecalentine

Find out more about Stadia: https://stadiachurchplanting.org/

Microchurch Info Webinar: https://stadiachurchplanting.org/events/microchurchwebinar/

Welcome back to Keeping It Simple! This episode is one of our favorite conversations because it has to do with a very important topic: MONEY. In this episode Scott and Luis interview Timmy of the KC Underground. Timmy serves the KC Underground as the Director of the Financial Services Team. In this role, he supports a disciple-making movement within Kansas City by encouraging everyday missionaries to live in accordance with their gifts and passions and equipping them to live a life of financial freedom and Godly stewardship. In this episode, we try to ask Timmy challenging questions about finances, the financial structure of the KC Underground, and provide insight into how a simple church network could handle finances. 

There is a lot of learning in this episode! We hope it answers some questions you may have about finances in the Simple Church Collective. Thank you for listening to the episode, enjoy! Please like, share, and subscribe to Keeping It Simple. To be in contact with us please email [email protected] or visit simplechurchcollective.com for more information! Stay tuned for more episodes!

Music produced by Jesse Calentine, find him on Instagram: @Jessecalentine