Who We Are
Why MicroChurches?
We have a passion for a smaller way of being church. Why?
1. Small Is Simple
Acts 2:42-37 (NIV)
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
By removing complexity, we can focus on priorities. Most churches carry the weight of buildings, budgets, and programs. A MicroChurch is lighter—it’s built on relationships. And that’s freeing—because when the Body is simple, it can give its energy to what matters most:
WORSHIP - Our Relationship with Jesus
Devote yourselves to connecting with and following after Jesus.
DISCOVERY - Our Relationship with the Bible
Devote yourselves to taking in and living out God’s Word.
COMMUNITY - Our Relationship with Each Other
Devote yourselves to loving one another as a family of brothers and sisters in Christ.
MISSION - Our Relationship with Others
Devote yourselves to joining Jesus in discipling others toward Him by living a Prayer > Care > Share > Dare lifestyle.
Once again, a MicroChurch is simple. Therefore, it can focus all its energy on seeking Jesus passionately (WORSHIP), living life biblically (DISCOVERY), loving one another sacrificially (COMMUNITY), and sharing the Good News of Jesus boldly (MISSION).
2. Small Is Engaging
1 Corinthians 14:26
What should you do then, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each one has a song, has a lesson, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all these be done to build each other up.
Everyone gets to play in a MicroChurch. You are prayed for. You contribute your voice to the Discovery Bible Study. You exercise your spiritual gifts—encouragement, discernment, or leadership. Small creates space for involvement, and engagement fuels discipleship.
Here are four simple ground rules for engagement:
Everyone gets to participate.
No one gets to dominate.
What’s shared here stays here.
What's learned here leaves here.
Use our Gathering Guide to promote engagement.
3. Small Is Formational
Hebrews 10:24-25 (NLT)
Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
MicroChurch isn’t just a way to gather—it’s a way to grow. In a smaller setting, we’re not just attending or even participating—we’re maturing. As we practice the New Testament “one anothers”—loving and encouraging, teaching and admonishing, confessing and forgiving, and praying for and caring for one another—our faith is formed. As we use our spiritual gifts to build up the Body, we ourselves are built up. What we practice together, we carry into everyday life.
4. Small Is Missional
Matthew 28:19-20 (ISV)
19 Therefore, as you go, disciple people in all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you.
MicroChurch doesn’t just form our faith, it commissions it. As we mature as disciples of Jesus in community, we are mobilized to disciple others in our circles of influence. As we multiply disciples and leaders, we accelerate the spread of simple Christian communities anywhere and everywhere.
GROW AND GO!
5. Small Is Strategic
MicroChurches don’t cost a lot of money. They don’t take a lot of resources. They use the people, relationships, and spaces already available. They work in every culture and context. So MicroChurches are accessible, contextual, sustainable, reproducible—and therefore unstoppable.
Matthew 13:33
Jesus also used this illustration: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”
6. Small Is Biblical
Romans 16:3-5 (NLT)
3 Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in the ministry of Christ Jesus. 4 In fact, they once risked their lives for me. I am thankful to them, and so are all the Gentile churches. 5 Also give my greetings to THE CHURCH THAT MEETS IN THEIR HOME (emphasis added).
The bottom line: the early church gathered in homes. Public spaces—like the Temple in Jerusalem and a lecture hall in Ephesus—were used for evangelism and public dialogue. But homes were where the church lived, grew, and multiplied. This pattern appears throughout the New Testament (1 Corinthians 16:19; Colossians 4:15; Philemon 2).
The Church of the Catacombs by Walter Oetting
If you had asked, “Where is the church?” in any important city of the ancient world where Christianity had penetrated in the first century, you would have been directed to a group of worshiping people gathered in a house. There was no special building or other tangible wealth with which to associate “church”, only people!
House Church and Mission by Roger Gehring
The house church was not simply a pragmatic solution to the problem of space; it was an expression of the church’s self-understanding as the family of God.
That’s why, at The Way we say:
“MicroChurches are so much more than just meetings. They’re extended spiritual families. Gather with your brothers and sisters for Worship, Bible Discovery, Community and Mission.”
Why a Network of MicroChurches?
You could always do MicroChurch on your own. But don’t we need each other? And aren’t we usually better together? That’s why we choose to network—to support and strengthen each other in the mission of Jesus.
Our Way
The Way is a family of MicroChurches that share a common commitment to:
The Way’s Priorities and Pathways
We equip ordinary followers of Jesus to join Him in the mission of discipling others toward Jesus within their circles of influence and gathering them together into simple expressions of the body of Christ, which we call MicroChurches. Each of these basic Christian communities is a church within our network.
Our Vision
We envision becoming an ever-growing network of reproducing disciples, leaders, MicroChurches and new networks, so that there is an ever-growing witness for Jesus in Grand Rapids, West Michigan, the United States and beyond.
Every Disciple Making Disciples
Every Leader Equipping Leaders
Every MicroChurch Reproducing MicroChurches
Every Network Multiplying Networks
Our Leaders
The Network Leadership Team serves our network through:
Discernment-prayer
Mission-embodiment
Leadership training, support and accountability
MicroChurch “healthcare”
Aaron and Emily Brown - Lakeshore Network Leaders
Aaron and Emily grew up in rural West Michigan and met at church in middle school. Aaron has a B.S. from Cornerstone University with a double major in Biblical Studies and Youth Ministry. Together, they served on staff at Camp Beechpoint for ten years and at Ridge Point Community Church for thirteen years where they also started Third Coast Church. They have four children and live in Saugatuck Michigan where they have launched a MicroChurch in their home and plan to help catalyze and coach MicroChurches in communities along the Lakeshore. The Brown's driving passion is to see people reconciled to right relationship with God, one another, and their purpose in life.
You can contact Aaron at (616) 322-1322, PrAaronBrown@gmail.com, and get connected in other ways at PastorAaronBrown.com.
Aimee Deemter - Women’s Network Leader
Aimee was born and raised in Lowell, Michigan, where she lives with her husband of 17 years, Jeremy, and their two children. After earning a B.S. in Chemistry from Michigan State University, she chose to step away from her professional career to focus on her most important ministry—being a homemaker and raising her family. For over 20 years, Aimee has served in ministry through leading women’s groups, international and national mission trips, neighborhood Vacation Bible Schools, and her local church prayer team. Most recently, she co-leads a MicroChurch and teaches Bible classes to public school students during school hours. Aimee’s passion is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and her mission is to help people experience the freedom and transformation found in His love.
Aimee can be reached at (616) 540-3393 or AimeeDeemter@gmail.com.
Pete and Terri Lucas - Matthew 25 MicroChurches
Pete and Terri grew up in Tampa, Florida, where they met in high school. Through Terri’s compassionate care and bold prayers, Pete came to know the Lord. Today, they lead Matthew 25 MicroChurches (M25M), a Christ-centered, relational outreach affiliated with The Way, Vineyard USA, Restoration Church, and Tampa Underground Network, rooted in Matthew 25:35–40.
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”
Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?”
The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
In the Tampa Bay area, M25M gathers seniors at local centers like Blue Palms and Bristol for worship, discipleship, prayer, Scripture, and pastoral care, forming welcoming MicroChurch communities. Beyond this, Pete leads monthly prison ministry gatherings at Union Correctional Institute and serves as an authorized volunteer chaplain, offering Christ’s hope and dignity to incarcerated men—including those in solitary confinement and on death row—through faithful presence, prayer, and conversation.
Pete and Terri can be reached at (813) 421-2357 or Pete.Terri.Lucas@gmail.com.
Karl and Anita House - Grand Rapids Network and Movement Leaders
Karl and Anita grew up in Michigan and met at Calvin College. Anita has a BS and education degree from Calvin and Karl has a Master of Divinity from Calvin Theological Seminary. Karl is ordained in the Vineyard USA. They have been in ministry together since 1987 (22 years near Toronto and 11 years in Tampa). They’re excited to be back home in Grand Rapids. Their goal is to pour into a new generation of disciples, leaders and MicroChurches.
You can contact Karl at (616) 287-3722 or Karl@TheWayMicroChurches.org.
What you heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will also be able to teach others.
— From Paul to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:2
Why Partner with The Vineyard?
Once again, we recognize that we need each other — we’re better together.
As a MicroChurch network seeking to live out the vitality of the early church today, we’re pleased to partner with the Vineyard. The Vineyard takes seriously the faith and mission, as well as the experiences and expectations, of the early church. If you read through the Vineyard Statement of Faith, you’ll see what we mean.
We also appreciate that the Vineyard is a global movement of churches that passionately seek to say YES to the Holy Spirit.
Why Not YOU?!
Do you sense God calling YOU to join or even start a MicroChurch family?
You Can Do It! We Can Help!
