Invitations Lead to Baptisms in Church Network

By Tamyra Horst

The Simple Way, a Pittsburgh house church network, is not your typical church. Instead of a building, members meet in homes. There are currently three church groups meeting in Carnegie, Carrick and Ingram. They work together to share the gospel with family and friends in their neighborhoods and at work. Members are intentional in praying and looking for opportunities to connect with and invite people to join them. These simple invitations to worship and study together are changing lives. Just ask Tom, Crystal, Randy, Rick and Karen,who were all recently baptized at The Simple Way. 

Tom’s neighbors, Paul and Jessica Spradley, invited him to join them when they began their home church in Carrick. He began attending and also joined a weekly men’s group. Crystal also received an invitation from the Spradleys, and, not only accepted their invitation to come to the gathering, but invited her sister too.

Rick has rarely missed church since being invited by Robbie, who leads the Narcotics Anonymous group at the Carnegie location, where the two met. Rick began praying that God would bring him a life partner. He met Karen in his apartment building and invited her to church. She soon joined a Bible study with Rick and made her own decision for baptism.

Randy attended a health screening at Carnegie where he met John Kent (pictured baptizing Tom), lead pastor at The Simple Way, who invited him to church. “He joined us that very day,” shares Kent. “Over the nearly two years since, he has faithfully attended and grown so much. He loves our simple conversational approach to the weekly Sabbath service.

A year ago, he began Bible studies. Time and time again, he has said to me, ‘I don’t know where I would be without our church. I never knew how much God wanted to be such an important part of my life.'"