ABOUT SIMPLICITY
PROVIDING A SAFE PLACE FOR EVERY KIND OF BIRD IN OKLAHOMA CITY.
Simplicity Christian Church, DOC Inc. was formally established in September of 2016.
Our first gatherings as a church in formation took place in a Mercantile. After five months, we relocated to a winery with slightly larger facilities to accommodate growth. As we approached a full year of operations, our Founding Pastor, Michael Canada, announced his resignation from the job of pastor and turned leadership over to two of Simplicity’s co-founders, Jamie and Kathryn Bramble, thus ushering in a new iteration for the church.
Shortly after Michael Canada’s departure, the Brambles decided the next right move would be to temporarily transition the community into a house church. After 8 months of soul searching, community building, and resource gathering, in the spring of 2018 the Simplicity community relocated again and moved into its next location, which we affectionately referred to as The Warehouse.
In June of 2018, recognizing that if Simplicity was going to continue operating as a church it would need an official pastor, the Simplicity Board officially voted in favor of bringing in Israel Hogue as Lead Pastor.
After several years of meeting in The Warehouse, our Leadership and Board decided it was time to leave the comforts of that space and embark on yet another chapter in the Simplicity story. On Good Friday, 2023 we began meeting out of Southern Hills Christian Church in Edmond, where we currently gather on Sunday mornings at 10:30am
MISSION. VISION. CORE VALUES.
MISSION:
RELATIONSHIPS. LOVE. SERVICE.
Our mission is simple - to build relationships, to demonstrate love, and to actively serve.
VISION:
EVERY KIND OF BIRD
The vision that's been cast for Simplicity is a church community that welcomes, accepts, and embraces EVERY KIND OF BIRD with open minds and open hearts because we are called to build relationships, demonstrate love, and serve actively.
The concept of EVERY KIND OF BIRD, which we use frequently, comes from the book of Ezekiel in the Hebrew Bible where it says that God is going to plant a tree and every kind of bird will live in it and find shade in it (Ezek. 17.23). As we read it, God does not plant this tree for only one kind of bird; EVERY bird finds shade, rest, and a home. That is what we believe God is doing with Simplicity; God is planting a place in Oklahoma City where EVERY KIND OF BIRD can “find shade” - that is, feel at home, included, and accepted.
CORE VALUES:
GOD IS TOO BIG TO BE PUT IN A BOX
RELATIONSHIPS PRECEDE DOCTRINE
EVERYONE CAN (BE A DISCIPLE OF CHRIST)
JESUS IS CENTRAL IN EVERYTHING
Our core values provide the foundation of our Theology; they drive our mission, support our vision, and keep us in alignment.
OUR DENOMINATION
THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH, DISCIPLES OF CHRIST.
Simplicity is a voluntary participant in the Christian Church, Disciples of Christ.
As a Disciples church, we believe that our role in God’s One Church is to be a movement of unity within a very fragmented world. Given this, Disciples churches strive to elevate the name of Jesus Christ rather than our own, so don't be surprised if you've never heard of the Disciples.
At our best, we are a home for the left-of-center, the right-of-center, and anyone who is simply tired of all the lines. If you’re looking for a denomination in which everyone agrees with you, the Disciples may not be a good fit; however, if you’re curious about Jesus Christ and what being a disciple might look like for you and your family, remember there is always room for you amongst the Disciples.
