HOUSE CHURCH: House church is a fairly new concept in our lives. We moved away from the institutional church we attended because we saw it turning into a corporation of sorts. We soon discovered the world of house churches, and found we had taken one giant step closer to the heart of God. As we read the New Testament we saw that the house church was the dominant form of early worship. (Christians had been kicked out of the synagogues, and homes became the popular place to gather.) We also quickly learned that we were not alone. Many others around the globe have left institutional churches and opted for meeting like the first Christians. This page is devoted to the pursuit of house churches. We list our reasons for embracing them below. Perhaps you, too, will like what you see and join the ever-growing community of unity found in the home.
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Reasons for the Home Church: The reasons we list in support of house church are values our particular house church has embraced. In other words, these values are not automatic. Meeting in a house does not make things more Christian, unless you're resolved to meet like a Christian family. If house church is only a small version of the institutional church, then nothing has been gained (see True Church-False Church Chart).
1. House church is the New Testament model.
2. The cost: No more than you're already spending to live.
3. Participation: Everyone is involved.
4. Leadership: Leadership is consciously and deliberately given to Jesus.
5. Government: Spiritual gifts govern the body.
6. Creeds: The Scripture uncensored.
7. Worship: Spontaneous, Holy Spirit directed.
8. Heresies: Less than in the institutional church.
9. Relationships & unity: Community focused.
10.Time investment: For us, house church lasts four hours or more ~ stress-free.
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Things we're learning at house church...
We currently attend two different house churches. They are both unique, sharing some things in common, yet differing in other areas. We are learning important lessons.
1. Dirty laundry: Recently, I told K.C that I think one of two positions must be true: Either the house church attracts people with lots of "dirty laundry," or most people have big problems which usually go undetected in the institutional church. I'm coming to the personal conclusion that the latter is probably true: Most people have serious baggage hindering every step they take toward maturity, and a relationally-based home church brings this baggage out into the open. This is not always a pleasant experience, and we constantly learn things about ourselves and others that need changing. The old adage "no one is perfect" is more than validated in this kind of setting and challenges us to our core to love, and to accept love, even when it's undeserved. To date, the most important spiritual lessons I've learned have happened in the home church setting. It's not easy, but it is satisfying.
2. Personal Stories: One of our first experiences with house church was the telling of our life stories. Each person is given an opportunity to talk about their own story in a safe environment without the need to "sugar-coat" or censure the bad stuff. Shocked! That's the best word I can think of to describe what we've heard. We kept the stories to under an hour. However, it would be good to hear more at a later time. It's not easy to digest another person's life experience, and these things take time to appreciate and remember. If you want relationships with substance, this part is necessary.
3. Meals: In both of the house churches we attend meals are a regular feature. We always "break bread" together. The more time around the table we spend, the more like family it becomes. Meal responsibility is shared, and the food is usually uncomplicated (though this is not always true!). In one meeting, we share the meal before we gather together, and in the other meeting we have the meal afterwards. It works both ways.
4. Bible: One of the aspects of house church we like most is that it is not a small version of the institutional church. Specifically, we mean our time does not follow a pattern or order of service, and it is not dominated by formal teaching (see Teachers). Instead, the Scripture comes at us through life experience. Individuals share what God is teaching them on many fronts; without agendas, pet doctrines, or ambition. This is refreshing and liberating, and the Spirit of God gets credit for all of the many ways truth is exposed to our hearts.
5. Open worship: We mean by this that we seek to keep Jesus as the head of our meeting. No one personality dominates over the others, and ideally each member listens deeply to the Spirit of God and to each other. Of course, this makes the church vulnerable to abuse, requiring great patience by everyone else. If everyone is listening to Jesus and committed to unity in the Spirit, then the abuse can be dealt with by the church. Nevertheless, it can get messy and there is no guarantee this will work. It is the price we pay for doing house church! You must be willing to take the good with the bad. Here are some scriptures that help:
So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. (Col 3:12-17)
This text implies there will be relational difficulties in the church. When they arise, it is an opportunity for spiritual growth in the the Church--an opportunity that brings us to maturity if we are willing to persevere.
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