A minister on my job asked me where I went to church, and
after I responded “in my home”, he said that “I shouldn’t give up meeting
together as some are in the habit of doing” quoting Hebrews
In this age of alternative movements, people everywhere are looking for a new and better ways of doing things.
We are realizing the need to be proactive participants in every area of our lives like health, medicine, education and now, even church. Those who are christian leaders need to see this paradigm shift and capitalize on it.
The home church movement has been a quiet revolution taking place all over the world. In some places it is out of necessity, and in others, because more and more people are becoming dissatisfied with their local congregations for various reasons, and they see home church as a viable worshipping alternative.
Today, members frustrated with just being a number in church are looking for ways to have a close, loving church community, free of the constraints of meeting in a building. To often today we can go to church a whole year and not know the names of
the members sitting next to us. Though Pastors try various programs, our present church structure seemingly is not meeting the most fundamental needs of our christian brothers and sisters, that is to connect in a spiritual way with each other. This side of our spiritual life is usually neglected, because with three or four services a week, working full time, and any other extracurricular events, there isn’t enough time to establish that connection after worship hours.
The constant pressure to fill the pews and provide the money to keep the building and programs going are draining us all. To some of us, churches have become more like big monsters that eat up everything we can give them and constantly ask for more, more, and more.
Has anyone ever wondered where the members that left your church went? A lot of them are looking for and starting home ministries because they long for a simpler way to serve God. Most of us want to go back to what the early christians had in the book of Acts “they broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts. So what exactly is a home church?
The home church; or house church, as it is also known as; is
not a new concept, it is not a new denomination or parachurch organization, it
is simply a return to first century christianity in it’s simplest form. It is
taking the teachings of Jesus about the
The house church cannot be understood without first looking
at it’s biblical roots. In Acts
The small home based group was the pattern that Jesus left
with his disciples. On the night of the Last Supper, Jesus told one of his
disciples in Matthew 26:18 to “go into the city to a certain man and tell him,
‘The teacher says:…..I am going to celebrate the
Passover with my disciples at your house’” (emphasis mine).
Jesus was about to share with his closest followers the agony of his
crucifixion, death and resurrection. He wanted to share one last fellowship
service with them. It is not by chance he chose a home to do this, as the
architect of the church, Jesus understood that a
change was taking place. The way of worship under the old covenant with it’s external rituals was giving way to the new covenant
with it’s invisible, internalized
Jesus had every opportunity to pattern NT ordinances and services after the OT temple / synagogue worship that he and his disciples were familiar with. They could have used the pattern of a building that people came to for sacrifice and worship, a priestly order who was to devote their time to service in the temple, gatherings at the synagogue to hear the Rabbi teach the scriptures, and all the intricate temple furnishings, vestments and clerical ranks. Instead, Jesus instituted a radically different system. The centerpiece of this system was the equality of all men and women in God’s eyes. Because all are equal, we were to call no man “Father” or “Rabbi” (Matt. 23:8-12), because in this new system, titles and position were irrelevant. In a family, one son is a doctor, one is a judge, and one is a Captain in the military. When on their respective jobs, they are known as “Dr., Your Honor, and Captain”. When they are at home with family, titles do not mean anything. They are family, and that transcends rank and titles. This is the concept that the home church stresses, that all are priests toward God and with the Holy Spirit’s guidance,
we all minister to and build up each other (see 1Thess.5:11).
The
other key to this new system was the use of a meal at the center
of worship. The Passover meal was a symbol to the Jew that God delivered them
from
In Jesus’ culture, as well as ours today, the dinner table is the traditional place where there is never a stranger. We get to know each other, discuss newsworthy topics, debate, share our thoughts, ask for advise, or express our love for each other. This table is the first choice for strangers meeting for the first time. Jesus could not have chosen a better place to build community. We who home church see the Lord’s supper as a full fellowship meal, around which we share, discuss, and break bread together.
Four main reasons why we home church :
1)
The home
church builds strong disciples
The home church builds strong disciples, requiring all in the small groups to enter into a relationship with others, confessing faults, bearing each others burdens, weeping and rejoicing together. This naturally builds character, strength, compassion and trust. Christians learn to look to their brethren, not to a church leader, for support, council and aid. When disagreements arise, we gather together, dialogue, pray, arrive at a consensus and say, “It is good to the Holy Spirit, and to us”.
2)
The home
church combats modern cynicism
Today’s society is cynical of most ministries. They see them as self-serving, only asking for time and money to aid in their growth. They see Pastors only concerned with size, numbers and image.
A home church will show the 21st century what it showed the 1st, that small groups using 100% of their resources to aid the poor and needy can make a difference in the lives of people. They will see Christ’s love in action! With no overhead, small groups can do much with little. The skeptic will not see materialistic christians, but sacrificial ones.
3)
The home
church releases the Holy Spirit’s gifting to people
Today, due to size and time constraints in most Sunday services, there is only enough time for a few individuals to exercise the giftings of the Holy Spirit. A large setting intimidates all but the boldest. Many others feel embarrassed and suppress the gifts God wants to channel through them.
The home church setting with small groups of familiar
friends will leave space for all to exercise giftings of the Holy Spirit. Those
intimidated can be encouraged, those out of order can be corrected, and all
words can be weighed by all . It says in 1 Corinthians
4)
The home
church builds unity
In John 17, Jesus prayed that his disciples would become one, or have unity. Today in the world, there are thousands of christian denominations, all claiming to hold the truth of the scriptures, some even claiming to be the only way. This leaves his prayer unfulfilled. The home church has no ties to any organization, and it requires no membership, it’s only leader is Jesus. It is therefore the perfect vehicle to break down the walls men have built. Cooperative efforts would not have to falter in committees, be vetoed in conventions or survive political whirlwinds. They only have to reach across a dining table! We only see christians, members of one body.
What better way to destroy ethnic divisions than sharing our homes and dining tables. Here true reconciliation will take place.
When Peter would not eat with gentile believers, Paul
rebuked him before all (see Galatians
Ministers today understand that they cannot effectively shepherd a large flock traditionally, so many are turning to cell groups, or small groups. The cell ministry can be an effective extension of a congregation, freeing up the ministry staff of pastoral duties, while building community. The main drawback which must be overcome is the problem of cells becoming another program of the church competing with other programs for members time and involvement. Leadership must make a true commitment that cell groups will survive at all costs, sacrificing other programs if necessary so cells can realize their potential. If they do not, enthusiasm will wane, and the cell concept will die. The independent home churches are like cells without the sanctuary. We network informally when the opportunity arises, but each group is self contained. All the functions normally associated with a sanctuary (communion, baptism, healing prayers) are conducted in the homes by lay people. In cell ministry, the cell groups still meet Sunday at the sanctuary for Clergy to conduct these events.
The world is becoming a global melting pot. People are relocating nationally and globally. Pastors will in greater volume shepherd ethnically diverse congregations with high turnover rates. This trend will increase in the upcoming years. Shepherding a culturally diverse congregation can be rewarding, but it presents some obstacles to overcome, such as cultural differences in music, orders of service, sanctuary design and furnishings. Home churches stand ready for this challenge, able to invite all into their homes, sing in the many culturally flavored hymns of praise, share a table with food from around the globe, break bread and lift a common cup together as we commune with each other and with Jesus. Here there is no division, only unity.
We who home church do not have all the answers to church
life, we are not negating the tremendous work done by many faithful saints of
God in traditional churches, nor are home churches without their own problems.
We only want people to see the home church as a viable, scriptural and orthodox
expression of koinonia, or
fellowship, just as legitimate as any organized church. We stand on the blueprint of the Bible,
the example of the early christians, and we take the words of Jesus to heart
when he said “For where two or three come
together in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew
Jeffrey Henning
Jeff and his wife Mary’s home church, Break Bread
Ministries, has been meeting in their home for three years. This group is inter
ethnic and charismatic in it’s make up. They are located in
There are many good books on home church, although most christian or secular bookstores do not carry them. They can be ordered special request. You can also order them at www.amazon.com.
Robert & Julia Banks
Hendrickson
Publishers, Inc.; ISBN: 156563179X
Paul's Idea of Community :
The Early House Churches in Their Cultural Setting
by Robert J. Banks
Hendrickson
Publishers, Inc.; ISBN: 1565630505
Going to Church in the First Century
by Robert Banks
Christian Books Pub House; ISBN: 0940232375
Thomas S. Goslin II
Hope Publishing House; ISBN: 093272700X
The
Herald Pr; ISBN:
0836134672
Rethinking The Wineskin:
The Practice of the New Testament Church
by Frank A. Viola
Present Testimony
Ministry; ISBN: 0966665708
Philip & Phoebe
Anderson
Abingdon Press, ISBN:
0-687-17437-6
There are also excellent sources of information on the web: Use any search engine and type in “home church” or “house church”
Below are some of the better home church sites, all having links to more.
Break Bread Ministries –--- This is the Author’s site. Included is links to other home churches and study information
http://www.hccentral.com/directory
New Testament Restoration Ministries ----- Founded by Steve Atkerson and Eric Swendsen, this Atlanta based home church is a great source for home church apologetics, they provide books, tapes, and periodic house church conferences. Their book, “Towards a house church theology” is must reading.
Colin Thompson’s home
page ------- Home church in
www.cthompsonmcs.freeserve.co.uk/colin.html