Over the last year, we have begun focusing on planting house churches. There are important reasons for this, which I intend to explain over time on this blog. A lot of debate goes on these days about house churches, though. Naysayers point to many dangers they perceive in house churches. That’s why I found this post by Guy Muse so interesting. I encourage you to read it; it’s a good post. I love the house church meeting he describes. In many ways, it is a vision of what we hope to see happening here.
But I would like to invite some participation from my readers here. Whether you are in favor of, against, or indifferent towards house churches, of the objections listed below that I pulled off Guy’s post, which do you think is the most valid criticism of house churches? Leave a comment and explain your point of view!
…accountability and proper doctrine would be my two red flags
…the rise of house churches is more [a] mark of unhealthiness
…house churches are dominated by people who do not want to submit themselves to the leadership of the church
…the lack of biblically trained leadership would often create an environment rich in heresy
…early churches meeting in homes, is that descriptive or prescriptive?
…I tend to think of this as more a reaction against the mega church and mega-wannabe
…I think that house churches work better in some cultures than in other cultures
…To me, the key biblical point is not where the church meets. The key point is whether the pastor meets the qualifications of 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1.
…House churches work well in places where there is persecution and a need for secret meeting places.
…I don’t think it would work in my context
So here’s the deal…I know you’re reading this, because I have a stat counter
To get a conversation started, of course, will take some brave soul stepping out there on a limb and posting a comment. Don’t worry, no one’s going to burn you at the stake over this. I just like discussing things and exchanging ideas. If you like that, too, then hop on in and give us your two cents. I think blogs are more interesting as conversations rather than as monologues 
Hey Chris,
I’ve been wanting to reply to this post for a while, but just now got a chance to sit down and give it my all.
Chris and I have been a part of a home church for just over 2 years now. It started with a group of friends that have all been “burned” by the mega-church. We were all in leadership roles, some on staff others just very involved volunteers. Over many years we all witnessed the way that the pastors treated other people behind the scene and got fed up. We all addressed the issue with the pastors and got the same response. So needless to say we started this home church as a refuge and to ensure that none of us walked away from God during our time of hurt and frustration. We have all healed from the previous wounds and have all started going to an organized church again, but every Sunday night we still meet for our home church.
For us it has been the most amazing experience. Every week we meet together and have dinner together. To us this is true communion. When we read the scriptures, Jesus was not passing a small plastic wafer and a half sip of grape juice. He was passing the bread and wine and actually sitting down for a meal with his closest friends. That is what we do, and we do it in remembrance of Him. We fellowship in a way that only good friends can, not in a way that you do by saying “Hi. How are you?” as you pass someone on the way to the nursery to get your kids.
We do not have an official pastor of our home church. We have a group of 5 regulars that are all strong, long lived Christians. One guy used to be a Theology student and lends a ton of insight that non-theologians don’t always know, but he is not the pastor. We take turns leading our discussion time. Some times we do a book study, where we discuss a chapter every week. Other times we take turns sharing from our hearts, but we always take time to share prayer requests and to pray for one another.
We have learned so much about community by being a part of this home church. We have 5 core members and about 10 others that come on occasion. We are not seeking new members, but when some one shows interest they are welcome to come.
We’ve discovered that many people are afraid of the home church because it is so intimate. My neighbor who goes to a local church once told me that he would never want to be in something like this because he doesn’t want to truly open up to others and let them get that close to him. To me that is just sad. Yes it is scary to lay your heart on the line and open up to others, but at the same time it is the most freeing thing. There have been times that we have wounded one another, but we know that it is never done intentionally. Like Proverbs 27:6 says, “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but the enemy multiplies kisses.”
I also feel that pastors of churches are scared of the home church because they fear that it will take away from their numbers in attendance. They might mask it with a different reason, but I feel that the root of it is not wanting to see their empire shrink. It is sad, but so many churches are so interested in the numbers that they forget to take care of the ones that they have. In a home church, it is intimate and easier to take care of the ones there.
One thing that I love about the church that we now go to is that it started as a home church only 6 years ago. Our pastor owned a construction company and was not your typical Theological degree pastor. He was just a normal guy that God called. Thankfully he answered God’s call and now has a great church that we have fallen in love with. We know that it isn’t perfect, but we have witnessed the leadership behind the scenes and they are the same as they are on stage. This is so important. (sorry, I’ve deviated).
One of the main things that we have seen that is so great about the home church is that there is accountability. When you say you need God to move and you pray as a group, people are there to follow up with you. Or if you say you need God to help you do something, there are people to follow up with you on if you did it. In a big church, people just don’t come up and ask what is going on and actually want to sit and listen and then follow up. It is just the nature of a large group. You can’t get to know everyone.
We are currently reading Waking the Dead, by John Eldredge and I would like to quote a few things from Chapter 11. It talks all about small groups and community and is very pertinent to the Home Church.
“Church is not a building. Church is not an event that takes place on Sundays… But when Scripture talks about church, it means community. The little fellowships of the heart that are outposts of the kingdom. A shared life. They worship together, eat together, pray for one another, go on quests together. They hang out together, in each other’s homes. When Peter was sprung from prison, “he went to the house of Mary the mother of John” where the church had gathered to pray for his release (Acts 12:12).” page 192.
“A group is the right size, I would guess, when each member can pray for every other member, individually and by name.” page 192 quote from Brother Andrew.
“Suddenly, all those one another’s in Scripture make sense. Love one another. Bear one another’s burdens. Forgive one another. Acts of kindness become deeply meaningful because we know we are at war. Knowing full well that we all are facing battles of our own, we give one another the benefit of the doubt. Leigh isn’t intentionally be distant from me – she’s probably under an assault. That’s why you must know each other’s stories, know how to “read” each other. A word of encouragement can heal a wound; a choice to forgive can destroy a stronghold. you never knew your simple acts were so weighty. It’s what we’ve come to call “lifestyle warfare.”" page 200.
I know that I have gone on a long time, but I feel passionately about our home church. It has been a safe place to open up to other believers and to find healing. God has made us strong individually and as a group. I honestly feel that the core 5 of us would all still be bitter and angry had we not joined together and let God heal us individually and as a group. God has opened our eyes to other forms of ministry other than the ones that happen through the traditional church building. He has also opened our hearts to the Church (all of the believers in the world, we are the Bride, we are the Church).
So this is my two cents. Hope you enjoyed it.
Suzie
Wow, what a cool vision of the Body! Thanks a lot for sharing that with us, Suzie. What you describe sums up so much of what we like about house churches. They are simple communities of Christ-followers bonded together and supporting one another in obedience to Him.
God can, does, and will continue to use all different kinds of churches. There is not one “right” model. Erin and I love our traditional church family back in the States. You can’t deny the biblical support for house churches, though. As we have lived in a house church-type community for over 3.5 years now, we have come to see many practical reasons to be excited about house churches.
If anyone else has thoughts on this topic, feel free to chime in, whether you agree or disagree. I’ve learned so much, especially recently, about what it means to be the church, and I love discussing it with others and hearing their views.