IS IT TIME FOR THE HOUSE CHURCH?

My Story

I have been drawn to house churches since I met Jesus as my Savior at age 45. Seeking relationships with people trying to live as Christ, I didn't find many in the institutional church. It actually was, however, in my connection with such a church early in my Christian journey that I experienced God's plan for a church family. 

After my wife and I responded to a a request at this church to open our home for relationships with other believers, people began to show up. We didn't market, invite friends or attempt to get attention in any way; we just prayed. This led to three years of family relationships with people of like hearts. While it was called a home group, it really was a house church. After nearly 40 years, I'm still searching for those relationships again! 

What is a house church?

This might seem a simple question, but the answer usually is subject to one's personal experience. Believing God intended the Book of Acts model for house churches to apply today, I once asked a pastor of a church I attended if he agreed. His answer was "I've never seen a house church that works." I've attended a number of house churches and learned they are organized like most institutional churches with one or a few persons in control, only they were smaller. Of course they haven't worked!

Many large churches I've attended have developed home groups they call "home or house churches." Personally, I've attempted to start several house churches since my early journey described above, and found most people that attended were not willing to give up other things in their lives to satisfy their desire for ongoing, close, personal relationships. They were just too busy to make a commitment. 

To be transparent, my attempts at starting house churches were like so many others I've attended, i.e., for me to be in control! Yeow, that hurts!! So, will there ever be a time for the true house church in today's society? While there has always been a need, the time may be now more than ever!

The time for the house church

First, let's consider the true purpose of a house church. While there are several well-known proponents of house churches with websites on the internet that provide excellent resources on this subject, I will offer my perception of the house church based on the Book of Acts and the Epistles in the Holy Bible.

An evening at an early house church

Envision yourself walking down a street in Rome several decades after Christ's crucifixion. You heard from a few other Christians that a house church meeting you've attended in the past was being held at a certain location this evening. Walking toward the location, as you near the house you hear sounds of laughter and talking mixed with intermittent music from musical instruments. Arriving at the door, several people greet you with a hug and sincere welcome. While visiting the snack table, you hear your name shouted above the cacophony of noise from a person in a corner of the room. Joining several people there, you enter a conversation about the emperor's latest edict and the persecution that seems to be directed toward true believers.  

You glance around the room and notice some friends praying for a newcomer. A few more people are gathered around someone playing a stringed instrument and singing a familiar Hebrew hymn. Another person is weeping while a few friends sit silently with her. So goes an hour or so.

The owner of the host home for this week's meeting appears and begins placing dishes of food on a long, low table. He and his wife move about the room asking everyone to recline at the table. Once people are seated on the floor around the table, an elder leads a prayer of blessing and everyone partakes of the bread and wine for communion. Food is then passed around the table and the noise of fellowship again fills the house.

As the meal fellowship ends, a time of spontaneous group prayer, worship and singing ensues. Throughout this time, several people share a Scripture, give a prophetic word, exercise a gift of the Spirit or just open a discussion about what God has done during the last week. One of the local five-fold ministers makes a few comments on what has been shared, and offers a few specific words and ministry for a few of the people present.

As the midnight hour nears, most of the people begin to leave the house. A few may still be praying for one another, or some may still be singing together. Each person leaves having enjoyed fellowship with other people, feeling stronger from the expressions of the joy of the Lord during the evening, and better equipped to face the darkness in the world around them. 

How does the house church differ from the institution church?

Obviously, there are a lot of differences from the institutional church and its home groups that we are familiar with today. The house church is not a building that demands resources and volunteers to maintain, nor are the meetings scripted by man. In the example above, the evening was led spontaneously by the Holy Spirit of God!

While my heart is after the house church model in the Book of Acts, I need to say that one of the reasons I have a relationship with Jesus today is because of my experiences in institutional churches, both good and bad experiences by the way. Many people receive great benefits from attending institutional churches. Many of us attending those churches just get to a place where we want more of Jesus, less of man!

Let's be honest, the Roman Emperor Constantine destroyed God's original purposes for the church by outlawing home meetings, and even outlawing owning or reading a Bible. Constantine replaced God's activities with control by priests, requiring financial contributions to maintain his cathedrals and created the class of "lay" (ignorant) people that were required to sit quietly in pews and listen to sermons in a language they didn't understand. 

But, you may have read that Constantine was a good emperor who spread Christianity throughout the Roman Empire. He did, unfortunately he persecuted all those that didn't join his tribe and fill his cathedrals! The sad end is that most of the institutional churches of today still practice Constantine's program!

What are some takeaways from this example of an early house church?

From the house church illustration above, I'm sure you noticed there was no control by a pastor or priest, there was no admonishment for not believing in the same way as others in a group, there was no plea for money or tithing and the focus instead was on God and the unique needs of individuals in the church community. The evening was not about doing something, but about being who God has made us to be in Jesus Christ!

There wasn't a children's church, separate classes for new believers or outreach programs being promoted. There was simply a demonstration of the love of God directed to the needs of the people. Sure, some of the people brought food or helped the host financially, and there were people sharing some of their resources with others less fortunate. Each person considered the needs of others more important than their own! These people were living epistles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! The house church is what God intended the body of Christ to be, then and now!

Please leave a comment below if you have participated, or considered participating, in a house church. You may also send your questions and comments to me at my personal email address: larry@cpafirmsupport.com.