I was invited to a small house gathering a few weeks ago. I was aquainted with the group from a previous version of the meeting, and they were looking at Genesis. I quite enjoyed the meeting, but there were parts missing that I would normally see in a "church". Now this particular group I know are looking for a really honest expression of the body, and they started very small in the leader's house, grew until they needed a hall which was my first encounter with them. And then they had a split over some issue or other,not described and are now once again at the leader's house. My observation was that in the larger group there seemed a more "church" like expression of the body with more distributed gifts. Then again the group split so perhaps these other building stones were in fact from another, or meant to be in another body. They may also have been immature or even not saved at all, which never stops people from taking control of and running churches. Just today while browsing at the Bibles for Missions Store I read of an evangelist, who met a 40 yr. member of a church. Always serving, always involved, yet something the evangelist said stirred this man to finally realize that he needed to know Christ. How many today are in leadership around Brantford and they have yet to actually be saved! How often are we told that it is wrong to question a leader!
No spirit filled Christian leader is ever afraid of close inspection, nor do they shy away from answering for their actions or admitting their mistakes. No spirit filled Christian ever thinks they are done learning of the Lord or that they are the most mature person of faith around.
What I liked about the little house meeting I went to was the transparancy of the leader. He was who he was. I hope that as time goes by he will find all the parts of his little group and become a fully functioning expression of the Lord's purpose for them. I don't know how many people that would take but it always takes the right number of right people and I hope that the next split will be the separating of a daughter church, the first of many.
-Interesting thouhts. We have done house church twice. People come with their churchiness oe preconceived ideas. We ended up with a small church operated like large church in our home... We returned to organized church..next attempt was GOOD. And it worked for the most part... But being musicians and worshippers... Dancers...m Flaggers. We missed the larger body expression of worship not conducive to a living room.... Although we had some pretty anointed times... I see the beauty of both. "Larger body and small intimate groups". We are approaching that phase again... Much wiser... The focus will be on spending time in HIS presence.... Only then can we walk in true authority. We enforce a 5 fold ministry to stewart. The move of God. We want to be ushers of His presence not HUSHERS of His presence! Equipping the Saints to do likewise! Reproducing .. UNLOCK THE PEOPLE OF GOD and release them! Amen. Okay. I am stirred up now!
ReplyDeletesorry about the spelling and structure. ... On my blackberry can't see the print. Will fix it on computer at home ... Lol
ReplyDeleteThanks for writing Sharon. I am interested in other's experiences in church,especially organic/home churches. I will write more later on the blog itself but a study of Acts as Frank Viola points out show that there were in fact a variation of type and location of these apostlic meetings according to purpose. They met in homes for teaching and meals/communion, they met at city gates or the synogog to evangelize. They held large meetings where they settled doctrinal matters and I have no doubt that there were times when a suitable venue for worship was used according to how they worshiped. Obviously baptism couldn't be done in the average home but church was where it's parts were and the purpose was always to share Christ within, with Christ in others to form unity.
ReplyDeleteHey Dave !!!
ReplyDeleteWe are going to enter into a study on the FIVE FOLD MINISTRY... and the PROPHETIC. The foundation of the church is to be the APOSTLE and the PROPHET. Boy is the church ever off eh? lol We believe in signs and wonders (LIKE IN THE BOOK OF ACTS) it IS for today !!!! Jesus is ALIVE.. hello church!
So do you have a large church opposed to a house church that you attend? :)
Also YOu look familiar.. I am wondering if you work with my son.
it's funny but I wrote a reply here earlier but it seems to have vanished. If it shows up elsewhere, please excuse the duplication.Churches,.....well I was part of Cornerstone back in the beginning and had a chance to serve as deacon and then elder. I think that the experience from the pulpit side and as a worship leader has made it hard to sit in a lot of the local churches. We have been unable to feel at home anywhere although before their move we enjoyed Park Road Pentecostal somewhat. When Mark Woodley came back to town we were part of his church until he died and the denomination shut us down. Since then we have had bible studies off and on with Charles Reid and I hung out at the Worship Centre and Freedom House for a while. But the fit wasn't there. So where do you hang out? By the way I work at I.T.M.L. and before I was at Stelco/Genfast for 20 yrs.
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