Gathering to worship with other believers is essential to Christian growth. It can happen in a house church or a large organized church. The key ingredient is healthy Biblical leadership and faithfulness to the Scriptures.

So what can the organized church learn from the home church movement?

People want to be involved. Spectator Christianity is an oxymoron. The organized church needs to continuously provide ways for its attendees to be involved in outreach and service.  If you don’t provide, they’ll find it somewhere else if they serious about serving the Lord. The somewhere else may not have the godly principles or goals that your fellowship has.

Small groups are one way to satisfy that need, but they need to be participatory. The elders of your local church need to agree upon what material is best for your congregation. They should be the leaders of the groups.  You may have a teacher that is not an elder, but that needs to be observed and evaluated regularly. Willow Creek was famous for being the mega-church with small groups until they evaluated the beliefs that were held among the attendees and teachers. Overseer is another name for elder.

The elders should also be seeking the Lord about evangelistic outreach. Acts 13:1-4 is a model of that in action. Parachurch ministries can help, but be sure they are (para) come along side, and not “compete with” ministries. They can build the local church numerically or spiritually, but they should not detract from the local church.

The organized church should be looking at every attendee and asking, how do they fit in with this body of believers? Why did God bring them here? What are their gifts and talents? Then you will have the involvement that some leave the organized church to find.

What can the home church learn from the organized church?

Some (definitely not all) house churches have developed as an alternative to structured church to avoid certain issues such as discipline, tithing, meetings, and authority.  All of those are Biblical parts of the church.  Maybe the church you left overemphasized one of them, but they are still Biblical.  I think one of the main things the house church can learn, is the need for some to take responsibility to find those in proper balance.

Are the more spiritually mature praying about the group and its direction and needs, no matter how small the group may be? Does there need to be a challenge to give to a mission work on a regular basis? If there is a main speaker, does he deserve some support for the time and effort they put into preparing the message?

One danger of the small house church is the lack of oversight. How will you stay doctrinally pure? You may be non-denominational, but what are the essentials of Christianity? All of these issues can be addressed and dealt with in a Biblical way. If they are, you may be a little more structured, but structure does not mean you are not open to the Holy Spirit.  It just means you are following Biblical guidelines.

Whichever type of church you attend, remember the other is also legitimate and sometimes necessary. God uses each for His purposes. Consider the strengths and weaknesses of your gathering and how you might change to meet the spiritual needs of those with whom you gather in worship.

Share on Facebook