House Church

How do you do the home churches?" Do you have a format?" I am very interested in this.

House Church

Nope! I don't have a format. In fact, I think following a model for 'church' is a step away from being the church. If we're going in relationship to God and looking for ways to share that with others, it is not so difficult a thing to do. And God has an infinite variety of ways to do it among his people. I've seen so many different ways for people to share God's life together, that trying to force it into a one-size-fits-all package really is impossible.

Rather than starting home churches, we encourage people to connect with each other and ask, "How might we encourage each other to grow on in Christ?" The answer to that question will be closer to church than replicating any model ever could. Remember the only model of church Jesus gave us was hanging out with his followers in the homes and hillsides around Galilee and Jerusalem. He didn't start meetings, he gathered with people to help them know his Father and learn to love each other. He asked us to make disciples and he said he would build the church. If we're focusing on helping others grow in him, we'll find the church emerging all around us.

Of course I love the household setting as a way to gather. A meal often provides a relational connection that helps people get out of the meeting mode. As they walk together they will find ways to celebrate God's presence together, grow in relationship to each other, and pray for each other as they listen to God's leading together. Simple, real and focused on Jesus lie at the heart of all healthy fellowship. He'll show you how he wants to connect you to the body and how he might invite you to share that life together in various seasons of his work in you. Too many people ending up serving a format of 'church' long after Jesus has moved on to something else. That's how we got in this mess in the first place.

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