Introductory Events Will Explain How to Start an Informal House Church
July 29, 2016: As more and more people in North America, Europe and other places turn against organized religion for reasons good and bad, an option that is growing rapidly is the “house church.” This is a concept that includes many kinds of informal, small gatherings where participants dress however they please, sit in a circle (maybe around a table after a meal) and follow no formal liturgy of any kind. It may or may not include music, depending on the skill and inclinations of the group. It will almost always include prayer, conversation and Bible study of some kind. It often includes activities for children which they would probably call “play” (such as crafts, finger-painting, puzzles, etc.) or perhaps “stories.” And, it might meet at a restaurant or in a committee room at a community center or whatever type of space is available and convenient to the participants.
The Simple Church project is an Adventist resource organization that helps people start groups of this kind. They are currently supporting groups around the world and provide a wide range of information on a Web site. Many of the participants are not members of the Adventist Church or even have a background in the Adventist faith; they are simply individuals and families who feel some need for a relationship to the spiritual and have found friends with the same needs.
Introductory events are scheduled in several places over the next few months and you may want to attend one of these or you may know someone who would be interested:
Columbus, Ohio – August 26-28, 2016
Minnesota – September 23-25, 2016
Florida – January 25-29, 2017
London, England – March 10-12, 2017
Each of these events begins on Friday evening, continues on Sabbath morning and Sabbath afternoon, and ends with a session on Sunday morning when interested individuals are helped to network and form local teams, if they want to. The Sabbath morning session includes a sermon by Pastor Milton Adams, the director of the Simple Church project and an experienced convener (with his wife) of informal groups of this type. There is plenty of opportunity ask questions about what they have experienced.
For more information, including the specific location of each of these events and similar events as they are scheduled in other cities, go to: https://www.simplechurchathome.com
“More and more people, especially younger adults, are tired of all the rules, ceremonies, denominational bureaucracy and neurotic attitudes of so many ‘church people’ in all denominations, that there is a real need for this type of alternative,” a seminary professor who does not want to be identified told Adventist Today. This may be something you are looking for or someone you know really needs.
The first thing you need to start a house church is friends. Nobody wants to come to your house if they find you annoying, argumentative, disgusting, repulsive, etc. Normally, except for the occasional sociopathic type, only people who like you personally, will want to spend time with you.
On a lesser note, don’t try to study the Bible with people just after thy have had a meal. Take a walk after a meal, a long one, and then sit down together to study. As for prayer, a lot of people are uncomfortable praying. Of course the servant-leader should pray for God’s blessing but it isn’t necessary to have group prayer with people who may not even believe in God or to pray in Jesus name when you have a group which includes buddhists or muslims.
A house church isn’t simply a way to fool people into attending church, nor is it a way to broaden a denominations financial base. Ideally, it’s an opportunity to introduce people to a loving Saviour who loves them and died and rose again so they could live forever. People should be introduced to Jesus through Bible reading, not denominationally approved publications or Mrs. White
Hansen,
Instead of just talking about home churches, I challenge you to establish one. Then tell us about your experience so we can know if you’re telling the truth or just making noise.
William, You shouldn’t assume people are just “making noise” until you know their back story. I was involved in the establishment of a house church 40 years ago, the Camp Verde church in Arizona. A family living in Camp Verde contacted Richard Reed and asked him to hold Bible studies in their home on Sabbath afternoon. Richard, along with Dr. Ray Mundall, had already gotten the Sedona church started several years before. So a group of people started meeting in the home of this couple for prayer and Bible study, probably a song or two.
People came to the study because Richard was a great Bible scholar and speaker as well as an excellent singer. He was well respected/liked in the community. In this case, most if not all of the early participants were already SDA from the Cottonwood or Sedona church.
There is an established SDA church there now. It’s not as if i, 40 years ago, went into a foreign country and started a house church in which I introduced scores of people to God’s Holy Word for the first time in their lives, or preached to hundreds of people who knew nothing about Jesus, in park settings, nothing like that.
I could also tell you about the establishment of a church in Colusa, the last “dark county” in California. A retired Pastor Forrester got interest cards from SDA media ministries and visited people in their homes, inviting them to study the Bible and attend meetings. I was merely a witness to these things.
Hansen,
Thank you for clarifying. There is so much “noise making” in many of the comments posted that having some “back story” is helpful.
The opportunity I see in planting house churches is preparing the church to survive our eschatology. We predict times when our clergy will be imprisoned. How is the church to survive in such times when they have been taught to be pastor-dependent? A harsh lesson in what happens when adversity strikes comes from China where there were more than a half-million Adventists prior to the Communist revolution, but not one could be found after. Where did they go? Some were killed, but most simply abandoned their faith because they had been taught to be pastor-dependent and when the pastors were gone, their faith did not survive.
William, Probably a most important qualification for successful house church/ church planting is a good personality. Obviously education isn’t too important. The SDA church is full of D.Mins, M.Divs, etc. who couldn’t raise up a church if their job depended on it. OTOH, I met a retired law enforcement officer who was pastoring a house church. The ICOC wasn’t exactly a house church but its pastors included a former navy fighter pilot, who was well liked and successful. He walked around in his old leather flight jacket with his name patch. I was certainly interested in his take on the gospel.
If Doug Batchelor opened his home for house church on Sabbath morning, the place would be overflowing, not because he’s a theologian but because a lot of people find him entertaining. He’s a good singer and guitar player,has a great testimony and lots of interesting stories related to his world travels.
John Carter basically started a church from scratch in Glendale, CA. There were ~5 other SDA churches within walking distance but he was quite successful and raised money to evangelize Russia. He did this on the sheer force of his personality.
Dr. Ford raised up a church in Auburn, CA, literally across the street from an SDA church. Numerous people came because they heard him preach on the radio. He’s done the same in Australia.
Different strokes for different folks
” for reasons good and bad,”
This is the real dilemma of why such a fellowship might be advisable and even helpful. I won’t gender much unity unless the fellowship remains generic with nor real definitions of what constitutes a Christian and what a Christian church should state for itself by way of definition. And as soon as you do that, you create conflict and challenging discussion as to what the goal of the fellowship is.
EGW made this comment about such a development during the time of the Judges in Israel.
” Sins of Priests Caused Some to Offer Own Sacrifices—As the men of Israel witnessed the corrupt course of the priests, they thought it safer for their families not to come up to the appointed place of worship. Many went from Shiloh with their peace disturbed, their indignation aroused, until they at last determined to offer their sacrifices themselves, concluding that this would be fully as acceptable to God, as to sanction in any manner the abominations practiced in the sanctuary (The Signs of the Times, December 1, 1881).”
In this case, the church had become so corrupt, they wouldn’t attend or support the services. Of course there may well be other reason for a “home fellowship” but we see this is at least one viable reason to do so. You may live a country where a church is not allowed. This would be another reason and some more might apply.
Bill, In some places, “home churches” are not allowed.
Bill,
The “home church” was God’s model for ancient Israel. The Levites met with families in their homes for centuries before the synagogues, the Jewish precursor to Christian churches, were established. In countries where there is significant religious oppression, home churches are how the church is growing and in some of those countries it is growing faster than in countries where there is far more religious freedom.
Our experience, the primary reason to start a simple church is missionary work.
Other reasons: “Because the giving landscape is changing, Barna researchers believe there is extraordinary urgency behind this research. The shifting landscape of generosity means that church leaders not only should grapple with these questions, but also they must do so. There is no time like the present—when things are as good as they are likely to get—to explore the current and future efficacy of funding models for church and church planters.” “It’s likely to get tough in the next 10 years, and we have a God-given responsibility to think and plan for the lean years ahead. Now that we understand the context, we can use this data to get ready.” “In light of the research, what systems need to change? What would it look like to make a whole new model?” p. 47, 50-51. Church Start and Money: A Barna report produced in partnership with Thrivent Financial, 2016.
“As our society approaches a post-institutional era it’s entirely possible the near monopoly that the church has enjoyed over faithful expressions and religious connections may be coming to an end. The activities of the dechurched may be ushering in a new understanding of what religious activity means. If this trend continues, it will fundamentally reshape the way Americans experience organized religion” p. 69. Packard Josh. Church Refugees: Sociologists Reveal Why People Are DONE With Church but Not Their Faith, 2015.
Milton,
I hadn’t seen that research you cited but have been a fan of the Barna Organization for more than ten years so I think it is highlighting some things we should consider seriously. I know quite a few “church refugees” including a number of former Adventists who love God and are searching for fellowship, but who have been so hurt and disappointed by established churches that they are searching for a way to connect to a community of faith without having to become part of an established denomination, or a large local congregation.
This is the how the early church started, the way missionaries work in persecuted countries (like myself), and the way mass movements have grown in primarily Muslim areas in recent times. The key is to have a “kingdom person” in the group with a deep knowledge of the Bible and a powerful prayer life. The goal cannot be mainly to get people to come to a “traditional” church building and to focus their faith on one person, the pastor, who “speaks” for God.
My wife and I have been involved with a house church for the past 7-8 yrs. The transparency and vulnerability that have developed are precious. We are the only ones with an SdA background. Doctrines are never an issue even though we have different opinions. We meet Sat evenings.
With no clergy or infrastructure, financial assistance goes directly to those in need, freely given by the donor, usually anonymously.
The freedom and opportunities that house churches provide are wonderful.
Once a house church gets up and running, professional clergy who get wind of it might like to take it over, fold it into their larger church. Think of the “juice” they would get at the conference office for conscripting a group of fence riders into a larger congregation. They might call it a branch Sabbath school, a church plant, or a company, whatever, as long as they can get those numbers into their dossier.
Some “house church” types long for acceptance by conference administrators, local pastors, etc. and are actually eager to be folded in. High probability that the spirituality of the group will be destroyed.
Conference administrators want money in their coffers. Some will give a lot of slack to “maverick” groups if they think it will fatten up their bottom line.