Churches available - missionaries decide not to go...

[hopeforhappiness]

I recently stayed with a missionary family in Central Asia. Churches are available locally and people are free to attend.
However this particular couple chose not to attend church. Their 'church' is their family. Their witness is to enquirers who they come into contact with when their home is 'serviced' or enquiries sent by those local churches.
Is this biblical? What is to stop me doing the same? Extending the Kingdom through growing my family? Is it good for the children that they don't go to local schools but are entirely home schooled? That they don't have local friends?

 

[~Anastasia~]

I don't know if I technically fit into this faith group.

We consider the home to be a "little Church" ... the family should pray together, act together in faith, model the Christian life for one another and as witnesses. But ... we don't consider that should take the place of formally assembling together as the early Christians did and were told to continue doing.

Societal concerns could influence people's decisions to attend Church openly, but if there is a valid Church and it's safe to go, there are no good reasons I can think of to abandon it.

I don't know the whole of the situation you describe though, so I'm not judging what they do but simply giving some basic principles.

Home schooling is another topic, and depends on the situation. Most home schoolers I know are heavily involved in a number of social situations and learning opportunities, and such children are generally at an advantage, IMO. Though I've met a few parents who simply desired to isolate their children and used home schooling as a means to do this, and I did not find that healthy.

 

[Christie insb]

I am not in agreement with just worshipping as a family. This promotes isolation and doesn't allow you to see the different ways God works in people. On the other hand, I don't live in Central Asia, and the local churches may have some beliefs that the missionary family doesn't want to have to live with/expose their children to/experience culture clash in their worship although it seems to me if you are a missionary you should be getting to know the local culture by attending church.