Home Churches

[Proeliator]

Is it wrong to have small informal home churches?

 

[JimfromOhio]

Is it wrong to have small informal home churches?

To me, depending on the availability of good Reformed Churches in the area. If this is none, I don't see any reason why not to have a "reformed" home church. At the same time, I don't see how body of believers grow in a home church, which therefore, we need a local setting for believers to meet and worship, at the same time allowing people who are looking for a local church know where to go. People who are looking for a good church will not find "home churches" simply because "home churches" are for "elite Christians" who will only invite those who can "fit" in their doctrines. To me, that is simply wrong.

That's just my opinion based on what I have experienced in "home church" in the past.

 

[ghs1994]

Is it wrong to have small informal home churches?

I don't think so. As a matter of fact, I believe this is how most churches get started and were started in biblical times as well. I know of one church in particular that started in a home and now has 800 members. I have a bible study in our own home of people who go to our church and don't go to our church.

 

[Cajun Huguenot]

Is it wrong to have small informal home churches?

Christ established His Church and gave it structure, officers and authority. Home churches deny all that. I think the home church movement is continued splintering and schismatic attitude that is so prevelent in much of modern Evangelicalism.

We are to be under authority of ordained elders in CHrist church.

My .02¢

In Christ,
Kenith

 

[mlqurgw]

I would tend to agree with Cajun Hugoenot. Faithful pastors are a gift from God to His church. Eph. 4:9-11 I have no problem seeking to establish a church beginning in a home as long as that is the idea. If a church cannot be found within a reasonable distance from were you are ( I drive 45 minutes each way) then you either should move to where there is one or seek to establish one where you are. Those who worship at home and never seek to establish a church do so because they are not willing to submit themselves to the Scriptural authority God has set. They don't really have to commit to anything as long as they don't belong to an established church.

 

[Paleoconservatarian]

I would tend to agree with Cajun Hugoenot. Faithful pastors are a gift from God to His church. Eph. 4:9-11 I have no problem seeking to establish a church beginning in a home as long as that is the idea. If a church cannot be found within a reasonable distance from were you are ( I drive 45 minutes each way) then you either should move to where there is one or seek to establish one where you are. Those who worship at home and never seek to establish a church do so because they are not willing to submit themselves to the Scriptural authority God has set. They don't really have to commit to anything as long as they don't belong to an established church.

This is exactly it. I would question the salvation of one who refused to be a member of the body of Christ, outside of which there is no salvation. When there is a rejection of this God-given authority, there is also a rejection of Christ Himself. I had a guy in GT tell me that he serves himself the Lord's Supper!

This is the way American individualism works. Clearly, it is incompatible with the biblical model of the church.

 

[Irishcat922]

Christ established His Church and gave it structure, officers and authority. Home churches deny all that. I think the home church movement is continued splintering and schismatic attitude that is so prevelent in much of modern Evangelicalism.

We are to be under authority of ordained elders in CHrist church.

My .02¢

In Christ,
Kenith

I think it is O.K. to begin a Church in a small house but like Cajun said. But without Biblical structure, I believe it would not and could not be called a Church. I think this is more than just an opinion i think the home Church movement like Cajun said is ultimately sinful.

 

[calmcoolandelected]

I thought that there was more to the philosophy of "home churching" than just meeting in someone's home. I believe it has to do with the head of the household (husband) being prophet, priest and king of his household. Please correct me if I am wrong, but that is the way I have understood this movement.

CC&E

 

[Proeliator]

I would tend to agree with Cajun Hugoenot. Faithful pastors are a gift from God to His church. Eph. 4:9-11 I have no problem seeking to establish a church beginning in a home as long as that is the idea. If a church cannot be found within a reasonable distance from were you are ( I drive 45 minutes each way) then you either should move to where there is one or seek to establish one where you are. Those who worship at home and never seek to establish a church do so because they are not willing to submit themselves to the Scriptural authority God has set. They don't really have to commit to anything as long as they don't belong to an established church.

For us to get to the nearest Reformed Baptist church would take almost 2 hours each way, with 2 small children. I have no problem traveling, but it seems that Reformed Chruches with sound doctrine are hard to find in low-income areas here in NYC. There is an RCA church right up the street which has an affirment to univerasl atonement in its Statement of Faith, then claims the WCF. Im sure not going there.

 

[ghs1994]

This is exactly it. I would question the salvation of one who refused to be a member of the body of Christ, outside of which there is no salvation. When there is a rejection of this God-given authority, there is also a rejection of Christ Himself.

That's quite a bold statement. If someone refuses to be a part of the body of Christ, I can see what you mean. But if someone doesn't want to be a part of a larger assembly of believers, it doesn't mean they're unsaved. I believe that person is probably just selfish and sees things their way only. Maybe they haven't found a church that fits their faith. Maybe all the "hypocrites" in a larger assembly turns them off from being a part of a church. Who are we to judge another servant?

 

[ghs1994]

For us to get to the nearest Reformed Baptist church would take almost 2 hours each way, with 2 small children. I have no problem traveling, but it seems that Reformed Chruches with sound doctrine are hard to find in low-income areas here in NYC. There is an RCA church right up the street which has an affirment to univerasl atonement in its Statement of Faith, then claims the WCF. Im sure not going there.

Churches have been started out of homes. Don't be discouraged by what others believe is "the only way" to do this. If I were you, being two hours away, I'd just go ahead and start a study in your own home and see what God will do with it.

 

[Cajun Huguenot]

Churches have been started out of homes. Don't be discouraged by what others believe is "the only way" to do this. If I were you, being two hours away, I'd just go ahead and start a study in your own home and see what God will do with it.

Starting a church out of a home is not the same thing as a Home Church. Christian Churches have been started in homes, business, warehouses, caves, catacombs, etc since Apostolic times. That is not what the home church movement is about.

I thought that there was more to the philosophy of "home churching" than just meeting in someone's home. I believe it has to do with the head of the household (husband) being prophet, priest and king of his household. Please correct me if I am wrong, but that is the way I have understood this movement.

CC&E

As a husband and father I am to lead my family in home worship. I am responsible before God to do so, but that does not mean that I can forsake the assembling with other believers for corporate worship (i.e. Church worship) lead by ordained Elders/bishops and ordained deacons.

A man can sleep with a woman and call her his wife but is does not make it so. We can play Church at home but that does not make it so either. God has ordained elders and given them authority over and responsibility for the souls of His people.

Paleoconservatarian's statement while bold, is nothing less than the historic position of Christ Church through the centuries. The WCF (Ch. XXV, section 2) puts it this way "The visible Church, which is also catholic or universal under the Gospel (not confined to one nation, as before under the law), consists of all those throughout the world that profess the true religion; and of their children: and is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, the house and family of God, out of which there is no ordinary possibility of salvation."

You can look at Westminster and see what else it says about the church, or you can go the the Church fathers, etc...

I recommend you find a solid church OR get with the nearest Solid Reformed Church and try to get one planted near you. THe House Church movement is a serious modern error.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

 

[Proeliator]

Starting a church out of a home is not the same thing as a Home Church. Christian Churches have been started in homes, business, warehouses, caves, catacombs, etc since Apostolic times. That is not what the home church movement is about.



As a husband and father I am to lead my family in home worship. I am responsible before God to do so, but that does not mean that I can forsake the assembling with other believers for corporate worship (i.e. Church worship) lead by ordained Elders/bishops and ordained deacons.

A man can sleep with a woman and call her his wife but is does not make it so. We can play Church at home but that does not make it so either. God has ordained elders and given them authority over and responsibility for the souls of His people.

Paleoconservatarian's statement while bold, is nothing less than the historic position of Christ Church through the centuries. The WCF (Ch. XXV, section 2) puts it this way "The visible Church, which is also catholic or universal under the Gospel (not confined to one nation, as before under the law), consists of all those throughout the world that profess the true religion; and of their children: and is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, the house and family of God, out of which there is no ordinary possibility of salvation."

You can look at Westminster and see what else it says about the church, or you can go the the Church fathers, etc...

I recommend you find a solid church OR get with the nearest Solid Reformed Church and try to get one planted near you. THe House Church movement is a serious modern error.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

For the record, let me start off saying that Im not talking about any kind of movement. I am talking about an isolated thing, where we get together in a house, and speak on the times of today, how the Word is to be applied to them, and howit applies in other aspects of our lives. I dont knowthe home church "movement", but im assuming that your talking about the "emergent church movement", which is basically to boycott churches, which is NOT my aim. I just dont wish to take my children to a church with lukewarm theology. I teach them better at home than they can get in the church up the street.

 

[Cajun Huguenot]

For the record, let me start off saying that Im not talking about any kind of movement. I am talking about an isolated thing, where we get together in a house, and speak on the times of today, how the Word is to be applied to them, and howit applies in other aspects of our lives. I dont knowthe home church "movement", but im assuming that your talking about the "emergent church movement", which is basically to boycott churches, which is NOT my aim. I just dont wish to take my children to a church with lukewarm theology. I teach them better at home than they can get in the church up the street.

THat is good. You should be teaching them at home. In the late 1800's, when the "Sunday School Movement" began, one of my theological heros, Robert Lewis Dabney, wrote strongly against it because he believed parents would see it as a reaon to let others teach their children about God.

You don't bring children to church to learn abot God (I don't). I bring my children to Church for corporate worship of the one true God, because it is taught in Scripture. (I am on the more liturgical end of Presbyterian thought about worship)

By all means teach your children at home. You don't need Sunday school, awana, or any other Church program, but we are to attend corporate worship and be under the Spiritual authority of elders.

God did not leave civil society with out rulers and authority and He did not leave His Church (assembly) without rulers and authority either.

"Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops [overseers] and deacons"

"Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that [is] unprofitable for you. " (Heb 13:17)

"Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And\] be at peace among yourselves." (I Thes 5:11-13)

That is just a little bit on the structure that Christ has given to the Ecclesia (assemble/Church). We are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together.

I am blessed to live near a couple of good Reformed Churches, but If I did not Iwould find the next best thing and go there (if only for Sunday morning worship). I don't believe in re-baptism so if the church required that of my children and me, I could not in good conscience do that. Still I would seek an assembly of believers to worship with and come under the authority of.

Here locally, one of the PCA churches is a former Southern Baptist Church that became Reformed because the Pastor meet a Reformed Christian and they started talking and the pastor started borrowing some books.

God is wiser than we are. He has placed you where you are. Serve Him there as best you can. Don't depend on others to teach your children, but don't avoid corporate worship either.

That's another .02¢ (I guess I'm up to .04¢ now)

Coram Deo,
Kenith

 

[JJB]

There is a new radio show in our local area. It's like a small Bible Answer Man. At first, I thought this man was harmless, but the more and more I learned the more alarmed I became. He has a very mild mannered way of speaking, and rather calming, relaxed personality, which I think many ppl find attractive. What also attracts many are his views.

You can have wishy-washy views on anything to do with Christianity, and he will still call you a brother in the Lord. WHen he does get really heated is on the topic of reformed faith. He will not attend a church rather he chooses to meet in other pple's houses, once or twice a month. He says no where in the bible does it state that we are to meet in a "church".

Now, that is one of the problems I see with the home church movement. There is no authority, but for the ppl in it, and possibly only one person is the authority. It seems very cultish. The new member to our community I find scarey.

Shadrach, if you want to start a church, then it will probably have to start small and grow. That is another animal altogether! Is there no other church near you that you could consider? I would certainly talk with the denomination you would like to attend and see if they can help you. Perhaps a sister church would come along and help in a church planting. THen you can get the support you desire along with the long term goal.

Emergent church is also another animal from the home church movement.

 

[mlqurgw]

For the record, let me start off saying that Im not talking about any kind of movement. I am talking about an isolated thing, where we get together in a house, and speak on the times of today, how the Word is to be applied to them, and howit applies in other aspects of our lives. I dont knowthe home church "movement", but im assuming that your talking about the "emergent church movement", which is basically to boycott churches, which is NOT my aim. I just dont wish to take my children to a church with lukewarm theology. I teach them better at home than they can get in the church up the street.

Are there other families that would welcome a church being started in your area? Would they be willing to make the commitment to it that it takes? Would you be willing to make the commitment to it that it takes? These are valid questions that must be answered if anything is to come from seeking to start a church. If the answer to any of these is no then I would suggest that you seriously consider moving to where you can worship God with fellow believers. I once heard a story of a man who had not attended church for some time but claimed to be a believer. The pastor visited him one day and said nothing to him but simply reached out with a poker and took a bright burning coal from the fireplace and dragged it out to the hearth. They sat there and watched it go from bright red to black and finally the pastor reached out and took it up in his hand. The man said to him I will be there next Sunday.

 

[Proeliator]

Are there other families that would welcome a church being started in your area? Would they be willing to make the commitment to it that it takes? Would you be willing to make the commitment to it that it takes? These are valid questions that must be answered if anything is to come from seeking to start a church. If the answer to any of these is no then I would suggest that you seriously consider moving to where you can worship God with fellow believers. I once heard a story of a man who had not attended church for some time but claimed to be a believer. The pastor visited him one day and said nothing to him but simply reached out with a poker and took a bright burning coal from the fireplace and dragged it out to the hearth. They sat there and watched it go from bright red to black and finally the pastor reached out and took it up in his hand. The man said to him I will be there next Sunday.

I understand what you are saying, but for some of us it is not even close to financially possible to just up and move. It could be a long time till I can move. I have a Baptist church I plan to check out in the area; but they are KJV only, which I could deal with if the rest is ok.