im considering looking for a house church but its just an idea at the moment. What are the reasons why some choose house church over traditional church?
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House church?
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HaigCraylett
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Are you refering to living in a Community house? If so I have some friends who live in community and they love it. There are about 10 - 15 of them. I guess the benefit is that they all live together which enables them to fellowship and worship as a group on a daily basis.
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I was referring to people that meet in a house as opposed to in a ''church''. Like a home group. More relational i guess. Well at least thats what I think they are like! Does anyone on here go to one like this?
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You might see the post here on Meeting In Homes. It will give some understanding of the concept.
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As I have witnessed, it seems that Home Churches have a tenancy to be a far more 'friendlier' and 'closer' experience.
Churches have a tenancy to require you to be 'indoctrinated' before you become 'family' while home churches tend to make you family first.
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ezeric
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Whatever we all call it, "House Church", "Organic Church","Simple Church"
You can go anywhere...but if the focus isn't on JESUS alone, you just lost your freedom.
Many go to 'home fellowships' (see another name) because there is some freedom, in it.
Maybe no pastor, no tithes, no stuffy sermon - and thats good, we don't have those either in our home fellowships..but if the message isn't FREEDOM in JESUS and LOVE one another then the devil has tricked us into the message of "home church" which is NOT the GOSPEL.
I've found there are so many 'home churches' that are just like I.C. (institutional church) and run them like that.
NO a thousand times NO
Let JESUS by HIS SPIRIT (In all of you) run the Church.
Let JESUS have HIS bride.
Let JESUS have the preeminence!
And everyone else are simply brothers and sisters with different gifts from the LORD.
-eric
The Exchanged Life
You can go anywhere...but if the focus isn't on JESUS alone, you just lost your freedom.
Many go to 'home fellowships' (see another name) because there is some freedom, in it.
Maybe no pastor, no tithes, no stuffy sermon - and thats good, we don't have those either in our home fellowships..but if the message isn't FREEDOM in JESUS and LOVE one another then the devil has tricked us into the message of "home church" which is NOT the GOSPEL.
I've found there are so many 'home churches' that are just like I.C. (institutional church) and run them like that.
NO a thousand times NO
Let JESUS by HIS SPIRIT (In all of you) run the Church.
Let JESUS have HIS bride.
Let JESUS have the preeminence!
And everyone else are simply brothers and sisters with different gifts from the LORD.
-eric
The Exchanged Life
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We house church. For several years we had a house church in a large metropolitan area. We received about two inquires a year.
At first we were looking for a house church to join. We met some Christians that looked promising, but they were in the process of disbanding so the host family could move to a rural area.
Of the other groups that were listed in the House church directory for our city, they had either disbanded or were not what we were looking for. One group declared that they were ex-charismatics that were not interested in any teaching but would sit around and describe their past bad church experiences. While I could understand what might be called a group of spiritual refugees, I thought that wouldn't be the right group for our family.
We decided that we couldn't find an existing church, we would start our own.
You often find those with some theological axe to grind who have been made unwelcome (understandably) at traditional churches drawn to find those who will listen to them.
We now live in an area of very low population and where the people are very comfortable in their existing churches.
Here is a link on finding the "right" church and why it is so difficult.
Christian Pioneer - What is the right church
We have come to the conclusion that "church" is almost irrelevant. It is more important to find an older wiser Christian who clearly shows the light and love of Jesus in their life and ask them to help you know Jesus like they do. Over time you may be able to help others grow to know Jesus. I am not sure this relational "mentoring" process can ever be anything but hindered in an organizational "church" setting.
I think we need to cultivate individual relations such that we have real fellowship and relational connection (even at a distance) rather than settling for church activity and programs as an anemic substitute.
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Below I posted a link (Conversations Thread) to a talk. The theme of the talk relates to the importance of conversation (in business in that talk).
I see conversation, i.e discussing the issues of our daily lives in relation to Christ with others and discovering His relevance to things such as work, home life, insights into scriptures and situations, our interactions with people and their questions and so on as fundamental to our life as a Christian. But these everyday issues are often neither taught about nor even known about by the traditional Sunday lecture from a single teacher, a top down monologue. We find our conversations in our group, including those following some great teaching, to be very valuable and life related.
Note though, a house church can be little more than a shrunken down church, with a dominant leadership and structured teaching, leaving most people there pretty much as listeners rather than participants.
John
NZ
I see conversation, i.e discussing the issues of our daily lives in relation to Christ with others and discovering His relevance to things such as work, home life, insights into scriptures and situations, our interactions with people and their questions and so on as fundamental to our life as a Christian. But these everyday issues are often neither taught about nor even known about by the traditional Sunday lecture from a single teacher, a top down monologue. We find our conversations in our group, including those following some great teaching, to be very valuable and life related.
Note though, a house church can be little more than a shrunken down church, with a dominant leadership and structured teaching, leaving most people there pretty much as listeners rather than participants.
John
NZ
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A
AnonUser2013
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1) More intimacy/fellowship. Intimacy tends to get lost in a huge church Sunday service setting. It's hard to get to know one another if alls ya do is get to church on time (or late), sing a few songs, listen to a sermon and then be dismissed.
2) Much of the Sunday service is merely a matter of tradition, it glosses over the deeper matters that can be addressed or discussed in a home setting.
3) Home setting is more informal and it doesnt have to be a certain way. Of course this is where many home groups in my opinion go wrong, they try to have a certain format and this rather takes away from one of the core reasons of having a small group.
4) While it is advisable that there is a knowledgable teacher in the home (doesnt have to be the host/homeowner), there is also ability and a chance to wrestle together on matters in the Word.
5) Prayer time. This is so crucial! I dont think I need to say more on that one.
2) Much of the Sunday service is merely a matter of tradition, it glosses over the deeper matters that can be addressed or discussed in a home setting.
3) Home setting is more informal and it doesnt have to be a certain way. Of course this is where many home groups in my opinion go wrong, they try to have a certain format and this rather takes away from one of the core reasons of having a small group.
4) While it is advisable that there is a knowledgable teacher in the home (doesnt have to be the host/homeowner), there is also ability and a chance to wrestle together on matters in the Word.
5) Prayer time. This is so crucial! I dont think I need to say more on that one.
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