How many home churches/cell groups have you fellowshiped in?

Goodbook

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I was thinking about this the other day and realised since Ive become a christian that ive met more in homes than church buildings.

Like Ive been in about 12 groups over five years. Its just easier to meet in homes and to invite people to homes. I think sometimes established churches can intimidate people, like you dont know what the right way to behave is or where to sit, or what to wear even sometimes.

I have heard of there being such things as 'high church' and 'low church' but i dont know where that is in the bible.
 
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South Bound

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I was thinking about this the other day and realised since Ive become a christian that ive met more in homes than church buildings.

I've been part of several very good cell groups, although I suspect you and I would define "cell groups" differently.

I think sometimes established churches can intimidate people, like you dont know what the right way to behave is or where to sit, or what to wear even sometimes.

That's not a problem with the church. That's just bad parenting.

I have heard of there being such things as 'high church' and 'low church' but i dont know where that is in the bible.

It's not. It's just a way of describing different types of worship. "High church" typically means it's liturgical while low church means it's not. We're Reformed Baptists so we're somewhere in the middle
 
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Dave-W

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It has been a number, about a dozen over 45 years; and I have led 2 cell groups. But with the exception of one, they have all been part of a larger congregation.
 
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Dave-W

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"High church" typically means it's liturgical while low church means it's not.
Actually, it is more about how much pomp and formality is in the liturgy. Even "low church" can be quite liturgical. Some catholic and episcopal I have heard described as "low church."

You almost need the pope or other high leader there to be "high church."
We're Reformed Baptists so we're somewhere in the middle
I can assure you, you are not in the middle. Even the most formalized Baptist liturgy would be low church.
 
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Goodbook

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Most of mine have been cell groups attached to churches but still open to anyone, I was leading one for a while where we met at the library.

Home groups dont fuss about formaility but there is still an order to it its not just random whoever wants to speak. Even if we just read from the bible its not passages picked at random, although that can happen even in established churches where some preacher gets on his hobby horse.
 
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JAM2b

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I have only to three. I haven't lived in an area where there are a lot of them, either that, or the word isn't out about many of them.

There's one that I only attended once. I've thought about trying again, but the whole thing in that particular one just felt "off."

The other two I've gotten a lot out of, but one group dispersed, and the other was preparing to purchase a building and become set up as regular church with plans for growth.
 
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The Liturgist

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I was thinking about this the other day and realised since Ive become a christian that ive met more in homes than church buildings.

Like Ive been in about 12 groups over five years. Its just easier to meet in homes and to invite people to homes. I think sometimes established churches can intimidate people, like you dont know what the right way to behave is or where to sit, or what to wear even sometimes.

I have heard of there being such things as 'high church' and 'low church' but i dont know where that is in the bible.

High church and low church are mainly Anglican terms that relate to the level of ceremonial in a service. And you can have a very high church service in a private home. There are Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox house churches that have an altar, incense, elaborate vestments, and so on.

One of the groups I have going meets in my house, but so far it is just a Bible study. For formal church services I have made arrangements to use a building. However, if I start a Sunday morning group, given that space is at a premium, that might happen in my house, and that would be an example of a fairly high church service.
 
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The Liturgist

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That's not a problem with the church. That's just bad parenting.

While unfortunately the concept of wearing our “Sunday Best” seems to be dying off, some churches, particularly liturgical churches that emphasize “active participation”, like the Episcopal Church USA and Roman Catholic churches, when using the 1979 Book of Common Prayer or the Novus Ordo mass, can be very demanding on people not used to the service. The exact opposite was the case in these churches during the era of the Latin Mass and the old 1662 through 1928 Book of Common Prayer. The Eastern churches (Eastern Orthodox, Eastern Catholic, except for the Maronites, Oriental Orthodox, except for the Ethiopians, and the Church of the East), are very good about letting you sit in peace, except when the Gospel is being read, then, standing is demanded.

I have never been to a Quaker meeting, but I think I would feel uncomfortable despite nothing being required of me.
 
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The Liturgist

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Actually, it is more about how much pomp and formality is in the liturgy. Even "low church" can be quite liturgical. Some catholic and episcopal I have heard described as "low church."

You almost need the pope or other high leader there to be "high church."

I can assure you, you are not in the middle. Even the most formalized Baptist liturgy would be low church.

In general, you are correct insofar as it refers to how elaborate the services are.

Actually within the realm of Anglicanism, where this terminology originated, High Church generally means the priest will be wearing vestments, and these are likely to be an alb and stole, or at the very least, a cassock, surplice and tippet. Historically, the cassock, surplice, tippet and academic hood would have been considered “low church”, but there are now low church Anglican priests who just wear a shirt with a clerical collar, or a business suit; this is especially common in the very low church Archdiocese of Sydney. On the other hand, if your Anglican priest is wearing a chasuble, this probably means you are higher than high church, in an Anglo-Catholic parish, especially if it is a Roman-style “fiddleback chasuble.”

And there are cell groups attached to Anglican churches, and Anglican house churches. I believe cell groups are an integral part of Holy Trinity Brompton, which is a very low church parish in the City of Westminster (part of London, England).

I am a Congregationalist but also a supporter of the Ancient-Future movement, which means I favor very elaborate liturgics.
 
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