watching for a certain cell group.

[brodav9@thicket]

I was the minister in a house church once ago. They are great if ambitious persons are not allowed to take over. The best kind are those where the bible is the only pattern. Must not become a carnal club, but spiritual fruitfulness. Jesus Christ must be the center of it all. Years ago there was a movement called Shepherd ship movement. They were called cell groups also. All over USA. The ministry said your house your car, your choice of marriage and your money are God's and must be given to us or at least under our control. Many people did so willingly. The main leaders were called the Florida four. ----be safe.

 

[OldAbramBrown]

This was big in Britain in the 1970s, and subsequently those attitudes spread to ordinary churches. Those many who have decided it doesn't look polite to grab people's belongings or marriages, are still very clingy and codependent about what's on our minds. Perhaps they sit back and let video shows, rock concerts and newfangled commercialised "camps" do the hard work of that for them. In sermons the leaders boast of their relationships with other leaders (while in my observation true ecumenism is at the level of ordinary believers' private discretion).

 

[ByTheSpirit]

The problem with stuff like this is usually people lack the knowledge of scriptures to know when to refuse people who say and demand stuff like this. But that's not just a problem with house churches, that's a problem in the Church in general. I'd say a good portion of professing believers do not make any serious attempt at reading or knowing the scriptures outside of what little they hear during a gathering, so how would they know to not give in to such ridiculous demands?

 

[Aaron112]

so how would they know to not give in to such ridiculous demands?

If they turn to God, for His Kingdom, if God permits and draws them to Himself,
if they hear the Shepherd's Voice, Jesus' Voice, and follow Him,
then they will /may/ be
like the one sheep out of 99 that was lost, and the Shepherd went and found it HIMSELF.