House churches/Organic church, your opinion?

[Amanah]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_church

Early Christian house churches
The Dura-Europos house church, ca. 232, with chapel area on right.The first house church is recorded in Acts 1:13, where the disciples of Jesus met together in the "Upper Room" of a house, traditionally believed to be where the Cenacle is today. For the first three centuries of the church, known as Early Christianity, Christians typically met in homes, if only because intermittent persecution (before the Edict of Milan in 313) did not allow the erection of public church buildings. Clement of Alexandria, an early church father, wrote of worshipping in a house. The Dura-Europos church, a private house in Dura-Europos in Syria, was excavated in the 1930s and was found to be used as a Christian meeting place in AD 232, with one small room serving as a baptistry.[2] At many points in subsequent history, various Christian groups worshipped in homes, often due to persecution by the state church or the civil government.

[edit] Scriptural basisChristians who meet together in homes usually do so because of a desire to return to basic Church meetings as found in the New Testament. The New Testament shows that the early Christian church exhibited a simplicity of fellowship and interactive practice that is typically not the case in conventional denominations. They believe that Christians walked closely with each other, in close fellowship, sharing their lives in Christ together. This is expressed by 50 examples of the phrase "one another" found in the New Testament. Some Bible passages that indicate the atmosphere of early church life include:

Lifestyle
"They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." (Acts 2:42 New American Standard Bible (NASB))
Participatory meetings
"What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification." (1 Cor. 14:26 [NASB]; see also Colossians 3:16, Hebrews 10:24–25)
Meeting in homes
"Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house." (1 Cor. 16:19 NASB; see also Acts 20:20, Romans 16:5, Colossians 4:15, Philemon 1:2).
Networking through 'Extra-local, Itinerant Ministries'
"After some days Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us return and visit the brethren in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are." (Acts 15:36 NASB)
Occasional Large Group Meetings
"I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house" (Acts 20:20 NASB)
Jesus model
" For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." (Matthew 18:20 [NIV])
[edit] Structure and organizationLeadership
Some assemblies have a conventional leadership structure; others have none. A commonly held belief in the modern-day house church "movement" is that the Protestant Reformation did not go far enough to demonstrate a New Testament belief in the "priesthood of all believers" and that Jesus Christ alone is the Head of the Church, and the believers the body. The absence of hierarchical leadership structures in many house churches, while often viewed by the Protestant church at large as a sign of anarchy or rebelliousness to authority, is viewed by many in the house church movement to be the most viable way to come under true spiritual authority of love, relationships, and the visible dominion of Jesus Christ as Head of his own bride (i.e. the church). This does not mean that they reject all leadership, however. Many house churches develop elders and deacons who serve the members. Some house churches also accept ministry from church planters and itinerant workers whom they consider to be apostles.

Meeting format
Many house church gatherings are free, informal, and sometimes include a shared meal. Participants hope that everyone present will feel free to contribute to the gathering as and when they sense the leading of the Holy Spirit to do so. Leadership structures range from no official leaders, to a plurality of appointed elders. There is a deliberate attempt within most house churches to minimize the leadership of any one person. Having a lone pastor is generally considered unscriptural and such meetings prefer an openly plural responsibility of leadership.

Networking
The house church movement today also owes much of its networking and exchange of information to the use of the Internet; HC is generally used as an abbreviation for "House Church" and IC is used to designate "Institutional Church", which is the generalized term for more traditional church structures, including a church building and/or sermon-centered church services directed by a pastor or minister. More recently local networks of house churches have begun to form, with gatherings of house churches in an area getting together periodically for celebrations.

[Amanah]

http://www.therebuilders.org/organicchurch.pdf

The Organic Church
WHAT IS IT EXACTLY?
The term “organic church” is often used as a synonym for "house church," "simple church," or "home church." But
this is not correct. There are huge differences between an authentic organic church and a group of people who
meet in a living room and call themselves a church.
Coined by T. Austin-Sparks, an "organic church" is a church that lives and gathers according to the spiritual reality
that the church (ekklesia) is a spiritual organism rather than an institutional organization.
FIVE MYTHS ABOUT ORGANIC CHURCHES
* In organic churches, nothing is organized and everything is spontaneous. Not so. Just as a physical body has a
specific expression and contains organization, so do organic churches. The members plan and arrange when and
how they meet. Such planning is completely consistent with spiritual life. God Himself plans and arranges.
* An organic church has no leadership. Not so. Leadership comes from every member of the body at different
times. Different people lead according to their different gifts and ministries. In the organic church, all are priests,
ministers, and functioning parts of the body just as the New Testament teaches. Leadership is open, participatory,
and fluid.
* Organic church is the same thing as post-church. Not so. Organic churches can be visited. They meet in real
locations on a regular basis. They aren't ghost churches. (Click here to read a critique of the post-church view.)
* Organic churches always meet in homes. Not so. While organic churches do not own or possess "sacred" religious
buildings, they can meet in any location. Whether a home, coffee shop, clubhouse, park, rented building, etc.
*Organic church is a unified movement. Not so. Many Christians use the word “organic church” to describe very
different expressions of church, even institutional churches. We’ve recommended some books and articles below
to help bring clarity to this term.
SEVEN CHARACTERISTICS OF AN ORGANIC CHURCH
* The members of the church are learning to live by the life of Jesus Christ together and are expressing that life in
tangible ways.
* The members are pursuing Jesus in their life together and sharing Him in their gatherings and community life.
* There is no clergy/laity divide. Every member functions and participates. All have different ministries and roles,
and all contribute in the ministry and decision-making.
* Jesus is the head in a real discernable way.
* The church has been founded on Christ, not a certain theological system, a set of practices, a method, or a
human personality. While God uses people to root the church in a real on-going relationship with Jesus, such
people point to Jesus rather than to themselves.
*The church is not a once-a-week meeting. The members of an organic church meet often. They live as a face-toface
community.
* The church stands for and seeks to fulfill God’s eternal purpose. They don’t meet for a special interest such as
evangelism, discipleship, social justice, spiritual gifts, church multiplication, but for God’s ultimate intention which
may include yet transcends all of these things.
Recommended Books to Learn More
* The Community Life of God - Milt Rodriguez
* Reimagining Church - Frank Viola
* The Priesthood of All Believers - Milt Rodriguez
* Finding Organic Church - Frank Viola
* God's Spiritual House - T. Austin-Sparks
* Pagan Christianity - George Barna and Frank Viola
* The Normal Christian Church Life - Watchman Nee
Recommended Websites on Organic Church
* The Rebuilders
* Reimagining Church
* House Church Resource
* Present Testimony Ministry
* Milt Rodriguez’s Blog
* Neil Cole and Frank Viola Discuss Missional Organic Church
* Articles on Missional Organic Church

[Digging4Truth]

Many... maybe most... are against the house church concept because what they have grown up in has shaped their concept of what church should be. Also because people have become used to a pre-prepared service where the sermon, the songs etc etc are already prepared by someone else and all they need do is show up and enjoy someone elses hard work.

And then if God shows up and moves they will respond... but not much involvement beyond that. There is a difference between responding to a move of God and giving in praise and worship before the move of God begins in a service.

Also... since people often work with a preconcieved notion about house church they find it easy to write those who house church off as rebels or people who can't or won't associate with "real church" people.

All of these things meet up to their desired opinion of something that doesn't fit in the tiny box of their own reality that they have learned to operated in and even keep God in.

Personally... I think house church is the way to go. It is not the way I am doing church right now because I am very involved in a modern church model and if my family were to leave the church then there wouldn't be many people left to do music, sunday school etc. We make up all the musicians... 2/3 of the sunday school teachers, we are the youth department heads and I preach when the pastor is gone so he can get away.

So... I have a battle between what I would like to do and what I feel a responsibility to continue to do.

[Truthseeker]

House church is only as good as the leadership.

[Digging4Truth]

Originally Posted by Truthseeker

House church is only as good as the leadership.

This is true of all forms of church... right?

[Dagwood]

A group of us tried the house church concept with the intent of being more community-outreach driven. It was an idea that was presented, but once we (my wife and I) realized the direction the group was going (totally the opposite of the idea mentioned above and one that the group as a whole decided on), we decided to withdraw from it and reconsider the corporate worship atmosphere.

The Bible doesn't give a clear definition for where the new testament church should meet. What it does say is not to forsake the assembling of ourselves. Whether it's in a traditional church building or in someone's home, as long as God is the center of it and the Bible is the core foundation of teaching, and God's direction is sought for the people gathering to be a witness to the world, I believe God will bless it and direct it as He sees fit...

[Scott Hutchinson]

http://abidinghouse.com/testimony/mytestimony.html

[Austin]

The original concept of the Gospel was to go out into the fields and byways and compel them to come in. The question is, into what? The gospel and kingdom of Christ of course.
When you read in the book of Acts how many were converted on the day of pentecost you might wonder what house did all of them fit into.
Needless to say, the early church did have organization and did meet at places where they could all come together in an assembly, which is clear when reading the book of Corinthians when Paul talks about being assembled together and the operation of the gifts of the spirit as well as the behavior of certain people within the assembly when it is together.
However to keep the church alive and to exhort the saints and others and to win souls and keep the teaching of jesus going, the apostles continued in going from house to house and utilizing the power of God to keep the church alive. The southern Baptist call that, Thursday night visitation
So my personal concept is the body of Christ should be under the doctrinal truth and should have a place to assemble since that is something that is more readily available now then it was then. It also allows strangers to come in if they wish and hear the word.
However, there should be a ministry among the believers, especially those who are the foundation of that work.
My daughter has a church were she and the ladies meet for bible study and prayer during the middle of the week, and they also have church functions which they attend and are a part of. This she says is very uplifting to her, not just the bible and prayer, but the fellowship among those who are like family to her now.
Our problem today is some churches have lost the vision of that early church. Some are too large and distant with each other, some are not real and don't follow the truth of jesus in practice and faith. Many. many reason to be discouraged and want something closer and better.
One lesson I have learned in life is to surround yourself with believers who you can fellowship with concerning the bible and Jesus, it is a very edifying experience.

[Scott Hutchinson]

The early church met in homes so I'm cool with it.

[Scott Hutchinson]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvJR_SIiPl4