Outreach-via home church meetings

[shag]

I would like to hear from some of you that do your church meetings in your homes, of what “tools, or intentional planning” you put into practice with respect to reaching the lost.

I feel like there has to be some type of intentional planning involved, or atleast a little bit of relationship built , before you just invite a complete stranger into your home, whereas you would probably moreso invite a complete stranger into a common church building, for “service”.

How can Home groups or house churches be more effective on reaching the lost, instead of just the same click or same people attending, month in month out, without ever reaching the sinner?


I would love to see some testimonies of how the gospel is being spread, The sinner being reached, by way of meetings in the home, or “based” out of the home.

[Esaias]

Sinners aren't reached primarily through "meetings in the home", but rather through each member of the assembly witnessing to the people they come in cintact with on a daily basis. We tried going door to door but everybody is apparently saved already (even had a guy tell me he was born saved cuz he was raised Baptist). Most around here do NOT appreciate ANYBODY coming to their door except friends and relations and the FedEx or UPS guy. This area it seems EVERYBODY is related somehow and if you weren't born and raised here going back several generations you are perpetually kept on the outside. It's a tough area. So we've been re evaluating our approach in these parts. We've had some success reaching some people. One lady has since moved to the Houston area, but another person, a young man, has been coming to our meetings and is getting interested in "this Holy Ghost thing".

Everybody in this area is either Baptist, Church of Christ, Mennonite, or on drugs. Sometimes a combination of those things. The Mennonites pretty much have ZERO contact with non Mennonites unless you're buying something from one of their businesses. The Church of Christ folks are almost all seniors who only seem interested in inviting you to their church. The Baptists are... well, Baptists. There's some Church of God (Cleveland) types, some AoG and charismatics, some JWs, and a handful of Oneness Pentecostals. Seems everyone is what they are because that's what Ma and Pa were, and Meemaw and Pawpaw were, and their cousins are, etc. And it seems only the JWs even want to talk about God (but they're on a mission of their own anyway).

So like I said, we're re evaluating how to approach this area. It's VERY different than when we were in the Houston area. NO church seems to have experienced any kind of growth that I can see since we've been here. Religion seems to be very much simply a family tradition in this area.

But what we have seen is that individuals just being a witness at all times at least gets a conversation going with some folks. And with a few of those, progress becomes visible. But it is slow and kind of tedious. People are so unbelievably and easily distracted.

[james34]

Originally Posted by Esaias

Sinners aren't reached primarily through "meetings in the home", but rather through each member of the assembly witnessing to the people they come in cintact with on a daily basis. We tried going door to door but everybody is apparently saved already (even had a guy tell me he was born saved cuz he was raised Baptist). Most around here do NOT appreciate ANYBODY coming to their door except friends and relations and the FedEx or UPS guy. This area it seems EVERYBODY is related somehow and if you weren't born and raised here going back several generations you are perpetually kept on the outside. It's a tough area. So we've been re evaluating our approach in these parts. We've had some success reaching some people. One lady has since moved to the Houston area, but another person, a young man, has been coming to our meetings and is getting interested in "this Holy Ghost thing".

Everybody in this area is either Baptist, Church of Christ, Mennonite, or on drugs. Sometimes a combination of those things. The Mennonites pretty much have ZERO contact with non Mennonites unless you're buying something from one of their businesses. The Church of Christ folks are almost all seniors who only seem interested in inviting you to their church. The Baptists are... well, Baptists. There's some Church of God (Cleveland) types, some AoG and charismatics, some JWs, and a handful of Oneness Pentecostals. Seems everyone is what they are because that's what Ma and Pa were, and Meemaw and Pawpaw were, and their cousins are, etc. And it seems only the JWs even want to talk about God (but they're on a mission of their own anyway).

So like I said, we're re evaluating how to approach this area. It's VERY different than when we were in the Houston area. NO church seems to have experienced any kind of growth that I can see since we've been here. Religion seems to be very much simply a family tradition in this area.

But what we have seen is that individuals just being a witness at all times at least gets a conversation going with some folks. And with a few of those, progress becomes visible. But it is slow and kind of tedious. People are so unbelievably and easily distracted.

I repair appliances and therefore have opportunity to be in many homes each week, I find people to be very interested in listening and some are hungry, fewer still are hungry to a point that I believe they would have come to our church,sadly I could not with clear conscience invite them , lest they should get blind sided from main stream religion and political correctness that is running rampant through many churches.
If I could just get about 2 or 3 that wouldn't mind having a little church with me, then we could get together and we could have church.
But I feel we are being moved in the direction of home church in NE Arkansas
But I believe the Lord will open doors and we will find people that are hungry.
I will preach when I can in churches where their is a hunger for truth, the lord showed me some months back that he is interested in going where often we as Christiains(at least myself) dont want to go because sin abounds in those places. It seems hard to get past the walls that people seem to have up. But the lord showed me that he believes if he were to go into those places that he could make a difference and that he would , not maybe, would win a soul.
He showed me that he is raring to go (sorta like a horse chomping at the bits) very desirous to go and work among the lost......In this vision Though I didnt see his face I was aware of his prescence and I was aware of just how great his desire was to go to the lost. His desire was so great that I knew he would leave any minute, so I was surprised when he continued to linger there with me, knowing his great desire to go among the sinners and make a difference as he knew he could. I was confused and didnt understand why he tarried , knowing his great desire to go amongst the lost. Then he showed me what it was that kept him back. I wept when I realized what it was that kept our Lord back. He was waiting for me and for you to take him. I felt that he would sacrifice and suffer again the things he had already suffered if it would help win a soul. We have a great responsibility to take Christ to the lost , I preach in homes and pour my heart out whether or not they will ever be in a meeting that I am holding is of little concern, I sew the seed and I have confidence in God that his word wont come back void. I have witnessed with drug addicts, wifes who were heart broken for their family and afraid because the husband on crystal methamphetamine had forsaken them and threatened them(they just want their family back) its heart breaking to see lives destroyed by Satan, and it's an honor to be on the Lords side offering the cure for every problem facing mankind......free water for the soul, he that drinks shall never thirst again.

[Michael The Disciple]

James

I was confused and didnt understand why he tarried , knowing his great desire to go amongst the lost. Then he showed me what it was that kept him back. I wept when I realized what it was that kept our Lord back. He was waiting for me and for you to take him.

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by james34

I repair appliances and therefore have opportunity to be in many homes each week, I find people to be very interested in listening and some are hungry, fewer still are hungry to a point that I believe they would have come to our church,sadly I could not with clear conscience invite them , lest they should get blind sided from main stream religion and political correctness that is running rampant through many churches.
If I could just get about 2 or 3 that wouldn't mind having a little church with me, then we could get together and we could have church.
But I feel we are being moved in the direction of home church in NE Arkansas
But I believe the Lord will open doors and we will find people that are hungry.
I will preach when I can in churches where their is a hunger for truth, the lord showed me some months back that he is interested in going where often we as Christiains(at least myself) dont want to go because sin abounds in those places. It seems hard to get past the walls that people seem to have up. But the lord showed me that he believes if he were to go into those places that he could make a difference and that he would , not maybe, would win a soul.
He showed me that he is raring to go (sorta like a horse chomping at the bits) very desirous to go and work among the lost......In this vision Though I didnt see his face I was aware of his prescence and I was aware of just how great his desire was to go to the lost. His desire was so great that I knew he would leave any minute, so I was surprised when he continued to linger there with me, knowing his great desire to go among the sinners and make a difference as he knew he could. I was confused and didnt understand why he tarried , knowing his great desire to go amongst the lost. Then he showed me what it was that kept him back. I wept when I realized what it was that kept our Lord back. He was waiting for me and for you to take him. I felt that he would sacrifice and suffer again the things he had already suffered if it would help win a soul. We have a great responsibility to take Christ to the lost , I preach in homes and pour my heart out whether or not they will ever be in a meeting that I am holding is of little concern, I sew the seed and I have confidence in God that his word wont come back void. I have witnessed with drug addicts, wifes who were heart broken for their family and afraid because the husband on crystal methamphetamine had forsaken them and threatened them(they just want their family back) its heart breaking to see lives destroyed by Satan, and it's an honor to be on the Lords side offering the cure for every problem facing mankind......free water for the soul, he that drinks shall never thirst again.

Very powerful. Thank you!

[votivesoul]

Originally Posted by shag

I would like to hear from some of you that do your church meetings in your homes, of what “tools, or intentional planning” you put into practice with respect to reaching the lost.

I feel like there has to be some type of intentional planning involved, or atleast a little bit of relationship built , before you just invite a complete stranger into your home, whereas you would probably moreso invite a complete stranger into a common church building, for “service”.

How can Home groups or house churches be more effective on reaching the lost, instead of just the same click or same people attending, month in month out, without ever reaching the sinner?


I would love to see some testimonies of how the gospel is being spread, The sinner being reached, by way of meetings in the home, or “based” out of the home.

Piggy-backing on what Esaias said, we generally do not do much inviting to the home meetings. Evangelism occurs in everyday life, wherever we are at. For me, that's almost entirely at work. Granted, it has been that way since God saved me in 2003, even before we were a part of a home-based assembly. But, I rarely invite unbelievers to a home meeting. I prefer to make the relationship and minister right where they are at, in the breakroom, for example.

While invitations have been made and I've gone that route in both cases in the past, it tends to be that the work of an evangelist is done primarily outside of the church, as it were.

Generally speaking, I am of the opinion that the church meeting is really geared for the saints, to exhort, comfort, and edify the brethren, to provoke one another to love and good works, first and foremost, but to also be available if an unbeliever or guest attends, but that as a secondary purpose. While Paul does mention in 1 Corinthians 14 if an unbeliever should be present, you really don't see any examples in the Holy Scriptures were the saints get together and unbelievers are invited or expected to be there unless the church is out in public.

[james34]

how does a home church make new converts?
Wouldnt their be a need for water baptism which would require a gathering together?

Does anyone know of any house churches in N. Central/east Arkansas?

[diakonos]

Start one.

[Nicodemus1968]

Originally Posted by james34

how does a home church make new converts?
Wouldnt their be a need for water baptism which would require a gathering together?

Does anyone know of any house churches in N. Central/east Arkansas?

We have home services every Sunday Morning, and its great! We pray, we sing, preach, and fellowship afterwards. There are times after the service the people stay afterwards and we talk for a couple hours, they're asking questions about the word and were able to minister right there in our living room after service.

Baptism shouldn't be any different from that in a church building and that in home missions. We had a baptism, and we had it outside and I baptized a young man in the cattle tank.

I personally do not know of any home churches in Arkansas, I know in some churches they call them "home groups", not home church.

[Amanah]

Every assembly I've been a part of was founded and maintained on home bible studies. Evangelism done by church members on their jobs and in the market place. Weekly prayer meetings along with preservice prayer. Teaching church members how to teach a simple home bible study. Doesn't matter if it's a home fellowship or a small rented storefront. No reason to push for the burden of owing a building although most seem to think that is important.