Any experience with house/simple/organic churches?

Titus2woman · #1 12-15-2011, 02:49 PM

I would love to hear about your experiences with house churches... the good, the bad and the ugly.

I ask because it is something that we are considering for ourselves but we are hesitant.

TIA

Scott Hutchinson · #2 12-15-2011, 03:14 PM

I haven't been involved personally in a house church but I'm in favor of them,as it is Biblical and there does seem to be advantages to them.

Titus2woman · #3 12-15-2011, 06:25 PM

Oh too funny... I just found a 15 page thread on just this subject!

Well off to read and see if I have any questions left when I'm done, LOL!!!

Truthseeker · #4 12-15-2011, 07:57 PM

I would like to go to one.

Aquila · #5 12-19-2011, 11:44 AM

I love my organic church. For a long time I advocated it in two different Apostolic churches and it was rejected.

Today I attend a network of house churches with over 1,000 members and well over 70 listed house churches (many are unlisted).

In my house church we arrive at about 7pm on Wednesday. We fellowship and wait for everyone to arrive. At about 7:30pm we have dinner. During dinner we have testimony time. After the dinner we pass a single loaf of bread and the grape juice. Everyone tears their piece off the single loaf, signifying the body that was broken. We dip our bread into the cup that comes around the table. Then we sing and ask for prayer requests.

After the Lord's Supper we have what our elder calls "content time" or "bible study". He shares a passage of Scripture and things that God has placed on his heart to share with the church. As he shares the passage and what is on his heart, the entire group is free to share insight, comments, personal experiences. Sometimes a brother or sister is well versed in the passage or has a lot of experience with the subject and they teach the entire group. The elder isn't the only one who has the floor. Also, everyone is encouraged to bring a passage, poem, song, article, or whatever the Lord inspires them to bring.

Once a month, instead of "Bible study" we have a session wherein the men and women separate into different locations (men in the basement activity room and women upstairs in the living room). This session is called "checking in". This is where we are free to bear our hearts and our souls. We share private testimonies, victories, struggles with sin, failures, and fears. The goal is to check in with one another on our spiritual condition so that we can encourage one another and pray for one another. It also serves to allow people to uncover deep hidden sin and shame that we might apply the grace of God to their lives through our love and prayers. This is one of the most powerful and Spirit filled sessions we have.

We also make the effort to share all things. If a brother needs a lawn mower... someone in our house church has one and will lend it. I knew a situation wherein a woman was having family from out of town and her food processor broke down. She made the comment in passing that she was disappointed because she wanted to make something special that they all loved. It wasn't five minutes before a dear sister arranged to lend her a food processor. It's a very close knit fellowship that is more like a "spiritual family" than it is a "church congregation".

And that's the vision... a spiritual family. Since so many of us are from different spiritual backgrounds and churches we try not to go by a banner (although most are Southern Baptist lol). We simply bill ourselves as believers striving to be disciples of Jesus.

After experiencing organic church (also called house church in some places) I can't imagine how I maintained my faith in the traditional church. I couldn't imagine returning to a structure wherein we shook hands for five or ten minutes and then herded ourselves into a pew to cheer one man on as he screamed a sermon. Not that I don't enjoy sermons... I've just come to love body ministry to the point that just a sermon will not cut it.

Here's an introductory video from our church:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLSkWrypu3Y

Pilgrum · #6 12-19-2011, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aquila

I love my organic church. For a long time I advocated it in two different Apostolic churches and it was rejected.

Today I attend a network of house churches with over 1,000 members and well over 70 listed house churches (many are unlisted).

In my house church we arrive at about 7pm on Wednesday. We fellowship and wait for everyone to arrive. At about 7:30pm we have dinner. During dinner we have testimony time. After the dinner we pass a single loaf of bread and the grape juice. Everyone tears their piece off the single loaf, signifying the body that was broken. We dip our bread into the cup that comes around the table. Then we sing and ask for prayer requests.

After the Lord's Supper we have what our elder calls "content time" or "bible study". He shares a passage of Scripture and things that God has placed on his heart to share with the church. As he shares the passage and what is on his heart, the entire group is free to share insight, comments, personal experiences. Sometimes a brother or sister is well versed in the passage or has a lot of experience with the subject and they teach the entire group. The elder isn't the only one who has the floor. Also, everyone is encouraged to bring a passage, poem, song, article, or whatever the Lord inspires them to bring.

Once a month, instead of "Bible study" we have a session wherein the men and women separate into different locations (men in the basement activity room and women upstairs in the living room). This session is called "checking in". This is where we are free to bear our hearts and our souls. We share private testimonies, victories, struggles with sin, failures, and fears. The goal is to check in with one another on our spiritual condition so that we can encourage one another and pray for one another. It also serves to allow people to uncover deep hidden sin and shame that we might apply the grace of God to their lives through our love and prayers. This is one of the most powerful and Spirit filled sessions we have.

We also make the effort to share all things. If a brother needs a lawn mower... someone in our house church has one and will lend it. I knew a situation wherein a woman was having family from out of town and her food processor broke down. She made the comment in passing that she was disappointed because she wanted to make something special that they all loved. It wasn't five minutes before a dear sister arranged to lend her a food processor. It's a very close knit fellowship that is more like a "spiritual family" than it is a "church congregation".

And that's the vision... a spiritual family. Since so many of us are from different spiritual backgrounds and churches we try not to go by a banner (although most are Southern Baptist lol). We simply bill ourselves as believers striving to be disciples of Jesus.

After experiencing organic church (also called house church in some places) I can't imagine how I maintained my faith in the traditional church. I couldn't imagine returning to a structure wherein we shook hands for five or ten minutes and then herded ourselves into a pew to cheer one man on as he screamed a sermon. Not that I don't enjoy sermons... I've just come to love body ministry to the point that just a sermon will not cut it.

Here's an introductory video from our church:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLSkWrypu3Y

Suppose someone would like to start a fellowship like you are describing here. And you are a oneness believer, and believe in Jesus name baptism by immersion. There are no other oneness believers in the area (there is a UPC church which I was a member of until about 5 years ago) that share your vision of organic church. Then suppose you connected with some other Christians that show an interest in home church. You have no idea of their background or what they believe other than they call themselves Christians. Likely they would have a trinity background. Would you broach the subject of baptism or Godhead? Maybe later when you've established some level of a relationship? What if they broach either of these subjects? How do you respond? What ground would you focus on in the early stages? Hope that's not to many questions.