We are officially a family without a church

[KeptByTheWord]

Originally Posted by Esaias

What a crock. I say that in love.

First of all, since we 'quit going to church' years ago, we have actually become, as a family, MORE God-centered than we were when we were 'attending church'. We pray more, study Scripture more. Sunday is a work day at our house. Sabbath is spent in prayer, study, and worshipping together. When we gather as a little family (all 8 of us) we spend about 2-3 hours 'having church' which is more than we ever did at a 'church'. We spend more time in prayer, more time singing, more time reading the word, more time discussing the Word, more time studying the word, together in our little 'family church gathering' than we ever had 'going to church'.

The reason we left 'going to church' in fact is because the churches we went to were unable to keep up with us in our walk with God. We hungered for God, everyone else was telling us 'hey, you need some balance, you need to chill out on the praying and studying Scripture all the time, take in a ball game, let's talk about sports or the weather or politics, everytime you people show up it's all Jesus this and Jesus that'. And that was from 'pentecostal' people and churches.

We tried to 'get involved' in church but nobody wanted much to do with anything. I tried to basically tell pastors I 'sat under' hey, I need discipleship, I feel a burden for spreading the Word to our community' and all I EVER got was 'well, have at it'. No help, no instruction, no 'training', no recommendations other than 'invite all your friends and neighbors to come to church next Sunday!' We came to realise our only 'purpose' in 'going to church' was to dump some money in a collection plate and 'invite people to come to church' and give an 'amen' when the preacher said something cool.

That's it.

We, not just myself, but my wife as well, had it made quite clear to us what our 'place' in the 'local church' was - pew warming tithe-payer, and that's it. Anything more was apparently seen as a sign of 'imbalance' or 'over zealousness'.

Combined with a constant attack on our children, demanding they attend 'children's church' or 'sunday school' where they were fed a constant diet of pablum, cookies, and nonsense. Our children got to the point where on their own they REFUSED to attend any sunday school or children's church because they said 'it's just a day care'. And this at practically EVERY 'church' we went to. They wanted to be 'in church' with their family, they wanted to worship God with the Body of Christ, they wanted to hear GOD'S WORD PREACHED.

And since they weren't playing the game, we as a family were constantly ostracised.

Our family would often pray after meetings, and several times were practically kicked out so they could shut the lights off and run off to Denny's or Pizza Hut or whatever.

We came to realise that most modern churches are all fluff and no substance. Not because they didn't do what we wanted, but because we were taking the Scriptures seriously and it seemed they weren't.

Combine that with loads of false doctrines being taught - rapturism, pagan holy days, false standards of holiness - where folks are keeping standards but look like they belong in a nightclub nonetheless - no interest in actually training people as disciples, etc etc etc... we had to leave.

We began meeting with other believers in a 'house church' setting. Those believers had been doing house church since at least the 50s, and I believe further on back than that. There is in fact an entire subset of Oneness Pentecost that has ALWAYS been 'house church', but they are ignored and marginalized by the 'mothership' and associated groups. No biggie.

We haven't met with them for awhile because they are over 2 and a half hours away from us now and we don't have the money for gas.

As for having house church or family church so 'we never have to hear what we don't like' that's funny. Real funny. In our family worship we read straight from the Bible, OT and NT, according to a schedule that covers the entire bible several times in the year. We deal with and interact with the Word of God as written, without any 'choice' as to what God says. We have OFTEN had to correct our living, lifestyle, choices, ways of doing things because of being confronted by God's Word. We have made many changes. And continue to do so.

We aren't perfect, but I'd be remiss if I allowed this type of slander and false accusation to go unopposed and unanswered.

Thank you for your time, please donate to the AFF-GOOP Fund found in my sig line, and may the Lord bless you all!

Thank you for taking the time to explain why you are where you are. Your journey mirrors ours, amazingly!

Although we do meet on Sunday, it is a day set aside for the Lord, and our meeting lasts anywhere from 4-5 hours, with lots of singing, praise, time in the Word, and fellowship, and breaking of bread. It is not perfect, but then again, no fellowship here on earth will be. We have several families that join us, and the men share in leadership of the group. There is plurality of leadership. Each family takes upon itself to give to those in need, and we help each other too in every way we can.

No big "I"s and little "U"s. We are trying to function as a body as much as possible, without one part of the body being elevated from the rest of the body, as Paul teaches in 1 Cor. 12.

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord

Thank you for taking the time to explain why you are where you are. Your journey mirrors ours, amazingly!

Although we do meet on Sunday, it is a day set aside for the Lord, and our meeting lasts anywhere from 4-5 hours, with lots of singing, praise, time in the Word, and fellowship, and breaking of bread. It is not perfect, but then again, no fellowship here on earth will be. We have several families that join us, and the men share in leadership of the group. There is plurality of leadership. Each family takes upon itself to give to those in need, and we help each other too in every way we can.

No big "I"s and little "U"s. We are trying to function as a body as much as possible, without one part of the body being elevated from the rest of the body, as Paul teaches in 1 Cor. 12.

We have family Sabbath worship on Friday evening at sunset, where we officially 'set aside' the Sabbath through prayer, praise, and worship, then we eat our 'Sabbath meal' which includes bread and wine. After supper, we will usually spend several hours discussing scripture or whatever is going on in each of our lives.

Sabbath morning we gather for prayer, singing psalms (and hymns! lol), and reading the Word, testifying, etc. We do this because we are to 'forsake not the assemblying of yourselves together'. Since all of us older ones are baptised believers we are not only a family but technically, if we gather in the Lord's name, we constitute a 'mini church' of sorts. So we gather together 'officially as the body of Christ'. We gather with each other simply because at this point we have nobody else to assemble with. If we did, we would in a heartbeat.

The 'meeting' will usually last about 2-3 hours but for several hours afterwards we are still 'fellowshipping', usually by means of extended bible discussion. Kids never seem to be short on questions about bible topics, lol.

Then on Saturday evening we have a meal (often with bread and wine again) with prayer and praise, psalm singing, etc.

I just really get irritated when people claim that if you aren't attending a modern institutional church meeting you are just sitting at the house backsliding in your LazyBoy zoned out on the boob tube.

[navygoat1998]

Originally Posted by Esaias

We have family Sabbath worship on Friday evening at sunset, where we officially 'set aside' the Sabbath through prayer, praise, and worship, then we eat our 'Sabbath meal' which includes bread and wine. After supper, we will usually spend several hours discussing scripture or whatever is going on in each of our lives.

Sabbath morning we gather for prayer, singing psalms (and hymns! lol), and reading the Word, testifying, etc. We do this because we are to 'forsake not the assemblying of yourselves together'. Since all of us older ones are baptised believers we are not only a family but technically, if we gather in the Lord's name, we constitute a 'mini church' of sorts. So we gather together 'officially as the body of Christ'. We gather with each other simply because at this point we have nobody else to assemble with. If we did, we would in a heartbeat.

The 'meeting' will usually last about 2-3 hours but for several hours afterwards we are still 'fellowshipping', usually by means of extended bible discussion. Kids never seem to be short on questions about bible topics, lol.

Then on Saturday evening we have a meal (often with bread and wine again) with prayer and praise, psalm singing, etc.

I just really get irritated when people claim that if you aren't attending a modern institutional church meeting you are just sitting at the house backsliding in your LazyBoy zoned out on the boob tube.

Sounds like you have a drinking problem!

[KeptByTheWord]

Esaias, that is so awesome! I know you feel, as we do, that it would be nice to be part of a larger group, but this is what we have, where we are at... and we are thankful for what the Lord has given us.

I agree that it is a blow to people's mentality... not just in Pentecostal/OP circles... but to anyone part of a church who meets in a designated building... that not attending a physical building set apart solely for the intent of meeting once a week is somehow evil.

And even when shown that this was how the early church met, they still have a problem with it.

While I don't have a problem with those who chose to have a building set aside for worship, it has truly blessed and enriched our family more by fellowshipping in a home, with closer fellowship, and the plurality of leadership. It is where we are now, and where we are growing spiritually, for now, until the Lord sees fit to otherwise order it.

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by navygoat1998

Sounds like you have a drinking problem!

[n david]

Originally Posted by navygoat1998

Sounds like you have a drinking problem!

[n david]

Originally Posted by Esaias

I just really get irritated when people claim that if you aren't attending a modern institutional church meeting you are just sitting at the house backsliding in your LazyBoy zoned out on the boob tube.

My best friend growing up stopped coming to church, "cuz it wasn't how the early church did it." He talked about having bible study and devotions at home and how he had grown so much spiritually.

After a few weeks of talking about how spiritual he had become, it stopped. A few months later he admitted there was no bible study or devotion. He was just tired of going to church and used his Sundays to sit on the computer and play games.

There's a reason people think this way; it's because the majority who do claim to stay home to have bible study or devotion are really just sleeping in, sitting around, watching football in the fall, going to the lake, fishing, golfing, etc.

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by n david

My best friend growing up stopped coming to church, "cuz it wasn't how the early church did it." He talked about having bible study and devotions at home and how he had grown so much spiritually.

After a few weeks of talking about how spiritual he had become, it stopped. A few months later he admitted there was no bible study or devotion. He was just tired of going to church and used his Sundays to sit on the computer and play games.

There's a reason people think this way; it's because the majority who do claim to stay home to have bible study or devotion are really just sleeping in, sitting around, watching football in the fall, going to the lake, fishing, golfing, etc.

And how many people 'going to church' do all those same things except at mandatory 'church meetings' when they make their obligatory appearance?

Laziness, apathy, and lack of spirituality is endemic across the board these days, whether 'in or out' of 'church'.

[ILG]

Some people actually believe "house church" is more biblical. I have a hard time understanding why Christians would judge other Christians in this. It's a personal belief....a personal preference.

[n david]

Originally Posted by ILG

Some people actually believe "house church" is more biblical. I have a hard time understanding why Christians would judge other Christians in this. It's a personal belief....a personal preference.

When you write "people believe 'house church' is more biblical, it becomes far more than just a "personal belief" or a "personal preference." It's an oxymoron. It can't be both "more biblical" and yet just a "personal" belief or preference.