Forgive me in advance. This is a long one.
I am in need of some direction/guidance/materials about starting a home church, small meeting. I know I could google it, but that would give me a million places to start. I thought it wiser to ask here since I know many here have done this before and know what seems to work and not work.
I know Aquila is HUGE on the home church movement so I would greatly appreciate his input. I may be messaging him in a bit. I'm also interested in how guys like Jason Badejo have handled leaving the traditional Apostolic church. I have read his views here for some time and have typically agreed with him, so I am curious as to how he handled going to where he is now from where he was.
Just for some background, I do not want to leave the Apostolic church. No one will convince me of the trinity or that
Acts 2:38 is not the revealed plan of salvation for the church. I don't think all others are hellbound, but I would never preach anythign other than the three step view of
Acts 2:38 salvation. My wife and I are very conservative in terms of the "standard" and I have no problem with it as long as it is taught in terms of it being a tradition and not some kind of heave n or hell doctrine.
I attend a great church. it is stable. it is growing. it is strong. It has great leadership that has never even had a whisper of scandal. The men are pillars in the district, all respected and serving without any reproach. The people are loving. They are giving. They are faithful. It is a multi-colored church, not just a bunch of whites. It is has all ages so it isn't just a young or old church. It really is a great church.
However, I am personally drying up and dying there. I hate to say that. I teach regularly, usually two weeks at a time Sunday mornings. I am an elder in good standing. I love the people and the leadership. BUt I'm dying inside. I get NOTHING from service anymore. It's not bad church, I feel like it is just ALWAYS meant to feed babies.
We have no expository teaching/preaching unless I do it, and I am still learning the skill. We have not, in my 20 years there, ever heard any teaching or preachign on the gifts of the spirit. There is no real theological teaching. We don't hear about justification, sanctification, redemption, the deeper works of the cross, etc. We hear the Apostolic basics (Oneness,
Acts 2:38, holiness, giving) but not much else in terms of theology. There in no push to work in the community. We send a check to the food pantry, but that sums up our real involvement there. We are building a beautiful church and have saints that look the part, but I feel like we are not really DOING anything.
We hear non-stop about tithing and giving. I wish I was kidding, but we hear it almost every service. Now, I would understand that if it were a stingy church, but according to the records 90% of the church regularly tithes and gives in the offerings. We run over 400 and almost all of us give faithfully. But it is never enough. We raised $60,000 in one special offering a couple months back in order to renovate our church, but that wasn't enough. Now we are asked to give another $40,000 for another summer project. Then Pastor wants us to give and raise another $70,000 in the spring for another renovation. This on top of tithing, ofering, regular giving, helping those who have a need, etc. Yet all we hear about is how we need to give more and be faithful. WE ALREADY ARE!
I am about to snap over this stuff. My breaking point just about came Sunday. Pastor was preaching a tremendous word about Hezekiah finally tearing down the high places that the prior kings left standing and how those high places were destroying the people. It was convicting. It was a great word. But instead of just continuing on that line and bringing folks to repentance and the breaking down of some personal high places, Pastor switched gears right in the middle of conviciton and starts talking about giving because Hezekiah re-opened the temple after destroying the high places. He asked for the firstfruits and tithes to begin to be brought back to the temple once it was re-opened and so we need to tear down the high places and put God first by giving more to the church.
I can't take much more of this. I cannot in good conscience raise my sons in an environment where all they will ever hear is money money money from the pulpit. Especially when it already is a giving,faithful church. I don't feel bitter. I don't hate my Pastor. I don't wish them any ill will. I want them to do well. I want God to bless them and let the church grow. I want souls saved. I love my Pastor and Bishop. I just don't agree with the vision and direction Pastor wants to take the church. And I don't want to be in the way or honestly have my wife and sons get caught up in that nonsense of money money money either.
Yet how do I move away form it? What did some of you do? I will not simply stop going to church. I will not just leave and have nowhere to go. I would like to start a small meeting in my home and try to grow from there. I have never personally desired to be a traditional Pastor. I personally feel my gift is teaching. So what do I do? What have some of you done?
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