posted
I recently sent an eMail to my House Church subscriber group. I called it "Message from Michael." Then I found this message board and, since the response was so good, I thought I'd offer it to more people cut from the same cloth. Here it is. Be blessed!
MESSAGE FROM MICHAEL
When it comes to House Church, American Christians are flocking to "homestyle church" in Biblical proportions, and for many reasons. From the refusal of some to finance an institution that wants to buy another gargoyle for its cathedral to a subtle rebellion against authority to the pain that traditional churches may have caused them, the reasons for this mass exodus are legion.
Fortunately, more and more are simply being obedient to the call of the Holy Spirit.
In the next few messages, I'll be writing about a few of the most common comments I receive regarding House Church. These include:
What about leadership?
Why don't you meet on Sunday's?
What about tithing?
Why are you against the local Church?
It's estimated that over 22 million Americans are involved in some sort of "House Church" meeting; 3 million of those exclusively. These include anything from cell groups affiliated with a traditional church to marketplace fellowships in the company conference room, coffee shop gatherings and gatherings in actual homes. If you are a "House Churcher" yourself, chances are that sooner or later, you will meet other Christians who claim to be involved in House Church a la the Book of Acts. In my 13 years of involvement with Cell Groups and House Church, I'd have to say that, in most instances, that simply is NOT the case.
WHAT CONSTITUTES A HOUSE CHURCH?
Though many traditional churches are establishing cell and home group ministries - none of which is "bad" or "evil" - the point I'm making here is that, if the goal is to return to the New Testament model of House Church, such groups are simply missing the mark. How so? The differences are crucial to Kingdom growth.
(1) When a group meets under the auspices of a traditional denomination, that group cannot help but be tainted by the manmade doctrine and dogmas of the denomination, thereby relegating the Holy Spirit to move only when and how the leaders say so.
POINT: A true House Church - the ekklesia (the called out ones) - is AVAILABLE and OBEDIENT to the King, Jesus, the Anointed One (Christ) who dwells within each of us. He is always teaching and guiding and it's His doctrine that should be adhered to. Are we always listening - willing and obedient?
(2) If a major accomplishment of the New Testament Church was the spreading of the Christian faith, this can only be accomplished when the disciples are being Trained, Equipped and Released into the ministry. That means they should not only discover but DEVELOP their spiritual gifts as well. In other words, if one feels she has the gift of prophecy, for example, but belongs to a denomination where such thinking is not encouraged, the individual who KNOWS she has the gift will remain frustrated by her group's unwillingness to allow her to utilize and thereby strengthen her God-given gift. I have been involved in two situations (one Baptist; one Catholic) where two such gifted individuals actually cried out of frustration for not being allowed to use, or not knowing anyone who could train them to use, their gifts.
POINT: "Train, Equip and Release" should be the mantra of the Church!
(3) For many denominational groups, the "cell group" ministry is just another "bolt-on program" of the "main" ministry. Such groups are rarely seen as being the Church itself. They are, in every way. As a result, regardless of lip service, for too many Christians "church" is still thought of as someplace we GO rather than something we ARE. Nearly a decade ago, the church where I was the Associate Pastor received a prophetic Word that, within three years, we would establish 5 more churches. At the 3-year mark, at a leadership meeting, the question was posed regarding why this prophesy had not been fulfilled. I spoke up, insisting that it HAD been fulfilled for we had established five HOUSE churches at that time. Several laughed at the notion. The church folded after 7 years.
POINT: House Church is as much "Church" as any other expression. Two or more anywhere is all it takes! Personally, we meet in a local Bed & Breakfast and I meet with others in conference rooms several times a week. I have also met for years with groups in coffee bars and even a beauty parlor as well as a room over a noisy bar.
(4) The New Testament Church understood that its mission was to GO into all the world and make disciples. Too often, the train of thought with most modern home groups is that of mini-church, merely exchanging hard wooden pews for comfy couches. Generally, we tend to hunker down, just as we did in traditional church. Researcher/Writer/Sociologist George Barna says that 90% of what we refer to as House Church today is little more than a mere Bible Study while 60% of all House Church gatherings do the exact same thing every time they gather. If this is true, what are the chances of meeting the spiritual needs of EVERYONE in attendance at every gathering? Slim to none, I'd say. This alone is too much like traditional church where the minister preaches on, let's say, tithing, while a woman grieves over her dying marriage in the third row. She needed help...prayer, counseling...but got a sermon on money.
A TRUE New Testament style House Church includes MULTIPLICATION as a foundational principal of their existence. If a new convert named Bob "owns" this vision, when he shares the House Church concept with friends who appear interested, he arranges a meeting at THEIR house and returns at an agreed-upon date with a MATURE Christian leader who can give an adequate explanation. Because they are likely to invite friends and family...POOF!...a Church is established. Compare this with the concept of asking a potential convert to "come to Church" - leaving THEIR comfort zone to enter OUR environment. No, thanks! We see how rarely this works, even when we agree to go pick them up in our car. Excuses abound!
POINT: We are to be PIONEERS, NOT Settlers. How else can we advance this Kingdom?
At times, your House Church may meet for nothing but fellowship as relationships are being built - you may even play board games. At other times, your group may become a healing center as the Spirit leads you to pray for healing for those who need it. On other occasions, your house may become a teaching center as you search the Scriptures together or watch and discuss a teaching video. In other instances, worship and praise may be the order of the day. You might hit topics such as Strengthening Your Marriage or Spiritual Warfare. There may be times when you pile into your cars and head over to visit the sick co-worker of one of your Church family or go pray over a haunted house. Then there will be times when your most seasoned Members are not attending because they've been asked to go strengthen another home group - or plant a church (apostling).
Point is, as our very lives are being orchestrated by the Spirit, so should be the gathering of God's children. As we experience unconditional love and total acceptance, we won't hesitate to exercise our spiritual gifts or even use the Table of Contents in our Bibles. We won't fret over mispronouncing some town referred to in Scripture or misquoting a verse. Why? Because we know we are loved and won't be criticized. We'll be encouraged, empowered and emboldened.
And the Kingdom will grow.
FASCINATING UPDATES!
Last month, I was asked to speak to a group in Carrollton, Texas two hours away (about 30 in the house). The homeowner's house was located on Clinton Street (the couple is of Italian descent - like me - but is from the Bronx, New York, the husband's name is Alan). Oddly enough, our house Church meets at a Bed & Breakfast located on Clinton Street in Stephenville! Friday night, Dec 8th, our team ministered at a house in Fort Worth (about 12 in the house including kids) located on Brooklyn Street (Brooklyn is in New York, right?). The man of the house is also named Alan (same spelling as the first). Well...a woman was there visiting from Lavergne, Tennessee. This morning, I received an email from an dear friend who ALSO lives in Lavergne, Tennessee whose husband felt led to give "their last three tithe checks" to support my ministry! Praise God! They are interested in establishing a House Church in Lavergne. Incidentally, a friend of the woman in Carrollton, a resident of Tyler, Texas (her last name is FORD), just donated the $750 deposit to secure the rooms we'll be needing for our Jan 27th Conference of House Churches at the Double Tree Hotel! Here's another "eerie" coincidence...our team ministered at a house in Lingleville Sunday morning. There were about 20 in attendance but NONE of them plays music. My friend, Ed, (retired from FORD Motor Company) is a greatly gifted musician and has been there twice to lead worship. He was there with me Sunday along with our wives.
The man who invited us to minister? His last name is MUSICK.
REGISTER NOW FOR THE North Texas House Church Conference Sat, Jan 27th, 2007 Double Tree Hotel near the Galleria Dallas, Texas 10AM -6PM
Write and email and type "CONF" in your Subject Bar
Directions to: Doubletree Hotel Dallas Near the Galleria 4099 Valley View Lane, Dallas, Texas, United States 75244 Tel: 1-972-385-9000
From DFW International Airport, take North exit and continue on I-635 going East. You will travel approximately 12 miles, then you will exit Midway Road. Make a U-Turn on Midway and go to your right hand lane on the service road. We are located on the Northwest corner of I-635 (LBJ Highway) and Midway.
From Love Field in Dallas, go East on Mockingbird Lane. Take Mockingbird Lane to Dallas Tollway North. Make a left onto Dallas Tollway ($0.60 toll) and take to I-635. Go West on I-635 and take the next exit, Midway Road. Go through the light (Midway) and the hotel is one block down on the right hand side.
posted
I'm going to study your post further, but I just wanted to ask you and everyone else here if anyone, besides me, has read anything by David W. Dyer at http://agrainofwheat.com ?
Your post is very interesting and I would like to say a big AMEN to what you said.
You used the story of two women who wanted started a cell group of their church and wanted to function in the gift of prophecy but when they went back to their church they got frustrated. First of all, let me explain something. Some churches will never accept people functioning in the gifts, even if they say they will, because their spirit is contrary to those gifts. This is what people are not understanding, you can't take new wine and pour into into old wineskins, it just doesn't work. Those ladies want to take the new wine and pour it into the old churches. That is never going to work and as a matter of fact is contrary to what the bible tells us. The bibles says that the churches are going to fall away to the point that they are miserable, blind, naked, poor, and wretched. Someone then going into something described like that and trying to "function" in God's gifts are not going to be appreciated too much. That which is wretched isn't going to like it too much, in other words. The wretchedness doesn't really appreciated being exposed and will probably, in all likelihood lash out at this which is exposing it. In other words, the woman trying to prophecy in that church is probably going to be come against by Satan working through people in that church.
Homechurching isn't "churches" starting "cell groups". That really is just another lie from Satan to cover up his lies some more. What is true homechurching? It is people seeing the real truth, coming away from that which is wretched and miserable and being set apart from them. A peson who sees the truth and then returns back into the churches to function in a gift of the Holy Spirit is a recipe for disaster.
Some people disagree with me about how I look at things. Do we understand things in accordance with God's wisdom or our own? Are we really seeing the truth? Or is what we are doing just continuing Satan's lies, as he wishes to infiltrate the homechurches just as much as he has the churches. He would want nothing better than to do this and continue lying to people. So that delusion will continue as long as what it cans. You know, there is going to be a delusion in the end and Satan is going to work very hard to not let it be exposed even by us who know the truth. Look what a good job he is doing!!! Praise God for those few voices who continue to speak out!!!!
The bible says that wisdom is known by her children, in other words, those who are really God's are going to know the real truth throughout all this that is going on. It will be clear to us. And it is very clear to me.
I am relatively new to house churches, simple churches, or organic churches (whatever you want to call them). I, too, have become uncomfortable with the IC. However, it was in an IC that I heard the Truth of the Gospel clearly communicated, and I gave my life to Christ. It was in the IC that I recieved much training and preparation for where I am today. My parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents were all part of the IC. I am eternally grateful for what the IC has offered the world. Lives have been changed and countless millions have come to Christ through what you seem to have no regard for. I think that is sad, and not the Spirit of Christ. I may find many things aloof in the IC, they are not of Satan.
Thanx!
-------------------- Sharing my "chaordic" journey with others.
We must not loose sight of the fact that the "Church" is the body of Christ, not a place as was well stated above. "Wherever two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Church is not a place, a time or a service, but wherever spirit filled believers are and go there the church is in the midst of the world. An IC or home can be that place. However, I think that we agree that the home church is much more in line with the New Testament Church where the Spirit of God can work in the lives of believers unhindered when we are obedient to to Him. Also, the home church can multiply rapidly and has the potential to grow exponetially and reach the lost.
Thank you. I agree. We, in our "church planting" endeavor in Southaven, MS, use LTG's (Life-Transformation Groups) in order to make disciples. I find it amazing that Jesus never said to plant, start, build, gather, or organize churches. He said to go make disciples of the nations. As we see this fleshed out in Acts, we see that these disciples naturally gravitated toward one another. Jesus said, where two or three are gathered together "in His name", He would be there in the midst of them. I have always taken this to mean when two or three gather "under His authority" and commit to making disciples, they are a local manifestation of the Body of Christ. Of course, to come under that authority, one would have to be saved and baptized. I really don't think it matters where these people gather or how many come to the gathering. I would agree that small gatherings (5-15) offer the best environment for authentic relational discipleship to take place. I really don't thik it matters if these groups are attached to a mega-church or not. My only issue with most mega-churches would be that they "consume" the tithes and offerings of the people to fuel more consumerism among Christians, instead of helping the poor, widows, orphans, and marginalized among us.
That's just my opinion!
Thanx!
-------------------- Sharing my "chaordic" journey with others.
Email this page to someone.
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
