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A friend and I see a need in out community for a tight fellowship of the younger crowd that attend the local university. We are interested in finding a house and beginning a house church service next academic year. We believe our knowledge of the faith is sufficient to lead a church, and we are confident the college gives us a valuable resource to reach people and get the word out. Our main problem now is funding.
Where would you go to procure funds to begin such a venture? Can house churches apply for tax exemption?
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I can answer one part of this question. Just about any organization can gain a tax-free status under state and federal laws. Do some research with your state; here in Oklahoma, it's handled by the State Secretary.
On the other hand, I'd never consider going that route. I rather doubt anyone else on this forum would, either. The idea behind house church includes a determination to avoid entanglement in government in any way. Fund-raising is a related issue. It's pretty hard to get donations from most sources because they want the tax break, and it won't happen without incorporation.
From your question, I suspect this is not what you wanted to hear. Don't take it as a censure. If you need to go that route, check with various tax-exempt religious organizations in your area. Share your vision. If no one wants to play, consider doing it our way. Some of us have pretty good organizational skills in spite of our viewpoint promoting a lack of typical organization.
I do agree with E, but I'd stress that the idea of simple church is to be "reproducible by meeting where people already meet".
Where do the students already gather? If the big game is on, where do you go to watch together? Does each dorm have some kind of activity room where you could just have coffee in a corner and pray for "divine appointments" to walk in?
IF you model a ministry that can't start until we have $100,000 to buy a house, then you are making sure that it never grows beyond the group of people who have $100,000 to buy a house. Our goal is to "gossip the gospel" everywhere. Jesus didn't make a ministry center, he just lived his life and was always saying, "And speaking of slavery... and speaking of divorce... and speaking of taxes... This is how God's people act about that!"
BUT I AM VERY INTERESTED in what you are wanting to do, and I believe you will find a lot of spiritual and intellectual support here. We are mulling over an outreach at our local U. and I would love to have some dialog on that here.
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When we consider how real outreach has taken place in the scriptures and in history, was fundraising a regularly used tool? Was purchasing a building the original focus? Not that that can't happen...but is it a biblical plan?
Or is there another plan in front us? I say this also to myself as part of the church in my house; "God's work, done God's way, will never lack God's supply." If God is for us, who can be against us?
It's very easy to plan things out according to our IC knowledge and understanding. The need for a building, funding and fundraising, advertising, etc., However, history points out some of the greatest moves of God have come because 1 person poured themselves out before God in prayer and fasting for their family, workplace or city for weeks and months. Then 1 grew to 2...to 5...to 15...to 28...to 128...then to thousands. And it wasn't becuase of fundraising or the right location or because of how many flyers were passed out. If this endeavor is truly from the Lord of Glory, and He wants to use you to reach this area, prepare to die for it. "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubltess come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him" I'm sure you're already pursuing the Lord, but will you continue whether you see a dime of financial help or not? Is this really of God...or is this just a neat idea? Would you be willing to simply sow the word one-on-one in coffee houses, a corner of the library, or in the local deli, and pray until God brings the harvest?
Unless the Lord said clearly and directly, "Get a building", don't. One of the last things you may need right now is debt, expenses, and repair costs that you might not see right now. Often, as people come to the Lord, use of their buildings come with them.
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Oh, to hear each day from brothers or sisters desiring to lift Jesus up for others to see. Our youth are so looking for something - someONE - who is authentic and worthy of their attention. Jesus is the only One and the only WAY to God. Period.
Yes, sooner or later the issue of money comes up. Anyone of us lately given any thought to the phrase: cloak of covetuousness?. This is a reminder of how decietful we can be when it comes to $$$. I have also been thinking about Paul's analogy of those who compete: must abide by the rules. These things may have little or no bearing upon your situation but I have been brought into check by them in recent weeks. See 1 Thessalonians 2:5.
Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules. 2 Timothy 2:5.
On most campuses, the idea of any rules about anything will not be welcome. Of course. Among most Christians, it's the same - the end justifies the means. Get money anyway you can. Promise donors the sun and moon.
So, what does God reveal to us about money, particularly with reference to the workings of his Kingdom??? Surely, He encourages the giving and receiving of gifts for the work but what is the context of such giving and receiving?
WerrWaaa, may the Lord direct your steps as you sort things out with your ministry partner. Do keep us in touch and don't scurry away, OK? We can pray for you and you for us. God can and will provide for your needs, for sure.
One thing I truly believe is that you will be opposed in a major way. Satan does not give up anything readily. Get your armor on, brother, and get ready for more spiritual warfare!
Let me speak a little more on my idea. It is kind of a blend of 'normal' church and the house church models.
Right now my friend and I run a study group at a friends house. We read a lot of theological books and watch video sermons and things and then talk about how we can learn from these theologians, and ask "how do they compare to the Bible?" It's kind of a Bible study with an academic focus.
We would love to see this expand, as each week it can fluctuate from 5 to 20 attendees. One of the problem is that we hold is Wednesday night. Another is that it is not within walking distance of campus.
That being said, here's how I would like to run things.
I want to make it a-message-and-a-meal thing. I would love to start by opening up a home every Sunday for a free lunch for anyone who wants to come. Then while we are eating and fellowshipping a message can be shared. To a degree, though, my friend and I would like to dedicate a lot of time to this, and we would like it to be self-sustaining, so we can make it our jobs. We hope that the idea will take off and we can add a Sunday breakfast service and a Wednesday dinner service. So to that extent we want to make this our livelihood with the two of us as the full-time staff members / shepherds. We want to find a home for ourselves and then open it up to our community because we see a need.
We could then open it up for community service and outreach and expansion and whatever God leads us to do.
It's an interesting blend of a house church model and a more common model of the church as a livelihood.
If anyone has any more suggestions or would like to talk at length more I can be reached at my e-mail: werrwaaa@hotmail.com. Or if you have AOL instant messenger i can be reached there as: WerrWaaa.
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Full time ministry is certainly not inconsistent with what we promote in HC ministries. Nobody's going to muzzle the oxen. Our fuss is with other problems in the IC, sensing we are so far away from the biblical model, it's hard to get it started rightly because the system makes no room for us.
There are two primary routes I see:
1. Get connected to a sponsor. That could be any local sources, singly or in combination. You are the only ones in a position to find out about that. It requires knowing how to pitch the idea, which would make you a salesman. Sad, but that's the facts (part of our dispute with the system).
2. Wing it on faith. Don't even try it unless you know it's right. Do this if you can't do anything else.
I have a personal advantage in this: I am a disabled veteran, and live off my pension to serve full-time. My wife works to fill in the gaps.
There are a number of half-measures, temporary steps on the way. Be creative in seeking these; you'd be surprised the things you won't normally consider, which work out just fine. I've done lots of that both in IC and HC.
1. A potluck instead of trying to bear the burden of providing meals is a great way for everyone to have a part in this. Everyone broke? Hey, if everyone brought just one ingredient (loaf of bread, mayo, bologna, lettuce) Yippie! Sandwiches for everyone! And no one person is overloaded. Something that happens all too often in most church circles.
2. Would you like to have some very simple, topically themed Bible studies? I can send some to you for your review. Getting into the word for yourself and sharing scriptures with others is one of the most impactual yet simple and duplicatable things any of us can do. When persectution hit the church in Jerusalem, the believers did something amazing. They went everywhere preaching the word. Preaching the word is a basic skill that every believer should be able to do. Again, if you'd like some simple Bible studies that can be used and shared anywhere, I'll send you what I've used and had results with for years.
3. A pastor in a the church I grew up in many years ago, was a full-time barber as well as a pastor. He exemplified two great things by doing that: first, he received a great deal of respect from the community. Secondly, we believers are all to be ministers, servants and edifiers of the church full-time. For years I was a "full-time" paid minister in an independent IC. But it was a great transition to share the storehouse with other ministers, followed by our eventual resignation, move and beginning church in our house. You might consider the possiblity that your ministry may be more of a mutual participating team effort, than an income generating vocation. Interesting and potentially distrubing things happen when money, property and positions become central to ministry.
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1. The offering of a meal is a means to bring people in. On a college campus the words "free food" will make you an instant hit. If that brings them in, we are confident the Word of God will keep them coming.
2. I would love some Bible study programs, not just for this idea, but for our personal Bible study group as well.
3. The thing is that we would love to start this as soon as we can, and we both have more than a few years of schooling left, and that's before grad school / seminary. Time is going to be sparing to begin with. And it's not like we want this to pay for our college bills, we just want it to sustain us enough to be able to focus on it without dividing our time among full time school, part time jobs, and the ministry.
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20 is too many for a discipleship group. Can you grow through reproduction instead of expanding facilities?
I know it is hard with a campus group to have any kind of regular attendance, but the more quickly you pass the baton, the more quickly you will multiply. And having groups going on all the time will mean each group is smaller, but it will also mean more options for those who want to come. Have you read, "Knocking over the Leadership Ladder" by Paul Ford? That's geared to youth-oriented ministry and might be critical.
I like the "7 commands of Christ" Bible study program. Read the gospels and look for what Jesus told us to do - and have discussion about which commands we have obeyed lately, and which are yet undone. (I posted an overview at http://www.housechurch.org/cgi-bin/bbcgi_hc/ultimatebb.cgi/topic/24/66 ). It also washes away all need to argue statements of faith, church doctrine, "well my church teaches". To just say, "we are committed to just obeying the commands of Christ" means less division. Presbyterians, Catholics and even the non- religious can agree on those.
The greatest challenge for the intellectually minded is the "doing and obeying" part of the Christian walk. We can so easily spend a lot of time on intellectualizing the gospel - and Jesus never intended the faith to be an academic exercise! (I'm NOT criticizing what you are already doing - only suggesting a balance.)
If you want disciples who follow Jesus for life, rather than students who can't sustain their walk when they move into the next phase of life, DO the Word.
In a college atmosphere the statement, "See how they love one another" could be very, very powerful!
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Oh! I also recommend Rad Zdero - campus ministry is his background, and led him to the House Church Movement. "The Global House Church Movement" is one of his books.
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