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Greetings fellow pilgrims! David has asked me to share my testimony: Although our family has only been part of a house church for about 9 months now, we have been on a journey in this direction for over 25 years! I'm positive that many of you have your own unique stories, but that we will find many similarities along the way!
I was born and raised in a Christian home in southern Ontario, attended a Baptist Church where I professed faith in Christ and was baptized at age 11. After highschool, I attended Bible School to prepare to be a missionary. The first time I questioned anything about "church" was when studying I Timothy 3 in our "Pastoral Epistles" course. Various ministers had come and gone from our church but not once, when considering prospective "candidates", were we ever directed to the qualifications for elders in that chapter!
After graduation in '73, I spent 3 months as a "summer missionary" in the West Indies. the next summer I attended the mission's "candidate school in St.Louis, MO. There I met my wife to be! Judy was an MK from Congo. After I had spent a year as a "pastoral intern" with a pastor in a church in London, Ontario, Canada (and Judy had spent the year teaching in a school in Zaire), we were married in September '75. Just a week before, I was "ordained" to the ministry and had the title "Reverend" attached to my name. Then in March of '76 we left for Dominica together.
I was promptly "installed" as "pastor" of a newly planted congregation as the other missionary couple were leaving on furlough. The following year was a whirlwind of activity: preaching and teaching, visiting, holding open-air meetings, childrens' classes etc But we finally took a break for about a week and took a little cabin up in the hills just to relax and think. I had a deep sense that we were doing something awfully wrong but had no idea what it was. That Sunday, having left others in charge of the "services" we visitted a "Brethren Assembly". For the first time in our lives we observed a Sunday meeting with no one presiding, no bulletin, no order of service and no clergyman! I was astounded to see various brethren praying, reading scripture, giving out hymns to be sung and breaking bread and drinking the cup together in remembrance of their Lord! I wept to see the simplicity of such a gathering, and from then on, whenever I stood in the pulpit - I felt like I was a positive hindrance to what God wanted to do among the believers in "my" congregation!
I began reading the Book of Acts as never before and began to notice that no N.T. church ever had one man at the head of it! None had one "pastor"! No church leaders were ever salaried! Rather every church was guided by a plurality of elders who were appointed by the Holy Spirit, (Acts 20:28-35) and recognized by scriptural qualifications (I Tim3 & Titus 1). These men served the flock without remuneration from the sheep because they were true servants of God who looked only to Him for their reward! (I Peter 5:1-4)
After struggling for about a year and knowing I could never practice what I'd seen in scripture if I retained the position I held, I resigned from the Mission Board, left the church, destroyed my ordination certificate and returned to Canada to find "secular employment", and an assembly that functioned according to our new understanding of scripture. As a teenager, and as a pastor and missionary, I had often struggled with tremendous doubts about my own salvation. I would read and pray with my family and study scripture to teach to others, but I knew nothing of personal prayer, or reading of scripture just to feed my own soul. Being a pastor and missionary, people always looked up to me. I was too proud to acknowledge to anyone that I wasn't even sure I was saved! But once I was out of the "pastorate" and had no position "over" anyone else I began to realize that I had religion but no relationship to Christ! Finally acknowldging this to my wife and another friend I realized for the first time in my life that I was nothing but a guilty sinner, but that that was just the kind of person for whom Christ had died! On November 21st, 1981 I passed from death unto life in Christ through simply resting on the truth of Isaiah 53:5! I had known almost 29 years of religion, but since that day I've been learning what it is to have a relationship with Christ!
In the assemblies with which we gathered, there was much more liberty for men to function according to the priesthood of the believer (I Peter 2).But there were many meetings in which speakers were appointed or invited and so all who were not appointed were excluded from ministering in the gatherings. So after 16 years we had to leave for much the same reasons as we had left the first time: While we claimed to follow scripture, many scriptures relative to ministry one to another and spiritual gifts seemed to be ignored.
Homeschooling for years, we had come to know believers from many denominations. The Lord directed us to visit various churches of our friends for at least 6 weeks at a time. We saw much with which we disagreed, but we also met many dear brothers and sisters in Christ and the Lord enlarged our hearts for the Body of Christ. In a few churches we found opportunities to minister and some interest in N.T. principles. But in every case the religious organization or denominational machinery always got in the way of obedience to the Word of God.
A godly couple, good friends of ours had been on a similar journey longer than we had. They finally had had enough of various "churches". They longed for God to put a group of people together according to N.T. principles but were determined they were not going to "start something", advertise, invite, or even tell others what they were longing for. They determined just to remain at home on Sundays and to wait on the Lord alone. Dave told me afterward that he was prepared to wait even up to 6 months or a year! But the very first Saturday, a Christian lady called up to ask when their "service" was on Sunday! Dave said, "What do you mean? We don't have any service here!" She responded that the Lord had told her that she was to come to their home and so she needed to know what time the service was!
As a result, this sister, her husband, their daughter and son-in-law and another friend showed up for the first house meeting in early February, 2001. Since then the Lord has added many so there are now about 60 people involved, some driving over an hour to be there! As the group has grown , the quality of sharing has decreased as people have not been as free to open up and minister one to another, and there has been little room for new comers. So starting in mid December we divided into two groups. Now 3 families (16 people) meet in our home. The other group will probably need to divide again to make space for further growth before very long. Without doing any advertising we are seeing new folks come along almost every week by word of mouth recommendations of others!
We are praying that God would raise up house churches within walking distance of everyone in our county and that God would put us in touch with other Biblical gatherings across soutern Ontario. We also pray that God would raise up young people from among us to carry the vision of N.T. house church ministry, with it's primary focus on relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ, to the ends of the earth.
Most of us have been searching for church life like this for a long time and are enjoying mutual ministry like we have never experienced before! God continues to stretch us, move us out of our comfort zones and to teach us things we've never realized before. We feel like we are just "dipping our toes in the ocean" of all that God desires to do if we will just be obedient to Him!
If I can be of any assitance, please feel free to e-mail me at bwood4d@hotmail.com.
------------------ Bruce Woodford Norwich, Ontario
[This message has been edited by Bruce Woodford (edited 01-09-2002).]
[This message has been edited by Bruce Woodford (edited 11-23-2002).]
This home church stuff sounds exciting to me. I'm new here and I happen to live in Canada also - BC. Loved your testimony. Loved the Parable of the Orange Tree. But the Lord is instructing me to hold off on starting something in my home - rather to continue to work with people in the church I'm attending. There are a few people there that are getting a bit antsy, and the church is just about ripe for take-over (his words).
I'll be introducing myself shortly. Can sure understand your past frustrations with church.
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Mike, Thank you, brother! I'd say Norwich is about a 2 hr. drive from Buffalo. We're directly north of Erie, PA and just sooth of Woodstock, ON.
------------------ Bruce Woodford
Nobel Aixen
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Brother Bruce:
Greetings. I trust you are doing well.
It was interesting to read your testimony again, even inspiring. May I say that there are many experiences and opinions that we have in common. Perhaps that is the reason many people have encouraged us to have a church in our home.
We often have meetings with other believers in our neighborhood and those are precious times. However, we are determined not to forsake the church at large, as organized as it may be, and in spite of all of its faults. We are expecially appreciative of opportunities to preach the Gospel among them and to encourage them to preach the Gospel. In fact we find that most of the opportunities we have to lead people to the Lord have come in organized churches. We also have people come to our Counseling Center from organized churches. We believe the organized church is a part of the church as is any other gathering and also our individual lives. Every meeting with other believers is to be cherised as an opportunity for mutual ministry. As is this one.
May the Lord bless you in your intimate meetings, but please do not forget us out here. Meet with us when you can. Let us endeabour to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. We who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are all one.
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Dear Brother Nobel, It is indeed good to meet you again on the world wide web! Brother if you have been used of God to minister to others in your home and indeed have been encouraged by others to have church in your home, I would be another to certainly encourage you in that direction! To do so does NOT mean "forsaking the church at large"! We (folks in our house church gathering) have maintained good relationships with believers in institutional churches in our community and we visit and have opportunities for ministry in such congregations in which we are happy to share. We recognize that every believer, regardless of where they worship or gather is our brother or sister and a fellow member in the Body of Christ. We pray regularly for believers, congregations and pastors in our community and county and look to the Lord to ferret out of our own hearts any attitudes that would be a hindrance to "endeavouring to keep the unity in the bond of peace".
Having said that, we also feel that our responsibility and priority is to invest our energies in new covenant relationships with the people of God rather than giving priority to building systems which are built on and firmly anchored to an old covenant mindset. That is why we give priority to building relationships in the context of mutual, reciprocal, interactive and participatory ministry in house church gatherings.
The reasons why we have set such priorities is based on clear scriptural distinctions between old and new covenant ministry. I trust the following will be an encouragement and reminder to us all.
Your brother in Christ, Bruce Woodford
TWENTY ONE FEATURES OF THE OLD COVENANT MADE AT SINAI:
(1)The Ten Commandments written on stone were given as the standard of behaviour but could give no power to enable Israelites to keep them.Ex.20 (2)A man-made altar where men offered sacrifices continually which could never take sins away. Ex.20:24; Heb.10:11 (3)A man-made sanctuary (a building) to be the house or dwelling place of God Ex.25:8-27:21 (4)A memorial meal to be eaten at the appointed time Lev.23:5; Numbers 9 (5)Reverence to be given to the sanctuary (building)Lev.26:2 (6)A distinct priesthood from among the people: Ex.28,29 -distinguished by: -special clothing Ex.28:1-42 -special instructions and training Ex..29 -special consecration ceremony Ex.29:1-35; Lev.8 -special duties of ministry Ex.29:36-46 and all of Leviticus (7)Observance of special days: -sabbaths 31:13-17 -feasts 34:18-28; Lev.23 (8)Offerings taken for the construction of the sanctuary 35:4-36:7 (9)Offerings taken for the support of the special priesthood Lev.2:3; 5:13; 6:14-30; 7:31-34; (10)Tithes taken for support of special priests and ministers Numbers 18:20-32 (11)Priesthood had to be distinguished from others with proper documentation (genealogical records) Ezra 2:62; Nehemiah 7:64 (12)Ministry from above, an elevated place. Nehemiah 8:4,5; 9:4 (13)The ministry of song was usually done by a special class of singers. 2 Chronicles 29:28,30;Ezra 3:11; Nehemiah 12:42 (14)The ministry of teaching the Lord's people was characteristicly done as a monologue lecture. (one speaker addressing and audience of listeners). Deut.4:5; 31:22; II Kings 17:28; II Chronicles 17:9; 35:3; Nehemiah 8:9; (15)Specific duties and functions (offering the sacrifices, use and care of the vessels of the tabernacle, erecting and dismantling the tabernacle, teaching the law etc) were reserved exclusively for the male members of the tribe of Levi. Today in Old Covenant religious systems specific duties and functions (administering baptism and the Lord's Supper, teaching and preaching, marrying and burying etc) are reserved for a male clerical class of priests! (16)Priestly ministry was always done in a standing position indicating that there was no rest, (the work was never done!) Hebrews 10:11 (17)The old covenant made at Sinai was designed by God to "gender" (literally "generate") bondage! Galatians 4:21- 5:1 It is pictured allegoricly by Hagar, the bond woman. (18)The old covenant made at Sinai (Ex.19-24) was a two way conditional covenant. God promised to do certain things for His people IF they would obey His voice and keep His covenant. Ex.19:5,6. The people agreed to the terms of the covenant Ex.24:3,7 (19)The visible token of the old covenant was the sprinkling of the blood of the sacrifices, the evidence of the death of the sacrifice. Ex.24:6-8; Hebrews 9:18-22 Any covenant stands in force as long as its' visible token continues. (20)All of the sacrifices of the old covenant ended in death and the sprinkling of blood testified to the fact of the death of the sacrifice. (21)When the Book of Hebrews was written, the old covenant had waxed old and was ready to vanish away. Hebrews 8:13 (Why do we still cling to so many vestiges of it over 2000 years later, especially when we have a covenant that is so much BETTER?!!)
TWENTY ONE FEATURES OF THE NEW COVENANT MADE AT CALVARY:
(1)The new covenant raises the standard of behaviour to a much higher level (the love of Christ) and the indwelling Christ gives power that the law never could. II Cor.3:3; 5:14,15; Heb.10:16 (2)Our altar is God's altar where Christ offered Himself without spot to God, one sacrifice for sins forever. Heb.9:14; 10:12; 13:10-13 (3)There is no man-made sanctuary, rather we enter with Christ into the holiest in heaven! Heb.9:24; 10:19-22 (4)The Lord's supper (not "the Lord's snack") is to be eaten in remembrance of Him as often as we eat the bread and drink the cup. I Cor.11:26 (5)Our bodies (not our buildings) are the temple of the Father, the Son and the Spirit of God! I Cor.6:15-20; Jn.14:20; I Jn.4;13 (Thus we don't GO TO church... we ARE the church!) (6)All believers are priests. I Peter 2:5-10 All are ordained. John 15:16 All are ministers. I Peter 4:10,11 All are clergy! I Peter 5:3 ("heritage" is the Greek "KLEROS" from which the word "clergy" is derived. (7)New covenant believers have no special sabbaths or feast days to observe because our whole LIVES belong to the Lord! Romans 14:5,6; Colossians 2:16,17 (8)Since believers who enjoy the liberties of the new covenant need not build or maintain physical sanctuaries, (they simply meet in homes) there are no corporate collections for such buildings! Acts 2:46; 8:3; 12:12; 20:20; Romans 16:5; I Cor.16:19; Colossians 4:15: Philemon 1:2 (9)Since all believers are priests, ministers, and clergy, there is no special priesthood to be supported by corporate collections! Rather, new covenant collections are laid up in store by each believer, PERSONALLY, for the purpose of meeting the needs of POOR OR WEAK SAINTS. (NOT paying mortgages, utilities, and salaries!) I Cor.16:1,2; Ac. 20:33-35 (10)There is no tithe required of new covenant believers! Rather, the measure of one's giving is to be "according as a man purposes in his heart... not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loveth a cheerful giver." II Cor.9:7 The first priority of believers, who live in the enjoyment of the new covenant, is to GIVE THEIR OWN SELVES TO THE LORD AND THEN TO GIVE THEMSELVES IN SERVICE TO OTHERS. When the Lord has the man or woman, themselves, He also has direct control of their finances. Under the old covenant, the TITHE WAS THE LORD'S. But under the new covenant, the TOTAL IS THE LORD'S! II Cor.8:1-9 (11)Distinguishing documentation such as ordination certificates or workers' letters of commendation are conspicuous by their absence from the new covenant! (12)Ministry is to be from beneath, as from little children and slaves and modelled by the Lord Jesus with towel and basin. Matthew 20:25-27; Luke 22:25-27; John 13 (13)The ministry of song is for all, it is participatory. Acts 16:25; Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16; James 5:13 (14)The ministry of teaching the Lord's people is characteristicly by conversation. Homiletics is NOT the art of sermonizing! All N.T. homilies were conversations! The Greek word HOMILEO is always translated "communed" or "talked". Luke 24:14,15; Acts 20:11; 24:26. Paul's "preaching" in Acts 20:7 is the Greek DIALEGOMAI, or dialogue! (15)Since all new covenant believers are priests, there are no priestly functions that are reserved for a distinguished class or for believers of one gender! Baptising, serving of meals in which we remember the Lord, marrying, burying, teaching, preaching etc are all open to all believers! All of these things take place in house church assemblies where the one-anothering of reciprocal, and participatory ministry of all believers is the order of the day. Hebrews 10:24,25; I Peter 4:10,11 (The only circumstances where there is a distinction in ministry roles of men and women is (1) in the elders' work of oversight, (A woman cannot be the husband of one wife! I Tim.3:2) and (2)in whole church gatherings of the church of God in a city.(I Cor.14 and I Tim 2and 3) (16)The ministry of new covenant priests is from a seated position, because we rest in a work that is done and our High Priest is seated! The High Priest seated: Acts 2:30,34; Hebrews 1: 3; 10:12; Rev.4:9; 5:7; 20:11; 21:5. Believer priests seated: Luke 22:14; Acts 8:31; 16:13; Ephesians 2:6; James 2:3; Revelation 11:16 (17)The new covenant was designed by God to bring liberty! Galatians 4:21- 5:1 It is pictured allegoricly by Sarah, the freewoman. (18)The new covenant is a one way, unconditional covenant (promises made by a faithful God to His people!) Hebrews 8:8-12 (19)The visible token of the new covenant is the cup of communion, the evidence of the life of our sacrifice!Matthew 26:27,28; Mark 14:23,24; Luke 22:19,20; I Cor.10:16; 11:25,26; Heb.9:23-28 (20)All of the sacrifices of the new covenant are connected to life! The cup of the new covenant testifies to the life that is enjoyed by new covenant people. Christ our sacrifice LIVES! Luke 24:5 We are called to be "living sacrifices". Romans 12;1,2 We are to offer "sacrifices of praise". Hebrews 13:15; I Peter 2:5 (21)The new covenant will continue in force forever! The Lord Jesus will drink the cup with us in His Father's kingdom! Matthew 26:29; Mark 14:25; Luke 22:18
IN ORDER TO DISPENSE WITH ALL ASPECTS OF THE OLD COVENANT AND EMBRACE THOSE OF THE NEW, WE NEED TO ALLOW SCRIPTURE TO TRANSFORM OUR OWN THINKING AND ACTIONS RELATIVE TO OUR RELATIONSHIP TO CHRIST AND OTHER BELIEVERS!
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I just read all this and Bruce I could not agree more with these truths. I am sometimes accused of not being a good example to unbelievers because I do not go to church on sundays. My reply? That I do not want anyone to go to church and not even on sundays or any other day so I am being a good example. Pretty outrageous response to those who consider these things sacrilegious.
However God is my comfort in these matters and the word that keeps me in this is:
Galatians 2:18 If I rebuild what I destroyed, I prove that I am a lawbreaker.
Paul speaking about Peter's hypocrisy when He saw some legalistic Jews. We must break away from everything that is of the bond woman. Though doing this in fear, for I remember a church in revelations that hated the nicolatians but yet had fallen from their first love.
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Joy, When I read your post above about trying to explain to friends why you don't "go to church", I knew you'd really appreciate a web site http://www.lifestream.org/content.html and one article in particular that is posted there: "Why I don't go to church Anymore".
Also there is an excellent story in process about this very thing on http://www.jakecolsen.com.
You can download and print both and share them with others. Enjoy!
Your servant for Jesus' sake, Bruce
murraylinton
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I'm trying to contact Bruce and having difficulty doing so with his advised email address. If someone here can help me reach him (or Bruce, if you are reading this) could you please contact me on murraylinton@yahoo.com Thanks.
Murray
David Anderson
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bwood4d@hotmail.com should connect you to the Forums Moderator.
Email this page to someone.
