House Church Talk - Starting

[Robert L. Moseley]

Glenn...welcome to the house church forum...you should feel welcome here
even you choose to stay in the larger body.

You were concerned about "sheep stealing" in your first post.  No "Pastor"
or "local assembly (church)" has any sheep to be stolen.  All that are in
Christ are His sheep and not the property of anyone on earth...and you
surely can't steal any of His sheep.  If there are others likeminded let
them join with you after they are satisfied that the house church concept is
for them.  It's a lot different than the "other churches."  And there are
areas of concern that will surely come to the fore as you get into "it."
What do we do with the children?  Where and how do we give our money?  And
then there is the big "how about" who'se going to be the leader of this new
venture?  And on and on ad infinitum.  But many on this list have been
through all those questions and others that you can't even imagine...don't
hesitate to call on them for wisdom in these situations when they come
up...and keep reading and posting.  I've been on the list for over 8 years
now and still haven't found my way into a house church...but again WELCOME.

Robert Moseley from the hills of Texas... just a bit now the road East of
Orange County, CA



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Glenn Frank" <glennfrank at earthlink.net>
To: <House Church Talk  at housechurch.org>
Sent: Wednesday, December 31, 2003 2:27 PM
Subject: House Church Talk -  Starting


> Hi everyone, my name is Glenn Frank.
>
> This is an introduction since I am new to this list. My family and another
> in our church are talking about starting a house church. Currently both of
> our families are kind of the backbone of the one functioning small/home
> group in our church. The church tried to start some small groups last year
> and tried to make them all adhere to some kind of program and structure,
but
> they all faded away as people lost interest. The only group that
"survived"
> was ours, which did not try to be so structured. We focused on having
people
> participate -- all the people in the group contributing to the
gathering --
> rather than have one set teacher and one set agenda.
>
> However, we have seen that the good that the small group is doing
(teaching
> people that God can speak through them too, and letting them learn to be a
> participant and use their gifts) is being stifled by the constant
> reinforcement of the "sit and be ministered to" philosophy that permeates
> the other gatherings of the church. It is also torn down by the typical
> 'pastor worship' that can become a part of the typical church (reinforcing
a
> clergy does the work and laity sits mentality).
>
> Both Mike (the husband in the other family) and I were formerly on the
board
> and we both decided to leave the board because we didn't like the 'new
> direction' that the church was headed (more programs to 'attract'
people --
> making the services into a 'show', more emphasis on 'production' of the
> worship services rather than actual worship and participation... And more
> leaning toward the one-head-pastor model when we used to be an elder/team
> lead church). Mike and I chose to pour ourselves into the small group to
try
> and do the best we could for the church and not leave use feeling like we
> were 'going along' with something that we didn't really believe in. and
the
> group has done well, but it is too little too late.
>
> Now, because of the realization of the nulling effect the churches other
> events have on the things we are doing in the group, and because both of
our
> families have wearied of the 'programmed environment' of the church's
> services, we believe it would be best for us, and the church, if we could
> quietly leave and plant a house church (not taking people with us, but
> starting a new work).
>
> But it is hard to leave so quietly. The church is a small one of fewer
than
> 100 people, and with us being the only small group and former board
members,
> the fact that I maintain the church's website and other computer related
> things... And that we would have to announce to the others in the small
> groups that it was being dissolved or handed over to someone else...  We
> can't just 'disappear'. We don't want to 'sheep steal' by taking the
people
> in our small group either, but we love and care for them too... And have
> known many of them for years.
>
> Besides that, I bear no malace toward the church or the pastor who is a
good
> friend, but we just disagree on ministry philosiphy and practices.
>
> So, I guess I am looking for prayers and advice that anyone can give.
>
>
> Thanks
>
> Glenn Frank
> Orange County, CA
>
>
>