House Church Talk - Yet another newspaper article, this one from Oregon

[SameSpecies]

Hi Gray,

I know of Nate Krupp and another one of his neighbors, if you want there
email addresses, contact me at mikesmith0101 at hotmail.com and I will give
them to you.

Mike
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Gary" <isa30 at verizon.net>
To: <House Church Talk  at housechurch.org>
Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2004 9:28 AM
Subject: Re: House Church Talk -  Yet another newspaper article, this one from Oregon


> David,
>
> This article is excellent! Where is the Statesman-Journal located? I am
> going to forward this to our local paper and find out if they will reprint
> it in one of their pseudo-religion sections. Since it advertises no one
> locally, perhaps it might help to add something to people's thinking.
> Presuming of course that they are thinking in the first place! <big grin>
>
> Earnestly contending,
>
> Gary
>
> (Written using WindowEyes, the premier screenreading program from GW Micro
> that makes PCs accessible to the blind and visually impaired.  Contact:
> www.gwmicro.com)
>
> "Preach not only so that the people can understand, but so that they
cannot
> misunderstand if they wish."  CH.Spurgeon
>
> "When they say to you, "Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper
> and mutter," should not a people consult their God? Should they consult
the
> dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do
> not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn."
(Isaiah
> 8:19-20)
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "David Anderson" <david at housechurch.org>
> To: <House Church Talk  at housechurch.org>
> Sent: Thursday, November 04, 2004 9:44 AM
> Subject: House Church Talk -  Yet another newspaper article, this one from Oregon
>
>
> > Holding church at home helps some Christians connect
> >
> >       Smaller groups shun megachurches, discuss gospel on their own
> >
> > CRYSTAL BOLNER, Statesman Journal   November 6, 2004
> >
> > Ed and Rene Tornberg say they don't need a building with steeples to
> > encounter God and grow in their Christian faith. All they need are
> > friends.
> >
> > Church convenes at their South Salem home each Sunday at 5:30 p.m.
> >
> > There are no pastors, no choirs and no missals. An average home church
> > meeting usually includes a simple meal, Bible study and discussion.
> >
> > "We've been to a lot of churches in our lives," said Ed Tornberg, who
> > grew up in the Lutheran church. "Not that those churches were lacking
> > anything, but when you have church at home I've found that you can share
> > your faith and experience God in a more personal way."
> >
> > His wife, Rene, who grew up with the Episcopal Church, agreed.
> >
> > "At a lot of big churches, usually they are so big, many people don't
> > take time to stop and listen to the Lord," she said.
> >
> > The Tornbergs have been holding church at their home for the past month.
> > Nate and Joanne Krupp share that celebration with them.
> >
> > At a recent church meeting, the two couples started by sharing a meal,
> > where they prayed and broke bread, then proceeded to study the Bible and
> > discuss the teachings of Jesus.
> >
> > It was informal, relaxed, personal and deeply spiritual -- everything
the
> > two couples said they sought but didn't find in traditional churches.
> >
> > House churches are not uncommon. They've become widely popular in recent
> > years as a growing number of people have become disillusioned with
> > megachurches.
> >
> > Proponents of house churches say they don't just want to be an audience
> > in a church; they want to be full participants, and they feel they can
do
> > that in their own homes. House churches commonly include up to 15
people.
> > If the groups get any larger, they often split and begin a new church.
> >
> > The Tornbergs and the Krupps say their methods harken back to how early
> > Christians gathered in small groups and in homes following Jesus'
> > crucifixion. All of the hoopla and ceremony that's been attached to
> > religious services since that time, they say, has taken away from the
> > core of what Christians are supposed to be about -- the teachings of
> > Jesus.
> >
> > No official numbers exist on how many house churches exist nationwide,
> > partly because of their independent nature. Some house church Web sites
> > list as many as 1,274 house churches across the United States. There are
> > at least five in the Salem-Keizer area.
> >
> > "The world is so complicated and life is so hurried," said Nate Krupp,
> > "you don't want the time you spend at church to be complex and hurried,
> > too. You just want to get together with a few friends and share your
> > faith."
> >
> > It's not always easy for people interested in house churches to find
each
> > other. Commonly, house churches are fund through word of mouth. The
> > Krupps didn't know the Tornbergs before their church meetings.
> >
> > Ed Tornberg was looking for more information about house churches and
> > came across a book Nate Krupp wrote in 1993 called "God's Simple Plan
for
> > His Church -- and Your Place In It."
> >
> > When he found out Krupp lived in Salem, he contacted him, and the two
> > families decided to begin meeting. Krupp has been involved in house
> > churches for more than 15 years. He has attended as many as five in the
> > past decade and has friends involved in house churches all over the
> > country.
> >
> > House churches are not just an American phenomenon. They also can be
> > found in England and Australia and are most popular in countries like
> > China and Vietnam, where many groups meet secretly because of religious
> > persecution.
> >
> > Critics of house churches say the groups are dangerous because they
could
> > lead to discrepancies and misinterpretations of the Bible, since many of
> > those participating in house churches have no official training in
> > theology.
> >
> > But the Krupps and the Tornbergs scoff at that criticism. They said each
> > person at their meetings typically has a different insight to offer into
> > Scripture readings, and by sharing their thoughts they are able to keep
> > each other focused.
> >
> > "To some, they may look at our meetings and feel they look unorganized.
> > We don't feel that way. We feel the Lord is leading our gatherings,"
said
> > Joanne Krupp, who, like her husband, wrote a book on house churches,
> > "Woman -- God's Plan, not Man's Tradition."
> >
> > Rene Tornberg, between Scripture readings and preparing dinner, spends
> > her time taking care of the family's three children -- Emma, 8, Ryan, 5,
> > and Joseph, 21 months.
> >
> > At this time, the children don't participate much in church discussion,
> > but Rene Tornberg said she and her husband feel holding church at their
> > home offers their children a chance to learn more from their parents
> > about what it means to be a Christian.
> >
> > "This is not easy," she said. "It would probably be a lot easier to just
> > go into a pew, but then we wouldn't really be taking ownership of our
> > faith."
> >
> >
http://159.54.226.83/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041106/NEWS/411060312/100
> > 1
> >
> >
> >    --- Info and subscription management at
https://housechurch.org/talk --- 
>
>
>