back to articles DISCIPLING THE NATION: HOUSE CHURCHES ARE PART OF THE ANSWER Together Ministries newsletter, July 18,2003, www.embers.org/together (One of the fastest growing phenomena of our decade is the development of another, more basic form of "church". It could perhaps be called "Church before the Congregation". Thanks to Grace Wiebe for her article and work with the Canadian House Church Network. ><>Richard Long) HOUSECHURCHES ARE A VITAL PART OF DISCIPLING THE NATIONS -- Grace Wiebe, March '99 Over the past number of years especially, there has been a growing movement of house churches around the world which God seems to be initiating in order to help to not only reach with the Gospel many of the missed segments of society, but also to more effectively disciple/nurture believers and encourage the development of spiritual growth/godly character by providing the loving accountability we all need through the kind of close fellowship that is available in house fellowships. Throughout history God has used, and continues to use, various forms and models of 'church', though He only has one Church. Each model reaches certain types of people and meets certain needs. ALL of us, as we work together, are needed to see the desire of God's heart satisfied, that all nations be discipled and worship Him wholeheartedly as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! And so, while complimenting other forms of Christian gatherings in Canada, it is our desire to focus on utilizing the form that we feel we are being called to implement in order to reach the unreached segments of society in our country as we cross cultural barriers with the unchanging and powerful Gospel as we seek to live incarnationally amongst our neighbours. House churches can be catalysts to help us to mature spiritually and to be what God has called us to be as we live out our part in the Great Commission. They can also help to solve many of the financial struggles of more traditional models of churches and of seeing the Great Commission financed by freeing up funds which would not normally be available. House churches can be a vital part of raising up, training and multiplying many servant leaders (resulting in much less burn-out of leaders). Another benefit house churches can provide is a built-in protection system in case of persecution. It can also provide the sense of family and belonging that we all long for (Generation X especially seems to cry out for this dimension, as do many internationals, immigrants, refugees, etc. and other segments of society such as do people in the entertainment/media industry) and it can be a living example of the daily authentic reality of living the Christian life in the world today. Quality of believers and Quantity of believers can be multiplied and can mushroom because when the groups grow to a certain number (between 10 or 20), they can multiply by beginning additional groups, which can then also multiply. It is important to see easily reproducible churches multiplying in order to see growing numbers of godly disciples discipling others, since Jesus called us to 'disciple the nations' (Matt 28), and it is therefore important to have a strong sense of the Great Commission integrated into the very DNA of the initial beginnings of the house church/house church network. House churches can be very effective lights in the dark neighbourhoods/apartment buildings (or wherever) in which they exist/function, and can become houses of prayer for the nations, with not only a growing passion to reach the lost in their communities but around the world. The very nature of house churches encourages the possibility of enabling them to be an excellent incubator, nursery, Bible school, hands on training site, etc. for new believers all the way to seasoned/mature believers. It is also poised to be an excellent missionary sending support network. House churches can provide an excellent atmosphere to develop and utilize the spiritual gifts and to benefit from the overseeing and equipping ministry of itinerant five-fold ministry teams. The 5-fold ministry of pastor, teacher, apostle, prophet and evangelist can also be utilized throughout the networks to bring greater effectiveness to these churches, and to multiply new pastors, teachers, apostles, prophets and evangelists to also train and multiply others with these giftings. House churches are more flat in structure and less administrative, thus cutting out a lot of the bureaucracy and politics that often are part and parcel of the structure of more traditional models, so they are freed up to be more flexible and to move and act quickly as God leads. The low administration also keeps down the costs which can be then be directed towards the poor and reaching the lost. Although house churches also have imperfections because people are still people, the nature of house churches is a model which is very conducive to Christ's command to DISCIPLE THE NATIONS, especially as house churches network with other house churches in their community and throughout their country, and indeed with other house church networks throughout the world to share resources and to support and prayer for each other, and to partner together on various ministries, etc. as God leads. Many long for the reality of a church experience similar to that of Acts, and I believe that God has heard the cry of many of our hearts and is moving us increasingly into these directions. SOME BENEFITS OF HOUSE CHURCHES (summary): Reaching missed segments of society Discipleship/godly character development Loving accountability Close fellowship Conducive to more rapid and consistent spiritual growth Encourage us in our roles in the Great Commission Free up finances for the Great Commission Training and multiplication of servant leadership Help prevent burnout of leaders Built in form of protection re persecution Multiplication of churches Provide sense of family/belonging Conducive to reaching Gen X, immigrants, refugees, poor, etc., etc. Conducive to 'discipling the nations' Biblical Christianity lived out in daily life Others can 'know us by our love' Reproduction can happen quite easily House churches are much more able to hold/disciple the coming harvest Multiplication of churches leading to people movements Able to contain and disciple the growing harvest Spiritual gifts and five-fold ministry are developed/exercised Five fold ministry equips next generations of leaders Every member of the family important Every member of the house church involved in ministry House churches can be poised to be flexible with what God is doing House churches can be poised to respond to needs Natural as "Houses of Prayer" Natural sender of missionaries Natural 'missionary care/support' function Low administrative needs Low costs to function Worship Conducive to evangelism/discipleship Conducive to reaching the poor Conducive to ministering to the hurting For more articles on House Churches or discipling the nations go to http://disciplethenations.org/HCHome.html or http://www.outreach.ca/cpc/housechurches.htm