 The house church context provides a unique environment for the study and application of God’s Word. When you have 10-20 individuals gathered in close proximity, it is different than speaking to 1000 people in an auditorium or even 40 people in a classroom. The house church gives a great opportunity for people to ask questions, to develop their understanding in a group, to share what the Holy Spirit is saying to them, and to develop points of application in community.
In the context of the house church setting we do not want to be the
“Sage upon the stage but the Guide along the side.” As such, we have
the following guidelines for those who lead the “Word Time” in the
House Gathering setting.
Our Goals:
-
Life Transformation The target of our time in the Word is not just
to grow in knowledge but to change lives. Knowledge is a beginning
step…it must move on to understanding, motivation, and obedience. If
what we are studying does not lead to application in our personal
lives, we have missed the target. As we apply and obey the Word, we are
transformed by the Spirit into the image of Jesus. The content of the
study, then, is always the servant of application and obedience. Jesus
told us to “teach them to obey all that I have commanded you.”
-
Growing Self-Feeding Followers of Jesus From early on, we want
believers to be able to go to the Word, have the Spirit speak to them,
and be able to feed themselves. Too often believers have relied upon
others to feed them. Too often those who have been fed learn to stay in
a dependent state for much of their spiritual lives. Jesus said in John
14:25-27, But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send
in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything
I have said to you. We seek to grow followers of Jesus who can go to
His Word and by the work of the Spirit receive spiritual food for
growth. Our time in the Word in our House Gatherings then, will
emphasize everyone getting into the Word, hearing from God, obeying
what we hear, and contributing corporately together.
Our Philosophy:
-
It is Bible Based: Whereas there are many great books out there
written by people, our Word Time is focused on the Bible. The majority
of time we will focus on a passage of scripture that is a part of a
book study or the controlling text of a topical study. In topical
studies we want to avoid jumping around to scores of individual verses.
Some studies might need to be that way but that is not to be normative
for our gatherings.
-
It is Simple and Reproducible: We see ourselves starting new groups
with new believers. These new believers will be trained in a
“Word-Time” method that can be easily applied thereby avoiding
dependency. If we modeled a method that required seminary-trained
leaders, everyone would likely stay in a dependent mode. That means we
will de-emphasize the preaching/teaching model for our House Gatherings
and lean on an interactive, application oriented, corporate study of
the Word. We want to initiate the process of “divine discovery
together.”Again we are more interested in people obeying the truth they
are hearing than having 10,000 bits of new information crammed into
their heads!
-
It is Relevant: The Word of God is relevant. It speaks to all
cultures and all people throughout all of time. That means a big part
of our Word Time will be discussing and applying biblical truths. Word
Time must touch our heart, lives, relationships, identities, our
failures, our sins, our purposes, our struggles, our missions, and our
humanity
-
It is Engaging: Very few of us can hold an audience and keep them
engaged for very long. That means we do not see our Word Time as one
person doing all the talking. The role of the leader is to open the
Word, have it read, and then lead the group in discovery and
exploration arriving at a point of personal application. They must
study the Scripture first, let it raise provocative and relevant
questions, and then guide the group into interacting with the Bible.
For the teachers and preachers among us, we must put aside our biases
and preferences for the good of the group. Our preachers and teachers
will need to find other venues outside of the House Gathering setting
to express those gifts. We envision times during our Celebrations,
retreats, trainings, and workshops where the teaching/preaching gifts
will be more employed.
Our Methodology
Some are rightly concerned that it is important for people to know how
to interpret Scripture in context. Some texts are fairly straight
forward and directly apply…others will take a little more explanation
of the context. One of the best ways to teach people how to do that is
to practice it corporately in our House Gatherings. Some basic
questions that those who are leading the Word Time should ask include
the following:
1. What does the passage say?
* What happened?
* What is being said about God…people?
* Is there anything in this text that seems odd to us today?
* What questions does this passage raise that you want to explore?
2. How was this understood by people in its original context?
* Is there any background information we need to know to help
understand? (This is where the leader can do some background study and
act as a resource.)
* What was going on when this passage was first written?
* Are there any events leading up to this passage that help us understand it?
3. What are the truths to learn, principles to apply, commands to obey, examples to follow, or promises to claim that apply to us today?
* How does this impact your relationship with God?
* How does this impact your relationships with others?
* How does this change the way you see your own identity?
* What area of your life is being challenged here?
* What is the Holy Spirit showing you about this passage?
* Where are you struggling as it relates to this passage?
* How does this impact God’s mission and call in your life?
* How would you live differently as a result of this passage?
4. What do I need to apply, obey, confess and repent, or put into action as a result of this study?
Our goal is to make followers of Jesus like Jesus. We thank God for gifted teachers and preachers but we also recognize that growth and transformation must go beyond information. What a unique setting we have in our House Gatherings to move towards teaching techniques that lead to application and obedience. The House Church model provides a unique setting where each member helps others to learn how to read, study, come to the Word, ask questions, and hear from the Holy Spirit. The House Church model provides a unique setting where Word-Time can be reproduced and multiplied in thousands of homes.
David Gschwend
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