Articles

“I live in _________. Do you know any good house churches in my area?”

I often get emails like this, and here’s how I often respond:

“There are various tools that might help you discover a simple/organic church in your area, (I usually point them to the “find a church” feature on www.house2house.com <//www.house2house.com>  ) but I’d like you to pray about a different approach. You’ve been a believer for a number of years. Why don’t you start something? Work with those who don’t yet know the Lord or the unchurched—it’s much easier. We’d love to help you.”
Most Christians, especially those from a more traditional form of church background, assume the obvious way to start any kind of church is to invite a few Christians to their home for fellowship. As other believers join them and the group gets large enough, they will multiply out into two churches and so on.

I no longer try to start simple/house churches. I think house churches are great. They provide a place for people to experience participatory, everyone-matters church life. They provide a way for people to really connect into authentic, one-another community. They often provide a place for people to recover from some of the pains caused by institutional church life. But house churches are no longer the end game for me.

Jesus invited us to join him, organically, in the reproduction of life. His church is a living, thriving, reproducing organism (Mark 4) that allows life-in-the-Spirit to spread virally from one disciple to the next. His church is alive as illustrated by a seed (Mark 4) that brings forth 30, 60, or 100-fold reproduction. That is the life of the kingdom. His life in me is passed on to the life of another (2-fold) which is passed to the life of another (4-fold) which is passed to the life of another (8-fold), etc. That is the way of organic/viral life and this is what the kingdom IS. This is ultimately what Jesus invited us to become part of: discipling viral disciplers.

Recently, Josh Reeves wrote several great articles with simple ideas and ways you can be missional in your workplace, as well as simple ways to engage your neighbors. And although the word “missional” has become quite a buzzword recently, it really just means that we live every day as missionaries. Jesus said that “As the Father has sent me, so I send you” (John 20:21). That word “sent” is where we get the word “missional.” It simply means that we live as Jesus lived – as sent people who live everyday life with gospel intentionality.

In fact, most of the simple ideas you’ll find below are very much in the context of your everyday life, but when looked at with a lens of gospel intentionality – when viewed through the eyes of a missionary – become not just ordinary tasks, but eternally significant rhythms of your life that are teeming with gospel opportunity:

1. Participate in the local festivals, parades and celebrations of your city.

2. Find a park where you will consistently spend time with your community.

3. Pick a few restaurants to frequent getting to know the staff and regulars.

4. Go to the same coffee shop when you can.

We are glad to announce the publishing of a new book in Russian - Reimagining Church by Frank Viola

You can order the book by sending your name and address and the quantity of books that you want to simplechurch.books@gmail.com

Dear Nickolai,

Throughout my time as a missionary, I have often been asked, “How is it working? What are the results?” Also, I have highlighted results to show others that we were doing good stuff whether it be church planting, training, Next Generation, Simple Churches, or Drug Rehab Homes. In truth, I have been one who focuses on pragmatism and methodology. When there were results, the world was right side up. When there were disappointments with progress, there was most often a change in methods or a sense of discouragement, sometimes to the point of doubting Christ’s promises to complete His mission.

Editors Note:

The simple (or organic) church movement is made of all kinds of people from all kinds of denominations and backgrounds. We have tried to primarily present articles that are written from a positive viewpoint. Some writers(and also bloggers, and other participants of our site), however, present their ideas in a strong contrast to more traditional views of church. We do not want to offend our readers. It would, however, not be appropriate for us to edit these articles, so instead we present them in their entirety so that each reader can get a full understanding of what different people are saying and decide for himself how these principles and thoughts apply to their own situation.

We don’t expect you to agree with every word you read here, and neither do we. However, it is important that we join this global dialogue that is occurring, so that we can discern what God is speaking to us both as individuals and as churches. Read, pray, dialogue, and may God speak to us all about how we can be the disciples and bride He has called us to be

How did the early church teach their children? Did it involve Sunday school, children's church, or nurseries?

Dear Nicolay,

There are times that I truly wonder if I am sane or insane. Do I live in or understand reality? I just left a meeting of primarily teachers and pastors discussing the state of today’s church in Ukraine. Where have the apostolic men gone? My conclusion - God help us! We are truly an over educated bunch filled with theology and doctrine and methods and strategies. It was all quite complex and frustrating just as I fear we (I) have made this whole church and Christianity thing. None of us lack for words or ideas about what other people should do – some of us actually have spiritual gifts to explain our behavior.

First, allow me to say that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching (cause to learn), rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness so that all God’s people may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. II Timothy 3:16-17

Second, allow me to say that God has gifted men and women to be both proclaimers and teachers of the Word of God.

Third, allow me to say that the Word of God should be central to all gatherings of Christ followers.

The Kingdom of God is the rule of God. And it rests upon the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The Kingdom of God produces the church . . . the community of the King.  The church, in turn, submits to the sway or rule of the Kingdom. As it does, the church expresses, represents, and advances God’s Kingdom on the earth.

Properly conceived, the church is the community of believers who possess Divine life. This community joyfully enthrones Jesus Christ, expresses His sovereign rule in the world, and as a result, enjoys the blessings of the future age here-and-now (Rom. 14:17; Heb. 6:5).

According to the New Testament, the church is not a building. Neither is it a denomination, a religious service, nor a non-denominational organization. The church is a living organism. It is simply this: A community of people who possess the life of God’s Kingdom and who express it together.

Your New Testament contains the epic saga of the early church. That saga centers on how God the Father has made Jesus of Nazareth both Lord and King of the universe. According to the Gospels, the master thought of Jesus was the Kingdom of God which is "at hand." The book of Acts continues this thought and tells the story of how the Kingdom made its introduction in Jerusalem and spread to Rome.

It is vital to understand that house church networks are not the same thing, in any way, as churches with small groups (even if those small groups are called “house churches.”

The cell church (I will adopt the term “cell” church to refer to all types of small-group-based churches) has been a strong movement in North America over the past 30 years while the house church network is only just beginning to emerge.

Nevertheless, in order to evaluate what God is doing in both of these streams it is very useful to recognize the differences:

1. Within the house church network, each house church is fully, and completely real church. The attitude of the member comes out of an awareness that “I am the church.”

The cell church is an extension of a larger church. It is a smaller piece, a ministry of, the larger, real church. The cell member tends to regard himself as one who “belongs to” the small group and is a “member of” the larger church.