Our House or Their House

The focus needs to change from "our house" to "their house" Much of the present house church movement is still an attempt to contain and control the meetings in their own camp. The full gains that are available will not be realised until we can begin to let the movement flow into THEIR HOUSES.

-The church in Lydia's house was just that - in Lydia's house.
-Matthew's party was in Matthew's house. N

Not the more convenient house of Simon Peter's mother-in-law. And dont tell me it was her stomach complaints that kept them away . . . It was strategy, not dysentery, that led them to Matthew's house.
-Jesus told his short-term missionaries to put peace on THEIR (those other people, the ones they were sent to) house, enter THEIR house, live in THEIR house, eat in THEIR house, heal someone or something in THEIR house. Right there is the base of a new church and it is in THEIR house. Do we no longer trust God enough to free up people to run with the Kingdom of God in their houses? Have we replaced our trust in the Spirit's power for the scaffolding of programs and hierarchies that prop up our temples?
And yet the benefits of going organic are still there when we choose their house over our house:

  • Financial, because if the party is in their house then they pay for it.
  • Security, because if the party is in their house then they will guarantee every one is safe.
  • Culture, because the friends of the host already appreciate the culture of their style of music and culture so there is no culture barrier. Even the structure of the event (yes, everything has structure) is relevant and appropriate.
  • Convenience, because they already have that house and everyone knows where it is.

I could go on. I could also say that this principle needs to be applied on the civic level as well as the domestic level. That the city offers a gift to those who are not too self-sufficient to receive it.

Andrew Jones

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    All across the world, people are gathering in small groups to serve and worship God, be family, and encourage and affect each others lives. These gatherings are called by many names including simple church, organic church, and house church. Whatever you call it, the people involved value incarnational ministry to the lost, living radically for Jesus and each other, and are willing to get rid of anything that gets in the way of being fully devoted followers of Christ.

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