The Beauty of Home Church
Why We Do Home Church Part 2
I’ve had a few conversations about why we do home church recently - from folks visiting the home church, from those concerned about whether home church is legitimate, from those wondering if our intentions are in the right place, or from those just curious. I appreciate all the inquiries and thought it would be a good to put my convictions to paper.
Background
I grew up A.M.E. In college, I spent time in white evangelical spaces. Later, I ended up in a reformed Baptist church. I tried home church for nearly a year while attending seminary, which started great and ended poorly. A coup was involved. We then settled in a small black Baptist church; however, circumstances brought us back to home church indefinitely. There is church hurt from every one of these situations. However, the details of those stories will be for another time. Unfortunately, many people want to box me in and assume I am doing home church out of a response from church trauma… as if there isn’t a biblical precedent for home church!
The Disclaimer and Warning
My convictions for home church are strong; however, there are many positive things that an institutionalized church, also referred to as building church, can offer. Nevertheless, this is not an article explaining all the benefits of institutionalized church, it is part 2 of an article series explaining why the King family does home church. I am secure in my convictions, I hope you are for yours as well. Part 3 will include pointing out many of the flaws of a Western-Europeanized style of church.
I respect your decisions to do church how you want, AND I want to be clear: 1) I am not writing to convince you to do home church, 2) I am not writing to convince you that ‘building church’ is wrong. Let me reiterate, “You do not need to hold my convictions about church, go forth and do great things.”
Why We Do Home Church
#1 There is a biblical precedent for home church.
Home church is modeled in Acts 5:42; 20:7-8, 20; 1 Cor 16:19; Rom 16:5; Col 4:15; Philemon 2, 1 Cor 1:16; Acts 16:15; Gal 6:10; 2 John 10 and more. I write more about this here:
#2 The First Expression of Church is in Homes
Acts 2:46-47 describes the first gathering of believers breaking bread in their homes.1 This organic expression of church – which believers are sharing life together, meeting each other’s needs, devoting themselves to the apostle’s teaching, fellowshipping, and praying – emphasized relationships over programs, community over hierarchy, and spiritual growth over production. It was a movement rooted in mutual accountability, shared resources, and the simplicity of radical community. This radical concept you saw in the first century was something spectacular called ‘friendship.’
#3 House Church is Fertile Soil for Making Disciples
Discipleship
Discipleship is a responsibility for EVERY individual, and family.
This journey of discipleship occurs mostly outside of a structured meeting place. Hospitality evangelism is the most natural and dynamic way to make disciples. In home church, we all worship, learn, and serve together as a family. Rosaria Butterfield describes radical ordinary hospitality as “Using your Christian home in a daily way that seeks to make strangers neighbors, and neighbors family of God.”2 It is also a natural and dynamic way to reach the unreached. In one’s home, the whole family’s character and relational capital is involved. This allows folks who do not know Christianity to see the integrity of a person’s faith over time. Home church consistently welcomes such vulnerability. It is why churches emphasize small groups or community groups so much. The opportunities for accountability is natural, intimate, and authentic.
Biblical Community
Biblical community demands an uncomfortable intimacy, vulnerability and a sharing of one’s emotions, space, and material possessions. It is a radical fellowship that is antithetical to the hyper-individualization, privatization, and monetization culture which dominates the American lifestyle and ethos. There are at least 30 ‘one anothers’ in the scriptures that demand proximity, compassion, commitment, and continuity.3
Shepherd Accountability
In home church, the shepherd has accountability too! The shepherd’s proximity creates an environment in which they can neither isolate themselves nor become separated from the church body. This alienation has led to the fall of many pastors and churches. In home church, the pastor is visible and accessible. The pastor is challenged and being challenged by co-labors who are also a holy priesthood. Conversely, the church sees intimately, the pastor’s example of an appropriate balance between church, family and their partnership with family ministry.
#3b House Church is Fertile Ground for Gospel Transformation
House church gatherings are responsible for Christianity’s initial widespread reach4 and is the most accessible model for church multiplication in missional movements.5
Gathering for worship where you live is conducive for communal/neighborhood evangelism. Homes become the norm for missionary hubs and thus discipleship is decentralized and commonplace. Imagine if every Christian saw their homes as discipleship hubs! In this context, converts are already supplied with discipleship relationships. Home church also helps us to think multi-generationally. Intergenerational ministries provide a much more robust and well-rounded spiritual development within the body.6 In this environment, multiplication might be as commonplace as it was in Acts 2:47 in which “Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.”
God used gospel transformed community through the first expressions of church to transform lives!
#4 House Church Worship
House church provides an intimate corporate worship setting. Additionally, our home church facilitates a participatory communal worship. Some form of call and response to the scriptures, prayer, song, or each other happens for the majority of our gathering. Prayer is communal. Application from text-driven principles is happening in a communal context. We can also adjust worship to the needs of the community in the moment. Does someone need more time in prayer? To respond in song? To process the apostle’s teachings? To express their hurt? It can all be responded to in that moment where the corporate body of believers can see, hear, and feel your personhood right now. Furthermore, home church organically welcomes children to worship along with their parents which also has biblical precedent.7
#5 Worship As a Lifestyle
Worship is a lifestyle; not merely a one-day spectacle nor a preferred style of music.
Home church reinforces the concept that your home is a natural gathering place for the faith community to worship God together. When we begin to see our homes as natural places to gather for worship, rather than an exclusive and sacred space which we are entitled to, then we begin to steward God’s blessings in their appropriate jurisdiction. Home church encourages worship as a lifestyle, in which we steward all our possessions as if they were God’s! This includes our home, time, and money. In this manner, worship extends beyond Sunday, as it should. Ministry becomes the organic lifestyle in which you do all things to God’s glory!
#6 House Church Affirms One’s Spiritual Gifts
The entire context for spiritual gifts assumes a local body with which to express those gifts in service to others. Therefore, some degree of commitment, continuity, and compassion is necessary for assessing and employing gifts. The intimacy of the home church is conducive for the spiritual insights and direction that affirming one’s calling or gifting. This communal engagement enables us to live out the church’s biblical mandate to love one another and continuously build each other up.
The church body is built up and fit together into a holy temple and the dwelling place of God, in the Spirit (Eph 2:17-22). We EACH have a purpose and a part to play, which is readily available and transparent in the home church context. This idea is expanded upon in Ephesians 4. We are to live worthy of the calling we have received, because EACH one has grace according to the measure of Christ's gift. This grace is not in reference to salvation but stewardship of the gifts. We all have roles8 to play and we are to equip one another for the work of service, to the building up of the church ‘until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness’ (Eph 4:13).
The Early Church and Organization of Spiritual Gifts
1 Corinthians 14 gives an intimate and early glimpse of the early church during a worship service. It is also instruction on how the spiritual gifts manifests within the church body. The entire passage is answering questions about how to identify and employ spiritual gifts informed by the wisdom of the church body. From this passage we learn that believers are to be directed by the needs of the body over their preferences or desires. Of note, one may come to realize it was a ‘calling’ after serving the needs of the body in the ministry for a while. Nonetheless, the entire setting of this passage seems to strongly imply a home church environment: each person is to have a gift, Paul describes an environment in which everyone is participating (and even interrupting) an intimate gathering such that we are able to identify the smallest of voices9, Paul even gives reference to concrete numbers of spiritual gifts within the body in the low single digits.10
#7 House Church Reaffirms the Family as a Place of Discipleship
The home is the ripest ground for long-lasting fruitfulness for families to make disciples. Furthermore, it is God’s desire for babies to be born in the ultimate disciple-making small group known as the family. Kids learn from their households, whether it is fruitful or not depends on how much God-given responsibility and authority the parents exercise. Neither the responsibility nor the authority of the spiritual development of one’s children can be delegated. Families are the primary disciple-makers in their homes and beyond.11
#8 Home Church elevates the Implications of the Priesthood of all Believers
After being rescued from Egypt Israel finds themselves at the mountain where they are to worship God. At this point, all the males have priestly duties (Ex 13:2) and God labels them a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Ex 19:6). God starts laying out what this will look like with the Ten Commandments (Ex 20) and Laws (Ex 21-23). The people affirm the covenant (Ex 24) and receive more instruction on worship regarding the Ark of Covenant and Tabernacle and Priests (Ex 25-31). Then they fall into grave sin with the Golden Calf (Ex 32). From that point on, they are never acknowledged as a ‘kingdom of priests’ again and the priestly duties are restricted to the Levites! They become a kingdom with priests, instead of a kingdom of priests. A separate group within the elect is formed, similar to how many church structures are set up today. What God seems to have removed from them, He restores to all His people in more inclusive terms – ‘you yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.’ (1 Peter 2:5) We are all now ‘a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises, of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.’ (1 Peter 2:9) Notice that ‘being built up’ implies a continued progression, thus a commitment and continuity between the community. We all have a roll to fill and we are equal co-laborers for one another.
#9 Biblical Community is Mandated in the Scriptures
I believe biblical community is the superpower we are not taking advantage of. We have been given Resurrection power in Christ that manifests in community. Jesus has emphatically torn down any and all dividing walls between us, while equipping us with the Holy Spirit to live the most radical life of sharing and fellowship. One description of our biblical mandate as well as our communal responsibility to each other is illustrated in Galatians 6:1-10. Galatians 6 presents an outline of how we can be the church – balancing our corporate calling and individual initiative. The passage is structurally organized between the flow of corporate (church community) responsibility followed by individual duty.12
Vs 1 Corporate Responsibility – ‘Restore a person with a gentle spirit’
Vs1 Individual Duty – ‘Watch out lest you be tempted’
Vs 2 Corporate Responsibility – ‘Bear/Carry/Take On one another’s burden’
Vs 3-5 Individual Duty – ‘Examine your own work, carry your own load’
Vs 6 Corporate Responsibility – ‘Share all good things with teachers’
Vs 7-8 Individual Duty – ‘Do not be deceived, a man reaps what he sows’
Vs 9-10 Corporate Responsibility – ‘Do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers’
Grammatically, there are several present tense imperative or command verbs in this short section. The following all-caps rendition helps reinforce the sense of urgency from the passage.
RESTORE with a gentle spirit, BEAR/CARRY/TAKE ON each other's burdens, EXAMINE one's own works and take up your own load, SHARE all good things with the teacher, and DO NOT BE DECEIVED because God is not mocked and a man reaps what he sows.
These are not merely principles to live by; rather, these present imperatives are commands to be executed on a continual basis.13 Thus, as Christians, we are accountable to one another, continually, and in very intimate ways. This tether is not an imprisonment, but a freedom. There is safety, peace, and freedom when you have true biblical community to keep you tethered to freedom in Christ. Therefore, we can live life to the fullest, with zeal, in the dangerous territory of radically loving others as we are called (1 John 3:23). We can do so knowing that we have people around us to encourage, empower, and equip us. Jesus has given us the gift and power of a designated peoples to help us live life abundantly in Him! Home church is a glue that solidifies biblical community. When home church is an extension of your biblical community, the singing, praying, reading of scripture, and worshipping of God together does miraculous things (Eph 5:19). Paul describes this mystery and phenomenon in Eph 3:17–19, “I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” There is the heavenly gift of community that home church buttresses.
Coporate Responsibility and Individual Initiative
In Galatians 6, we also see a perfect balance between communal and individual responsibility. It is my contention that the home church environment best maintains this balance while allowing both the corporate body and individual to thrive. In Christ, neither one is consumed by the other. When done well, believers within the church body have a healthy codependency and responsibility towards one another. Community and individuality are balanced such that neither renders the other useless nor void. Deitrich Bonhoeffer describes the beautiful balance of community and individuality in his convicting work Life Together, “Whoever cannot be alone should beware of community. ... But the reverse is also true. Whoever cannot stand being in community should beware of being alone.”14 Community, as described by the Bible, is radical! Read every word of Acts 2:42-47 without softening the implications: There is no material need within the body! We celebrate together often! We eat food together in each others’ homes! And we praise God! That type of gospel transformed community and church is attractive!
Conclusion
Discipleship is at the heart of our decision to pursue home church. In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus commissions His followers to make disciples of all nations, teaching them to obey everything He has commanded. We believe that the most effective way to fulfill this mandate is through intentional, life-on-life relationships. The home church environment fosters increased intentionality, offering discipleship opportunities for every church member. Discipleship is also fulfilled in the exercising of our spiritual gifts within the body. In home church, persons are encouraged to share their gifts, contribute to discussions, and take on roles that build up the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:7-11).
Home Church reorganizes our priorities to be more missionally minded. Home church is naturally oriented towards the neighborhood for hospitality and evangelism. And, the whole ‘household’ participates, which is a more comprehensive and focused approach to ministry. Our children are active participants in our gatherings, learning alongside us and contributing in their own unique ways. This intergenerational approach not only strengthens our family bond but also helps our children see faith lived out in the context of real-life community.
Discipleship deepens when it occurs in the everyday life situations such as the gathering of peoples in each other’s homes.
Notwithstanding, house churches are not perfect. The circumstances I am describing are what I am experiencing in our home church currently. You can start home church tomorrow and not experience any of what I have just described. I hope wherever you are, your faith is being challenged and you are experiencing the blessings God desires for us. I write more about how to choose a church here:
I also hope this article also spurs additional thoughts, questions, and even challenges. I welcome them all. Let’s converse.
It also says the believers in Acts 2 also devoted themselves to meeting in the temple. We must caution ourselves from inserting our 21st century contexts and definitions into 1st century culture.
Butterfield, Rosaria. The Gospel Comes with a House Key: Practicing Radically Ordinary Hospitality in Our Post-Christian World. Crossway, Wheaton, Ill. 2018. 31.
Love one another (John 13:34, 15:12, 15:17; Romans 13:8; 1 Thessalonians 4:9; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 3:11, 3:23, 4:7, 4:11, 4:12; 2 John 1:5)
Be devoted to one another (Romans 12:10)
Honor one another above yourselves (Romans 12:10)
Live in harmony with one another (Romans 12:16, 15:5)
Build up one another (Romans 14:19; 1 Thessalonians 5:11)
Accept one another (Romans 15:7)
Admonish one another (Romans 15:14; Colossians 3:16)
Greet one another with a holy kiss (Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:26)
Care for one another (1 Corinthians 12:25)
Serve one another (Galatians 5:13)
Bear one another's burdens (Galatians 6:2)
Forgive one another (Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13)
Be patient with one another (Ephesians 4:2; Colossians 3:13)
Be kind and compassionate to one another (Ephesians 4:32)
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:19)
Submit to one another (Ephesians 5:21; 1 Peter 5:5)
Consider others better than yourselves (Philippians 2:3)
Look to the interests of one another (Philippians 2:4)
Teach one another (Colossians 3:16)
Comfort one another (1 Thessalonians 4:18)
Encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrews 3:13)
Exhort one another (Hebrews 3:13)
Stir up one another to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24)
Show hospitality to one another (1 Peter 4:9)
Employ gifts for the benefit of one another (1 Peter 4:10)
Clothe yourselves with humility towards one another (1 Peter 5:5)
Pray for one another (James 5:16)
Confess your faults to one another (James 5:16)
Wait for one another before eating (1 Corinthians 11:33)
Have the same care for one another (1 Corinthians 12:25)
Seek to do good to one another (1 Thessalonians 5:15)
Keep loving one another earnestly (1 Peter 4:8)
“Historically, discipleship took place through relationships and house gatherings called ecclesia.” Shirley, Chris. Family Ministry and The Church: A Leader's Guide for Ministry Through Families (p. 115). Randall House.
Biblical Foundations for Baptist Churches: A Contemporary Ecclesiology. By John S. Hammett. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2005. 338.
Deut 32:44-47; Josh 24:15; Ps 78:1-8
Neh 12:43; Ex 12:24-27; Deut 16:9-11, 13-14; 31:9-13; Josh 8:34-35; Ezra 10:1; Joel 2:15-16; Acts 20:7-12; Paul addresses children assuming they are in the audience Eph 6:1-3; Col 3:20
Eph 4:11 – also notice every gift listed here has something to do with proclaiming God's Word!
1 Cor 14:6-11
Although I believe the context of 1 Cor 14 implies home church. I believe it is descriptive, not prescriptive. Meaning just because it fits the context of home church does not mean the passage excludes institutionalized church.
“God’s establishment of the family institution was described as ‘very good’ (Gen 1:31; 2:24). The family has always been a part of God’s salvation plan for mankind through reigning over the earth, reflecting His image, along with spiritual and physical reproduction (Gen 1:26-28; 2:24). The gospel itself has its birth in the family (Luke 2). Chris Shirley summarizes the partnership between family and church, ‘The home extends the ministry of the church into the community as (1) a station for relational evangelism, (2) a base for transformational discipleship, (3) a source for intergenerational relationships, and (4) a satellite for ministry outreach.’”
G. Walter Hansen, Galatians, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1994), Ga 6:1–10.
As opposed to a statement making an assertion from which we draw biblical principles from such as Gal 1:3. The one who considers (indicative) himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives (indicative) himself. Thus, two principles we can draw from this is be humble, do not be deceived. We should not ignore these principles; however, they do not carry the same weight as a command to WALK humility or the command to WATCH out, lest you are deceived.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together, ed. Victoria J. Barnett, trans. Daniel W. Bloesch, Reader’s Edition., Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2015), 55–56.