That about sums it up…:)

When I first created a website for a local gathering and started posting it to home church directories, half the people who called me were “prophets”.

“Sure, c’mon over to place my place. I’ll get some friends together so you can tell them about God’s judgment on America.”

Or not…

From the cheap seats the form in which Christians gather is less important that fulfilling the mandate and mission of the church to serve and teach the nations how to live. As long as it is about ‘us’  we will not be overwhelmingly conquers in the earth.

Seek first the kingdom of God and His Righteousness — If we do that Jesus will build His church as He said he would and we will about the teaching the nations of the world how to live.

Christians want to argue doctrine, structure, polity and whatnot – when we need to rally around who we are and why we are here.

Thanks for the thoughts, PK!

I think it’s a mistake to have a one-or-the-other stand on house church vs. meeting place churches (by meeting-place church, I am referring to those who prefer a building and not a house).  Somehow this has been thrown into an adversarial scenario in some circles, and it’s both silly and unnecessary.  As far as relevancy, the building you meet in–in my opinion–is not relevant.  What is relevant is the gathering of Christians to be both a place of worship and a witness to the world.  That group is the church.  Not the brick and mortar thing you built with all of that money you raised.

I also think it’s a huge mistake to rely on a building to add to your numbers by its sheer presence alone.  Waiting for people to show up is any easy excuse for me to not knock on doors or witness in any venue God provides.  Not preaching to anyone here, I am just telling you how my history has been with it.

As far as evangelism goes, is our goal to add numbers to our meeting place, or to add numbers to Christ?

Home churches are subject to the same pitfalls that meeting-place churches suffer from, and the scriptural prescription for such illnesses are the same.  When an ego barges into a house church to take ungraced control and/or starts preaching a false gospel, you  confront them.  If it persists, you boot their butt the same way you would if the same type of loud, hissing reptile slithered into a meeting-place church.

I know, I’ve oversimplified in my example, but hopefully you get my point.

Personally, I think Christians in America right now would be very wise to embrace the home church and stop trying to illegitimize it.  News flash: care groups are not the end all and be all of home meetings.  As Christians we are naive to think we are above or will never experience any type of radical downward spiral of the government that would lead to Christians having to meet in homes.  I’m not a rabid dispensationalist, and I am not an apologist for home churches…I’m just sayin’, brothers and sisters.

Needin Hope, what’s your story and how can we help?

Vida

So glad you found the site!  If you want to tell us your story, go to the top of the page and click “My Story”.  That would be the best place to say what you want – no one is allowed to criticize you on that forum, or on “Moving On”.  Jim keeps those two places safe from the drive-by’s who don’t understand.  Like Stunned said, you are feeling what many of us did at one time.  I cried all day when I read over at SGM Survivors.  Others had the same experiences with PDI/SGM as I and my family had!

Welcome again.  I think you will find hope as you keep reading.    Canary

Welcome to the site.  So many of us know exactly what you mean by the feeling that you’re losing your mind.  But you’re not!  When people are feeling that way it is most likely because they are seeing something clearly but those around them are acting like what is being seen is not there or that it is not as you see it.  Trust the Holy Spirit to guide you.  He gave you a gut to listen to and eyes to see.  And it sounds like He is blessing them with truth, even though it is such a painful time you are going through. 

There is lots of hope!  I promise.  There will come a day when things are seen clearly and no one will be standing beside you telling you that there is no elephant in the room and it must be all your imagination/sin/pride for seeing it.  God is leading you.  Be sure of that.  And He is not about to quit.  It is HIS work to complete the good work He started in you.

Welcome and wishing you the best today as you walk out this difficult time,
Stunned

There is more opportunity for believers to use their gifts to edify the Body in a small group.  Having an Elder or two is important.  Like Jim said, they will be easily identified.  Our elder never had to say much.  He just oversaw things, didn’t rule over anyone.  We all respected his wisdom and age, and knew he was there to watch over us in a good way.  It was an incredible experience.

As for evangelism, there wasn’t much done in our SGM church.  I am convinced that we share the Lord with people in our lives.  If they want to know  Him, we help raise them to maturity.  It isn’t complicated.  A house church should grow and split into more house churches if people are sharing the Lord in their every day lives.  Ours disolved because we moved to CO, but I will always be grafeful for the experience.

Defender has touched on this-evangelism should be a part of every believer’s life. So many American’s want to pay the pros, and have them do the work. “Feed” me, teach my kids, keep my teens out of trouble, or better yet, get them ‘fired up’ about God, preach the Gospel to the friends I invite to church.

You have elders all around you, and you might be one. We all need “equipping”, and I’d encourage everyone to glean from the wisdom of the elders in your midst. Read the qualifications in Tim and Titus, and do some deep thinking. I’ll bet you’ll realize that Paul is describing someone you know.