theimportanceofbelongingtoa"homechurch"

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Hello James:

Evolution is definitely not my thing either!

Yes I still consider Surfcity Christian Church to be my "home

church". So that's the church I go to by default, whenever I'm not

called away on assignment by the Spirit.

It's my conviction that we all can benefit from having a "home church".

Kenneth Hagin explains the benefits of belonging to a home church this way:

He cites the book of Acts where it tells us how Peter, after he was

released, "returned unto his own company". A prayer meeting was

being held in the house of Mary, John Mark's mother, for Peter,

because they had heard that Herod had imprisoned him on death-row,

like James. So when Peter was released, he went straight back to

this house where he found everyone aware of his plight, and in prayer

about him.

"Like Peter, we all need to have 'our own company', says brother

Hagin, "it could save your life".

Then I think brother Hagin tells the story of an old lady who was

faithful in her local church - she never missed. But one Sunday she

was missing. It was so uncharacteristic of her to ever miss even a

single service, so some members of her church went to her house to

check-up on her. I think they arrived to find that she had had a

fall, and was unable to get up off the floor.

Some elderly people have remained in that position for days before

being noticed. But this lady, because she had "her own company", was

conspicuous by her absence, and it saved her life!

Like Peter and the elderly lady in this story, having 'our own

company' can save our life, or protect us in many ways.

For that reason, Heritage City Community Church remained my home

church for seventeen years after I was saved there

http://www.hccc.com.au/

Then for the past eleven-and-a-half years and counting, Surfcity has

been my home http://www.surfcitynoise.com

I didn't embark on the travelling ministry without my senior

Pastor agreeing to it.

When I first set-out in a travelling ministry, my senior Pastor at

the time (in Ipswich) said, "I believe this is God". The elders

of the church laid their hands on me in front of the entire Sunday

morning congregation, and sent me out, carrying a letter of

introduction from the Senior Pastor. My Pastor said that if he ever

felt the need, he could simply recall me. He never did so.

On top of that, one day the founder and chairman of the

denomination I belonged to at the time, Christian Life Churches

International, told me, "I believe what you are doing is of God,

and I want to encourage you".

It was important to me to have the endorsement of both my local and

my denomination's leadership, and God gave me the assurance of having

both.

It's also important to point-out that even when I am away from town,

every single time I have been away travelling, the Holy Spirit has

been very specific about placing me under a local church of His

choosing in each particular city, and under it's senior Pastor -

for the entire duration of my time there.

Nothing I have ever done has ever been independent of a specific

local church. Both my sending in the first place, and also the work

I do in the places to which I am sent, are inseparable from the

institution of the local church.

Everything I have done whenever I have been away has been done

under, for, part of, and

contributing to, the work and authority of that specific local

church and it's senior pastor's vision - without exception.

This includes the issue of where I have been accommodated. From

memory, I think I

have almost always stayed either in the senior Pastor's house, or else in

the home of one of the assistant pastors, by the will of the senior

Pastor.

I wouldn't even consider going away on a holiday anywhere without

first having permission from my pastor, and then I would place myself

under a pastor of God's choosing, whilst I

was there. (Holiday or no holiday, there's no such thing as coming

out from underneath God's umbrella of godly authority, even just

for a couple of weeks).

I don't find this restrictive - I find it opens greater

opportunities. And there is safety in it.

The way God transferred my spiritual home from Ipswich to the Gold Coast is

worth noting too.

It didn't come from man, but from God - and both pastors - in Ipswich

and here at the Gold Coast - agreed to it

While I was away in the Philippines for 19

months, all my family had relocated from

Ipswich to the Gold Coast - so when the time came for me to return

to Australia, naturally I wanted to be where my family is.

But that in itself wasn't enough of a reason for me to change

churches. The reason was spiritual, and the initiative came from

God, not from me.

When I first met Pastor Richard, he invited me to preach both

services at Surfcity the following Sunday. I phoned the Pastor in

Ipswich from Richard's office to ask if this was ok - and permission

was gladly granted.

During a service at Surfcity, I was sitting in the

congregation when I saw a vision of one door closing and another

door opening - and a vision of Pastor Richard's face.

Right at

that very moment, Pastor Richard called me to the front and announced to

the congregation, "The Holy Spirit has shown me that as a church,

we are to adopt John and his ministry."

In that service Pastor Richard called me an

apostle and "one of the youngest and most Holy-Ghosted

missionaries" and the elders of the church laid hands on me, and I

was received

into the church.

An important part of the transition was that I visited the Pastor in

Ipswich; we had a great talk, and he gladly released me from official

responsibility to the church in Ipswich.

One thing I still needed was endorsement from my new denomination.

It came one day while at a Hillsong Conference. The then State

Director for the Queensland Assembly of God, Pastor John Lewis told

me, "Don't ever let anyone change the way you operate. Keep doing

what you're doing".

Last week I caught up with Pastor Richard to tell him of my recent

travel. In my heart, I needed to know if he still endorses the

lifestyle. He certainly still does, and last Sunday night, he again

laid his hands on me in front of the congregation saying, "Go - go

and do what you do best. Raise him up Lord - and he shall have even

greater testimonies. Receive an anointing."

As you know I've had challenging times in my relationship to both

churches - but in my spirit, I've still known where "home" is.

I think that if where "home" is for us is ever to change, the

initiative must come from the Holy Spirit alone.

I pray the Holy Spirit will show you where he wants you to belong.

Wayne Alcorn's church http://www.brisbanecitychurch.com/site/index.cfm

Another church at Newfarm http://www.rivercitychurch.org.au/

Bless you,

John