Vision for Ministry

The example of church in Scripture did three things: They Studied Scripture, They had Fellowship with God and man and They Prayed.

Acts 2:42 (NASB)  They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Sometimes less is more. The simple home church is the design that God has set forth in Scripture for us to follow. Simple home church meetings where believers are consumed with God's love and pray according to His will with an expectation that God blesses obedience.  

We also will learn the Scripture together. Every believer is responsible to read the Scripture daily. We will have a guided discussion concerning the same Scripture at our weekly gathering. We usually discuss one chapter a week. You will be able to ask questions and share what you have received from God that week . We all need to know God’s word to walk with Christ. God uses His Word to write His law on the believer's heart, which is motivated by the love and reality of God. We will work together to understand His Word and His will in our lives.

Christian fellowship is enjoying God's family. In fellowship the group benefits from the gifts bestowed on individuals through the Holy Spirit. Believers need to exercise their gifts from the Holy Spirit and contribute to the family. Every believer is important to function in the body. The result is we care for each other in Christ and learn to walk in truth together. (1 Timothy 3:15)

God's system of worship is implemented through a home group family setting. The family setting allows believers to fellowship on a personal level and truly care for each other. Personal interaction in the Holy Spirit is the only means that will invoke love for each other. The home group also provides a means of evangelism and should be outwardly focused to love the world as Christ does. 

Prayer and truth brings the faithful into the reality of God through their Great High Priest Jesus Christ. The focus is always on Christ for all things.

“Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” Col. 3:17

So Why a Home Church?

Have you ever thought there must be something more to my Christian walk? I’m not walking in victory as I should and something is missing. The reason may be because we have deviated from God’s pattern of the church. God intends for you to be part of His close knit family. We need to abide in Christ and learn from His word together. This will only happen if we are obedient to God’s word and become the church that is outlined in Scripture for us in the Book of Acts. (Acts 2:42,46, 5:42, 20:20)

There are three reasons that answer the question, “why a house church?” A house church is faithful to Scripture, efficient in operation and effective on mission. 

 1.     Faithful to Scripture: 

Perhaps the main reason to organize the church as a house church is because that is what we see in Scripture. They met in house churches for worship, much like underground churches today. (Acts 16:40, Acts 20:20, 1 Corinthians 16:19, Colossians 4:15)  Because of this organization, the house churches’ priorities are different. The church is about people not a building. Believers are “being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:4-5 NASB) The church is also organized as a family. Where people know each other and are able to build each other up in the truth. (1 Tim 3:15) As a contrast, the believers in the Bible went to the temple and synagogue to evangelize the unbelievers. (Acts 5:18-20, Acts 14:1-3, Acts 18:4)  The point is God has given us an example of church organization in Scripture. The church today has deviated from that example. The church is not about money and buildings it is about God and people in a family.

2.     Efficient in operation.

We see in Scripture the money given in the church was to support each other. The workers in the church were often self-supported. The Apostles were sometimes an exception because they devoted themselves to the Word and wrote the New Testament. Other believers who had house churches like Timothy or Aquila and Pricilla were self-supported. (Acts 2:44-45, Acts 18:3) Even the Apostle Paul supported himself and said a couple of interesting things. Paul said, "I have coveted no one's silver or gold or clothes. You yourselves know that these hands have ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me." and in the same breath he quoted our Lord and said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." (Acts 20:33-35) He said this in regard to ministering to the church and is the example of how we should minister to the needs of the other disciples.

Think about it, NO electric bill, mortgage to pay, or salaries. Just money to give to the needs of others. 

3.     Effective on mission making disciples.

Discipleship becomes a group project as the family works together to build each other up in the word. We are encouraged to read the Bible every day and will discuss what we have read when we meet. Good habits help build strong disciples.

Every family every member is responsible to exercise their gifts from God with each other and share the greatest gift to others, which is Christ. Because we are a family, believers are more open to inviting others whom God has chosen to join their family. Therefore, the Great Commission and Commandment are pursued with a passion because of God’s love. 

Conclusion:

The main objective is to do things God’s way. The only example of church in the Bible looks a whole lot different than what we see today. We hear of pastors being burned out because of being overworked and under payed. Most of the faithful in the church just attend and pay tithe. Too often the main consideration is budgets and buildings instead of people. In contrast, the Bible portrays a family of God in Christ following their Savior and lifting people to Him. They gave sacrificially from all they had. The point is organization and how we do our business in church matters. The Church will do much better if we learn to be obedient to God and follow His example as outlined in Scripture for church organization. 

The church in the book of Acts fellow shipped together in homes, they knew each other and cared for one another. They spent time understanding the Word of God and prayed diligently for God’s will to occur on earth as it is in heaven. They became God’s witnesses to the ends of the earth and they also shared in the sufferings of Christ because of their witness. 

The most dramatic difference is that church should be about Christ not us! Truly abiding in the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Christ will establish us in close fellowship with God. Then God will bring fruit to our lives!

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