I’ve heard that home churches are gaining in popularity. I’ve heard concerns that there could be doctrinal issues given the lack of seminary-educated leaders, but with so much bad doctrine being pumped out of so many churches it is hard to imagine the problem being worse!
What do you know about home churches, and what is your opinion of them? What is the Biblical view of them? Are there resources to help them be doctrinally sound and effective?
And no, I’m not thinking of starting one. I don’t have the energy or the expertise.
Filed under: Christian - misc., Christian living | Tagged: church, doctrine, God, religion
I would be skeptical of any home church in the U.S. I could see a home church in a country where Christianity is persecuted, or where the community of Christians is very, very small (< 20?).
Home Churches are not welcome in the U.S.
There are thousands of churches in the US. If you haven’t found one you like and this inclines you to start a home church – I would say you have problems.
If you live in a remote area, you should contact a bigger church near you and be part of that.
New Churches should be avoided at all costs. Christ prayed for unity – not new churches and denominations.
Thoughts?
Initially that is one way the Christian movement spread throughout the empire, within the home. When Paul is writing to the Corinthians correcting their distortion of the Eucharist meal, the meal itself was done in a congregant’s home. Also, many of the pastoral letters reflect/adopt/organize around household codes as a means for structuring the fledgling movement. There is a very rich history of the Christian movement using the home as a central place for worship and practice in the first and second centuries. So I would say there is some basis for continuing the practice. However, as you pointed out, unless the one organizing it is an astute and doctrinally sound Christian, then disaster could result. Also, some larger churches are using the home-based model to organize in small group ministries, which can be very successful. Within the UMC, this is happening more and more and it has historical presedence (though altered) within the Methodist movement.
I don’t think either is right or either is wrong. Regardless of whether we attend a denominational, non-denominational, or home church, we should test the “statement of faith” and theology of wherever we attend. If it isn’t Biblical, then we should try to correct them with grace. Because of the European history of America, we’re conditioned to accept and attend a formalized “church,” but we can worship, and teach and be taught anywhere.
Come on guys! How gullible can you get?
Home churches are gaining in popularity for (mainly) one reason only
T H E Y A R E A T A X S H E L T E R ! ! !
Face it. Churches are tax exempt. The land they sit on is tax exempt. The cost of the activities in which they participate is tax exempt.
Trust me. It’s a fad. Not some mass realization…
D’OH! The extra spaces were trimmed out of the tax shelter line. Sorry. Now it’s hard to read.
Mark–
I think you are overgeneralizing a bit. Yes, some “home churches” are most likely the spawn of the devil, such as Fred Phelps’s in Topeka (my home capital!), concerned only with personal wealth and vitriolic musings, as well as dodging Uncle Sam. However, a good portion of them are simply alternative places to gather and worship. Caution is always necessary when looking at these types of places, but for the most part my experience has been generally positive.
Good points, Jeff.
If anyone plans to write off part of their home costs because they have some church meetings there all I can say is that is a profoundly bad tax strategy.
Mark, I thought your all caps bit was a word search puzzle (actually, it read properly on the email but not above . . . I think WordPress automatically removes extra spaces).