Just how easy is it?
I’m occasionally informed that house churching is easy - so easy and simple that anybody could do it. Certainly, if God is in it, it can and it will happen. Surely, churching of about any kind - even house churching - has frequently been made more complicated than originally intended.
House churching would need or at least want, it seems to me, some sort of a stable household. This would disqualify many, if not most, in the US where the divorce rate for the saved is about the same as the lost. Of course, folks remarry and start again but there are a lot of unstable households even where one or both parties are believers. Where such marriages are intact, there is often great disharmony which would make the gatherings a strain on everyone. Who would want to be in the cross-fire?
Both spouses should be in general agreement about doctrinal things, ‘twould seem. Then, there might ought to be a basic agreement on the format of the meetings. Then, there should be a willingness to love everyone else involved at all times. Then, there should be a willingness to be open and intimate in one’s home setting which is a little like being on an examination table.
Anybody left? Anyone can declare themselves to be a church but how about all those one-another commands which require dying to self?
Again, almighty God can cause these would-be barriers to instantly evaporate but is house churching really easy? Has it been for you? For me, I’d have to say yes and no. More no than yes, I suppose, as I reflect today. Rewarding? I’m sure about that. But if it is so easy, why are there not more of us? Why is the fold up rate of house churches so high? What’s the hold up if it’s so simple and easy?
Zane,
My limited experience tells me that any kind of church is difficult, but in different ways. Congregational church is difficult, primarily on the paid staff, because of the constant pressure to build a bigger and better organization that meets the needs of all its members. It can also be difficult on the members because of the constant need for their resources, primarily time and money.
New Testament church is difficult too because of the relational stress/pressure it can impose on people who are not ready to die to self and live for others. We have have lost two families over the summer because they were not ready to live for others. In particular, others who required a little more patience and are not like them.
My theory on why house churches struggle is because they do not realize the high cost of living in relationship with others. Congregational churches keep people busy with events and programs that require very little relationship building. But genuine New Testament church has nothing but relationships to offer.
After the novelity of meeting in a home wears off and everyone realizes there is no hype/tradition keeping everyone focused on the next big thing coming up on the calendar they start realizing this is all there is and they go through a sort of post-pardum depression. The reality of being church with a group of people who they may not have chosen to be friends with in any other circumstance starts hitting home.
Now, the dying to self starts kicking in and many people bail-out at this point and go back to the traditional church where everything is planned out for them and they can have surface level relationships with people they pick for themselves.
But, if you stick it out, God will give you people who need what you have to offer. As I said, we lost two families, but we have gained a family this fall that really needs people who love them, not events and programs.
Your Brother,
Brent
I love the approach in this post. Letīs talk about what is the downside being a christian. Letīs talk about the cross. And letīs experience the immense upside when the cross is a reality in our lives, our fellowship and our ministry. God bless!