Church at Home - in a Living Room

I remember so clearly sitting in a living room, doing church at home with a group of Jesus’ followers on a Sunday morning thinking, “This cannot be right.” It seemed so contrary to be seated in a house rather than in a formal ‘place of worship,’ a church building, or a setting somehow designated or organized for encountering God. Looking back I can see how far my own understanding of God’s presence and his church had strayed.

We know well that Old Testament worship was focused on a physical location and a tabernacle or temple in which God’s presence was encountered. We also are familiar with the revolution that took place the moment Jesus died on the cross and the veil within that temple was torn so that people would no longer be separated from God based on a physical location. We know that, following Jesus’ resurrection, the very Holy Spirit of God’s presence was poured out on every believer at that time and ever since. We can easily quote 1 Corinthians 3:16, “Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?”

So where did the idea come from that caused me to feel uncomfortable for creating a space for ‘being the church’ in a home with other believers rather than in a building designated as a ‘place of worship?’ I could blame this on others: the traditions that have built up over the years or the church leaders (myself included) who sought to keep control over ‘the flock’ by herding them into church buildings. But I realized that there were no excuses. It was time to take a hard look at what the Bible actually taught.

A Biblical Look

In Simple/House Church Revolution, I take a new look at how the bible describes church. While Webster’s dictionary defines church as a building or organization, Jesus used the term (church or ekklesia) to describe a group or assembly of followers. Put simply, church is nothing more nor less than Jesus-followers. People who live and walk in allegiance to Jesus. Further, Jesus gave little description on how to organize or structure the meetings of His followers. Instead, He seemed much more concerned to see His people living as salt and light in the world as a 'going' enterprise.

Sadly, church-as-we-know-it today has become more of a business and organization than a Spirit-filled organism that transforms lives and communities by following Jesus on mission.

Church at Home Begins with Church on Mission

Jesus founded the church with His commands to “Go into all the world and make disciples,” along with “You are to be my witnesses in Jerusalem… and the uttermost parts of the world.”

In the Simple/House Church Revolution book I describe how the church can return to being the ‘going’ church rather than the ‘sitting’ club. I provide practical steps for releasing the power of the Gospel into a world that is lost.

Church at Home: Where Christ is Present

This book explains how the church of the New Testament thrived by reaching out, discipling others to Jesus, and meeting mostly in homes. We are reminded that church is where Christ lives and not a place that we meet. Such meetings empowered every believer because spiritual gifts were employed, led by the Spirit, in a participatory setting.

It is my hope that this book will help all believers discover how dynamic church can be when believers live a lifestyle that reflects Jesus’ own life and ministry while gathering simply, often in homes, for growth, mutual encouragement, and family life.

Simple/House Church Revolution explores how the church can re-discover her true nature as a movement of Jesus-following radicals.