What if Christians met in each others homes instead of a big expensive building?

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SpoonJuly said:
Here you assume that 2 are qualified.
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Thats why we have 4,

And yes, we have had some home churches fail, because we had leaders that failed, and the people just were reintegrated into other churches, but should we stop because of that?

And hos is this different than a huge baptist church, or other denominational church who has one paster who came from somplace and who based on a teqching or two only was called by the church as pastor, who although has a degree yet is unqualifed to lead anyone. Been apart of a few of those,
 
eternally-gratefull said:
A 120 number group is not good, there is n way to personally know each other in a manner where you can actively be involved in each others lives, especially if there is only one pastor (shepperd)

My church has been doing this since the 80s, they have found any home group over 40 has so many issues, and they usually do not last long, and if they do, growth is limited,
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Not true. The church I am a member of has about 100 members. We all know each other by first name. We all live within 20 miles of the church building. (Small town of 1000 people) We are like a big family. There is sweet fellowship.
The church has been here since 1890.
 
SpoonJuly said:
So you are saying that 5 elders are making decisions for many home churches, kind of like a hierarchy?
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We are one church, the home churches are part of that one church. Just like the nt church, many home churches in jerusalem, yet ld b peter james and john was that heirarchial?
 
SpoonJuly said:
Not true. The church I am a member of has about 100 members. We all know each other by first name. We all live within 20 miles of the church building. (Small town of 1000 people) We are like a big family. There is sweet fellowship.
The church has been here since 1890.
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Knowing a person by his or her first name does not mean you know them, i know all my coworkers by first name, i am around them almost every day, does not mean i know them,

I spent 30 years in various churches that ranged in size from 50 to 350, i may have known people by their first name, may even hung out from time to time, does not mean i know them enough to properly sheppard or disciple them. Proven by the fact people would dissapear and we find out they fell into sin and had n idea they even struggled.

We are a discipleship based church, your model would not work.
 
I am all for home churches.
But, that is not to say that in small town America that is the best choice.
The members of my church have grown up together. Many are extended family. Brothers, sisters, cousins, in-laws etc.
We have about 40 young people who are go to school together. How do you split them up into 3 or 4 different groups.
They would just drift away.
Yes we have one young man who fills the office of Pastor, but he is not the only one who ministers. He is like the lead man. We have 12 different men and ladies who fill the role of teacher of different age groups on Sunday mornings and Sunday evenings.
And there is no ruling elders. All decisions are made by the total church with each member having an equal voice and vote.
And there is no big fancy building and no debt. When there is a need we all simple give until the need is met.
 
eternally-gratefull said:
Knowing a person by his or her first name does not mean you know them, i know all my coworkers by first name, i am around them almost every day, does not mean i know them,

I spent 30 years in various churches that ranged in size from 50 to 350, i may have known people by their first name, may even hung out from time to time, does not mean i know them enough to properly sheppard or disciple them. Proven by the fact people would dissapear and we find out they fell into sin and had n idea they even struggled.

We are a discipleship based church, your model would not work.
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Please explain what you mean by "a discipleship bases church"?
Not sure what you mean.
 
Well now's where a difference shows. I consider any town with less than 100,000 people in america to be a small town to me now days, so home churches are a radical shift away from brick and mortar edifices of worship in which many of us grew up with.
 
calibob said:
Well now's where a difference shows. I consider any town with less than 100,000 people in america to be a small town to me now days, so home churches are a radical shift away from brick and mortar edifices of worship in which many of us grew up with.
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We have less than 10,000 in the whole county, 12 people per sq. mile.
There is only one city in Arkansas with over 100,000.
 
so people like me that live in big citys can shunn the established, more traditional religeions and forming the bible as a basis develop our own?
 
SpoonJuly said:
Please explain what you mean by "a discipleship bases church"?
Not sure what you mean.
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It means most if not all of our members meet in a discipleship group once a week or every ther week, where we help each other grow, confess our sins to on another and have bible studies, something i wsh has had growing up.

If you have one pastor trying t shepherd your whole flock, you are not getting ths.
 
SpoonJuly said:
We have less than 10,000 in the whole county, 12 people per sq. mile.
There is only one city in Arkansas with over 100,000.
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By the way, your arguing against home groups, we realise there are some exceptions,
 
eternally-gratefull said:
By the way, your arguing against home groups, we realise there are some exceptions,
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Not arguing against home groups. Have said many times that home groups are great. But, I also believe that in some areas, such as where I live, a larger group works well. I believe the Lord gives us leeway as how to conduct our time of gathering.
Yes, we have one who serves as pastor, but as I stated, he acts as leader and has 12 or more who help him on a regular basis. He is not left alone to do an impossible job.
We do meet in small groups, six different groups divided by age, for an hour every Sunday morning and evening for Bible study, prayer, and discipleship training.
We than gather together for an hour and a half of singing and the preaching of the Word every Sunday morning and evening.
We also meet as a single group for two hours on Wednesday night for singing, praying and Bible study and fellowship.
So our congregation has an opportunity to meet for 7 plus hours each week.
Out Pastor and his wife also meet with the teens every Friday night for two to three hours for Bible study and fellowship.
And then our ladies meet every first and third Monday for Bible study and fellowship and the men meet ever second and fourth Monday for Bible study and fellowship.
Many, many opportunities to gather. Not every one takes opportunity to meet in all, but most do.

You meet in many locations and we meet in one central location.
Seems God is blessing your efforts and I know He is blessing ours.
 
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