House church (or "home church") is an informal term for an independent assembly of Christians intentionally gathering in a home or on other grounds not normally used for worship services, as opposed to a church building, due to specific beliefs. They may meet in homes because they prefer to meet informally, because they believe it is an effective way of creating "community" and engaging in outreach, or because they believe small family-sized churches were a deliberate apostolic pattern in the first century and intended by Christ. House church may refer to one of the following House church, an informal term for a group of Christians gathering regularly or spontaneously in a home or on grounds not normally used for worship services, instead of a building dedicated to the purpose. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is... Taken during a Hindu prayer ceremony on the eve of Diwali. ... For the architectural structure, see Church (building). ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The word evangelicalism often refers to... This page is about the title, office or what is known in Christian theology as the Divine Person. ...

Some churches meet in houses because they lack a conventional church building; these are not normally regarded as house churches as their intent is to move into a larger more conventional facility.

Cell churches are an appendage of conventional, institutional churches that meet in homes and share some characteristics of house churches, but are not normally considered house churches due to their institutional church hierarchy and association. A cell church is a Christian church structure centering on the regular gathering of cell groups. ...

Some within the house church movement consider the term "house church" to be a misnomer, asserting that the main issue for christians who practice their faith in this manner is not the house but the type of meeting that takes place; other titles which may be used to describe this movement are "simple church", "relational church", "primitive church", "bodylife", "organic church", or "biblical church".

Scriptural basis

Those Christians who meet together in homes usually do so because of a desire to return to the simplicity and purity of Church meetings as found in the New Testament. The New Testament shows that the early Christian church exhibited a simplicity of fellowship and interactive practice that is typically not the case in conventional churches. Christians walked closely with each other, in close fellowship, sharing their lives in Christ together. This is expressed well by over 50 examples of the phrase "one another" found in the New Testament starting with the words of Jesus in John 13:34, "Love one another." Some Bible passages that indicate the atmosphere of early church life include: This article is about the Christian scriptures. ... For other uses, see Gospel of John (disambiguation). ...

Faith

"Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38 NASB)

Lifestyle

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

Participatory meetings

"What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification." (1 Cor. 14:26 NASB; see also Colossians 3:16, Hebrews 10:24-25)

Meeting in homes

"Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house." (1 Cor. 16:19 NASB; see also Acts 20:20, Romans 16:5, Colossians 4:15, Philemon 1:2).

Networking through occasional Large Group Events

"I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house." (Acts 20:20 [NASB])

Networking through 'Circuit Riders'

"After some days Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us return and visit the brethren in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are." (Acts 15:36 [NASB])

This article is about the Christian religious act of Baptism. ... For other uses, see Sin (disambiguation). ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      In mainstream Christianity, the... The New American Standard Bible (NASB) is an English translation of the Bible. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      For other... The New American Standard Bible (NASB) is an English translation of the Bible. ... The New American Standard Bible (NASB) is an English translation of the Bible. ... The New American Standard Bible (NASB) is an English translation of the Bible. ... The Epistle to Philemon is a book of the Bible in the New Testament. ...

Structure and organization

Leadership

Some house churches have a very conventional leadership structure, others have none. A commonly held belief in the modern day house church "movement" is that the Protestant Reformation did not go far enough to demonstrate a New Testament belief in the "priesthood of all believers" and that Jesus Christ alone is the Head of the Church, and the believers the body. The absence of hierarchical leadership structures in many house churches, while often viewed by the Protestant church at large as a sign of anarchy or rebelliousness to authority, is viewed by many in the house church movement to be the most viable way to come under true spiritual authority of love, relationships, and the visible dominion of Jesus Christ as Head of his own bride (i.e. the church). Some house churches also accept ministry from church planters and itinerant workers they consider to be apostles. Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... The Protestant Reformation was a movement which began in the 16th century as a series of attempts to reform the Roman Catholic Church, but ended in division and the establishment of new institutions, most importantly Lutheranism, Reformed churches, and Anabaptists. ... This article is about the Christian scriptures. ...

Meeting format

Many house church gatherings are free, informal, and sometimes include a shared meal. Participants hope that everyone present will feel free to contribute to the gathering as and when they sense the leading of the Holy Spirit to do so. Leadership structures range from no official leaders, to a plurality of appointed elders. There is a deliberate attempt within most house churches to minimize the leadership of any one person, and so having one pastor or leading elder is generally frowned upon in favor of a plural responsibility of leadership. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      In mainstream Christianity, the... A religious elder (in Greek, πρεσβυτερος [presbyteros]) is valued for his or her wisdom, in part for their age, on the grounds that the older one is then the more one is likely to know. ...

Networking

The house church movement today also owes much of its networking and exchange of information to the use of the Internet; HC is generally used as an abbreviation for "House Church" and IC is used to designate "Institutional Church" which is the generalized term for more traditional church structures, including a church building and/or sermon-centered church services directed by a pastor or minister. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      A sermon is an oration by... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      A pastor is an... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      For other types of...

Origins and history

The first house church is recorded in Acts 1:13, where the disciples of Jesus met together in the upper room of a house. For the first three centuries of the church, Christians commonly met in homes. Clement of Alexandria, an early church father, wrote of worshipping in a house. A private house in Dura-Europos (near Baghdad) was excavated in the 1930’s and was found to be used as a Christian meeting place in AD 232, with one small room serving as a baptistry. ^[1] Throughout history, various Christian groups worshipped in homes, often due to persecution by the state church or the civil government. Clement of Alexandria (Titus Flavius Clemens), was the first member of the Church of Alexandria to be more than a name, and one of its most distinguished teachers. ...

After being freed from prison by an angel, the apostle Peter went to the house of Mary the mother of John Mark (where believers were gathered for prayer) so that they might spread the news of his escape. Since Mary is the only name mentioned in the Bible in reference to a house church in Jerusalem (where the church was then being persecuted), and since Peter made this his first stop before moving on, this may indicate that the church that met in Mary’s house was a notable assembly.

The origins of the North American house church trend are varied. Some consider it a new variety of the Plymouth Brethren movement, others recognise a relationship to the Anabaptists, Quakers, Amish, Hutterites, Mennonites, Moravians, Methodists, and the much earlier Waldenses and Priscillianists. Another perspective sees the house church movement as a re-emergence of the move of the Holy Spirit during the Jesus Movement of the 1970s in the USA or the worldwide Charismatic Renewal of the late 1960s and 1970s. Others see it as a return to a New Testament church Restorationism paradigm and a restoration of God's eternal purpose and the natural expression of Christ on the earth, urging Christians to return from hierarchy and rank to practices described and encouraged in Scripture. The Brethren are a Christian Evangelical movement that began in Dublin, London, Plymouth, and the continent of Europe in the late 1820s. ... Anabaptists (re-baptizers, from Greek ana and baptizo; in German: Wiedertäufer) are Christians of the so-called radical wing of the Protestant Reformation. ... “Quaker” redirects here. ... This article is about Old Order Amish, but also refers to other Amish sects. ... Like the two best-known Anabaptist denominations, the Amish and the Mennonites, the Hutterites had their beginnings in the Radical Reformation of the 16th Century. ... The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations based on the teachings and tradition of Menno Simons. ... A Moravian can be: an ethnic group a Christian denomination This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The Methodist movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity. ... The Waldensians were followers of Peter Waldo (or Valdes or Vaudes); they called themselves the Poor men of Lyon, the Poor of Lombardy, or the Poor. ... Priscillianism is a heresy originated in Spain in the fourth century, derived from the Gnostic-Manichaean doctrines taught by Marcus, an Egyptian from Memphis. ... For the first century movement surrounding Jesus of Nazareth, see Early Christianity The Jesus movement was the major Christian element within the hippie counterculture, or, conversely, the major hippie element within the Christian Church. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The charismatic movement began... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      For other...

The house church movement has been more recently encouraged by the church planting and publishing initiative of writers like Robert Fitts, Frank Viola, Tony & Felicity Dale, Wolfgang Simson and Gene Edwards. The Internet itself has contributed to the phenomenon's exponential growth in the past decade, networking many previously unconnected individuals. Church planting is a process by which churches are begun in new areas. ...

House Church Movement

No single factor can sum up the emergence of the contemporary house church movement, but a confluence of all the threads noted above have contributed to the growth of house churches in the West.

Today, the spread of house churches is largely found in countries like China, Vietnam, India, Cuba, Brazil and African nations^{[citations needed]}, but they are also seen in small, but growing, numbers in the Philippines, Europe, and North America^{[citations needed]}. House churches in Saudi Arabia have experienced raids by the religious police, often resulting in the arrest of the leaders of the assembly. A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ...

Relationship to Established Churches, Missions Groups and society

Historically, there have been tensions between house church movements (along with other restoration and revival movements) and traditional churches. Therefore, many house churches do not have formal links to larger Christian organizations as a matter of principle. More recently, a number of established Christian denominations and missions organizations have officially supported efforts to develop house church networks. These include the following: The Free Methodist Church in Canada, The Foursquare Gospel Church of Canada, The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, The Presbyterian Church in Canada, Partners in Harvest, The Southern Baptist Convention (USA), Dove Christian Fellowship International, DAWN Ministries (Discipling a Whole Nation), and Youth With A Mission (YWAM), Eternal Grace, and the recently launched Underground Churches among others. The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is a United States-based Christian denomination consisting of numerous agencies and agencies including six seminaries, two mission boards and a variety of other organizations such as: the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Church, which can act for the SBC ad interim between annual... Youth With A Mission (YWAM, generally pronounced as wye-wam) is an international, inter-denominational, non-profit Christian missionary organization founded in 1960 by Loren Cunningham and his wife Darlene. ... Eternal Grace is a new church movement originating in Southern California, founded by church planter Richard Rossi. ...

In a social sense, the movement towards house churches may be linked to other social movements as well, such as the "emerging church movement", missional living, the parachurch movement,^{[citations needed]} and perhaps even larger social phenomena such as panocracy and intentional living movements.^{[citations needed]} Social movements are broader political associations focussed on specific issues. ... The emerging church conversation” is a controversial[1] 21st century Christian movement whose participants seek to engage postmodern people, especially the unchurched and post-churched. ... The Oxford English Dictionary defines missional as Relating to or connected with a religious mission; missionary. ... Parachurch organizations are a vehicle by which evangelical Christians work collaboratively both outside their and across their denominations to engage with the world in mission, social welfare and evangelism. ... Intentional living is a term used in a variety of contexts including religious, ethical and values-oriented contexts as well as coaching, personal transformation, and leadership training practices and programs. ...

Statistics on the House Church Movement

(Statistical Sources: Rad Zdero (2004), The Global House Church Movement; Rad Zdero (2007), Nexus: The World House Church Movement Reader; Dawn Friday Fax, www.jesus.org.uk/dawn; Wolfgang Simson (2007), The Starfish Manifesto; Wolfgang Simson, EaSi Newsletter, July 2007; Wikipedia)

• Bangladesh: 500,000 new believers in HC's
• Cambodia: 1,000 new HC's in 10 years (1990 to 2000)
• Canada: as many as 2,000 HC's in Canada in the last few years
• China: 80-100 million believers in HC's
• Cuba: 6,000-10,000 HC's since 1992
• Egypt: 4,000 HC's
• Ethiopia: growth from 5,000 to 50,000 believers in HC's during the 1980's
• India: approx. 100,000 HC's started in 5 years (from 2001 - 2006)
• Latin America: 1 million HC-type groups known as 'Basic Ecclesial Communities'
• Sri Lanka: Kithu Sevena church movement started 131 new HC's in 7 months (in 2004)
• Vietnam: one church planting team start 550 new HC's in 2 years (1997 to 1999)
• U.S.A.: 1,600 HC's on internet alone (as of 2003) with possibly as many as 30,000 HC's (according to the American pollster George Barna)

Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from...

Recommended Books

• Steve Atkerson (ed.), Ekklesia: To the Roots of Biblical Church Life.
• Robert & Julia Banks, The Church Comes Home, Hendrickson Pub.
• Robert Banks, Going to Church in the First Century. Seedsowers Publishing
• George Barna, Revolution.
• Gilbert Bilezikian, Community 101, Zondervan Pub.
• E.H. Broadbent, The Pilgrim Church.
• Neil Cole, Organic Church
• Graham Cooke, Gary Goodell, Permission Granted: To Do Church Differently in the 21st Century (Destiny Image Publishers)
• Albert James Dager, The House Assembly. Sword Publishers
• Felicity Dale, An Army of Ordinary People
• Tony & Felicity Dale, Simply Church
• Dale, Getting Started: A Practical Guide to Planting Simple Churches (Karis Publishing)
• Gene Edwards, Beyond Radical. Seedsowers Publishing
• Gene Edwards, When the Church was Led by Laymen. Seedsowers Publishing
• Robert Fitts, The Church in the House.
• David Garrison, Church Planting Movements.
• Roger Gehring, House Church and Mission (by far, the most comprehensive scholarly work on house churches in the first century)
• Wayne Jacobsen, The Naked Church.
• Wayne Jacobsen, Authentic Relationships.
• Clifford James, The Blueprint (read online at [1])
• Larry Kreider, House Church Networks.
• Charles Newbold, The Crucified Ones.
• Hope Ovwah, God's Pattern Church. (read online at [2])
• Wolfgang Simson, Houses that Change the World.
• R. Maurice Smith, A Kingdom A People & A River
• Frank Viola, God's Ultimate Passion.
• Frank Viola, Rethinking the Wineskin.
• Frank Viola, Pagan Christianity.
• Frank Viola, So You Want to Start a House Church?
• Frank Viola, The Untold Story of the New Testament Church
• Frank Viola, Who is Your Covering?
• Rad Zdero, The Global House Church Movement. Get it here [3]
• Rad Zdero (ed.), NEXUS: The World House Church Movement Reader. Get it here [4]

References

1. ^ http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/s06020076.htm

Osiek, C., and Margaret Y. MacDonald. A Woman’s Place: House Churches in Earliest Christianity. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2006.

MacHaffie, Barbara J. Her Story. 2nd Edition. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2006.

See also

• Simple church
• Cell church
• Church planting
• Church in a pub
• Chinese house church - be aware that Chinese house churches typically have a leadership structure (including a pastor) that resembles "underground traditionally structured churches" (or "cell churches") in contrast to what is generally considered to be a "house church" in other areas.
• Christian Conventions - a non-denominational Christian church that worships in members' homes

Simple church is a re-definition of church as a Christ-centered community established primarily on relationship both to God and to the other members of the group. ... A cell church is a Christian church structure centering on the regular gathering of cell groups. ... Church planting is a process by which churches are begun in new areas. ... A Church in a Pub is a Christian Church which meets in a public house or similar establishment. ... Chinese house churches are unregistered Christian churches in the Peoples Republic of China, which operate independently of the government-run Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) and China Christian Council (CCC) for Protestant groups and the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (CCPA) and the Chinese Catholic Bishops Council (CCBC) for Catholics. ... This article is about the church commonly known as Two by Two. ...

External Links

Resources to Start a House Church

• SimpleChurch.tv
• Listen to an Example of a House Church Interest Meeting
• Simple-minded - Resources for starting and developing an extraordinary church

House Church Ministries and Networks

• Present Testimony Ministry - Frank Viola's Ministry
• Third Day Churches – Gary Goodell's Ministry
• The New Testament Restoration Foundation
• House 2 House Ministries
• The Gathering – A Family of House Churches in Northern California
• Xenos - a house-church based fellowship
• The Parousia Network: An On-Line Community of House Churches, Simple Churches & Assorted Sojourners
• Dove Christian Fellowship International
• House Church.ca—A network to encourage house church planting in Canada
• Authentic LA, the House Church Network based in Southern California; Dr. Gabe Veas, Pastor
• Kingdom Word, Nigeria
• rUrevolutionary.com -- simple church resources, directory
• House Church Network South Africa
• Australian Home Church Site

Blogs, Articles & Interviews from and about the House Church Movement

• Journeying With Jesus – Dave Gschwend’s House Church Blog
• House Church "Live" - Bringing the Church directly into your Neighborhood
• Home Church Dot Org
• House Church Central
• Relational Christianity
• Free House Church Resources
• House Church Blog
• HomeChristians.Net - House Church and Biblical Truth
• ePermission – Gary Goodell's Monthly Newsletter
• House Church Involvement Is Growing in the Barna Update 16 June 2006
• Every Home a Church -- Photos, comments and stories
• Audio interview of House Church advocates (42 minutes)
• Break Bread Ministries
• The Conversation Free Resources
• Healing Communities
• House Church Chronicles
• Simple Church for Simple People Podcast
• Unleashing the Church
• Australian Home Church Blog
• The Nameless, Faceless Love Blog
• 153 House Churches Network: A network of house, para and institutional church communities in North America, Africa and Asia
• New Zealand House Church resources
• Why House Church?

House Church Directories

• The Home Fellowship Network - An Intuitive, Global House Church Registry
• All things House Church. Worldwide Registry which can alert users of new local entries. Web Forums.
• Home church information and HCDL homepage, also contains home church directory of churches worldwide
• Kingdom Word Directory
• Phoenix Area House Churches
• A Network of Home Churches in Cincinnati, Ohio
• The Strategic Church Network (SCN) is a network of house churches in Hampton Roads Virginia - house church missions info
• House Church Central Directory
• New Zealand House Churches
• New Testament House Churches

Discussion forums

• House Church Discussion List
• House2House Discussion Forums
• Kingdom Chat
• Radically Christian Cafe
• New Testament House Churches