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House Church
Most people continue to think of "going to church" as attending a service at one of the many church building located throughout their community. However, millions of Americans are trying out new form of spiritual community and worship, with many abandoning the traditional forms altogether. In a typical week, roughly 20 million adults attend a house church gathering and over the course of a typical month, that number doubles to about 43 million adults, according to a study conducted by The Barna Group.
The same study reflected people attending a house church were significantly more likely to be "completely satisfied" with their experience in each of the following dimensions:
Leadership of the church.
68% of house church attenders were "completely satisfied" with the leadership of their church, compared to 49% of those attending a conventional church.
Faith commitment.
66% of house church adherents were "completely satisfied" with the faith commitment of the people involved in their gathering. In contrast, only 40% of those attending a conventional church were similarly satisfied.
Community and personal connectedness.
61% of house church adult attenders were "completely satisfied" with the level of community and personal connectedness they experience, compared to only 41% of adults who are involved in a conventional church.
Spiritual depth.
59% of those attending a house church said they were "completely satisfied" with the spiritual depth they experience in their house church setting. In contrast, only 46% of adults involved in a conventional church were "completely satisfied."
Exactly what is meant by the phrase "house church?" The Shenandoah Fellowship house church is comprised of a small group of believers who gather each Sunday morning (and at other times) in the name of Jesus Christ, meeting in the pastor's home. They are very similar to the earliest churches which were customarily designated in the Scriptures as household units. At Shenandoah Fellowship, you will find a few dozen believers: multi-racial, children, teenagers, young adults to senior citizens. Our pastor is ordained and has a seminary degree so there is no need to worry about the teaching of heresy.
Why the house church? Here are just a few reasons:
Historical.
The house church is a biblical church. All of the churches in the New Testament era were small assemblies that met in homes.
Outreach.
An invitation offered to a work-place acquaintance to a home is much less threatening than one to a church.
Resisting the culture.
The house church has always been counter-cultural, just as Jesus said that his disciples should be in the Sermon on the Mount. That sermon outlines how the powerless disciple can be salt and light in a dark world (Mt. 5:13-14) how to withstand evildoers (Mt. 5:39) by showing God's love to the world through suffering at the hands of persecution from bullies (Mt. 5:39), foreclosing landlords (Mt. 5:40), and occupying Roman authorities ((Mt. 5:41). It speaks of giving and lending to the most hopless credit risks (Mt. 5:42). It speaks of a praying community ("Our Father, who art in heaven.." Mt. 6:9) that fasts (Mt. 6:16), gives of itself (Mt. 6:21), and depends completely of God. It speaks of the non-judgment of individuals (Mt. 7:1), just as it speaks of the need to judge those who would be authorities in spiritual matters (Mt. 7:15).
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