What am I looking for in a Micro Church, a House Church, that I cannot find in our modern big church system? I want to explore that personal question in this series. It is the Sunday morning after 4th of July as I find myself in a quiet place and God moves me with these thoughts.
Yesterday was anything but quiet. Our house became a family festival with 4 grand kids, 3 of our own adult-kids and their spouses, my wife and I (the grandparents), and all the food and activities that were planned, including a slip and slide, obstacle course, and pinata full of candy to bust. We were mostly outside and it was hot, but we had a breeze and shade tree, and then a downpour rain eventually came as we were trying to bust the pinata with a plastic bat. It was not working. The rain kept pouring. Grandpa fetched his wood Samurai training sword. That worked. Candy scattered everywhere. Children dove in for the treasure. We were all soaked. LOL. Great fun and much chaos.
But now “the quiet”. I’m by my French Doors that look out into my bird sanctuary, and I hear singing. The house is empty. Just me and 2 dogs. My coffee is good. Bitter as usual. Waking me up and got me pondering. What kind of Micro Church am I looking for? Why do I think the House Church vision is a better way? What can the House Church do different, better?
I intend to approach this in 3 parts. 1.) The Leader/ Elder. 2.) The People/ Fellowship. 3.) The Vision/ Goals/ Description/ Format. (This will include a few personal peeves of mine concerning what I believe to be certain errors in our modern church ways. Important practices of the early church that we have changed.)
I’m writing this series in hopes that others in Indianapolis Indiana have started Micro Churches. Our Fellowship is still very small and I would be interested in connecting with other groups “if” we were of a similar vision. I would even consider joining such a group. But I’m not interested in big church cell groups. I’ve tried them before. It just isn’t the same thing. It still lacks what I’m looking for, the vision in me.
So…starting next article we will describe what I’m looking for in the “Leader” of such a group. Then we will look at “the People”, and then “the Vision/ Practice” of said group. Until then, ponder for yourself what you think a House Church should be, and how it should function. Or if you think House Churches are not a good idea, then why did it work so well in powerful Rome? And why is it working so well in other countries today, many of whom have much more difficult circumstances than we do. I invite you to have an open mind to the coming articles and consider them as a real possibility.
Finally, if you are a Micro Church somewhere around Indianapolis Indiana, or you are someone looking for one, and you are willing to meet and talk, please leave a comment and we can arrange a meeting place. I very much enjoy fellowship and conversation around this subject. We live in a day where we have a lot of communication and pass a lot of information, but we’re losing the simple pleasures of conversation.
I believe Micro Church/ House Church is here to stay. It may be the new wine skin with the new wine God is pouring out for these last days. The big churches don’t want to hear it, and yet look what has been forced upon them in the COVID. Is God forcing their hand? Trying to get their attention?
Our small Fellowship has been able to continue as we always have during this pandemic. We have watched the big churches struggle, stress, and scramble as they provide their “virtual” church services. Our Fellowship is still very up close and personal. But some people don’t want up close. And those people should definitely reexamine their Christianity to see if they are real. Real family is personal, and we all NEED it! For our own pleasure and good. Think about it.
A Prayer > “Father, make us REAL. In the name of your Son, Jesus, first born from the dead, I ask for an outpouring of “REAL” in your people today. Let us come out from the FAKE, and let us be REAL. Let us not be what we see so much of in the world, and it disgusts us. Let us not be what we are so disgusted by in others. By the power of your Holy Spirit make us TRUE, for that is the only way we can be so, is by your power alone. In Jesus name I ask these things, Amen.” (Be blessed and Highly favored, everyone; but don’t be spiritually unprepared.)
Path Without End 