Is a Small Group a Church?

Urbana 12 Seminars Blog Series  

-Part 1- 

House Churches (2pm Dec 28)

So, the first day of seminars. Since I had a track (which met everyday at 3:30, when the second round of seminars were) I didn't have too many choices. I mean I could have skipped the track to go to a seminar, but I was pretty sure there was a reason God got me hooked up into the track. So, I didn't really look at the 3:30 seminar selection (except to check if there was a sciences seminar (which there wasn't. (well there were many health care / medical seminars, but that's not what I meant.)))

Anyways, the seminar. First day's 2pm seminars didn't interest me all that much, so I ended up going to one about house churches. My pastor has been going on about small groups and the early church a lot, or at least I have heard a lot about it recently. Largely the point is that 'the church' is not a building, but the ones called out (εκκλησια (ekklesia)). Basically as in Matt 18:20, 'where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am too'. So the church isn't a building, but where the believers are.

Although we associate the word 'church' with a big old building with pews and a steeple, there is nowhere in the Bible words on what 'church' should look like. Only indications on what should be important values int he church. And that was the focus of this seminar: how do traditional 'brick church' and the 'house church' compare when it comes to how these values are played out?

Brick Church             VS.            House Church

The four values discussed were as folllows: Community, Outreach, Priesthood, Discipleship.

The following is mainly what I wrote down during the seminar.

Community: In brick churches, aside from making programs, like small groups and stuff, you don't really interact that much. In house churches, with meals around the table, you see each other throughout the week, and church is interwoven into your relationships. The 'one another' commands are easier to fulfill.

Outreach: God used to live in the temple. Now He lives in each of us. Instead of before where we had to bring people to the temple to interact with God, with God in us our mission is to go and be with people. Church to the people, not people to the place.

Priesthood: 1 Pet 2:5 'you are to be a holy priesthood'. As it is now, very few people are in front of as many people as possible. lots of consumption. In house churches, everyone ministers to everyone else. the structure of our churches may be influencing our doctrine. An example he used was how we 'need' elders to have a church, Paul encourages elders as a position to be sought after, but for sure before they were appointed Paul would still send them letters as a church, acting more as a travelling elder kind of figure. But the main point he was making here was that because of our structure, the gifts of few are overshadowing, maybe even sometimes keeping others from realizing and using the gifts they have been given.

Discipleship: investing in a few relationships deeply, as Jesus did. This is intrinsic in house churches, whereas again, you need to set up programs or another time to meet up to do discipleship with brick churches.


At the end was a round of questions (in the post script).

So, my overall impression from the seminar: How do we balance brick vs house churches?

I mean, the idea sounds good, but it is very uncomfortable coming from our church background and also kinda difficult. But admittedly I am sometimes not satisfied with my brick church experiences. I mean multiple times this last semester I'd go to church on Sunday, serve for a couple hours, then everyone would leave and I barely interacted with anyone. Whereas my small groups this semester have been awesome: get to know each other better, work through struggles together, pray for each other, share joys, eat meals together, you know, good stuff.

So, ya, I don't really know exactly. What do you think?

D.Fa


PS. Q+A
-what about house churches in a dorm / university setting, won't they disappear in 4 years?
     --so what if they do? the people will move on to other churches.
-brick church small groups, are they actually house churches?
     --They may be if the members are committed, all the values of a church are present, and all areas of church activities. Small groups usually focus on one aspect of church life.
-Isn't IVCF a church? Should we keep going to brick churches?
     --70% of house church goers occasionally go to a brick church.
-How to start a house church?
     --Pray for others with the same heart as you, and pray for new believers to join the church
-How does Paul work in house churches?
     --Encourage others to use their gifts
-What do house churches look like?
     --A network of smaller groups that multiply. As the number of people increases, community decreases and less priesthood, so multiply!
-bishop/overseer?
     --network overseers. May not have leaders in every church.
-false teachings? No one to makesure, "no qualified leader"?
     --if a controversy arises, just ask them to explain themselves. He said this was really not a problem.
-Dangers?
     --You can get a lot of people who are just mad at brick churches
     --in-grown churches that don't love the community. --> time to split!
     --no real issue with false teachings.