The Rise of the House Church

I wrote this in response to a nonbelieving family member intrigued by my position on "house church." I am finding that many believers trapped in denominational teaching are looking to TV, the Internet, and bible studies (aka house churches) for spiritual food. I'm very thankful the Lord has given us abundant technology in these last days so that we can know the truth and return to the Gospel which Paul preaches, the Gospel of Grace, which is the only Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

The Rise - or should I say Return - of the House Church.

There’s a look that comes across the face of a secular person who hears a Christian believer proclaim the power of God working in their lives. The eyes narrow and the jaw sets. The lips purse and the body language communicates skepticism, doubt, the audacity that one could profess God (if there really is one) would actually answer your prayer. “Who are you?” their eyes question. “You aren’t perfect. I know what you’ve done,” they say with their expression, which is nothing more than a long finger of judgment, accusing and condemning. I have seen it many times, their minds spinning at a frenzied whir, preparing their rebuttal to put you in your place with them and everyone else in the world who could never be assured God would even care.

As a Christian, I should expect such reaction from a nonbeliever, even though I’m never quite prepared for it. But what if the same reaction were true for the average religious person sitting in the pews of the mainline denominational churches in North America? Would it be surprising to the secular person to know that many professing Christians believe less in the power of God working in their lives than many nonbelievers do? That the secular belief in Big Bang or evolution (as the Smithsonian so aptly displays humans evolving from rats), is more ardently believed by atheists than the tenets of Christianity professed in the Gospels and the letters of the Apostle Paul are believed by the average church-goer? The average church-goer cannot articulate what they believe and why. The average church-goer scoffs and mocks many of the miracles proclaimed in the Old Testament and New Testament. They say such “stories” are embellished and sometimes fabricated, and at the very least, aren’t applicable in today’s times.

Essentially, they present Christianity as a joke and the secular world can see straight through the smoke and mirrors. "Where is the power, where are the miracles, where is this loving God, especially during times of tragedy and disaster?" the world asks again and again. Answer: passed away with the first century church, passed away with the first century church, ah… regarding that third question, we’re not sure.

So why on earth would anyone want to be part of this Sunday morning ritual when warm bedcovers, a hot cup of coffee, and the allure of the Internet is there waiting? For this Christian and her husband, enough was enough. After a long battle of "should we or shouldn’t we," we broke away from the denominational church and started our own house church, sitting under the teaching of a nondenominational pastor via TV and the Internet who lives in Singapore, of all places. We dress up, sing and pray, study the bible, discuss and share, and take communion just like we would at any other church. But there is a freedom in knowing we are amongst other people who truly believe God’s promises in the Bible. Yes, guilt knocks on the door of our hearts, telling us we are wrong and we ought to get back into the confines of bricks and mortar with a tall steeple over our heads and a licensed theologian wagging his bony finger at us, but we have resolved to stand firm and act in accordance with what others before us have done.

Unbeknownst to many believers, house church has been the mainstay of the body of Christ for centuries. The Apostle Paul in the New Testament refers to house churches, and in countries where there is much persecution, like China, the house church is essential. Even in mega churches in North America where thousands of members congregate on Sunday to hear a sermon, much of the real ministry happens in community groups and bible studies, which are essentially house churches where group leaders and bible study teachers serve as pastors.

And yet, for many religious Christians, there is nothing more horrifying than the notion of attending house church. To them, house church is dangerous, a sacrilege that might lead to error and heretical teaching. It doesn’t provide the comfort that stained glass and organ music provides, or in this day, the electric guitar and pop band performing on stage. I know, because when I invited several believing friends to attend our house church, you would have thought I had asked them to strip naked and prance across a stage. Now, if I had called it bible study or community group, perhaps I would’ve been more successful. Reckon I could do with some improvement in my marketing skills.

Nevertheless, with the strength of the Internet and technology, house churches are on the rise. Even in the Bible belt, brave souls are stepping out, inviting others to come to the comfort and safety of their home on Sunday morning to hear from and learn about God, apart from the confines of religion. And a new generation is responding. For a long time, they have questioned the authority of science and evolution and the religious belief of their parents, desiring to know a God who is real. Churchy rules, guilt and condemnation, and hell-fire preaching that remind us of our shortcomings don’t satisfy anymore. Who of us needs to be reminded of all our flaws? We know best where we fall short. No, this new generation wants something real, something that reflects the Jesus in the Gospels, a Jesus who is loving and powerful, yet approachable, a Jesus who cares and wants to show each of us His grand purpose for our lives.

All of us, whether we want to admit it or not, desire to know if there is a God of second chances, if there truly is a heavenly father who loves and forgives. Thankfully, where the denominations fall short in answering this question, the Bible is there, unchanged, its words providing comfort and solace if we dare to open its pages. The unconventional setting of a house church gives many the courage and opportunity to do just that.