Month: February 2004
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Small Is Beautiful
I have been raised in a world that, in many ways, worships things that are big: big concerts, big events, big hypes, big companies, big shopping malls, etc., etc. Even in the church world, the watchword of the 90s was: mega-church. The bigger, the better! But after two small house church gatherings this weekend, I…
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House Church Networks vs. The Cell / Small-Group Church
It is vital to understand that house church networks are not the same thing, in any way, as churches with small groups (even if those small groups are called “house churches.” The cell church (I will adopt the term “cell” church to refer to all types of small-group-based churches) has been a strong movement in…
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Experts, Superstars, and Children
We have a sad, sad tendency. All of us. We like to know who the experts are. We want to know who knows what we want to know so that we can learn from them and then we will know it. We want to identify the gurus and the superstars… even in the house church…
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Corporate Structure, Tax Exemptions, Insurance, Ordination
I receive many questions regarding the logistical issues of corporate structure, tax-exemptions, insurance, and ordination. The following downloadable document addresses some of these issues: Download corp_structure_exempt_ins.doc
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A Way To Do Life–Not A Way To Do Church
I’m concerned that we are trying to re-structure church instead of re-learning what it is to live the Christian life. House churches, simple churches, organic churches can easily become just the “new way” to do church, the next-wave model of churchianity. It’s easy for us, if we have been doing church for years, to want…
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Blog: How To
If you are new to blogging you may want a little info. The word “blog” is short for “web log.” The basic definition is this: A blog is basically a journal that is available on the web. The activity of updating a blog is “blogging” and someone who keeps a blog is a “blogger.” One…
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House2House E-Newsletter
House2House continues to publish excellent resources for house churches. Check out their website by clicking here. If you wish to receive their regular e-newsletters, you can subscribe by clicking here.
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Love vs. Control in Worship
Went to two house churches this weekend and came away realizing that I am still very much in transition from institutional-thinking to just plain caring about the people around me. I still find myself wanting our worship time to be a certain way. I still fight with the idea that “I know how to do…
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The FEELING of House Church
I love the way Andrew Jones describes the feeling of what he calls “real church”: “This morning i walked through the Walthamstow market and saw famers selling the organic produce they have been growing themselves. There is something freeing and simple, even rebellious, in buying produce directly from the people who grew it. I feel…
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A Forum For Practical Ideas: the Big Risk
This is a forum for, among other things, getting practical. Sharing real ideas from real people, all over the world, who are seeking to be the church and live out simple church expressions. I want to be able to talk about some of the down and dirty, real-life stuff. I want to talk about how…