Simple churches, connected together as a “network,” are already becoming a “new wave” type phenomenon.
The concept of a network of house churches invites individual house churches to thrive within a larger community.
In the New Testament, we see churches that met in houses and gathered anywhere. But we also see the larger context of city-wide churches: the church of Ephesus, the church of Philippi, etc.
The networking together of house churches is biblical and provides many benefits:
• The fellowship together of a greater variety of Christians with a greater diversity of gifts
• The joint support of ministries, missions, or charitable needs
• Community-wide activities
• Opportunity for larger celebration events
Networks can function in different ways. They may be highly informal, connected only by an occasional joint gathering or special times to share ideas with one another. Or, they may be more formally networked together as “sister” churches that function with many common goals and projects. We use the term “cluster” for a group of house churches that are closely related.
Either way, it’s important that networks do not become a way to exercise centralized control. They are simply a larger context for autonomous churches to be part of.
It is important to understand that house church networks are not at all the same as churches that are small-group based. Many churches, today, refer to their small groups as “house churches,” however they are still small-group based churches as opposed to house church networks.
If you are unclear about the difference between a house church network and a church of small groups, be sure to read this article.
House church networks are one form that God is using to bring us into a transformation of church. Many people are envisioning that this kind of church (and others like it) will affect every community in the USA.
Mike Steele, DAWN Ministries, says this:
I believe we will see a day when some cities will be “filled with the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea!”… Communities will be filled with lighthouses, gatherings of believers who “are” the church and reach out to bless their neighbors and restore neighborhoods. There will be a rapid multiplication of New Testament communities across this continent”
Larry Kreider, in his book on House Church Networks predicts that:
Within the next ten to fifteen years, I believe these new house church networks will dot the landscape of North America just as they already do in other nations of the world.
And Neil Cole, who has been planting organic churches for several years, suggests that a wave is coming, and the swell is already evident:
Yes, it is true that house churches have not proliferated across the western world like in China, South America or Africa. It is also true that they have been shortsighted and inwardly focused in the past and not only incapable of reproducing…but not necessarily something you would want to reproduce. They often were seen as stock piling weapons and full of fanatical teachings.
But the Lord is now starting a new work…and I dare say you don’t want to miss the wave! It began two years ago and is gaining momentum every month. There is not a single event or person at the core beginning of this…only Jesus. But it suddenly started happening.
In the last two years the Lord has simultaneously and even spontaneously risen up a variety of expanding house church networks all across the country. I will mention a few examples, site some websites, and tell you our story and hope that helps.
1. House2House magazine started and in about a year has gone from 0-30,000 in circulation. Tony, Felicity and Jonathan Dale publish it out of Austin Texas. They also have a growing network of house churches.
2. John White is in Denver and he also leads a growing network of house churches. He is also is a house church coach and sends a regular email out to many people all over the country.
3. Jonathan Campbell is in the Seattle area and has been at this for some years now. He has a house church network that is in several different states. He received his Ph.D. from Fuller on some of these subjects.
4. Vineyard Central in Cincinnati has transitioned from a traditional Vineyard church into an expanding network of house churches. In the last year they went from 10 to 20 churches. Kevin Raines and Dave Nixon (among others) are the key leaders in this movement.
5. Apex is a network of house churches in Las Vegas (and three other states as well). They have about 25 churches. Joe Boyd and Greg Hubbard are leading this network.
6. Summit is a network of about 12 house churches in the Portland area under the leadership of Dan and Jodi Mayhew.
7. The Friends Church in the Northwest has been doing this for a couple years now and have 20-25 organic churches all over the pacific Northwest. Harold Behr is the one facilitating that movement.
8. Robert Fitts is called by God to go around casting vision for an expanding house church movement and has many who are following his simple four step strategy. He is from Hawaii (but most of the time he is in someone’s living room humbly sharing his story and vision with a new friend somewhere else in the US).
9. Mike Steele with DAWN Ministries is networking the networks and could tell you of even more people including some in Canada.
10. A new emerging network of So Baptist churches in the Dallas and Houston area. Joe Cartwright is starting one. Jim Mellon, Dave Underwood, and others are behind these new churches.
This is all new and NOW. This is one of the only segments of Christianity that is seeing a rapid increase in the Western world…and its a dramatic increase.
Here’s our last couple of years…
1999 we started 10 house churches.
2000 we started 18
2001 we started 52 (average of a church a week)
2002 we have already passed 100 and are on course for 140-160 (this year alone)If you chart that growth you’ll see what I mean by a new wave that is coming!
Wow!
Comments
22 responses to “House Church Basics Pt. 6: HC Networks– A Wave Is Coming”
I believe that a house church need to reflect the personalities of the people involved in it. This could mean many things. A perfect fit for you might not come close to fitting me, but that’s all right. Just as different people are attracted to different personalities so it will be with the church. Each church will gather just the right people in to it. In an area there needs to be many church personalities if many different people are going to be reached. These different churches need to keep in mind that they are equal expressions of the same body of Christ. They may all have different modes of operation, but none is more or less correct. As long as each lifts up the name of Christ they are an equal part of His Body.
This is where I see a network. A network of these different churches will keep the lines of communication open. The network would promote unity within the body. The network would also be there to assure that no individual church becomes controlling. They would also make sure that no church “drifts” from Christ. Basically I see a network as a way for individual church to be accountable to the larger body of Christ.
Hi there am from england in the UK. i was wondering if there are any house churches here ?. thanks for your time God bless you mark
I need a church to go to. I live in North ridgeville ohio. Please help
I really would like someone to tell me if there is a church in my area. I live in north ridgeville ohio. Does anyone care about God’s Glory anymore?
Hi Greg,
I suggest that you take a look at the online listing of house churches at:
http://www.hccentral.com/directory/index.html
Heya Greg,
Have any success finding connections in N. Ridgeville, OH? I see two listings in the House Church Registry. http://housechurch.org/registry
The Registry can also notify you automatically via email whenever someone in your area code makes an entry.
Above all, don’t be discouraged as you continue to pray, learn, and wait.
Networking is not new, it is called denominations. There is no difference between starting a denomination and starting a network.
1. They name the body of Christ with their label and this is blasphemous. How dare someone take the body of Christ and name it. It is like putting a tattoo on Jesus’ body. When such deceived leaders stand before Jesus they will have to give an account for such clear heresy. Heresy means to divide into segments.
2. They have their own leaders and ignore other leaders in the city that they have their house churches.
3. They create division under their name. They ignore the universal church and the church in the city and its leaders.
4. They build trust in their network while being suspicious of others.
5. They tend to create forms of doing things rather than power. The have numerous methods, programs and agendas that appear to be growth oriented, but they are not biblical. Jesus didn’t have methods of bringing up leaders; they had to have life and spirit filled.
6. They become success oriented rather than life oriented.
I know this because I have seen it for years. In the discipleship movement we didn’t want to think of ourselves as denominational so we used the word “Streams.” later in the restoration movement we used the word “networking.”
It all the same, it denominational at it roots and that is Babylonian. We want a “name” for ourselves. God hates division and that is the main reason we do not see power. The New Testament church had unity, power and a universal church that operated in homes, in cities and throughout the world. There was no other name or mixture of names that were accepted.
If house churches choose to network together for fellowship within a region or to share a common purpose, this is very different than denominationalism or the discipleship movement. The big difference is control. House churches must remain individually autonomous in every way including their government and their resources. They must remain solely under the Spirit’s leadership. In this context, they are free to network with other churches in the region or with the city church as a whole as God leads His Body and makes fluid connections that serve His purposes.
You may think it is different than the denominations, but it is a denomination: it names its group. There was only one church or network; it was the body of Christ. It didn’t have names or networks. When such “networks” occurred: I am of Paul’s network, I am of Peter network… it was called division. It is true that we read in the bible what we already believe, rather believe what we read. Try unity of the body of Christ… it is what Jesus subscribed.
God bless
Hi Saints,
Jesus did have a method of raising up workers. It originated in the God Head. Our Lord watched & heard His Father & fellowshipped with him before time. When Jesus came to earth nothing changed. The twelve spent 3 years with Him watching and learning & hearing. the saints in Jerusalem spent many years with the apostles before God spread them through out the nations. Paul traveled and taught atleast 8 saints for years before they
where sent. There is most definitly a pattern here.
Note: All spent many years in Church Life before they where sent, including Jesus. True Church Life is the fellowship of the Father, Son , and Holy Spirit.
We would be wise to have the brothers & sisters spent many years in the Church and watch their gifts develope before we let them loose on Gods people. Oh, the people letting them loose are non other than the brothers & sisters in the Church they are in. Self proclaimed leaders are out. What a concept!!
looking for a bible based house church in St. Petersburg, FL. Any suggestions.
Can anyone tell me if there is one in my area: South Suburban Chicago?
I ask this question again…hopefully, someone can assist me in this. I literally AM ALONE without any family or friends….in the midst of holidays it would be wonderful to find some place to fellowship w/like minded believers.
Does anyone have any idea where I can even begin the process of searching for a House Church in South Suburban Chicago metro?
how does a house church meet the local township ordinances with respect to gathering regularly for spiritual purpose??
This applies to the HCs in US? We are facing such a situation and need any pointers.
Thanks
I would like to comment on church leadership per the New Testament.We find it difficult to understand
accountablilty in house church because we can not visualize multiple elders and how they interacted. The church was a city wide church. It was only one church, many small congregations but only one church. The elders were accountable to oneanother as well as the assembly of believers they nurtured. I believe it was difficult for one to lead in a direction which the Holy Spitit was not an active leader because He used all the elders as well as other believers to keep the direction sure. Remember that decisions were consensious all helped make decisions. This kept false teaching under control. I would like to see this form become the norm. I believe that the Lord is reviving the biblical church in our day. He will use it in the Last days. Please forgive me if I rambled I quickly typed this out.
The need is great here in this area for a house church how do I go about starting a house church as people I have met want to go to a building to have church.
iN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS I HAVE BEEN EAGER TO FIND, BE A PART OF OR START A HOUSE CHURCH.I DO NOT KNOW HOW TO BEGIN.ANY ADVICE ?
James…Frank Viola- Present Testimony Ministries has a book entitled “So You Want to Start A House Churdh” and “Gathering Together” that may be of help. All of his books read in sequence will help build a strong biblical base for why we do house church at all, and are very helpful while in transistion from instituional church to small personal church wherever you do it! Welcome to this leg of the journey!
Looking for a house church in Anaheim, Ca. area.
Desperate for fellowship in westcentral Illinois, not far from Quincy, Peoria and Burlington, IA.
Anyone out there?
Johnathan, it’s Carl. I have no idea why but I was thinking of you and found this blog, touch base when you can.
carl tuttle
Hi.
I found your Web Site by Google
And I wish you the best you can get,
the peace of God through Jesus Christ.
Welcome to visit my Site.
Allan Svensson, Sweden
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