• Simple Church Basics
• What are gatherings like?
• How do I start a house church?
• Church Leadership / Networks
• House2House Statement of Faith
• Where do donations go?
• What about being paid to minster? - Q & A with Tony Dale

Simple Church Basics

What is a simple church?

Although it goes by many names (e.g. house church, simple church, open church, organic church, etc.), it is simply a group of people getting together with Christ as their center, and the Bible as the ultimate authority. These groups can gather anywhere--homes, workplaces, coffee shops, anywhere that people naturally gather!

"Where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am, in the midst of them." --Jesus

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How do I start a simple church?

There are many ways! Usually it starts as a small gathering. We would strongly suggest that you take a look at the Getting Started manual  which covers this issue in depth.

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Is house church an effective way of reaching my community?

Instead of begging the unsaved in your community to come to church with you, house church lets you take the church to them! One unsaved person or new believer starting a church in their home will reach their friends and their friends' friends and reach the community much quicker than if we took one person at a time to church with us.

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Does a house church need a leader or pastor?

Although all house churches are different, and they decide individually how they want to do things, in general there are no "pastors." At least there doesn't need to be. We believe that the Holy Spirit can use any believer to teach or encourage the group. In a house church, everyone is expected to participate and be looking for ways to use the gifts the Holy Spirit provides (see 1 Cor. 14:26).

Certainly there is usually a facilitator of the group (although it doesn't need to be the same person that faciliatates from meeting to meeting). We believe that even a new believer could start a church in their home without feeling like they need a trained professional to come and lead it, or needing money to support such a person. We find that the lack of a specified pastor encourages every person in the group to look for answers by searching the Scriptures and looking to the Holy Spirit, rather than depending on the pastor to interpret.

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Aren't house churches the same as cell churches?

"There is a distinction between cell churches and house churches. Cell churches are linked to one another in some type of structured network. Often this network is linked to a larger, single church identity. House churches may look the same as cell churches, but they generally are not organized under a single authority or hierarchy of authorities. As autonomous units, house churches may lack the unifying structure of cell churches, but they are typically more dynamic."

- From "Church Planting Movements" by the International Mission Board, printed in issue 7 of House2House magazine.

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How do you handle giving in a simple church?

Here is a helpful email we received from a leader of a network of house churches in Killeen TX:

My name is Jim Mellon and we have a network in central TX called the Association of Home Churches. We have incorporated and the only way to open a bank account under a church name is to get a tax I.D. #. Because of a long-term vision the Lord has given us, we decided to incorporate. Eighty to ninetyauthority percent of all of our giving goes to benevolence and missions both local and foreign. We give to local missions such as the food care center, mission soup kitchen, Hope Pregnancy Center and others. One of our goals as a church is to model economically how a housechurch network functions.

If you do not want to get a tax I.D. #, you could encourage your church members to give directly to whoever the Lord leads. The other alternative would be to partner with another non-profits that would be willing to keep your records separate.

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What are gatherings like?

What do you do with the kids?

Each group will be different, but our principle is to try to include the kids in everything that is possible. So, usually it is the kids who "drive" the worship. They are the ones who choose the songs, will often take part in testimony or sharing, and will help if we are praying with someone.

However, when it comes to studying the Word, the groups will vary. Some provide activities so that the kids can just play quietly alongside what is going on with the adults. Others will have a specific kids activity planned. Yet others will let them play elsewhere under the supervision of an older kid.

The variety of possibilities is endless. But the kids are not just a part of the church of the future -- they are the church of right now too. They are allowed to be kids. They have the same Holy Spirit in them as the adults -- not somehow a lesser "kiddie" version. I believe that one day we will see kids starting churches (as they are in many other parts of the world) and moving powerfully in many ways.

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What do you do when you get together?

Again, this will vary from church to church . . . but here are some of the basic elements that tend to be present in every house church:

• FOOD - When you get together, eat! It provides a great atmosphere for people to have honest open communication with each other.
  
  
• OPEN PARTICIPATION - 1 Corinthians 14:26 is the basis for what we do when we get together. The key is “Each one has…” Everybody should be able to take part.
  
  
• BIBLE STUDY - Keep it simple and interactive. A great technique is to look over a few verses together and then share with each other what each person gets out of the verses.
  
  
• PRAYER - Find out what is happening in each other’s lives and take the time to pray for each other. Expect God to move powerfully and to speak to the group as you pray.
  
  
• SIMPLICITY - Make sure that whatever you do can be duplicated. If the church is going to multiply rapidly it must be kept simple.

For an idea of what this looks like, see the "When You Come Together" DVD.

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How do you handle ceremonial events?

This is yet another area where many house churches differ, but here are some suggestions:

• WEDDINGS - We usually encourage couples to have a civil wedding (in front of a Justice of the Peace) on a Friday to deal with the legal issues, and then have anything that they and their house church want for the real wedding that weekend. We have seen all sorts of fabulous weddings from simple, in gardens, to full regalia in borrowed church buildings. We encourage them that the marriage before God within the church in the home is the time to consider themselves married, but that the legal part needs to be done for a variety of reasons, not least out of respect for the State and because the piece of paper does help to bind a couple together.
  
  
• BAPTISMS - Be creative! We have had (or heard of) baptisms in jacuzzis, bathtubs, swimming pools, and lakes.
  
  
• LORD'S SUPPER - Again, the way that people in different house churches handle the Lord's Supper varies widely. If you are interested, Steve Atkerson wrote an interesting article on the Lord's Supper called "The Last Snack"(printed in issue 1 of House2House magazine).
  
  

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How do I start a house church?

It is interesting to note that our call is to make disciples, and it is Jesus who builds His church. Having said this, it is equally clear that if we are discipling others, we will see churches begin around the people of peace (see Luke 10:1-9) and if started with the right DNA, we will see these small groups grow and multiply. So what does this look like in practice.

Rather than try to answer this question fully in the space available, let me instead point you to a few resources that have been used around the world with great effect.

• Get hold of the “Tidal Wave” DVD that is available at the H2H bookstore at this link. Many groups have started by a few people watching this DVD together and saying, “ We could be a part of that.”
• Read and pray through the Getting Started manual written by Felicity Dale. Many missionaries and others around the world have used the very practical approaches outlined in this manual to start church planting movements.
• With a few others who are committed to working with you to see the new church start, watch “When You Come Together,” another DVD available from the H2H bookstore.
• Now help the new group members to get hold of copies of An Army Of Ordinary People (or audio book). As individuals read this, they will find the Holy Spirit encouraging them and giving them the confidence that they now can move out to be starting new churches also.
• If you want more help and form getting going, try the Getting Started Course.

You can also find help through the regular articles and newsletters that go out from the House2House.com, and you may also enjoy the interaction with others on this journey at simplechurch.com .

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Church Leadership / Networks

Is there a leadership structure that connects all the house churches?

House church groups are very autonomous. There is no leadership structure that connects every house church in the world. Very often, though, the house churches in an area are somewhat associated with a certain person or people (e.g. Neil Cole - the Awakening Churches in southern CA; Jim Mellon - the Association of Home Churches in Killeen, TX; and more). But this association exists not because the "network leader" is taking control of the house churches, but instead because house churches in an area may find an advantage to seeking encouragement and support from a person that has quite a bit of experience with planting churches in that area.

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Should all the churches in an area be meeting in a large group regularly?

Different house church networks handle this different ways. Here are a few options:

• Meet together monthly as a large group. (Consider and discuss your reasons for having this gathering.)
  
  
• Meet periodically when someone with apostolic or prophetic gifting comes through town, and meet in house churches the rest of the time.
  
  
• Develop a series of mini-celebrations around the city, with groups of churches getting together, while on occasion, maybe quarterly, having a major celebration with everyone involved.
  
  

The questions surrounding the importance of networking the networks, having conferences, or providing an international missions thrust are quite numerous. Emerging house church networks should be encouraged to explore these areas themselves.

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How big should a group grow before it multiplies?

The experts claim that 15-20 adults is the maximum number that you should let a house church grow to. Although we have had them grow to 40 or more, a group this large loses the sense of intimacy, and it becomes more difficult for everyone to participate.
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How do we multiply a house church?

Waiting until a church grows to 50, and then splitting it down the middle, is like going through a divorce. As the group gets larger we start asking God to identify one or two couples and/or singles that we should send out to birth a daughter church. If a new family or individual wants to join when our numbers are already reaching a maximum point, rather than include them in the existing church, we will often try to start a new church around them. That way it is an exciting church plant that typically has the advantage of moving into a new neighborhood, reaching a new set of people.

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How do house churches deal with the issue of being under authority?

This varies widely between house churches. Most that we find ourselves associated with recognize who the people were who helped them come into being. As Paul stated to the Corinthians, "For even if you had ten thousand others to teach you about Christ, you have only one spiritual father. For I became your father in Christ Jesus when I preached the Good News to you. So I ask you to follow my example and do as I do" (1 Cor 4:15-16). Clearly Paul expected, like any parent, that his children would recognize him, not because of some office that he held, but because of the relationships that had been built.

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Is authority that big of an issue (with denominations it certainly is)?

My answer (Tony Dale) would be a resounding, "No." It really is not a big issue. It is the natural outflow of relationship. If authority is not based on relationship, but on position, then we have moved into that which Jesus forbade (see Matthew 20:24-27)!

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Some organizations require a Pastor's signature, how do we get around this?

Within most home churches there is someone who is genuinely doing the pastoral (in the Biblical sense) type work of tending the flock, without lording it over them. Just agree together that such a person will sign as “pastor” for your group when it is needed.

There are good groups, such as the American Evangelistic Association who are willing to provide “ordination papers” to an appropriate person(s) within your group as agreed by your group. We know many who have used this to help with such official functions as getting visiting parking rights at hospitals or access to prisons.

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House2House Statement of Faith

Why don’t you have a clear doctrinal statement?

The following comes from the newsletter of Maurice Smith and the Parousia Network in Spokane. It deals very clearly with why most house churches don't have "Statements of Faith."

I recently received several e-mails asking about our "doctrinal statement" in The Parousia Network. This made me stop and think some more about doctrine and house church. Dr. Haddon Robinson once told me that doctrinal statements tend to be "conflict documents," that is, they tend to get written as the result of a conflict and a need to distinguish what one group believes as opposed to the other group. I call them "shibboleth" documents (see Judges 12:1-6), "We all say ‘shibboleth’ but they all say ‘sibboleth’". People in search of doctrinal statements are often in search of a "shibboleth" (or a "sibboleth"). If you want to know what I believe theologically, get a copy of Wayne Grudem’s "Systematic Theology" and read it. When you’re done, if you have any left-over questions, let me know and we’ll talk about them. Theology ("doctrine" or "dogma") is like the foundation of a house. A good foundation doesn’t guarantee that what you build on it will be good or will last; but a bad foundation almost guarantees future problems with whatever you build upon it. Good theology doesn’t guarantee a successful house church any more than a good foundation guarantees a successful house. But bad theology jeopardizes everything you and your house church seek to build on that foundation. The success of your (or any) house church will be determined by what you & I build on the good foundation we lay. And most of what is built will be "non-theological" in any technical sense. Do you love one another, even when you sharply disagree with one another? Do you bear one another’s burdens non-judgmentally? Do you pray with and for one another? Do you equip and build one another up through mutual ministry and the proper exercise of all the gifts God has bestowed upon you? Do you meet one another’s needs radically and financially? Do you feed the hungry, befriend the stranger, visit the prisoner, prefer one another in honor and practice the more than 30 "one another’s" in Scripture? These are the building blocks of organic house church which we build upon the proper foundation of right doctrine. Without them we are little more than a bible study club, or a prophecy club, or a tongues club, or a healing club, etc. But with them, we are the living stones which God Himself is using to build a spiritual house that the New Testament calls "the ekklesia of God".


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What about (fill in the blank)

Please feel free to use the contact form to contact us about specific issues.

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Where do donations go?

We are considering supporting you financially, but have a few questions:

Thank you so much for writing to us. We love to hear what the Lord is doing in and through others, and we are happy to try to answer your questions on financial accountability. Because most of us have been in situations that we look back on and feel rather abused in relation to finances, it is vital that what goes on is seen to be open and above board. So let me try to answer some of your questions here, and some of the more specific ones in the main body of your email below.

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Please confirm that you are a registered not for profit organization and that our donation will be deductible against US federal tax.

Yes, we are a registered 501-C3 organization, and have received from the IRS our “Final Determination” which means that they now officially and permanently accept us as a public charity.

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Could you give us some information on the size of your annual budget and how the money is spent (e.g. percentage for each category of activity).

Some of this I have already answered above. But to give you a little more idea - Our budget is around $200,000 per year (not including money that comes in through conferences, but which is then spent on the conference expenses.) That money goes to:

• Pay for the Byerly’s.
  
  
• Money to various church planting movements around the world.
  
  
• We produce around one new 25 minute DVD each year to help people understand what is going on in house church movements here in N. America.
  
  
• Maintenance of the website, and development and improvements to the site.
  
  
• Sending materials, often at no cost, to missionaries and others around the world to help them in developing church planting movements.
  
  
• Helping to cover some of our costs in traoversightveling to encourage church planting movements in various parts of the world.
  
  

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Are you members of ECFA and / or what other practices do you have to ensure the money is appropriately spent? (e.g. do you have annual accounts which are independently audited? How independent is your oversight board? How open are you when people ask questions?

We are not members of the ECFA because we are not yet large enough, and maybe never will be to fulfill their criteria. Our accounts are handled by a CPA, and are available for anyone to see. We do not have them independently audited, but welcome anyone to look at them (not including information on how much is donated by any specific donors, as that is confidential information to them). Our oversight board is made up of leaders of various respected groups throughout the house church world, including representatives from Dawn Ministries, Church Multiplication associates, businessmen who helped to found House2House, etc..

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aren’t

What about being paid to minster? - Q & A with Tony Dale

I'm taking a step of faith with finances. I could possibly "work full time", but I guess lately I've been feeling like God is suggesting otherwise--possibly for me to do full time ministry. However, Satan is definitely attacking my whole family with financial problems.

I feel pretty strongly that the “attack” that so many Christian workers feel in the financial area is actually pressure from the Holy Spirit to normalize their lives and finances by working! Biblically, the call to so called “full-time” work is for those whose traveling ministry precludes them from being able to work in ordinary work locally. Anyway, aren’t we all in full time work for the Kingdom and the King whatever he has called us to do? Our work is a huge part of our credibility. Even with all of Paul’s responsibilities, he much of the time choose to be a tentmaker so that no-one could level criticism at him. Work keeps us strongly grounded in reality, and it puts food on the table, and provides for us to have more to give to others as needed.

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I'm not too sure what to do about getting income.

Biblically we are to provide for our household. The normal way to do this is through paid work.

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I'm more than willing to take a full time job, but with all the Kingdom work I am doing and plans to go to seminary, it seems like full time isn't the best idea.

The fallacy with this way of thinking is that “we” need to do so much in the Kingdom. But actually we are more effective when we multiply out who and what we are. People who we are discipling will want to become like us. So if they see that we are “full-time” they will basically want to also be full time.

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It's not that I feel God "needs" me to do anything - He's going to do it no matter what, and I truly believe that. But at the same time, I feel like it might be a call, to just take a step of faith.

We all walk by faith. I need faith to see work in my company so that none of my employees will be out of work. I am laboring this point because to me it is vital that in our simple church movements, we don’t just go the way of almost all movements from a traditional background. As you study the history of movements, they grow fastest when they are lay led and remain simple. So why do we hold up going to seminary as an ambition to be desired! Churches and church planting movements grow most rapidly when we put no “rate limiting step” in their way.

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Here are my options.  #1 I can send out support letters and pray. #2 I can get a full time job. #3 I can try to get 20 hours of part time, and be "barely" making it. #4 I can pray to win the lottery, and claim it in faith!!

My prayer for you and the many others that are being raised up of the Lord with a great passion for His work and His Kingdom is that you will do what is needed to support yourselves, AND still pour your lives out in the Kingdom. When I graduated from medical school, it was just taken for granted that I would do my residency, which involves working about 100 hours PER WEEK. If that is normal in the world of medicine, why is it so strange that for the Kingdom of God we would find the time to do all he has put on our hearts alongside the work that everyone else in the world has to do to just live! I hope that I have not come across too strong. But I do feel strongly about this. We hear so much in the West about our “right” to a typical work week of 40 hours. But now that we choose to be His slaves, we give up our rights, and we willingly lay down our lives. Do we need balance? Yes! Do we need quality family time? Yes! But the context is of the slave, not of the owner. God helps us find the balance. I have many times been unbalanced, not just in the Kingdom of God, but also in medicine! This is part of growing into maturity, which is the hallmark of Timothy and Titus type leadership. This type of growth only comes through life, not through seminary, and not through “full-time Christian work.”

The real answer in every situation is to hear what the Lord is saying and then to do it!

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