Ecclesiology Articles

What is A House Church Meeting Like?

What is one of our church meetings like? Well, let me try to describe it. The church I belong to meets at one of three different homes, rotating from house to house each week. Occasionally, we will meet at an apartment complex clubhouse, the lake, or a park, but usually it is in one of the homes of our members. We start gathering at about 9:30 a.m., but usually there are folks straggling in all the way up to 10:00 a.m. As people arrive, there is a lot of hugging, backslapping, and catching up on everyone's week. At about 10:00 the head of the household will call everyone together, and explain the significance of the bread and juice of the Lord's Supper. Sometimes a hymn or praise song will be sung. Sometimes Scripture is read. Sometimes prayer is offered. Sometimes all three occur. Then we all eat the bread and drink the cup to remind us of Christ's sufferings to purchase our salvation. Often a family will drink from a common cup. As soon as we are done with this portion of the Lord's Supper, we go right into the next by filing through a brunch buffet line and eating a meal while we fellowship with one another.

After an hour or so of fellowship, the musicians will get their instruments out and begin a song. In our church, even though we only have 10-15 people at any given church meeting, we have people who play guitar, piano, jimbe and flute. Songbooks are passed around, and for thirty to forty five minutes we sing and worship the Lord. Anyone is free to suggest or start a song. Often there is spontaneous prayer or Scripture reading during our worship time. Sometimes the musicians accompany the singing. When they don't know a particular song, we sing acappella.

On some Sundays we have a time of prayer together for needs that the body brings forth. Some Sundays we share ideas for evangelistic outreach. Sometimes someone brings up another person's financial need that the church can give to if they desire.

Then we get into God's Word. In our church there are three men who lead the teaching. They happen to be the heads of the homes where we are meeting that particular week. We are working our way through the gospel of John. Each man picks up where we left off the previous week and teaches the next section of the book. As the teaching takes place, everyone is getting involved by making a comment or asking a question. Sometimes the time in the Word lasts a half hour. Other times it lasts an hour or more.

The conclusion of the teaching usually signals that our meeting is over. However, folks feel free to linger, visit, and fellowship as long as they wish. Although I've given a possible scenario of what one of our house church meetings look like, it's really impossible to give an accurate picture of any given meeting, because they can change from week to week. Sometimes we will worship first, other times we may spend time in the Word first. Sometimes a short exhortation or insight will be shared during our worship time. Some Sundays we sing and pray for a long period of time. On other Sundays we spend the whole time in the Word.

I have been a follower of Christ now for over 25 years. Over that period of time I've been a member of many different churches. I can honestly say that I'm enjoying myself in our house church more than any other kind of church I've been a part of!