Bring up the word “church” and most folks usually assume you are talking about a building where Christians meet on Sunday mornings. But to limit our understanding to that one definition would be far from complete and unintentionally misleading. The church is joyfully MUCH more than a building where people meet to listen to a sermon. The church is a family. It is a community of people of faith linked together with a common purpose and shared characteristic(s). It’s the collective of all people worldwide who are following Jesus who are celebrating the Kingdom of God, the gift of eternal life and the joy of the promised Holy Spirit.

The community of mutual believers, especially our local community, is the vehicle by which we experience the fullness of Jesus while one earth (Ephesian 1:22-23). When we gather together in His name it becomes the very place that Jesus acts, speaks, and walks among us. And in Him we live and breathe and have our being (Acts 17:28). As I like to say, “If you want more of Jesus you going to have spend more time with His people, the church.”

In my studies and Christian journey I have become a strong advocate for what are known as house churches (also known a simple churches or organic church). These are groups of people who are common in the faith of Jesus and regularly meet together for the purpose of sharing Jesus with one another. The intent for meeting in houses isn’t to try to take the same programmatic churchy stuff  we see on Sunday’s and just do that in our homes instead. Rather, it is to provide an open environment to where believers are able to freely share Jesus as they are led by the Spirit and to focus in on the relationships and communal aspect of our shared faith. Thus, you can’t sit in the back row and be a fly on the wall in a home church. It’s a full on, active, participatory, interactive, interpersonal dynamic. Also, in it’s optimal form, home church is not just a Sunday gathering to where we split off and go our separate ways until next week. It’s a lifestyle to where we are able to experience the benefits of community and family in our every day-to-day lives.

Here are my posts and passion for Church and Community:

• How I first came into doing house church: What is The Flowage?
• The Simplest Definition of Church
• Radical house church, what’s the difference? – PART 1
• Radical house church, what’s the difference? – PART 2
• Radical house church, what’s the difference? – PART 3
• Radical house church, what’s the difference? – PART 4
• My First Attempts at House Church

*As always, I’d love to hear what’s on your mind so please drop your thoughts in the comment section below!