What is a home church and home church network?

A home church meets in member’s homes on a Sunday morning (or other times) instead of in a large building. A group of home churches affiliated with each other creates the network. The founding pastor of The Church Without Walls International (CWOWI) is John Fenn.

What’s wrong with regular church?

Nothing, God flows through many different organizational structures.

Then why a home church?

The church met primarily in homes until the early 300’s AD. There are at least 5 home churches mentioned in the New Testament. Today, the home church movement is gaining popularity, especially in the US and China.

For some, a traditional church in a large setting does not provide the feeling of being connected to other people, seems preoccupied with it’s own projects instead of being a resource for members, and does not meet the need of providing spiritual depth or balance in it’s teaching.

How do you fit all those people?

Each home church limits it’s size to about 20 people to maintain a home-like atmosphere.

Is a home church scriptural?

Acts 2:42-47 tells us they met ’from house to house’ providing a pattern for the spread of the gospel. Col 4:15, Philemon 2, Rom 16:5, I Cor 16:19, all mention that these churches met in homes.

What are the basic elements the Bible tells us about how they held church?

* They met in homes as the primary means of holding church and were therefore relationship based
* They were in fellowship with the leaders
* They ate together on a regular basis
* Ministry was in the hands of the believers, not just in leadership - any could participate (I Cor 14:26)
* Their agenda was to seek God and empower Him to flow through all members
* Their offerings stayed mainly in the church (instead of out towards a project)
* The church was a living network, not a bureaucratically controlled organization, growing horizontally, rather than vertically

How does a traditional church compare to a home church in it’s methods? A traditional church...

* meets in a sanctuary versus meets in a home
* meets as a big impersonal group versus small intimate groups
* drives to get people into the church versus getting Christ and his ways into people
* has evangelism based on outreach, action, programs, and specials versus natural discipling of friends, neighbors, coworkers, and family
* is sermon centered versus group participation and discussion
* has it’s key thrust as ‘become a member’ versus ‘be a disciple of Jesus’
* has a ministry culture that is performance oriented versus equipping oriented
* handles missions by sending specialized missionaries versus the church sending itself as a multipliable unit
* has worship that is performance oriented in which a set group performs versus from the body initiated
* has the Pastor as a cheerleader overseeing a pyramid shaped organization versus leaders
* in a V shaped organization serving members and empowering them to walk with God

How is a home church different from a cell church?

A cell is one part of a larger unit that meets in a sanctuary on Sunday morning as it’s primary program. Cells are a ‘Jethro system’ with a leader and assistant (pyramid) with a set agenda or teaching driving the meeting.

A home church is different in that the home is the sanctuary, a unit in itself. A home church is a flat structure in 5-fold ministry where the people and God’s will for the service are the agenda.

How does a traditional church compare to a home church in the way it looks at people. A traditional church...

* gives them functions versus lets them function
* makes them believe in you versus believe in them
* requires submission versus delegating authority
* makes them part of your plans versus partner with God’s plan for them
* uses them versus invest in them
* loves the task more than the people versus loves them and says (and shows) so
* takes what they have versus give them what you have
* preaches at them versus discusses with them
* requires appointments versus spend time freely with them in a home setting
* lets them serve you versus leadership serve them
* demonstrates mastery to them versus the transference and impartation of God’s ways from one life to another
* service is designed to keep the congregation from participating (so nothing unexpected happens) versus encouraging the congregation to participate
* makes people who raise issues feel like they are the one with the problem or spiritualize real issues versus taking the time to deal with the problem and find a solution

Who is in charge of a home meeting?

Each home church has leaders and/or hosts who are responsible for each meeting of the home church. Their job is to love people and offer leadership in such a way that what God wants to get done in a meeting is done.

Remember that a home church isn’t built around 1 person and his/her message, it’s built around seeing the Lord’s will done in that meeting, and the needs of the people being met.

Paul commented of the Corinthian church (I Cor 14:26), ‘how is it brethren (a term used for men and women), when you meet together each one has a hymn, a teaching, a revelation, a tongue or interpretation of it. Let everything be constructive and edifying for the good of all’.

Paul established elders in each church who had hearts like that of a shepherd...love for the sheep and the maturity to lead. (Acts 20:28)

What about the giving of offerings?

Each CWOW home church and it’s affiliates receives offerings from members, usually placed in a basket with pre-addressed envelopes. These can be mailed separately or collected at the end of each meeting and taken to or mailed to CWOW offices.

Most traditional churches spend about 40% of all income on their building(s). CWOW uses that money to hire more pastors (do to the more relational aspect of a home church) and for meeting the physical needs of it’s congregations.

How do you deal with teens and children?

This can be handled in any number of creative ways. When children become old enough, we prefer that they sit with their parents, learning and asking questions and moving in the Spirit alongside each other. The Lord created the family before he created the church, so we try to create a family like atmosphere.

Sometimes a home church may want to have a time of special instruction for the children. Each home church is free to develop whatever works best for the children in their group.

Teens can sit in with parents as well as have their own meeting at another time. Again, the possibilities are endless.

How do you keep people from abusing authority or getting off, spiritually?

When Jesus spoke about submission and authority as in Mark 10: 42-45, he always directed submission to his leaders, that they submit downward. This is the heart of CWOW. If leadership is walking in love and the Spirit as Jesus taught, there will be mutual submission in love to each other and no room for abuse or lording authority over others.

The qualifications mentioned in the New Testament for leadership all deal with character quality, not spiritual gifts. As in Acts 20:28, we recognize the Holy Spirit’s role in choosing men and women as leaders, and take seriously the exhortations about maturity, character, and experience being requirements for leadership.

The close relationships among the leaders keep everyone in check, a mutual submission that keeps everyone in balance.

Another factor is that CWOW is not a closed group. Leadership and members are in continual contact with others and maintain a healthy inflow of what the Lord is doing elsewhere in the body of Christ.

Many have been hurt by ‘the church’ and have become bitter. How is this dealt with?

Many people have had horrible experiences in different church settings, including some home churches. Manipulation, egos, power trips, heavy handed authority, ‘shepherding‘ have all occurred. There are some that call themselves a home church but are really just people just don‘t want to go anywhere or be a part of anything or anyone.

Home churches as described in the bible are under the authority of an apostle who is also connected to other apostles and organizations (Acts 15). In the case of CWOW, John Fenn is the founding apostle and pastor.

There is no better place to work through hurts, whether inflicted by Christians or the world, than a home setting where personal attention can be given to the issues in a person’s heart.

We believe that church is not a building, it is people. Therefore our investment is in people.

Jesus taught the disciples, but he also lived with them, visited their homes, and demonstrated what he was teaching on a day to day basis.

If you would like to learn more about Church Without Walls International or the concept of home churches, you may contact us.