In other words, passion is helpful, but over-exaggerated claims about a particular church style’s reach, influence and number are not. Mean-spirited criticism and questions of motives don’t help.
Large, contemporary churches ARE the largest trend right now.
Unfortunately, some prominent proponents of the house church movement have made some really unhelpful, overinflated claims that completely collapsed under the scrutiny of research. (Now, I am not talking about the mainstream leaders—just some fringe voices I have seen lately and I thought needed response.)
But, I don’t think anyone will be involved in house churches if people are not passionate—just be passionate with honesty and integrity.
2. Keep Planting the Kind of Churches God Is Calling You To
We need members and leaders of every church style to focus on Christ and reaching the lost.
I desperately want a booming house church movement to exist. I’m all for them. I want those people who are in house church contexts to plant more house churches.
Push out away from the establishment. Break down the unbiblical clergy barriers.
If I were a denominational leader, I would make sure I had some “eggs” in the house church “basket” (though I think they generally thrive outside of the system). I would continuously be developing leaders who can teach, train and multiply nonvocational missional leaders within house churches. Denominations and networks need to be empowering and encouraging house and organic church movements in cities, rural areas and everywhere else.
We need more, not less, organic churches!
The impact of house churches in the Western world is just not as great as it is in China or many other parts of the world. Making claims contrary to fact don’t encourage engagement, they undermine the case. There is not a major house church movement here in the West, but that does not mean it cannot be an important aspect of church planting here. Furthermore, they can, perhaps, take off in the future.
While house churches are currently being planted, calling this the next big movement in Christianity is just missiologically premature. By overstating the current growth and impact of house churches, those who are passionate about this style of fellowship hurt their cause.
3. Share the Goal of Kingdom Growth
If leaders are not cautious, house church expressions can become a confluence of disgruntled former members of evangelical megachurches. That’s not what we want—that’s not what house church leaders want. Focusing on what was wrong with the institutional churches will limit the influence of a house church—we need to celebrate sister churches with methodological diversity where God is at work.
Here is what I shared about the subject with the Vineyard national magazine a few years ago:
[W]hat does it look like as methodological diversity increases? There will be Vineyard church plants that are planted similarly to how Johnny Crist planted the Atlanta Vineyard. However, my guess is that there will be communities of faith, house-church-like congregations, that are spread out over areas, not unlike the Nashville Vineyard. So, how can a network that was birthed by planting large, Spirit-filled, multiplying churches expand and embrace new expressions?
Therefore, I think it will be necessary for the Vineyard’s future to have a common theological belief with a diverse methodological expression. That expression will include house churches, missional incarnational communities, multisite megachurches and different expressions in between.
Kingdom growth will result when house church advocates (and large church advocates) are more passionate about the gospel, the mission and the community, and less about tearing down those of a different type.
God uses the house church to impact China and the megachurch to impact Korea. We need to hold our models loosely, Jesus firmly, and speak honestly about one another.
