Advantages & Disadvantages of Non-House Churches

Exactly right

 

I have friends doing true house church work and developing house church networks. There are some true advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages
1. Is a more accurate (in biblical terms) of how the New Testament church met and worshipped.
2. You can't hide in a house church, everyone is to be involved.
3. Intimacy with others is a stunning example of Christ-likeness for others.
4. Lay leadership is heavily pushed and needed.
5. Your family worships and grows together in a real environment.
6. Low overhead on terms of costs.
7. Depending on how you do staffing (most have either bi-vocational or non-paid leaders) there isn't much in terms of personnel budgets
8. It is simple
9. If the environment (home) is right it is a great way to break down barriers
10. Its not about a building but a community

Disadvantages
1. Very high barriers for new guests
2. If the home is small the group will struggle
3. When someone leaves, everyone knows it
4. Burn out is frequent
5. Outreach/growth can be hindered
6. Leadership can be weak
7. An arrogance by some in leadership over other expressions of church
8. Can create a difficult haves and have-nots in terms of housing, etc
9. Teaching can be weak
10. A less visible church

There are others and many here have answered well. I honestly love the idea of a huge house church network in our communities.

One other thing to consider...this is how the majority of Christianity expresses itself outside of the United States. Think about the millions of Christians in southeat Asia, in the Arab world, in Africa, in other countries where space is expensive and/or oppression exists.

For me there is something so pure in the expression. One of my friends works with a house church network in New York City. They meet two to three times a week for worship, Bible study, fellowship, etc in different homes. Then once a month all the house churches gather for a city wide worship service that last several hours. I've been to it, it is a blessing. There is something genuine and honestly attractive, imho, about it.

But I also believe there is a place for the established church. We can live in harmony, but it takes practiced discipline on both parts.

 

Very well put, Jim. And quite in keeping with biblical standards. The NT local church has structure. Most house churches (from my limited knowledge) do not.

 

And what is that?

When the house church movement ( which is nothing more than geography and a lack of leadership and structure) is so anti-establishment (60's here we go again) how will that ever be?

 

The house churches abroad do so in many cases out of pure necessity. the house church movement in America does not have this reason. Their motivations are rather Romantic but unnecessary. They are wanna be's and not much more.