Barna Research asked survey respondents about house churches by defining them as, “part of a group of believers that meets regularly in a home or place other than a church building. These groups are not part of a typical church; they meet independently, are self-governed and consider themselves to be a complete church on their own. Do you participate in such a group, sometimes known as a house church or simple church, that is not associated in any way with a local, congregational type of church?” The response to this inquiry consistently generates just 3% to 6% of all adults saying they have been involved in such an assembly during a typical month. Broader definitions of a house church generated “yes” answers from up to 33% of respondents. Barna Research reported in 2006 that 1 in 5 adults attend house churches. A follow-up study by Center for Missional Research commissioned a Zogby study that asked. “Do you meet weekly with a group of 20 people or less to pray and study Scriptures as your primary form of spiritual or religious gathering?” 26.3% of the 3,600 Americans polled answered “yes”.-Barna Update 31 Aug09
My family and I are part of a “house church”. Each Sunday we gather with about 20 others to pray, worship through singing, and spending time reading the Scriptures and being taught by the Scriptures.
Our group includes families, singles, college students and kids. We are not a disgruntled group of people, but a group of people who realized that much of our time and energy and funds were going into maintaining a building thereby sapping our potential for reaching others. Yes, we do have visitors to our home church, three yesterday.
Will we always meet in a home? I don’t know. But for now it works for us.
There is something “organic” about the house church. No fertilizers, no pesticides, chemical free, no encrustations,no institutionalism, natural, wholesome, healthy. I like it too. It’s kind of romantic. Going back to what the NT church was like: God’s people meeting in houses.
Dear Craig,
Encouraged that it can be sustained. Always thought that without a “rabbi” or “leader” sustaining, growing and evolving such an enterprise would present daunting challenges.
Have been wondering how a “cell group” can transition towards a house church.
Are you affiliated/adhering to any variant of religious practice or are you non affiliated intent on seeking the “Truth” and being real. Doctrines generally provide “rails” but have a downside risk of being completely false or a successful cult. Can you create a perpetual “moral/truth” conscience within a small group. When do you split and multiply?
Grateful if you could share your experiences and ideas within this blogsphere.