Stop going to church...Be the church

Today, many people feel a real disconnect with the world around them. They go to a job, have some acquaintances, even have a family and some friends but they don't feel really close to anyone. In order to combat that issue, we meet in homes to create environments of deep intimacy and connection. We want people to experience a real God, who loves them deeply, and real people willing to go through life together.

How is Home Church different than other churches? To understand that we must first understand the word “church” as defined by scripture. In Matthew 16:18 Jesus says, “I will build my church”. This word is referring to people not a building. Today we use the word church to refer to a structure, a building. We say we are going to church. Or, where do you go to church? Here in Matthew Jesus was not talking about building a building but about building a people. A people called out FROM their life before Christ, TO their life together in Christ, FOR a divinely inspired eternal purpose through Christ. And they met in homes.

• Romans 16:5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who is the first fruits of Achaia to Christ.
• 1 Corinthians 16:19 The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.
• Colossians 4:15 Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas and the church that is in his house.

In response to the infilling of the Holy Spirit they assembled as we see in Acts chapter 2. These people were committed to:

1. The word of God (Apostle’s doctrine)
2. Fellowship
3. Breaking of bread (Worship)
4. Prayers

These 4 elements were foundational and central to the people’s gatherings (the church).

We envision these Home Churches throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond led by Home Church Leaders or Pastors.

Our Home Church Network is not led by a single person but according to scripture we believe in what is commonly referred to as 5 fold ministry leaders.

Ephesians 4:11-12 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.

These leaders oversee our Home Church network as a team submitted to Christ & one another.

1. Apostles connect us to the mission of God
2. Prophets connect us to the heart of God
3. Evangelists connect us to the message of God
4. Pastors/Shepherds connect is to the people of God
5. Teachers connect us to the truth of God

When these five gifts come together functioning under the power of the Holy Spirit and are submitting to one another we see the hand; or better yet; the Fist of God in power and authority flowing to His church in equipping the saints for the work of the ministry as is described in Ephesians 4:12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,

Absolutely not!

Home churches are now the fastest growing church in the US. But home church also has a bad image among many in the traditional church of America. And some of that is well earned. You see there are two primary drivers behind home church.

This first one is Reaction. In other words, I now want to lead a home church because of my own personal reaction to traditional church. I have been offended, I have been hurt, I don’t want to submit to the Pastor. We can list a near endless list of potential reactions that can present a cause for people to move toward a home church. Scripture declares in Hebrews 12:12,13 “Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.” God’s ultimate desire for all of us is healing. And Romans 8 declares to us “that our present suffering cannot even be compared to the glory that shall be revealed in us.” God wants us healed and whole not transient. So as people migrate to home churches out of reaction, a bad image can easily be created.

Revival House has not been born of Reaction but out of Revelation. We have no issues at all with the traditional church. We actually see only one church according to the scripture. The Church that Jesus died to build through us. We love the traditional churches and see them as allies working together for the cause of Christ. Our revelation of home church comes from a diligent study of scripture and a revelation by the Holy Spirit of the early church and how they gathered as well as how they multiplied such as has never been duplicated since the early days of the church. The revelation is how they met, how they built relationships, how they served one another and their cities and how they were equipped for the work of the ministry through the ascension gifts commonly referred to as the 5-fold ministry (Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors/Shepherds and Teachers).

We are open to all who would desire to join us but make no place for those who would accuse other styles or forms of Church. We have too much to do in the mission of Christ to be sidetracked by unnecessary focus on non-essential and divisive things that do not move the mission Jesus gave us forward.

We are honored to be part of the big “C” Church and honored to serve the body of Christ and the mission that He himself has given us which is to make Jesus known to the world preaching the gospel of the kingdom.

We use the Nicene Creed as a starting point but we believe so much more.

We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, begotten from the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father.

Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation He came down from heaven; He became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and was made human. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried. The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead. His kingdom will never end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life. He proceeds from the Father and the Son, and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified.
He spoke through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.
We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and to life in the world to come. Amen.