The House Church Movement : Healthy? Unhealthy?

Here’s a video podcast on the topic of the house church movement.  (If you are seeing this in your email, head on over to www.revolutionexperience.com)

I’m writing this as I’m hungering for a radical reformation in the church that will result in extreme power and revival and unstoppable Kingdom advance in our cities.  The church as we know it is going to change, and many Christians are experiencing this deep craving… though, the advance toward reformation is taking people in many different directions.  The emergent church, the organic church, the para-church and, of course, the house church.

My belief is that there are healthy house churches and there are also terribly unhealthy house churches that result from an Absalom spirit and a rebellious, or even simply, an impatient heart.

In Acts we don’t see a house church devoid of a greater corporate expression.  It’s not either/or but rather, it’s both/and.  They were in the house of prayer daily AND in homes.  Strong apostolic leadership is critical as we advance as a city church, and those in house church leadership must be rightly aligned under apostolic leadership.

Rank and order are extremely biblical principles, and if we don’t understand this we will find ourselves presuming to have the right to become self-governing and lawless.

In regard to effectiveness, mega-churches, at least structurally, have much greater ability to ‘get the job done’.  The question many have is, “what is the job?”

It’s to be a house of prayer for all nations, to be a unified army and to advance the Kingdom with power and precision.

Here’s a chapter from my book Covens in the Church that addresses this issue briefly:

Church Shopping

To further investigate this issue, allow me to make another critical statement: It is never appropriate to shop for a church! The American consumer mentality has delivered a devastating blow to the stability and growth of the Church. I’ve been in ministry for a long time, and I can’t count how many times I’ve heard statements like:

• “We’re going to attend ‘x’ church because it has a great youth ministry.”
• “I like the teaching much better at ‘y’ church.”
• “I disagree with the pastor’s position, so I’m leaving.”
• “I’m not being fed in my church.”
• “My current church doesn’t meet my needs.”

Oooooh! When did we start believing that the church’s primary responsibility is to meet our needs? It’s when the people embraced control and started making demands on the very church they are supposed to be receiving mission driven directives from! The church’s primary role IS NOT to satisfy us. It’s to equip us to do the work of the ministry. Thus, contrarily, we are called to satisfy the needs of the church and the corporate mission as the church enables us through challenging teaching and training in a Holy Spirit driven atmosphere. A church is a militaristic and missional organization that has been given an extreme vision by God.

Never choose a church based on its programs, its pastor or even its mission. Attend the church that God tells you to attend, and then serve there until you are released and sent by God and the pastor. Connect there for many years! Don’t put a time limit on your involvement! Don’t assume you are there to change things or teach the pastor all you know. Let your dreams die and allow the process of humility take root. God may take five years to bring you to the point where you can be broken enough to serve the pastor of a church of twenty-five effectively- so it can then grow into its destiny! Ask any pastor or ministry leader- they would take a mildly skilled and gifted person who is long-suffering, enduring and encouraging in the work over someone who is highly gifted with great aspirations.

I often discuss the principle of the money changers when I teach. The money changer’s tables were overturned by Jesus. It was a severe and necessary statement that we need to embrace today- The money changers went into the temple with the expectation of leaving with more than they entered with. The purpose of the temple is to bring offerings. To sacrifice. To expect to leave with less than we entered with. This is the heart we must see arise again in our churches. We don’t look for the church that will give us what we want, but rather we go where we can give. Of course, God being God, we continually grow and receive blessings so we can once again bring something to the altar. We are blessed to be a blessing. I also challenge people to be full of life, fire, fresh revelation and Holy Spirit birthed knowledge before they come to a church service. Don’t come to fill up, but to pour out!

This mind-set requires a great reformation of understanding in regard to the purpose of our churches. We pray, study, fast and grow independently in preparation for the challenge and input we are about to receive on Sunday morning. Eager response to new opportunities in such an environment results in victory after victory! God’s leaders have been appointed to accomplish a mission- and God has appointed men and women to serve that leader’s mission. Throughout Scripture we see this. Joshua led willing servants. Gideon led. Paul led. It’s time the Church divorces the spirits of Control and Witchcraft, dissolves their coven and serve. What happens when people abort their missions due to dissatisfaction or disagreement? Many these days are arbitrarily divorcing their church families and pastors and starting illegitimate house churches or other ministries. I believe this scenario will exponentially increase in the coming decade. These particular ministries are unauthorized and non-ordained movements of rebellion. They pridefully feel they can do it better than the one they were serving under. They usurp their leader’s authority and draw people unto themselves. They are the epidemy of a coven meeting.

Many house church leaders were once appalled that their pastor wasn’t held accountable, yet now as a self-appointed ministry leader, they themselves have nobody leading them. They are self-governing and independent. Many wonderfully healthy and mission critical house churches do exist- but they understand their role in the city church. They serve and support their appointed leaders- other pastors and apostles in the city church. They are not independent or autonomous or islands to themselves.

Ephesians 2:19-20 (NKJV) Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone,

You can order Covens in the Church on line at www.praytherevolution.com/resources.