FAQ
How does a healthy church grow numerically?
The New Testament pattern suggests believers proclaiming and demonstrating the gospel in the marketplace, baptizing new Christ followers and integrating them into the church through discipleship that follows Jesus’ message and methodology (for example, Paul’s work in Ephesus as described in Acts 19).
While numeric growth is a sign of health, it shouldn’t be the primary obsession of a church. Growth is a byproduct of healthy Christ followers doing what healthy Christ followers do.
How to recognize an unhealthy house church?
Generally, an unhealthy church is the opposite of the New Testament church.
Unhealthy churches are stagnant.
Unhealthy churches are dominated by one person or a small number of people who make all the decisions, set the schedules and agendas, and are entirely responsible for the overriding vision of the church. While they cannot possibly accomplish all the teaching, discipleship and outreach of the church, they nevertheless unwittingly prevent other believers in their fellowship from fulfilling their roles as priests.
Unhealthy churches tend to be weighed down by rules and an authoritarian atmosphere, yet they fail to resolve conflict and end gossip. These churches often focus on a narrow belief or set of doctrines rather than being well-rounded in thoughts and actions.
Unhealthy churches fail to equip, disciple, and release their own.
Unhealthy churches refuse to take responsibility for each other and for the world around them.
Unhealthy churches have unexplained absences and inconsistent attendance.
What does biblical leadership really look like?
In the New Testament church everyone served differently (because the church is a body made up of different parts).
Each New Testament church was led by a plurality of leaders at the local level.
A biblical leader doesn’t use his position as an elder (no matter what his gifting is—apostle, prophet, evangelist, teacher, or pastor.) to demand adherence to his instruction. He leans on his position as a “spiritual parent” and the fruit of the gospel of Jesus Christ in his life. The church can choose to dismiss or embrace the leaders’ message.
There is no universal biblical principle that requires full-time paid pastors/elders/apostles OR bi-vocational pastors/elders/apostles. Both can be found in Scripture.
All elders need to have their “house in order” (loving, serving, leading, and teaching) as a prerequisite for being able to love, serve, lead, teach in their local church. An elder’s practices and beliefs at home are the proving ground for having similar responsibilities in the household of God (the church).
The New Testament church was not a democracy, but a kingdom of priests. Everyone participated and thus contributed, but not everyone contributes the same way. Church leadership/governance is how the church ran things.
Planters and elders are to point people to Christ, not themselves. With broad participation and allowing everyone’s gifts to work for the edification of the entire church, in most cases a church should be self-correcting—by the Spirit.
When should you launch new house churches?
Healthy house churches grow and reproduce. These indicators can provide guidance about when the time is right to spin off a new church.
Size
In most cases 12 to 17 adults is approaching capacity, and limitations rise dramatically as a group approaches 20. Not only do larger groups limit involvement by all members, but planters and elders become overextended, particularly if they also have a job or run a business.
Maturity
Participants have been trained up and are ready to spread their wings and start a new House Church.
Need
Planters and participants are saturated with people coming to Christ in the marketplace and neighborhood. A new church family might need to be birthed to meet the growing needs of the new believers.
When should you not start a house church?
Rebellion, loneliness, or unresolved conflict with a prior church are not good reasons to start a church. These conditions actually weaken the foundation. Likewise, compulsion to create a platform in order to teach will build wood, hay and stubble, not gold.
Misguided motivations should be submitted to mature believers who can disciple a would-be house church planter through counseling, forgiveness, or other actions that prepare them to launch from a solid biblical base.
When should you close a house church?
Not every house church should continue. Reasons for closure can include ongoing spiritual immaturity, lack of connections or cohesion, or lack of growth and multiplication. If a house church exists for 18 months to three years without spiritual and numeric growth, it’s time to consider closing it.
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