EVENTS:

* In Pursuit of the New Testament Church - Burlington, WA - May 17, 2003

* Memphis Biblical House Church Workshop - April 26, 2003

* Becoming the Church Beyond the Congregation - May 1 - 3, 2003

* PREPARING FOR AN APOSTOLIC CHURCH - conf. being held in Albany, OR, Nov28-Dec.1, 2001
* House Church Conference in the Northwest (USA) - Sept 2001
* House Church Conference in Ontario - June 8 - 13? 2001
* House Church Conference - Surrey, BC - Feb 17, 2001

RESOURCES:

* Canadian House Church Resource Network e-Newsletter(free)

* DiscipleTheNations.org House Church Resources - Lots!

* Home Church Domain Names for your web sites
* Join the House Church Web Ring

* Canadian House Church Resource Network
* House2House MAGAZINE on Home Based Churches

* PAROUSIA NETWORK of House & Cell Churches
* Houses That Change the World - excellent book now in print!
* Church Multiplication Training
* Lorna Jenkins - Children in Intergenerational Cells - Resource
* Beyond Tithes and Offerings - book

* TOGETHER Network - Canada

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CANADIAN HOUSE CHURCH RESOURCE NETWORK e-NEWSLETTER (free)
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The Canadian House Church Resource Network is now able to provide the growing Canadian home-based church community and networks with a tool to help support, educate, encourage, resource and network other Canadians that share similar vision: seeing healthy, multiplying, reproducible house churches planted throughout the nation in order to be a vital part of seeing this nation discipled - and reaching other nations with the Gospel.

This has led us to the beginnings of developing a regular FREE e-newsletter which we hope to make available to all on our mailing list and to whoever wishes to receive it.

We expect the newsletter to include information on upcoming events/meetings; networking opportunities; stories of how God is working in various home based churches in Canada; stories of how God is working in/through home based churches around the world; resource information; educational information; discussion of relevant issues regarding starting, strengthening or multiplying home-based churches; opportunity for the subscribers to contribute items for future editions; opportunities to partner together on various ministry/Great Commission-focused projects both locally or overseas; tips on helping to develop home based businesses to support home-based church development, feed the poor and to help carry out the Great Commission; helpful web site links, etc.

Unfortunately we are not able to afford to send it out in hard copy by snail mail since we don’t have enough staff or budget for that at this point, but you can feel free to copy it and pass it on to your friends who are interested in having a copy. Feel free to forward the intro info to your friends who you think would be interested so they can subscribe directly, as well.

We will begin by sending out a quarterly edition, but depending on the need and requests, that could increase to a bi-monthly edition shortly. We hope to be sending out our first edition in March or April, 2001.

If you or those you know are interested in receiving your free email edition of this newsletter, please email us at: CHCRN@DiscipleTheNations.organd request that you be added to the house church newsletter mailing list. Thank you.

OR

CLICK HERE for online version

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HOME CHURCH DOMAIN NAMES for your web sites

------------------

Telema Okobi <Worship@OurHomeChurch.com>

Our Home Church Domain Service

Greetings! To proclaim the Gospel on the world wide web, your need to register a domain name. Registering a domain
name for your house church could not be easier or more affordable! Register your name, ministry, or church at a low rate
now.

OHC Domain and Internet Services is owned by Our Home Church ministry. Visit us at
www.ourhomechurch.com

Get more information...
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=u49xptn6.zpnzotn6.lns5ptn6&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.registerURname.com

Thank you for your continued interest and commitment to the Great Commission -
May the Lord of the Harvest increase the church in your home!

Sincerely,

Telema Okobi
Our Home Church
------------------------------------------------
email: minister@ourhomechurch.com
voice: (707) 469-6262
web: http://www.OurHomeChurch.com
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JOIN THE HOUSE CHURCH WEB RING
-----------
You are invited to join the Church in the House Web Ring. Please click on the LINK and just fill in the form and follow the very simple directions. Let us connect with one another and encourage other house churches to start
a ring of relational house churches and ministries. -- Sam Buick, The Dwelling Place Houses of Prayer Network

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HOUSE2HOUSE Magazine on Home-Based Churches
----------

March 2nd/01 from Austin, TX

A group of central TX churches have taken the initiative to plan, and now publish a new magazine to encourage the active planting of churches in homes. The first copy goes out mid March! If you are outside of the US please enjoy the web edition of the magazine and use it in any way that can be a blessing.

If you could take the time to go to www.house2house.tv you will see the magazine in its first edition. The cost of the first two (free) issues is being underwritten by three groups of home churches here in Central Texas. We are trusting that by the time we move on to the third edition that we will have enough subscribers that House2House will be able to stand on its own feet.

Please subscribe yourself via the web, or if you don't know how to do that just email back to subscription@house2house.tv and we will gladly email the first edition to you for free.

The first issue of House2House is being sent out mid-March to coincide with a visit by Wolfgang Simson, author of the book, "Houses That Change The World", to a conference in Austin, TX. For information on that conference click here.

If you have any questions, and want to drop us a note, our email is:
editor@house2house.tv.
My phone number, which is in Austin, TX, is 512-282-2322.

Thank you so much for your help and prayers.
Dr. Tony Dale
Sr. Editor of "House2House" on behalf of the Editorial Team. See you on the web at www.house2house.tv

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In Pursuit of the New Testament Church - Burlington, WA
May 17, 2003

Greetings to family and friends from your brothers and sisters in the Skagit Valley area. We would like to invite you, and any you know that may be interested, to join us for a day of teaching and encouragement with our English brother, Beresford Job

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Date: Saturday, May 17, 2003
Time: 8:00am to 5:30pm (with evening fellowship, question time, etc.)
Topic: The Lord's Supper / Lord's Table / Love Feast
Where: Burlington Community Center, Burlington, WA
Cost: Free (with opportunity to give if desired)

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About our Speaker

Most of you know Beresford by now, so I'll change the bio a bit. I first heard Beresford's teaching series, entitled "Traditions", over 3 years ago. My first thought after finding out that the tapes had been sitting on his shelf, somewhat unused, for the last 12 years or so was, "Oh the grief and waste of time I could have been spared had I known of these tapes sooner". Quickly realizing that the Lord's timing is better than mine, my second thought was, "We have got to get this guy over here. Who wouldn't be convinced and take action upon hearing what the Lord has blessed our brother with?" Well I was being a little too wishful with some of that, but not on the part about Beresford coming to share. I met him a few months later briefly in Atlanta, and then a short time later asked if he might be interested in coming our way someday to teach. I asked him to pray about it. He did, and about 5 minutes later I heard back with a big yes! I have no doubts that it was the Lord saying "yes", since our fellowship with him, his wife Belinda, and daughter Bethany, has been nothing but sweet. They have shared their lives freely with us, in our homes, and us in theirs. We've been blessed to meet and spend time with others in the Chigwell fellowship as well. Andy and Joel, both godly young men and fellow guitar buddies came to spend time with us, and then later we with them and the church in the Epping area on the outskirts of London. I must say that if the British tend to be a bit reserved, then these brothers and sisters must be citizens of another Kingdom that just happen to be residing in England. It is refreshing to see and experience lives lived simply for Christ in right relationship with others. Does it seem like we've been blessed? I encourage you to get to know them better if your able. Visit their website at http://www.house-church.org/ . The Jobs usually spend a couple weeks with us here and are available to do some teaching and visiting above what we generally have planned for them here. Feel free to make requests for this visit or some future visit. Thanks for indulging me a bit here in expressing some personal feelings about our relationship with the Job family.

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A Note of Thanks
We would like to say a big thank you to all that have joined us for any or all of the 3 meetings we have hosted over the
last couple years. Many of you have travelled long distances from several States away, given of your time, talent, and
resources, and most of all helped to encourage our hearts for what the Lord is doing in His church through you. We have
had some fun, taken care of some important business, and made friends for life. We would encourage you to return if
you can and bring someone new who may be blessed and or be a blessing to someone in need. Again, we thank you.

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5 Talks
The Lord's Supper
This first talk is concerned with demonstrating just one truth: that communion, the breaking of bread, the Lord's Table or Supper, call it what you will, should be a full meal shared and eaten together when the church meets. Once placed in the context of three other feasts in the Bible - the Passover, the Last Supper and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb - a proper understanding of this comes quite naturally into focus. Quoting from top ranking evangelical biblical scholars, Beresford shows that this isn't just a matter of how one interprets various scriptural passages, but is actually what God's Word quite undeniably teaches.

The Setting of the Lord's Supper

Having shown the Lord's Supper to be a full meal, it now becomes necessary to show where the church should be on the Lord's Day in order to eat it - and what emerges goes right to the heart of the very nature of the church! Beresford shows from the New Testament that the churches at the time of the apostles were based in people's homes, and therefore greatly limited regarding to how large numerically each one could actually be. This was firstly because each church was an extended family of God, and secondly, because they worshipped and mutually edified each other when they came together in such a way as could only happen in such a setting. This talk reveals just how far we have moved away from scriptures teaching about being a church, and top ranking evangelical scholarship is once again quoted in order to establish that this is not just a question of variations in biblical interpretation.

The Significance of the Lord's Supper - Part 1 It's Individual Aspect!

This talk shows how the Lord's Supper is tied in with the idea of there being covenants between God and His people. Beresford explains the various types of covenants in the Bible and how they worked, carefully distinguishing between conditional and unconditional ones. The difference between a covenant and a testament is highlighted, and the way in which Jesus closed the old covenant of law, and established the new testament of grace is outlined. The love-feast is duly shown to be the covenant meal celebrating what the Lord has done regarding salvation.

The Significance of the Lord's Supper - Part 2 It's Corporate Aspect!

We are called to follow Jesus as individuals in order to become part of a corporate body of other believers who are doing likewise, and this is the aspect of the Lord's Supper explored here. Our individual relationship with the Lord is actually gauged by our relationship with others, and Beresford shows how this principal is even written into the Ten Commandments, and can be found all over the Bible. Right relationship with, and reconciliation to, each other is at the heart of discipleship, and therefore at the heart of church life. No-one can go it alone in following the Lord, and only in fellowship with others can He do His work of refining us and making us into those who live holy lives. The shared church meal expresses this fellowship together perfectly, a fellowship which, as Beresford reveals, finds its ultimate origin in the very Trinitarian nature of God Himself.

Some Last Points and a Summary!

Beresford puts a last few pieces of the jigsaw puzzle in place now in order to fully complete the picture. One is to do with the forward looking aspect of the Lord's Supper and how the Bible seems to suggest that the eating of the meal somehow comprises a cry for His return - a putting Him in remembrance - and of the day when the whole church throughout time will be together eating with Him at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Another is a look at the actual cup and loaf that Paul talks about, and the mechanics of what one actually does at the meal in regards to them. This actually highlights something tremendously important concerning unity amongst believers in a church which really does need to be understood. Other bits and pieces are dealt with by way of a general summary, the whole subject being yet another example of how the Christian Church has based much of its teaching and practice on post-biblical tradition, originating from the Early Church Fathers, rather than solely on the Word of God itself.

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The Schedule

-The day will be broken into 5 one-hour sessions.
-We'll take two 15 minute mid-morning breaks, a 1 1/2 hour lunch in the early afternoon, and a couple
more mid-afternoon breaks. We'll wrap up by 5:30pm and then discuss who would like to stay for fellowship,
have some dinner, give Beresford a hard time, or whatever seems good! It is usually difficult to stop and say good-bye.
-We'll provide drinks and snacks for the breaks.
-Please provide your own lunch as a means of keeping the costs down. Bring a sack lunch or go for a sandwich nearby.

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Reserve your Seat
Seating is limited, so please confirm your intent to join us by returning the following information to:
Mark Coulter at (360) 757-4897, 604 Gardner Rd., Burlington, WA 98233, or at marknwa@bigplanet.com

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Name(s) ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Total number in your party ___________
Phone # _____________________________________________
Address ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Request the information you may need for travel and lodgings

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This event is being sponsored by a Skagit Valley area house church fellowship in pursuit of the Church that Jesus intended. No one will be solicited to sign up for anything at anytime. We are simply attempting to provide an opportunity to hear a gifted brother in the Lord share his heart for the Church and hopefully build relationships with like-minded believers. Blessings to you in our Lord Jesus Christ.

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My son Trevor will be assisting me with some of the confirmation process. Feel free to ask any questions that you may need to have answered in regards to the meeting or logistics of travel. We've pre-answered a few questions below. Let us know if we can be of further assistance to you.
Blessings, Mark

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Directions to the Burlington Community Center, Burlington WA

We are 1+ hours north of Seattle, and 30 minutes south of Bellingham.
Take exit 230

Go east on Hwy 20 / Rio Vista Ave. for .5 miles

(Hwy 20 intersects with Burlington Blvd, continue east thru main intersection crossing over onto Rio Vista eastbound)

Take a left at stop sign / Spruce St. and go north .1 miles

Take a right on Greenleaf which is your next available right turn

Go east on Greenleaf for .4 miles

(Follow Greenleaf east over the railroad tracks to the stop sign, continue thru the

intersection at Anacortes St. still eastbound on Greenleaf, 2 blocks past the stop sign

at Anacortes St. you will arrive at the Burlington Community Center, it is located on

the corner of Greenleaf and Regent St.)

If the directions are confusing at all, call my cell phone before you arrive. My son Justin will be answering the phone and giving last minute directions. (360) 421-4660

Looking forward to seeing you,

Mark

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Lodgings

Holiday Inn Express

1003 Goldenrod Road

Burlington, WA 98233

(360) 755-7338

Best Western

College Way Inn

300 West College Way

Mount Vernon, WA 98273

(360) 424-4287

Reservations- 1-800-793-4024

Tulip Inn

2200 Freeway Drive

Mount Vernon, WA 98273

(360) 428-5969

Comfort Inn

1910 Freeway Drive

Mount Vernon, WA 98273

(360) 428-7020

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MEMPHIS BIBLICAL HOUSE CHURCH WORKSHOP

BIBLICAL HOUSE CHURCH WORKSHOP
April 26, 2003
Memphis, TN

Join us in Memphis for 8 hours of study and discussion about the WHY and HOW
of Biblical house church. This is not for those who want gimmicks or the
latest feel-good, how-to for getting a church started. This workshop goes
to the heart of the matter by examining in detail the biblical basis for a
church that follows the New Testament model as taught and lived by the
apostles.

We’ll study:
Apostolic Traditions-what they are and why they are important
Open Meetings-the decent and orderly events of the meeting
The Lord’s Supper-Jesus’ example and Paul’s teaching
Church Government-what kind of leaders Jesus commanded

These form the foundation of what a biblical house church is and does. This
workshop provides the biblical framework for further study and discussion
about what Jesus and the Apostles intended for His church.

You will have the opportunity to discuss thes e and other truths
about church with the workshop leaders and attendees who have the same
desire you do-to see the church grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord
Jesus Christ. Dis-cussion and questions are the order of the day with
plenty of time to do both.

Workshop Leaders:
Steve Atkerson:
Steve Atkerson resides in Atlanta, GA, USA, where he and his wife Sandra
home-educate their children: Eden, Nathan, and Matthew. A graduate of
Georgia Tech, Steve worked in electronics before heading off to Mid-America
Baptist Theological Seminary. After graduation, he spent seven years as one
of the pastors of a Southern Baptist church. Steve resigned the Baptist
pastorate in 1990 to begin working with biblical house churches. He is now
an elder of a house church in Atlanta that he helped plant. He is also a
trustee for the New Testament Restoration Foundation, editor of Toward A
House Church Theology, author of The Practice of The Early Church: A
Theological Workbook, The Equipping Manual, and is co-producer of the
cassette tape series, Searching For The New Testament Church.

Tim Melvin:
Tim developed a heart for biblical house church as he planted a new church
in Memphis during his seminary days at Mid-America Baptist Theological
Seminary. After active and reserve military duty, a remodeling business,
and seminary, Tim now manages a distribution center. He and his wife,
Sarah, home-educated their 3 daughters for 12 years. Tim studied 2 ½ years
toward a PhD in Hebrew and Old Testament at MABTS while he taught Research &
Writing to new students. He has taught at several house church workshops
and conferences. He also has developed a parenting seminar entitled
“Raising Wise Children in a Foolish World.”

Church:
You are also invited to meet with churches in the area on Sunday the 27th.
We’ll provide meeting times and directions.

Schedule:
8:00-Continental Breakfast provided by the women of area house churches
9:00-Apostolic Traditions
10:30-Break
11:00-Church Government-Rule by Consensus
12:30-Lunch at area restaurants
2:00-The Lord’s Supper-Feast or Famine?
3:30-Break
4:00-Open Meetings-Interactive Church
5:30-Dinner at area restaurants
7:00-Question and Answer period until?

Registration: Pre-registration Required! Upon registration, we’ll send
confirmation and directions to you. If at all possible, please register by
email: MemHomeChurch@hotmail.com <mailto:MemHomeChurch@hotmail.com>.
Otherwise mail registration to: NRTF Workshop, 9305 Stateline Rd. Apt 38D,
Olive Branch, MS 38654. Those who don’t register get bread and water for
snacks.

Cost: The workshop is free, but we will put out an offering box to help pay
for the expenses of putting on the workshop.

Deadline: Seating is limited so sign up soon!

Location: Baptist Student Center, 469 Patterson, Memphis, TN 38111. See
<http://maps.yahoo.com/> for driving directions. The BSC has plenty of
parking, kitchen facilities, lounge area, and private area for nursing
mothers and napping children. Please bring any items necessary for your
child to nap on or to play with during the workshop.

Meals: There are area restaurants for lunch and dinner.

Accommodations: For those needing a place to stay, we have room for a few in
our homes on a first-come, first-sleep basis. We have many motels in the
UofM area that are reasonably priced. Let us know by email or phone if you
need housing assistance.

Email: MemHomeChurch@hotmail.com<mailto:MemHomeChurch@hotmail.com>
Phone: 662-893-8909 for further details or assistance

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BECOMING THE CHURCH BEYOND THE CONGREGATION (Church Shift)

May 1-3, 2003

The Living Arts Centre

Mississauga

A New Way of "Church" is Emerging...

An expression of church defined by the way people live and work rather than one defined simply by the weekly gathering.

Church that is people rather than institution.

Church that exists and is growing in every sphere of life: in family, business, health, education, media, government, the arts and sport.

Dear Leader,

It's our honour to invite you to a very special conference this Spring. If you believe that the Church is more than just the weekly congregational meeting then these three days may be for you. We've invited both international leaders and outstanding Canadian Christians who are leaders in many fields. Our hope is that as we listen to each other, learn and grow, that there will be the beginnings of a crucial shift on the Church landscape in our nation.

From May 1-3 you will have the opportunity to listen to plenary sessions, interact with panel discussions, and make some new friends in the breakout groups that will happen each day. The conference will be hosted next door to the Greater Toronto Area's larger commercial complex. The Living Arts Centre is a premier facility that has been wonderfully made available to us. Hotels and restaurants are close at hand, as is the Mississauga City Hall, where some of our smaller meetings will take place. Parking is free!

Among those we've invited to challenge us are ...

James Thwaites, author of The Church Beyond the Congregation, and Renegotiating the Church Contract, a pastor of over 20 years in Sydney, Australia and the leader of the Church in the Marketplace faculty for the Wagner Leadership Institute in that country.

Roger and Sue Mitchell, authors of Target Europe, and leaders of the effort to reach Europe in the 40/70 Window, they head up a ministry called "Passion" and are apostolic leaders in the Building Together network in the U.K. They are part of a church plant in Camden Town in London.

Mike Love, a former lawyer, now a city church leader in Leeds, Yorkshire, who facilitates the Together in Leeds effort will challenge us about the whole church reaching whole cities.

Calvin B. DeWitt, co-founder of the Evangelical Environmental Network (EEN), is a retired professor of environmental studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. DeWitt is also the Director of the Au Sable Institute for Environmental Studies, a Christian environmental stewardship institute in Michigan.

John Patrick, M.B., B.S., M.R.C.P., M.D., is a recently retired professor of Biochemistry and Pediatrics at the University of Ottawa, Canada. He is an active member and officer of the Christian Medical and Dental Society (CMDS) Canada. Dr. Patrick did his medical training in London and served as a medical missionary to Africa.

Doris Olafsen is Trinity Western University’s vice president of Advancement, and leads the development, alumni relations and university communications teams as they advance publicly the vision of the University.

Darrel Reid is President of Focus on the Family (Canada). Prior to this, he served as Director of Policy and Research for the Reform Party, and as Chief of Staff to Preston Manning, leader of Canada's official opposition. He holds his Ph.D. in History from Queen's University.

Bruce Smith is a former Canadian football coaches all-star, Toronto Argonaut Captain, and Grey Cup Champion with the Hamilton Ti-Cats. He became an ordained minister in 1999, and pastors the Alderwood Congregational Church while serving as Chaplain of the King Bay Chaplaincy.

James Tughan has studied architecture,(UofT) theology (Tyndale College) and fine art (University of Waterloo). His career in fine art, editorial illustration, and design consulting, has spanned 30 years. His work has been commissioned by major corporations throughout North America and such magazines as Rolling Stone,Esquire, Saturday Night and House & Garden.

Other speakers, workshop leaders and facilitators are still being confirmed. Continue to check back at our website for updates

Also on the website are great resources, articles, and power point slides which we encourage you to download in order that other leaders you know may be able to take advantage of this conference.

**************************************************************

www.churchshift.com.

A downloadable registration form can be found on the website as well. The early registration rate of $125.00 is open until April 4th. Day rates are also available.

We hope you will be a part of this important event,

Michael Lafleur (905)-844-2148
and Richard Long (905)-690-8777 together@cogeco.ca
Transformation Prayer Ministries

Go now to www.churchshift.com

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A Northwest House Church Conference - September 7 - 9, 2001
~ YOU ARE HEREBY INVITED ~

We are pleased to announce the 1st annual gathering of "A Northwest House Church Conference," - a weekend of teaching, worship, fellowship, and edification facilitated by people from area home
churches including one of the contributing authors of Toward A House Church Theology. Speakers from different home churches will be presenting very important topics, which affect the Church in general, and people who meet in House Churches in particular. We welcome anyone to come and join with us at this conference.

The conference is scheduled for September 7th - 9th, Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon. There will be free times for visiting and enjoying the ranch setting. Hurry and register now! Spend a weekend relaxing with likeminded brothers and sisters from all around the Northwest, at Miracle Ranch, located on a quiet lake, with numerous cabins. If you prefer separate lodging there is very primitive camping located nearby, or you can stay at one of the local hotels. There are opportunities for boating, horseback riding, volleyball, and other activities. Cabins and meals are available at reasonable rates. Kids are most welcome.

Come hear what other House Churches in the area are doing. Learn from their struggles and share from your own experiences. Our purpose is to encourage God's people to not simply be reactionary against some "institutional system," but to be vigorously for Truth while rooted in principles found in God's Word.

There will be books, literature and tapes available, some free, and some for sale. But we don't want you just to hear from us, we want to learn from you. Come armed with the lessons you have learned, the
studies you have done, papers and literature you have written, and questions you keep asking that no one seems to be able to answer. We can learn a lot from each other.

"Word of Mouth" will be our primary method of advertising this event. Please contact anyone you think may be interested in this conference. If you wish you may simply use our contact letter to send or forward on to others.

Speakers
Jim Burnson, the father of three and grand father of 2-½ (one due in September.), lives with his first wife Kathryn on their small farm near Yelm, WA. He works for the Division of Capitol Facilities in
Olympia as an Operations Manager, and is a graduate of Pacific Lutheran University with a Bachelor of Science in Education. Jim grew up in the Baptist Church and after attending Los Angels Baptist
College helped found Fellowship Bible Church in Tacoma. Upon moving near Yelm he helped start Yelm Bible Fellowship Church. In an effort to become a New Testament Church, this group meets in homes and is learning to follow the traditions of the Apostles as taught and exemplified in God's word. This group has been meeting together for twelve years.

Mark Coulter lives with his wonderful wife Becky, two handsome boys Justin and Trevor, and Elmer the cat in Burlington, WA. He and Becky just celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary, Justin is graduating
from High School this year, and Trevor wishes he were too (3 more years to go). Mark has worked for Dynes/Broadview Farms for 27 years in various aspects of marketing eggs and egg products. He enjoys
playing the guitar, working in the yard sunny side up, and reading books advocating the complete abandonment of the institutional church in favor of the pursuit of the New Testament Church. Blessed by loving parents in a Christian family and Godly instruction, Mark was spared many hardships. For a time, he considered being a pastor. But instead, he left the institutional church in his mid 20's and called on others to do the same out of obedience to God. However, in a zeal that lacked knowledge, he made a bit of a mess of things. Knowing virtually no one outside of the system to offer biblical guidance and teaching, he and his family found a friendly little country church to hide out in. Soon they were in charge of various things, the church was growing, the new building was done, the contemplation to pastor was back, and so were all the previous questions he had about God's Church. That's when God answered Mark's prayer for bread with bread and fish with fish.

They have been part of an assembly that meets in homes for over a year now. This is a church that they helped to plant, and are truly thankful for God's provision in their lives and so many others. Steve Fryer came into the home church movement in 1989 with 9 fingers, a left-handed guitar and a desire to be "In the MINISTRY". Little did he know; he was in the ministry with a wife, three sons and a daughter. A carpenter turned Marine who finally discovered his calling as a salesman; Steve has always had a clear focus and direction in life. Steve is also a man of many words.

Ian Paul works at an area hospital as a nursing technician rehabilitating people with spinal and brain injuries. He grew up with parents who were always in prayer and the Word, and who desired to raise children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. From this basis, Ian rejected denominationalism by age 21. He attended Fellowship Bible Church in Tacoma WA, for most of the 1980's. At the beginning of the 1990's, Ian's good common sense began to affect his decision-making process. The result was marriage to his wife Kristin, and participation in a home assembly. The first assembly waxed and waned for almost 6 years. During this time, Ian developed much of his theology concerning the Lord's assembly. The mid 1990's found Ian considering the teachings of individuals, which helped to develop his understanding of the universal nature of the problems face assemblies who seek the Lordship of Christ in their meetings. This was a time both good and troubling. The last three years have found Ian participating in a small home assembly in Kent, WA. Here the assembly continues to spur him in his understanding of the Lord's meeting, as well as other areas of his theology. Ian is teaching on a subject that is not shared by his assembly at this time. Steve Phillips is back for a few months from Nigeria, where he is a missionary. He is here to be a part of his oldest son Andy's wedding. He is sent out by his home assembly in Shelton, WA. He has been part of various assemblies in California and Washington. He is a zealous defender of Biblical Truth and absolute fidelity to God. He is known to both proclaim the Gospel loudly to those who have not heard, as well as to confront those who name the name of Christ, yet, live in the philosophies and teaching of the present age. Steve has a passion for a Church that is holy and blameless before God. He also sings a pretty good tenor.

Tim Wilson spends the day watering plants, trimming bushes and generally selling shrubs, trees and flowers at a local nursery. He grew up as a "missionary kid" in Kenya, which probably accounts for his occasional outbursts of bizarre behavior. His life-long passion has been in the developing an understanding of the meaning and the purpose of the church. Some of the conclusions of this search have led to a passionate belief in the idea of meeting from house to house. Presently, Tim is a part of an assembly which meets near Gig Harbor, WA.

Jon Zens was born at a very early age. He is an editor of a really cool magazine "Searching Together," which is always a year or two behind schedule. He is a deeply respected teacher and has helped
many of us develop our thinking in many critical areas. He has the most wonderful bubbly wife, Dotty, who is coming as well. He has three great children. He is an elder in an assembly in St. Croix Falls, Wisconson. Oh yes, he has been a good friend of many of us here in the Northwest for a long time.

Topics
An Exhortation to people who meet in Homes ~ Tim Wilson
An exhortation to meet together for Biblical purposes, rather than for reactionary reasons. Also will include an overview of the conference and its purpose and limitations.

~ What is the charge of the Church? ~ Steve Phillips
A missionary from an assembly in Shelton, WA. We know better than to guess what Steve may say.
1st Topic ~ What constitutes a Biblical Church? ~ Mark Coulter
A brief overview/apology for a church that is not institutional, does not own property, is textually rooted, and follows the patterns of the NT including meeting from house to house.
2nd Topic ~ 1 Cor 11:17-34 - Is it really the Lord's Supper we're eating? ~ Ian Paul
The idea of the Lord's Supper as a meal. Also to show the role or "purpose" of the meal in the gathering of God's people.
3rd Topic ~ 1 Cor 12 - Now concerning spiritual gifts ~ speaker not confirmed
The purpose of the gifts that God has given His people, the problem of focusing on a few single gifts, and the need for all of God's people in the assembly.

4th Topic ~ 1 Cor 13 - But the greatest of these is love ~ Jim Burnson & Steve Fryer ~
Recognizing the bumpy times in our assembled life, we urgently need to aspire to truly love one another. The 'love chapter' was written for the Body of Christ, not for marriage cerimonies.

5th Topic ~ 1 Cor 14 - When you assemble ~ Jon Zens
Understanding the practical aspects of the assembling itself. To recognize the over-arching purpose of "let all things be done for edification," the role of gifts, and the necessity of judgment in the assembly.

Schedule
Friday, September 7th
4:30 - 6:30 Registration (eat first, or bring your own picnic dinner.)
6:45 - 7:00 Singing
7:00 - 8:00 Welcome, Orientation, and "An Exhortation to people who meet in Homes"
8:15 - 9:45 "What is the charge of the Church?"

Saturday, September 8th
8:00 - 9:00 Breakfast (meal 1)
9:00 - 10:30 1st Topic ~ "What constitutes a Biblical Church?"
10:30 - 12:00 2nd Topic ~ 1 Corinthians 11:7 - 34 ~
"The Table of the Lord: Is it really the Lord's Supper we're eating?"
12:00 - 1:00 Lunch (meal 2)
1:00 - 2:30 3rd Topic ~ 1 Corinthians 12 ~ "Now concerning spiritual gifts . . ."
2:30 - 3:30 Open Forum ~ Panel Discussions
3:30 - 5:30 Free Time ~ Informal Discussions
5:30 - 6:30 Dinner (meal 3)
6:30 - 8:00 4th Topic ~ 1 Corinthians 13 ~ "But the greatest of these is love"
8:00 - 9:30 Singing ~ Testimonies ~ Open Discussion

Sunday, September 9th
9:00 - 10:00 Brunch (meal 4)
10:30 - 12:00 "When you assemble"
1:00 - 3:00 Afternoon Panel Discussions
3:30 Check out

Location
Driving Directions to Miracle Ranch
From Bremerton and points north: Follow HWY 3 south to Gorst.
Continue around the inlet on HWY 16 south/east. HWY 16 becomes a divided highway. Take the second exit: Sedgewick Road. Turn right (west) at the exit ramp stoplight. Proceed to next stoplight. Turn
left onto Sidney Road. Proceed seven miles. As the road passes Horseshoe Lake County Park, it makes a sharp right turn; you make a left turn into the Miracle Ranch gate.
From Tacoma and I-5: Take I-5 to HWY 16/Bremerton exit. Follow HWY 16 west, across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, to the Purdy exit. Proceed into Purdy; turn left at HWY 302 and cross the bridge.
Continue one mile to 94th Ave NW. Turn right. Proceed to the Miracle Ranch gate. (Miracle Ranch is located on Horseshoe Lake).

Questions? Visit the conference center website:
http://information@cristacamps.com

Lodging
Full Room and Board includes a lakeside cabin (10 bunk beds) for two nights, three meals Saturday, and brunch Sunday. This option gives the best opportunity for those late night discussions and bonds with
new friends, which often are the most valuable part of a conference. Please note: men and women will be lodging in separate cabins.
Primitive camping includes a field for camping provided by a local brother, about 1½ miles from the conference. (Other than a Sani-can there will be no facilities, hookups, or water.)

Hotels
Local Hotels in Gig Harbor about 15 minutes from the conference. (They are straight from the phone book, I have no personal experience with these facilities.)
The Inn at Gig Harbor (253) 858-1111
Best Western Wesley (253) 858-9690
The Maritime Inn (253) 858-1818

Registration & Costs
Options
Conference only - $25.00 for individuals, $40.00 for a family.
Plus Sunday brunch - add $8.00 per person.
Plus 4 meals (optional) - add $25.00 per person.
(Includes three meals on Saturday and a brunch on Sunday.)
Plus primitive camping - add $5.00 per person.
Camping Field will be provided by a local brother about 1½ mile from the conference. (Other than a Sani-can there will be no facilities, hookups, or water.)
Or Full Room and Board - $75.00 per person (cheap).
The cost includes, the conference fee, room for two nights, three meals Saturday, and brunch Sunday. The room will be a lakeside cabin to share with 10 other people (of the same sex).
[Children 4-11 get 25% off or $56.25 each. Children under 4 are free.]

How to register: We need you to send in your registration as soon as possible. We need to know which facilities to reserve. So help us out and send your registration early. You may choose to send us 25%
of the total up front and the balance upon arrival. Please make your check out to: "A NW House Church Conference." You must include all the names of those you are paying for, and the options you are
choosing. Please mail your registration to the attention of Tim Wilson. P.O. BOX 674, WAUNA, WA 98395. Tim's phone number is (253) 858-0121. You can e-mail him at HomeChurchConference@juno.com. Upon receipt of your check, Tim will e-mail you confirmation of your
registration.
Pre-registration: Please click here to submit our on-line pre-registration form. This will provide us with a preliminary head count, before we receive your registration in the mail, so that we can reserve adequate facilities for all those who are interested in attending.

NOTE: We need to limit confirmation to e-mail to reduce cost and paperwork. We will send snail-mail confirmations will be only sent to those who do not use the Internet.

NOTE: Your name and address will be added to a list of registrants which will be handed out at the conference to all attendees, unless you request us to withhold your name and address.

Other Options
*Pony rides $4.00 per person - provide names and ages (for kids under 7 years old.)
Saturday afternoon only.
*Horse Trail Rides $8.00 per person - provide names and ages (must be over 7 years old and subject to wranglers approval for safety. Saturday afternoon only. Boats are no charge.

We need a list of people interested in the rides so we know to have wranglers available. Please do not pre-pay for the rides. We will let you know times and availability at the conference and you can
pay along with the ride. Yes, we know this has nothing to do with a conference. But it is available with the facility and it might be a welcome relief on Saturday afternoon when there is free time.


What to Bring: Just yourself and your Bible, and any valuable lessons you have learned. If you are staying in the cabins bring sleeping bags, pillows, towels, washcloths, and soap. Cabins have
bunk beds and bathrooms.
Miscellaneous: We promise to refund your check in full if you send a request in writing, (e-mail is OK), to Tim Wilson at least three weeks before the conference. We need funds up front to guarantee a
spot. Kids are welcome and will enjoy the location. There will be loosely organized activities available. However, we have no nursery facilities. Click here to go to the kids page.

Airports: The closest airport is Seattle's SeaTac Airport, located just over an hour's drive from the conference center. The Portland airport is about two hours away. If you contact us well in advance
by e-mail, we may be able to help with rides.
Registration is Friday, September 7th from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., in Cheney Hall located at Miracle Ranch.

Further Information
You may contact Tim Wilson at:
(253) 858-0121
P.O. Box 674,
Wauna, WA 98395
http://www.nwhcc.cjb.net
or e-mail him at HomeChurchConference@juno.com.

Kids

The younger people are invited as well. Yes, I know listening to a bunch of old [I mean, young.wait, no, I think I really mean old :-)] people talk about deep theological issues sounds like a lot of fun.
For kids, Miracle Ranch is a nice spot for all kinds of fun activities. There is a large all-purpose field for baseball, softball, soccer, football, rugby, croquet, kickball, or other games that end in "-ball" that I am not thinking of at the moment. Oh, did I mention basketball, volleyball . . . and just about anything else
you can think about doing? The Ranch has volleyballs and basketballs, but other activity equipment will need to be brought from home.

The Ranch is by a lake, so they have canoes and small paddleboats. There is no charge for the use of the watercraft, but the Ranch requires that a spotter, with CPR certification, be on the dock while the boats are in use, that a parent or an adult with parents' consent accompany children in the boats, and that life preservers (provided) be used. We will have a spotter on hand for most of Saturday afternoon.

Along with the games and water sports, there is horseback riding for children 7 years old and up. The participants are limited by size and strength, in order for the rider to be able to control the horse, and this is up to the wranglers approval for safey. The rides last for thirty minutes to an hour with a fifteen-minute horse-handling class beforehand. The fee for the ride is $8 per rider. The riders need to go in groups of 5 - 8 people. The Ranch also has pony rides available for children 7 years and under. That fee is $4 per ride, and the rides are shorter. Because the Ranch provides experienced people to go with the riders, it is better to have information about how many people are interested in riding so they can accommodate everyone. So, those who are interested in horse back riding, be certain to mark the registration so we can have the wranglers needed to oversee the rides. Let us know the names and ages [ages are really only needed for the younger folk -- older folk can conveniently leave out that information :-)].

The Ranch has campfire pits and wood. A park is nearby with playground equipment, another beach, softball/baseball field. All right, sorry, but I do not think there is anything else to do :-(. Oh wait, bring some board and card games. Any suggestions? Send an e-mail to Matthew Wilson with your ideas. I will need help coordinating activities, so let me know if you would like to help. Thanks a lot, Matthew Wilson (E-mail: kingofgondor@juno.com)

Purpose
Our goal is to encourage and build up the Bride of Christ. We do not wish to join or form any associations or House Church movements. We want to encourage God's people to not simply be reactionary against some "institutional system," but to be vigorously for Truth while rooted in principles found in God's Word.
There are many critical issues facing the Church in general and the House Church in particular. We are painfully aware that we are leaving many critical issues untouched and on the table. Hopefully, we will be able to deal with many of these in future conferences. The chosen topics are in response to a wide range of feedback. It would be of benefit to everyone if people were able to put some thought into the particular subjects that will be presented, so our discussions can be both focused and beneficial to everyone. Our views will not all be the same on these subjects. This can be a very good thing if the goal of our gathering is a spirit of "edification of one another in the fear of Christ."

Papers & Literature
We want you to become a direct part of this conference. Here's how: Many people who meet in House Churches have spent time and energy studying and or thinking about Church issues. If you are one of those and have put anything in writing that might be of value to other Christians, we invite you to bring your articles, notes, or thesis to this conference to make them available to others. We welcome scholarly and non-scholarly alike. We will have space available for just this purpose. There will be no censorship of what you bring. We only ask that your intentions be to edify and build the body of Christ and not to cause division. We invite those who have a voice of dissent to feel free to share their concerns in an edifying way. Most of us are, or have been, dissenters ourselves. While we won't censor content, you must notify us by e-mail or in writing by August 15, 2001, of your intention to bring any articles, stating the main topic of each article. We will highlight any articles written on the specific conference topics. We require that you understand and observe the following:
1. We will assume that copies can be freely made and distributed to others, unless you specify otherwise on . . each page that you bring.
2. 2. All articles will be on standard 8"x 10" paper.
3. 3. You will provide a master copy to the Conference at least 3 weeks before the conference begins, in an 8" x 1" standard plastic binder.
4. You will make a minimum of 20 copies to be placed on the tables for distribution.
5. You will produce a flat 8"x 10" sign (at least 18 point type) indicating the nature of the article written.
6. You will mark one copy as an "original" and place it in a protective plastic sheet for display, so people can . . place orders for more, if the copies run out.
7. There will be exactly 8"x 30" of space provided for each article. This is enough room for the 20+ copies, the . . sign, and the master copy.
8. You can bring as many articles as you wish, as long as you follow the procedures for each article outlined in . numbers 2-7.
If you have other items you would like to make available for display or advertising (a web site, an upcoming conference, a publication, or a book), you must make a request in writing by e-mail or by snail
mail no later than August 15th, 2001.

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House Church Conference in Ontario - June 8 - 13? 2001

++++++++++++++++++++++

Subject: THE CHURCH IN THE HOUSE CONFERENCE - 2001

FREE conference on house churches is being facilitated in Kitchener Waterloo.

The facilitators want to see the city reached by the Body of Christ. The organizers believe this conference is the handiwork of God who has
built the bridge between pastors and churches in these twin cities. Our
location and host for this conference is a traditional charismatic church, while we, the facilitators of the conference are a house church. We realize
that we need each other to reach the city.

They ask you/us to join with them in prayer, and if possible in attendance to this conference, which has the potential to win our cities for Christ.
*************************

THE CHURCH IN THE HOUSE CONFERENCE - 2001

CTV National News, 12 April 2001 "...one of the fastest growing Christian movements in the country. It is called the house-church network."

Robert Fitts states, "I have been in the work of raising up house churches
for over ten years and I believe God has given me an approach that will lead in a much faster multiplication of house churches."

The house-church movement in China, South East Asia, Africa, South and Central America and elsewhere is a major agent of change and transformation in the earth. Come and hear one of the leaders of this movement speak on this movement and on its significance in our day in advancing the Kingdom of God and in equipping the Body of Christ in deeper, richer and meaningful ministry.

WHAT is this about?
It is about releasing effective body ministry through what Robert Fitts
calls, Alpha-Omega Bible Colleges, which is a home based method and approach to church life and ministry. This type of ministry will result in imparting restoration, healing, deliverance, and teaching in the "church in the house."

WHY this? WHY now?
There is a growing need and hunger for more of God and His grace in the Body of Christ and in our culture. This approach to body life and ministry will better equip house churches, and will significantly affect body ministry in cell and small group based churches. This in turn will result in:
€ Evangelism
€ Discipleship
€ Release of spiritual gifts & ministry
€ Mercy ministries
€ Church planting
€ World mission

WHO is this for?
This is for every believer in the Body of Christ who desires to see greater body life and ministry in their church experience. We have been created for
community. What does that community look and feel like? Come and find out!

WHO is speaking?
Robert Fitts has served in pastoral and missionary evangelism for the past forty years . Robert and his wife, Joni, live in Kona, Hawaii where they
work with the University of the Nations, a ministry of Youth With A Mission,as well as with the local churches on the Big Island.
The message God has given them to share with the Body of Christ is
salvation, healing, deliverance, simple church, simple Bible college, and the central message of "Christ in You, the hope of glory."

WHERE is this taking place?
Good Samaritan Church
R.R. 2, TWSP. RD. 72, Breslau, ON, N0B 1M0
Pastor Ralph Rutlege Office: 519-648-3610

WHEN will this be?
The conference will be on the weekend and will focus on equipping and
releasing body ministry. The special meetings will be open to the direction of the Holy Spirit.

FREE Conference -
Friday 8 June, 2001 at 7 pm
Saturday 9 June, 2001 at 9 am, 1pm & 7 pm

Special Meetings with Robert Fitts
Mon. 11 June, 2001 at 7 pm special service
Tues. 12 June, 2001 at 7 pm special service
Wed. 13 June, 2001 at 7 pm special service

For Information contact:
Sam & Lori Buick - 519-747-0822
Tom & Carol Padfield - 519-465-5575
email: the_dwelling_place@hotmail.com
WWW: http://waterloo-region-housechurch-network.faithweb.com/
http://thedwellingplace.faithweb.com/
http://alpha-omega-ministries.faithweb.com/
Free will offerings will be taken

Gathering hosted by Good Samaritan Church
Facilitated by The Dwelling Place House of Prayer (House Church)

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*************************
the "TOGETHER" network is a national network of Christian leaders in
Canada who believe that God is calling the WHOLE Church to bring the WHOLE gospel to the WHOLE world.

><>><> believing that the Lord has clearly spoken that as a nation we are in critical time, "TOGETHER" is calling pastors and intercessors to 1) seek Him together, 2) listen together to what the Spirit is saying to the Church and 3) pray together in local and national gatherings across Canada, until we see the Lord having "dominion from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth". Psalm 72:8

><>><>committed to obeying the Lord, who prayed that His Church would have "complete unity", we are encouraging Christians in Canada to dwell TOGETHER in unity and keep the unity of the Spirit, for there is only one body, one Spirit, one Lord, and one God and Father of all.

***for more information contact:
TOGETHER
c/o Richard Long
Box 12
Millgrove, Ontario
L0R 1V0
together@idirect.com

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==================

House Church Conference
++++++++++++++++++++++++++

...brought to you by the Canadian House Church Resource Network

Date: Saturday, Feb. 17, 2001

Location: Surrey Vineyard, 15310 - 103A Avenue - click on address for map -, Surrey, BC
(if you're coming on 152nd St. from 104th Ave., turn left at 102A Avenue (at the McDonald's) across the street from Guildford Mall. Then turn left at the ICBC building, and right past the ICBC building, turn into the driveway to the right and you will come to Surrey Vineyard on the left.)

Time: 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Featuring: RON PEARCE
Vice President, North American Ministries, WorldServe Ministries

Ron is a graduate of Canadian Theological Seminary (CM&A). Ron pastored a church and planted a church in Ontario. He has visited and ministered in House Churches from Asia to Latin America. Ron will be speaking on these topiocs:

* Why I Believe in House Churches
* Trends in House Churches Around the World

The session will also include teaching by Rev. Murray Moerman and Rev. Bob Granholm on House Churches.

Cost: $20 per person/$30 per couple.

For more information contact: chcrn@hotmail.com or call: 604-584-9371

Sponsored by: Friends

* * *

CANADIAN HOUSE CHURCH RESOURCE NETWORK

Mission Statement:

We seek to establish a facilitating and resource network for those who are planting Christ-centered house churches across the Lower Mainland and Canada.


Purpose Statement:

The Canadian House Church Resource Network will provide RRSP’s for those involved:

R: Resources. We have a continually updated resource list of key books, articles and people who can assist in establishing vibrant reproducing house churches. Visit the web site for more information: www.outreach.ca/cpc/housechurches.htm

R: Relationships: The Canadian House Church Resource Network will host quarterly Network meetings. This is a place to establish ongoing relationships with others of the same mind.

S: Special Events: We will hold occasional meetings for the general Christian public who wish to know more about house churches.

P: Prayer. One of the primary functions of our network is to pray for one another as we seek to advance the Kingdom of God through the Holy Spirit.

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HOUSES THAT CHANGE THE WORLD
-- NOW IN PRINT!! --

Feb/01

"Houses that change the world" - English edition. Order your copies now!

"In this book, written from a global perspective, I try to describe a radical new vision of Church - Christianity is not a series of religious meetings in church-houses, but a prophetic way of live, in house-churches. These housechurches do not only totally change the way Christianity is seen and experienced in the streets of the world, but allow the Church to develop the City Church, the apostolic and prophetic gathering of the Body of Christ of a city or region, speaking with one voice and acting as one organism under only one head - Jesus Christ. We are in the midst of a global reformation where God rearranges and prepares the church for both persecution and proliferation, revival and suffering, both the meekness that inherits the earth and finishing The Task." (Wolfgang Simson)

This book has been truly long awaited - the e.book-version has been read by more than 10.000 people, but most important: countless housechurches have been started in literally every part of the world.

Some RECENT COMMENTS on the book:

"This book takes exactly the right approach to the most basic problem in missions today."
(Ralph Winter)

A far more significant book than I expected. It challenges many sacred cows, demonstrates remarkable biblical, theological and strategic insight. The whole church needs to hear what Wolfgang Simson has to say in this seminal work." (Prof. Kenneth B. Mulholland, Dean, Colombia Biblical Seminary)

"This is pure Gold!" (Robert Fitts, Author of The Church in The House, Hawaii)

"A monumental and marvelous piece of work! It is going to be a very important contribution to the present situation faced by the church." (Ralph Neighbour, Author of "Where do we go from Here")

"Really superb, excellent stuff! (Roger Ellis, Revelation Church,
Chichester/UK)

"An excellent book, which goes to the heart of the structure problem in our perception of the church. I completely agree with the analysis and much appreciate the book and it´s message." (Patrick Johnstone, WEC, London)

"Sure to be a vital element in the explosion of the church around the world. Tremendous amount of great material. The vision and scholarship of this book is surely the wave of the future. This book is on the cutting edge of things to come. There is no question that if we are going to fill the earth with the knodledge of the glory of the Lord with millions of new congregations, we will have to return to the New Testament model presented here." (James Montgomery, Founder and President, Dawn Ministries, Colorado Springs, USA)

"A unique study, carefully studying NewTestament examples of church-planting."(Wes Wilson, Vice President, Every Home for Christ, Colorado Springs, USA)

"Ground-breaking! So new and fresh, that, to the average reader, it will be quite revolutionary." (Clive W. Clayton, Brussels, Belgian Evangelical Mission)

"The analysis regarding the difference between cell church and house church is the best that I have read." (Dr. Robert Banks)

"Prophetically shocking! (Robert Mountford, City Vision,UK)

"Wow! This book challenges our understanding of church and how it´s done. I strongly recommend this book to every pastor and church leader." (Eddie Smith, Coordinator, US-Prayer Track, AD2000 & Beyond Movement)

This is one of the most significant books that I have seen for a long time." (Peter Brierly, Christian Research, UK)

"Excellent - the best book on house church I know of." (Nate Krupp)

Pricing (US$) Shipping and Handling
1- 3 $14.95 ea. $3 per order
4-10 $13.50 ea. $5 per order
11-25 $12.00 ea. $7 per order
25+ $11.00 ea. $10 per order
You can pay
1. by sending a cheque made out in US-Dollars. Make the check out to "Wolfgang Simson" to the address below
2. Transfer the amount directly to our account in the US and notify us of the quantity you order
Bank Details
Nations Bank
Beltway Plaza Office, 6038 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 20770, USA, For the back of the check:
For Deposit only - Acct # 391 559 4161 Nations Bank of Maryland
3. You can send cash-bills in any western currency to our secure mailing address below
Please send your order today with indication of form of payment to this email adress or mail to
Dawn International Network, PF 212, 8212 Neuhausen 2, Switzerland

Other language versions that already are available: German, Dutch, Urdu
In process: Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Tamil, Singhalese, Arabic,
Norwegian, Telegu, Croatian, Italian, Afrikaans, Indonesian, Swedish, Russian
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THE PAROUSIA NETWORK of House and Cell Churches
www.parousianetwork.com
===================================================
Goals for evening meetings

From: "E-Letter" of The Parousia Network of House & Cell Churches. TO SUBSCRIBE type SUBSCRIBE in the subject line of a blank e-mail and send it to Subscribe@parousianetwork.com

In their July 2002 edition, they include the following:

An Introductory House Church Equipping Handbook
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Our "Introductory House Church Equipping Handbook" is finally "ready" to be ordered. You can order a copy via our website (www.parousianetwork.com). …The purpose of this Handbook is not to tell you how to do house church. Its purpose is to equip you to understand and be a part of God's plan and purpose for house churches in our day. Our goal is to equip you for contemporary house church ministry in eight specific ways.

1. Worldview: There is a reason why "church as usual," that is, church as we, our fathers and our grand-fathers have traditionally known it, no longer "works" for us as it did for them. Western society has become a Post-Christian culture. And that culture has consciously rejected traditional institutional church structures, along with our message of absolute moral and religious truth. The purpose of this first section is to explain the rise of this Post-Christian/Post-Modern "weltanschauung" or worldview. A worldview is a "way of seeing" life & the world. It is how we view reality. We all have a worldview, and today's contemporary worldview is predominantly Post-Christian. The Church (defined as the visible body of professing believers wherever they meet) has now become a counter-cultural witness to a Post-Christian culture in decline.

2. Introduction to House Church: In the N.T. the ekklesia - usually translated "church" - is literally "the assembly of those who have been called out." The N.T. church consisted of believers who met "house-to-house." In this section we equip you to understand the N.T. concept of house church, to identify some of its key characteristics, and then to begin the process of becoming "the church that meets in your house" by helping you think through some of the basic issues that confront "newcomers" to the house church movement.

3. Growing Your House Church: The Greek word plethuno - "to increase greatly" hence "to multiply" - is the word used in the book of Acts to describe the exponential growth of the early church. One of the greatest dangers of the house church movement is the danger of developing an inward focus that results in its becoming ingrown and losing sight of its primary calling, which is to fulfill Christ's Great Commission to disciple the nations (and just how do you "disciple" a "nation"?). In this section we seek to challenge you with a vision for the need to become a network of multiplying house churches. We demonstrate the difference between church addition and church multiplication. We show you a model for transforming your house church into a multiplying house church that grows 8-fold! And we offer you two simple strategies for building your house church by mapping your neighborhood and starting the process of becoming the house church that transforms your extended neighborhood.

4. Praying & Interceding For Your House Church: The Greek word entugchano is the N.T. word used for the intercession of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:27) and of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 7:25) as they intercede on behalf of believers. Oswald Chambers once observed that "Prayer does not prepare us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work." No house church ministry will succeed that is not founded upon and bathed in and covered by consistent and fervent prayer and intercession. The purpose of this section is to encourage and to equip you in the ministry of praying, fasting (yes, that's right, fasting) and interceding with and for your house church.

5. Personal Discipleship: In the New Testament, a mathetes - the Greek word we translate "disciple" - was a pupil, a learner, the close follower of a teacher. In the House Church personal discipleship is more important than ever, because there are no passive participants in House Church ministry. Everyone must come prepared to participate, which means that each person must be pursuing their individual personal discipleship during the week.

6. Bible Study Notes: It should not be the purpose of House Church to become another "Bible study club" (there are enough of those already). Rather, it is our goal to study and know the Word of God in such a way that it equips us to become the Church that meets in our homes, and equips us live godly lives in our Post-Christian culture.

7. Song Sheets: Our goal here is to equip our house churches in practical aspects of worship by providing a legal covering for song sheets that you may want to reproduce and use as part of your worship experience in house church. The song sheets included here are covered under our CCLI License and you are free to use them under the guidelines we provide in this section.

8. Additional Helps: The goal of this section is to provide you with additional house church resources and helps. This includes a presentation of the gospel (The Four Spiritual Laws by Campus Crusade for Christ), a bibliography of some important house church & cell church books & materials, a doctrinal statement (The Lausanne Covenant) that we use among our affiliated house churches, and an Affiliation Application for individuals and house churches seeking to affiliate with The Parousia Network."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Saturday Evening Equipping & Fellowship Goals

"Here are our "Six Basic Goals" for our Saturday equipping & fellowship meetings. If you have wondered what our Saturday evening meetings are all about (and we have been learning & growing as we go) here it is:

1. Fellowship, networking and encouragement. Fellowship is one of the four activities to which the early church devoted itself in Acts 2:42ff. It is important for those of us involved with house church ministry to have regular fellowship.

2. Prayer, worship and mutual ministry. This is an important time when the body seeks God together, experiences His Presence in our midst and minister's to one another utilizing the gifts of His Spirit. It is also one of the four activities to which the early church devoted itself in Acts 2:42ff.

3. Current events. I believe it is important to look at today's current events with an eye towards how house church ministry relates to what is happening in the world around us.

4. Bible Teaching. Yes, Bible teaching is important. Again, it is one of the four activities to which the early church devoted itself in Acts 2:42ff. My long-term plan is to work through the books of Acts, 1 Corinthians, John, Romans and Hebrews.

5. House Church Equipping. Our "Introductory House Church Equipping Handbook" is nearly finished and we will soon begin teaching through this material with an eye toward equipping & modeling.

6. Communion. This too is one of the four activities to which the early church devoted itself in Acts 2:42ff. The phrase "breaking of bread" is widely regarded and interpreted as a reference to observing The Lord's Supper or Communion. This is one of the pivotal acts of the Church. It is in the celebration of The Lord's Supper that the church celebrates its oneness and its purpose, to "proclaim the Lord's death until He comes" (1 Corinthians 11:26). It is our plan to celebrate communion every Saturday evening when we gather together."
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House Church Equipping & Resource Center (an idea you might wish to prayerfully consider in your regions, as well)
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"As many of you know God has given us a vision to establish a House Church Equipping and Resource Center where we can become very intentional in equipping one another to become a network of multiplying house churches, and to provide a complete resource center (books, tapes, materials, etc.) where we can service the needs of our house church family, conduct workshops, seminars, etc. God continues to honor this vision and we are excited that the resources to accomplish this are coming together!…"

The Parousia Network, P.O. Box 18793, Spokane, WA 99228. www.parousianetwork.com,

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