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Canadian House Church Resource Network Newsletters - pg 2
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Sept
2001 Newsletter
Dec 2001 Newsletter
Mar 2002 Newsletter
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If you are interested in subscribing to this quarterly, free e-newsletter
in the future, please contact chcrn@hotmail.com
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=========================
WELCOME! to the 3rd edition of the
CANADIAN
HOUSE CHURCH RESOURCE NETWORK
N e w s l e t t e r
September 2001
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION & WELCOME
CANADIAN HOUSE CHURCH RESOURCE NETWORK:
1. Update on Regional Conferences on House Churches
* Would You Like For Us To Help Promote Your Regional
Events?
* Would You Like Some Help in Facilitating
a Regional Event?
* Upcoming WOLFGANG SIMSON visit in the Planning
Stages
* Update on Kitchener/Waterloo CHURCH IN THE HOUSE
Conference
. * CHURCH IN THE HOUSE Conference tapes available
* November Home Church Conference in Pacific NW
* Some Varieties of House Churches in Canada
HOUSE CHURCHES AS A VITAL PART OF DISCIPLING THE NATION/S
.2. Stories of What God is Doing In and Through House Churches in Other
Nations
„h MADHYA PRADESH (India): House church movement
„h
TRANSITION
3. Time for Change
4. The Church in Transition
STARTING/MULTIPLYING HOUSE CHURCHES
5. What Do You Do in A House Church?
6. House Churches Multiply
7. Evaluating Your Home Church Group
BOOKS ON HOUSE CHURCHES:
8. Planting House Churches in Networks ¡V manual
9. Real Missionaries to Canada
WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN?
10. Some Principles for an Effective Children¡¦s
Ministry
RESOURCES:
11. Articles sent out by email
12. House Church ¡¥Coaches¡¦
13. INDEX According to THEMES ¡V CHCRN Newsletter
14. Networking Opportunity
15. Networkers by Region
Web Sites
Next time...
CONTENTS
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@@@@@ CANADIAN HOUSE CHURCH RESOURCE NETWORK @@@@@
<><><>><><<><><<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
1. UPDATE
ON REGIONAL CONFERENCES ON HOUSE CHURCHES in Canada
<><><>><><<><><<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
WOULD YOU
LIKE FOR US TO HELP PROMOTE YOUR REGIONAL EVENTS?
If you or a group of house churches in your region (in Canada) would
like for us to promote your local events on the web site or in a coming
edition of the newsletter, please do let us know and send us the exact
information you wish for us to include: chcrn@hotmail.com Please give
us lots of time to get it up on the site and into the next quarterly
newsletter.
CONTENTS
-----------
WOULD
YOU LIKE SOME HELP IN FACILITATING A REGIONAL EVENT?
If you or a group of house churches (in Canada) would like to request
some help in facilitating a conference on house churches in your region,
we would be happy to help by providing some resources, names and contact
info of potential speakers, potential topics, rough outlines for schedule
which you may find helpful, sending you a list of folks that we know
of in your region whom you might wish to invite, etc. Contact us at:
chcrn@hotmail.com
CONTENTS
-----------
Upcoming WOLFGANG
SIMSON visit in the Planning Stages
-----------------------------------------------------------------
In the future we are thinking of inviting experienced house church ¡¥coaches¡¦
(such as Wolfgang Simson) that may be able to visit various cities during
an upcoming trip to Canada to encourage folks regarding house churches.
If you are interested in potentially having these folks come to share
at your regional events or conferences, please let us know. We are hoping
to have Wolfgang visit perhaps around Jan/Feb. 2003. Let us know if
you¡¦re interested in working together on this to coordinate something
in your region. PLEASE PRAY for wisdom, God¡¦s direction, timing and
will in all of this. We don¡¦t want to move forward with this unless
this is what He wants.
CONTENTS
-----------
WATERLOO-KITCHENER,
ONT ¡V Church In the House Conference ¡V Robert Fitts
---------------------------------------------
The following report was sent to us for you by Sam Buick of The
Dwelling Place - Waterloo, ONT
-------------
¡§Robert arrived in Toronto on Thursday the 7th of June. The conference
kicked off on Friday evening at Good Samaritan Church, pastored by Ralph
Rutledge. Ralph is apostolic and prophetic and really had a sense that
he should not only support our conference but make the church facilities
available to us. Friday night, Robert spoke on the anointing of the
Spirit and it was powerfully received by the 220 people there. A precious
time was spent in prayer before the Lord. Many people received body
ministry and some were healed.
Saturday morning we had the CHURCH IN THE HOUSE seminar, in which Robert
taught on the nature and mission of the church. There was some historical
overview and during each session there was interaction between people
in attendance. He did a really good job in presenting truth and the
need to have a vision for the city that embraces all that Jesus embraces.
We struck a chord in that we have long believed that we need to embrace
the whole body of Christ in our city, regardless of structures and expression.
We want to see the Kingdom of God come in fullness in our cities. Robert
accentuated these points in powerful ways. He encouraged those from
traditional churches that they cannot do the job on their own and that
there is much to be valued from the CHURCH IN THE HOUSE model...¡¨
(Editor¡¦s note) ¡V regarding Robert Fitt¡¦s position on the traditional
church and the church that meets in homes:
¡§...Robert advocates a position that is conciliatory. He usually has
everyone say:
- I am the church
- You are the church
- The problems of the church are our problems
I echo these same sentiments, and as such I have embraced those who
are traditionalists as well as CHURCH IN THE HOUSE....
....The Lord showed up big time on Saturday evening. I had words of
knowledge and many instantaneous healings took place all across the
sanctuary.
The Lord showed me in a powerful way that we could bless this church.
When the words of knowledge came, I released everyone in the body assembled
to pray for those who had acknowledged a need for prayer. I passed out
anointing oil and we all interceded "Korean style", shouting out fervently
to the Lord for these healings. And it happened! Many were healed on
the spot!
There was prayer for Pastor Rutledge, and he testified the next day
that he had never seen prophetic ministry breakout as it did the next
day (Sunday morning). The worship during all the services were done
as we worship in the house church, with CD's on the sound system! It
was great! Quite awesome worship! We put the lyrics on the computer
projection system, and WOW!
Robert spoke a powerful message on investing in your vision. He spoke
how the Lord gives each one of us a vision. He asked us to invest in
it as if it depended upon us. He said this shows in practical terms
that we are placing our trust and faith in what God has spoken to us.
Sunday (10 June) we had CHURCH IN THE HOUSE and Robert took us through
how ABC works (Alpha-Omega Bible College) in homes. This is a home based
study through the Bible with practical ministry training that covers
a whole year. Every time you meet you have:
- Praise - Prayer - Personal ministry - Refreshments - Reports (testimonies)
- Reading (discussion Bible study).
These six things incorporate the body life you would have in a house
church. The goal is that by the time the ABC is finished, each person
will choose to either begin another ABC or plant a house church!
We spent six hours together! The time flew by!
Sunday night Robert spoke on having a vision for the whole city as a
CHURCH IN THE CITY, a church without walls. It was the kickoff of the
first of monthly city church worship celebrations! It was tremendous!
On the Monday to Wednesday mornings we had personal prophetic ministry
under the guidance of Robert. The body got to minister to one another
in a very powerful way. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday evenings were spent
in going step by step in how to establish and do ABC Bible Colleges.
We all got to go through it.
We took Robert back to Toronto to catch his flight on Thursday morning.
We were exhausted, but we were ministered to powerfully. Many who came
want Robert to come back again. So are asking me to organize another
one right away. I can't. I need a break.
My wife Lori and I were appointed by Robert to be Canadian Directors
for Alpha Omega Ministries in Canada, to see ABC colleges established
across the nation and to see CHURCH IN THE HOUSE established city by
city. I am deeply humbled and very excited at what the future holds.
Please pray with us as we are fasting and praying for 30 days as to
how to proceed from here. We are sensing the need to be a faith ministry
and to leave my employment and travel across our nation, helping others
plant house churches! Wow! Exciting stuff! God is so good. I remarked
to the brothers and sisters at our meeting last night, "This is the
first time I have not felt like a square peg trying to fit in a round
hole!" I am accepted for who I am in Christ, the gifts He has given
me, and the passion I have for proclaiming and advancing His Kingdom
in our cities!
BTW, Robert has published his book, THE CHURCH IN THE HOUSE, and it
is available from him. We could not keep it in stock!
We made some good contacts with other house churches and those interested
in starting them. The most exciting news is that two traditional churches
are in the midst of transforming their churches into a multitude of
churches in the houses! I believe God is in the midst of a powerful
move in restoring intimacy and ministry at the most basic level.
You can check out the Simple Bible College - ABC
Bible colleges at http://alpha-omega-ministries.faithweb.com
Blessings from the east!
Sam Buick, The Dwelling Place
PS One couple, charismatic Mennonites, told us the first house church
conference they were a part off was in Kitchener in 1972! It was a Mennonite
conference all on house church. They followed Acts 2-4 closely, and
moved into local neighbourhoods and had "all things in common". They
were part of that while their kids were very young for about four years.
I was truly blessed!¡¨
----------
THANK YOU for this encouraging report, Sam!! May God continue to lead
and to multiply the work that He has started or furthered through this
conference!
CONTENTS
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
CHURCH IN THE
HOUSE CONFERENCE TAPES AVAILABLE!!
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
The Conference was audio taped.
Interested people can contact Sam at .
The tapes are $4 (CDN) per tape.
The sessions are:
-----------------------
* Friday night - The Anointing - importance of being continually filled
with the Spirit - This message really set the tone for the whole conference.
* Saturday - AM session - Defining the Church - interactive with questions
from the floor
* Saturday - Afternoon - Trends Toward Transforming the Church - interactive
with questions from the floor
* Saturday evening - powerful message
* Sunday Evening - Very powerful message - Investing in Your Vision
* Monday - Tuesday evenings - Two messages on the ABC home based Bible
Colleges that have the same components as church in the house. The group
commits to study the Bible for one year and through each session there
is a time of praise, prayer (Korean style), personal ministry, reports
(testimonies), refreshments, ready (interactive Bible study discussion)
that equips and releases body ministry. The goal is that by the end
of one year the people in the group will go and either start another
ABC or plant a house church!
CONTENTS
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HOUSE CHURCH
CONFERENCE in the Pacific Northwest
¡V November 2001
For information, contact Tim Wilson at: (253) 858-0121, P.O. Box 674,
Wauna, WA 98395
http://www.nwhcc.cjb.net - housechurchconference@juno
CONTENTS
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Some Varieties
of House Churches in Canada
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
We as the facilitation team of the CHCRN are finding it interesting
that God seems to be raising up some folks who are meeting in their
homes with a focus on reaching specific groups of people. Because of
the many ethnic groups in our cities, and various other groups of people
that are largely unchurched in our cities, it can be helpful to focus
on reaching a particular group. It is helpful for them to understand,
also, that they¡¦re part of a larger body of believers ¡V people of
every language, race and social strata of society.
Some such groups that we are seeing coming into existence are house
churches focusing on reaching:
„h Youth
„h Apartment dwellers
„h International students
„h Muslims
„h People disenfranchised from traditional churches
„h Senior citizens in Senior Citizen Homes
„h Postmoderns
„h Etc.
In order to enable us to give you all a better picture of the various
other groups in Canada being focused on by house churches, we would
appreciate your letting us know if you know of others. Thank you! chcrn@hotmail.com
CONTENTS
####### HOUSE CHURCHES AS A VITAL PART OF DISCIPLING THE NATION/S #######
;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;2.
Stories About What God is Doing In and
Through House Churches Around the World
;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;¡¦;
************************************
MADHYA PRADESH:
House church movement
************************************
From: FRIDAYF@X Issue 21, June 1, 2001
To subscribe send an email message to fridayfax-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
CONTENTS
&&&&&&&&& TRANSITION &&&&&&&&&
====================================
3. TIME FOR
CHANGE
From the FridayFax, November 10, 2000 edition ¡V to subscribe, see info
right above...
=====================================
Says the editor of FridayFax: ¡§This special edition of the Dawn Friday
Fax was written at the end of October 2000 by Brian Mills, who was the
Prayer Coordinator for the British Evangelical Alliance and Billy Graham's
'Mission to London', among others. Today, he leads InterPrayer with
John Mulinde, and is one of the Dawn movement's spiritual fathers. His
most recent book, "Sins of the Fathers", about reconciliation between
nations, caused a global sensation.
"The year 2000AD is a year of transition and a year for transition.
It is a time when God is re-positioning people into places and situations
where they will be the greatest influence for Him in the future, and
for the most influential time of their lives. What is true for individuals
is also true for the Church. He is getting His Church into the place
and understanding where it can truly fulfill His purpose for it on the
earth. He is not interested in a church's self-centred existence. He
is not looking for it to survive or even merely to grow. He is looking
for The Church to fill the earth with His glory, to subdue the earth
and have dominion over it, to triumph over the principalities and powers,
to be ready as the Bride of Christ. God is getting His Church world-wide
ready for a final push towards the final mighty harvest. It is a time
for us all to get ready. For not only will there be a time of reaping
on a scale most have of us only dreamed about, but there will also be
a time of opposition, of persecution, and of misunderstandings.
We will be maligned by the media. We will be opposed by militant agents
of Satan. We will be marginalised by politicians. It is a year when
a spiritual paradigm shift is taking place on a number of fronts, and
in different ways. A redefining of commonly held understandings, and
of familiar concepts. For the way we have previously understood aspects
of His will have not been sufficient to usher in the final harvest,
and to express His will on earth as it is in heaven. So God is widening
our understanding.
1. In relation to the APOSTOLIC.
----------------------------------------------
We have previously seen this as vertical, stream or denominationally
related, top down apostleship. Leaders ? sometimes self-appointed ?
have exercised authority and control. Others have been church-planting
apostles and as such have been the spiritual fathers of those churches.
Such apostles have been concerned largely for their own stream or denomination
or for the churches the have founded. But now God is looking for apostles
to be concerned for the whole body of Christ, and for the fulfillment
of all God's purposes on earth. He is looking for apostles in and among
nations. Apostles need to be primarily concerned for all of God's will
to be done in all of God's world. God is looking for horizontal, relational,
across-the- streams apostles, who through serving one another, and cooperating
with one another will enable common vision to become reality. They will
be less concerned for their position or role among the people they lead,
and more concerned for the will of God to be done among the people that
no servant of God yet leads.
2. In relation to the PROPHETIC.
--------------------------------------------------
Previously we have seen this mostly as personal words given to inform
or confirm direction from heaven. From person to person, and from individuals
speaking in a prophetic way in public. But now God wants all His people
to be prophets in the personal sense. And He is looking for those who
will be prophets to the nations. Prophetic acts of strategic significance
and strategic importance will become more commonplace. Increasingly
the prophetic will be expressed in assignment praying, and in symbolic
acts that create breakthroughs. The prophetic will break out of the
comfortable surroundings of Christian gatherings and be expressed in
the sight of the people and at sites of historical and spiritual importance.
3. In relation to the EVANGELISTIC.
---------------------------------------------------
We have previously seen this as preaching-oriented, word-centred ministry
of the few professional evangelists. But now it is being redefined so
that personal and corporate, prayer-related, relational, word of knowledge,
God-inspired communication genuinely occurs. Large numbers will turn
to Him, as God's people in unison and unity in prayer call people to
Him.
4. In relation to YOUTH AND CHILDREN.
----------------------------------------------------------
No longer will they be seen as a group to whom and for whom adults do
things that express church, as separate from the church and as groups
for whom special activities will be required; they will be seen as fully
capable under the flow of the Holy Spirit to be released into prophetic
prayer and worship, into evangelism within their culture, and in modeling
new types of church across the streams and to the adults. They will
not be contained or containable within existing denominations or streams.
They will form their own kind of churches and will be non- denominational
and therefore separate from denominations.
5. In relation to REPENTANCE & RECONCILIATION.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
This will no longer be understood in only personal terms between us
and God, and between individuals who become separated from others by
reason of dispute, but also as between groups and nations.
6. In relation to INTERCESSION.
----------------------------------------------
Intercession will no longer be regarded as the ministry of a select
few called to this apparently distinctive aspect of prayer. In Scripture,
intercession is always associated with God-inspired prayer. The Church
will discover to pray as Jesus prayed ? with loud cries and tears.
7. In relation to the KINGDOM.
-------------------------------------------
The Kingdom will not only be seen as a future hope for the people of
God, but also as a present reality, whereby Christ's kingdom is being
extended in the here and now. As we talk about transformed cities, transformed
communities and transformed nations, the reality of this will inevitably
be expressed in kingdom terms. Discipling nations will be the objective,
of which the planting of new churches will be a fact and a factor.
8. In relation to CHURCH.
-------------------------------------
Previously we have seen church in terms of denominational models. We
talk of the Methodist Church, the Baptist Church, the Presbyterian Church,
the Church of England, the Catholic Church, the State Church ? even
Pentecostal churches, Charismatic churches and Free churches. All these
distinctions will be redefined ? for they are limiting and sectional.
There is one church of Jesus Christ on earth, and one church in each
city. We must learn to redefine church. We now talk of cell churches,
youth churches, children's churches, house churches. We will also have
to allow for other expression of churches in places of employment, in
institutions and in communities where it is not appropriate for a denominational
model to be. Church will not only be static and fairly permanent, it
will also be mobile and temporary. Church will happen at different times
and different places. Pastors will no longer only see their ministry
in terms of pastoring a specific group of people, called a congregation.
Pastors will be called to cooperate together across the streams and
boundaries, so as to be pastors of cities. They will as such begin to
take responsibility before God for the city and all its expressions
of life. They will pastor local government, the police, the education
services and so on.
It is a time to get ready so that the redefinition of things will not
be merely a matter of semantics, but so that the people of God get into
position and take their place, before God, and with one another. It
is God's time for the world." Brian Mills October, 2000 (Abridged version)
____
FRIDAYFax is produced by DAWN Europe, part of the DAWN International
Network. It is distributed with permission by the Centre for Mission
Direction, PO Box 31-146, Christchurch, New Zealand. To subscribe send
an email message to . To unsubscribe
send a message to .
CONTENTS
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
4. The
Church in Transition ¡Vrelated articles
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
CONTENTS
+_+_+_+_+_+ STARTING / MULTIPLYING HOUSE CHURCHES +_+_+_+_+_+
5. WHAT DO
YOU DO IN A HOUSE CHURCH? (from ¡¥Church in the House¡¦ ¡V Robert
Fitts)
_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_
CONTENTS
----------------------------------------------------------
6. HOUSE
CHURCHES MULTIPLY
Bligh Stockwell, Coquitlam, BC - November 2, 2000 - AorBStokwl@aol.com
-----------------------------------------------------------
As the Waltons pulled out of the driveway at 10.45 on Sunday morning,
John said, "You know, we are the only family on our street who will
be in a church today - why? They are good friendly neighbours, but they
don't seem to care about spiritual realities or spiritual nourishment
for their families."
His wife, Betty, responded thoughtfully, "Well, remember when the Harris
family went to church with us last year? They didn't want to go again
- - said they felt culturally alienated in the after-church discussions
amongst the regular attendees..'
"Yes," agreed John, "and this is exactly the problem; most of our neighbours
are two generations removed from the institutional church culture. I
wonder what would happen if we simply invited our neighbours to a weekly
meeting in our home to discuss spiritual issues?"
"That's a good idea," said Betty, "let's do it."
And so they did. Eight families accepted invitations to the first Saturday
evening 'house church'. Coffee, tea and dessert were enjoyed during
the get-acquainted time. A short video on basic Christian concepts was
shown. Then John and Betty led a lively discussion and invited everyone
to come back one week later. Most of the guests did return for their
second house church experience and some of them brought friends. Week
after week, attendance increased and requests were made for Bible study
and systematic teaching. Hymn singing and times of worship became enriching
and bonding experiences for the participants. Then someone proposed
a Sunday teaching session, with classes for children and adults, with
classes in the homes of several participating families.
By the end of the first year, attendance at the Saturday evening meeting
had grown to more than forty adults, plus children - - too many to accommodate
in one home. After much agonizing discussion and prayer, the decision
was made for half of the people to change their meeting place to another
home, just a few blocks away. Thus, the second house church came into
existence by the 'organic' process of cellular growth. Healthy cells
don't just keep on growing - - they produce new cells. Cells that keep
on growing, without producing new cells, generally become unhealthy,
sometimes malignant. House churches are sometimes called cell churches
because they function more like cells in the human body than like organizations.
This scenario could have been witnessed in first century Israel, or
19th century England, or modern China, or even in 20th century Canada.
Research has shown that Christianity has always experienced it's most
rapid and healthiest growth during times and situations when house church
movements have flourished. This is dramatically demonstrated in China
where, in spite of extreme persecution and political repression, the
number of active Christians is approaching one hundred million, largely
the result of 'house church' multiplication. And now, post-Christian
Europe is beginning to experience re-Christianization by house churches.
Even secular-humanist Canada has the beginning of a house church network.
Facilitators of the house church movement in B.C. meet regularly to
share experiences and to provide supportive information to people who
want to participate. The e-mail address for the B.C. house church network
is chcrn@hotmail.com
CONTENTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
7. EVALUATING
YOUR HOME CHURCH GROUP
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By Nate Krupp, Preparing The Way, Publishers, Salem, OR USA kruppnj@open.org
¡§...Some questions to consider in evaluating your home church group:
(Prayerfully think about, elaborate on, and explain all answers. What
should you do to improve what you are doing?)
1. Is your group and gatherings about you or about HIM?
2. Are you emphasizing "house church" or "the Kingdom of God"?
3. Are your times together too meeting oriented and superficial, or
do you have true koinonia/community/shared life?
4. Do you talk alot about relationships, and then all just "do your
own thing"?
5. What did the Early Church talk about? What do you talk about?
6. What part do children plan in the life of the group?
7. Are you producing mature, balanced, fruitful believers?
8. What are you doing to contribute to fulfill of the Great Commission?
9. What works and why?...¡¨
CONTENTS
@@@@@@ B O O K S ON HOUSE CHURCHES @@@@@@
===========================================
8. PLANTING
HOUSE CHURCHES IN NETWORKS:
A Manual from the Perspective of a Church Planting Team
===========================================
256 pages. Revised 1999
Provided by The FELLOWSHIP OF CHURCH
PLANTERS, 25 Enterprise Center, Suite 104, Middletown, RI, 02842
Contents ¡V includes:
FOUNDATIONS
A Word of Caution
A Great Commission Vision for the Church
The Pilgrimage: From Traditional Models to House Church Fellowships
Background on Discipling
The Church Illustrated
Why House Churches?
STAGES IN PLANTING A HOUSE CHURCH
Gathering:
„h The Man of Peace (an article about this will be included in the next
edition of this newsletter)
„h Training the Man of Peace
„h The Man of Peace as a Gatherer
Covenanting:
„h Church Covenants
„h Meetings of the House Church
„h Producing a Covenant
„h Reallocating Resources
Reproducing:
„h Developing a Vision
„h Discipleship Chains
„h Leadership in House Churches
„h Women Leaders in House Churches
„h Developing a Leadership Team
„h Peacemaking and Corrective Church Discipline
„h Withdrawal of the Church Planter
REPRODUCTION CYCLES OF HOUSE CHURCHES
„h Forming A Network (Fellowship of House Churches)
„h Reproducing a Network
+ Reproducing a Fellowship and starting a town intensive fellowship
of house churches
+ Developing and sending out church planting teams
Appendix
-------------
Entering the Kingdom of God
Living in the Kingdom
Sample: ¡§Gathering¡¨ Bible Study on Ephesians
Monthly Devotional Guide: The Church
Studies in Acts on the Church
Bible Study on Man/Woman of Peace
Christian Worldview: an evangelistic Bible study
Consensus Decision Making
Covenanting Together
Etc.
For more information and to contact:
Jim Frost, 90 Scott Road, Cumberland, RI 02864 USA jim@fcpt.org
ALSO, ASK ABOUT THEIR BOOK:
BUILDING EFFECTIVE CHURCH PLANTING TEAMS by Dick Scoggins (re house
church planting)
For more information contact Dick at: dick.scoggins@ccmail.lfa.com,
PO Box 4, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP14 3YX, UK
CONTENTS
##############################
9. REAL
MISSIONARIES TO CANADA
¡V by Bligh Stockwell
##############################
(Editor¡¦s Note) - Although Canada is no longer seen, by many, as a
¡¥Christian¡¦ nation, we as believers have generally not understood
how crucial our role is in reaching our post-modern and very international
nation, and therefore have not taken the kinds of steps to adequately
prepare ourselves or train those in our midst that God wants to ¡¥send
out¡¦ ¡V as trained cross-cultural missionaries ¡V into the many varied
peoples filling our cities and nation.
Bligh¡¦s helpful book encourages us to think through relevant ways to
reach our international and post-modern society, including the utilization
of house churches and training those within our midst to become missionaries
that cross cultural barriers within our own society. --
-------------
Book are available through Canadian Bible Society: wabsolom@canbible.ca
Or from Bligh at: AorBStokwl@aol.com
CONTENTS
+ + + + + + + + + + WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN? + + + + + + + + + +
(Editor¡¦s Note) - Although the following is specifically focused on
children¡¦s ministry in cell churches, the principles apply for house
churches as well. --
CONTENTS
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
10. Some
Principles for an Effective Children's Ministry ¡V Lorna Jenkins,
Kids Slot - Contact info: lornaj@clear.net.nz
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
¡§...* 1. Every child should have the opportunity to hear about Jesus
in a way they can understand. They should know that being a Christian
includes obeying Jesus and knowing the power of the Holy Spirit.
* 2. Every child who receives Jesus should be discipled and gathered
into the family of God. This means being in a cell group where the children
can meet face to face with other Christians of all ages.
* 3. Parents should be empowered to sponsor their own children through
the steps of discipling and growth. They are able to be there when the
children are facing problems. They need to tell their children their
own story and share their own Christian walk.
* 4. Where children do not have Christian parents, someone in a near-by
cell group should become like a spiritual parent to the children. They
should disciple the children and try to befriend the whole family.
* 5. Children's Ministry should be the concern of the whole church,
not just a small group of experts. It is an essential part of the church's
growth now and into the next generation. Children should have an advocate
in the decision making bodies of the church.
* 6. Children's leaders should be chosen with as much concern for calling
and gifting as any other senior leader of the church. The Bible should
be taught to children by people who have the anointing and the skill
to make it interesting.
* 7. Children need a systematic pattern of growth, which leads them
towards maturity. This includes prayer, Bible reading, the Lord's Supper;
Christian values, evangelism, spiritual formation and spiritual warfare.
Every child should have an overview of the Bible by the time they are
twelve.
* 8. The church needs to create opportunities for the children to minister
beside the adults. This means that whatever the church is planning in
ministries of care, prayer or evangelism, the children should be invited
to join in.
* 9. Children need to learn how to worship so that they can participate
meaningfully in the celebration life of the church. They should also
learn how to lead worship among their peers and their elders, on Sundays
and in cell groups. They should be encouraged to use their talents and
gifts in the praise of God.
* 10. Children should be taught how to stand up against temptation or
persecution in the name of Jesus. They should be able to relate well
to their friends and yet, they should not bow to peer pressure.
* 11 All Christian, including children need to care about lost people,
to have a heart of compassion for the world, in both spiritual and physical
areas of life. They should seek to tell other children about Jesus.
* 12 Children need training for leadership. Every child has a gifting
and an area of ministry which need to be encouraged. They should be
ready to serve their church and their community...¡¨
Lorna's Philosophy:
--------------------------
¡§...Our society tends to overlook the suffering and confusion of children.
At the worst end of the scale, this includes violence, abuse, exploitation
and poverty.
However even when the physical needs of the children are met, children
are still denied the respect and responsibility, which makes them feel
part of the world. This has been true in the Christian church.
Churches have side-lined the children into care-giving and entertainment,
so that they cannot be responsible, growing members of the Kingdom of
God. They do not feel that they belong to a community.
The cell church is based on the idea of community. Yet community is
not complete without the children. Many churches are on a journey to
create meaningful community for their children, starting with the families
and reaching across the life of the whole church. This experiment is
called "Intergenerational church."
Children are participants at every level of the church's life. They
are full members of the cell groups; they minister and serve alongside
the adults; they worship joyfully in the celebration; they pray and
engage in spiritual warfare; they are ready to speak to their friends
and relatives about their faith in Jesus.
What they experience in church is also modeled in their families. Parents
and children experience the Kingdom life-style together, with the parents
accepting the responsibility of discipling their own children. Parents
and children minister to each other and pray for each other. When children
who do not have Christian parents, find faith in Jesus, the church places
them in a small group of people, where they can experience Christian
community.¡¨
CONTENTS
############## R E S O U R C E S ###############
**********************************************
11. ARTICLES
Sent Out By Email
**********************************************
1 House Churches and Mega Churches
CONTENTS
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
12. POTENTIAL
¡¥COACHES¡¦ FOR HOUSE CHURCHES
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
(Editor¡¦s Note) ¡V Are you in need of some coaching by experienced
folks who have been involved in planting house churches? Feel free to
contact the following people with your questions. And please share with
us the things you are learning so we can pass that on to our fellow
Canadians, etc. --
-------------------------
*** Names marked with *** are folks that we¡¦re more familiar with and
which we would recommend. We are not as familiar with the others (yet).
### Please let us know of others that you think should be added to this
list, and tell us why you¡¦re recommending them. Thank you! chcrn@hotmail.com
-----------------
*** BANKS, Robert & Julia ¡V author of GOING TO CHURCH IN THE FIRST
CENTURY, THE CHURCH COMES HOME - http://www.hccentral.com/fresour.html,
PAUL'S IDEA OF COMMUNITY - http://www.centuryone.com/3050-5.html
*** CAMPBELL, Jonathan ¡V Seattle, WA ¡V part of the Fellowship of Church
Planters ¡V developing a network of house churches in the Seattle region.
jcampbell@ingramlabs.com
*** FITTS, Robert ¡V Hawaii - author of ¡§The Church in the House, a
Return to Simplicity¡¨ ¡V email us for a free email copy. http://www.angelfire.com/hi/mision
RobertJoni@aol.com
76-6309 HAKU PLACE, KAILUA-KONA, HI 96740
*** FROST, Jim ¡V experienced house church coach with Fellowship of
Church Planters. jim@fcpt.org URL: http://www.fcpt.org
HENLEY, Gary ¡V starts house churches internationally. Has also written
a book about house churches. ghenley@pobox.com
KRUPP, Nate ¡V author of ¡§God¡¦s Simple Plan for the Church¡¨ and others
- http://www.open.org/kruppnj kruppnj@open.org http://www.radchr.net
McCULLOUGH, Dan R - dan_mccullough@hotmail.com
We have met in homes for over 30 years and have been instrumental in
various aspects of this movement. Have a lot of experience (good and
bad) to share and help others maybe. We are taking our second missions
trip to Russia and Romania to set up ties for working with street children.
We have some really good quality writings about home groups and house
churches.
MEALER, Art - art.mealer@church-task-force.org - http://www.pce.net/audie/House_Church.HTM,
www.church-task-force.org 919.616.3545
MILLER, Hal ¡V author of articles re house churches - hmiller@tasc.com
*** PATTERSON, George ¡V author of various books and resources re planting
house churches ¡V lots of experience, also with internationals. GPatters@westernseminary.edu
*** SIMSON, Wolfgang ¡V Switzerland - author of HOUSES THAT CHANGE THE
WORLD. Has experience in international house churches. WolfSimson@compuserve.com
SMITH, Christian ¡V author of GOING TO THE ROOT cssmith@gibbs.oid.unc.edu
ZENS, Jon - zensfamily@juno.com - http://www.searchingtogether.com/articles/zens/covenant.htm,
http://www.searchingtogether.org
CONTENTS
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
13. INDEX (according
to THEMES) of the
Canadian House Church Resource Network e-Newsletter
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
You may request an email copy of the Index according to themes from
chcrn@hotmail.com
CONTENTS
=================================
14. NETWORKING
OPPORTUNITY
=================================
For those of you who would like to network with others across the country,
there is an opportunity to do so via a Networking Sheet Info Form which
can be emailed to you. If you¡¦d like to be involved in this, please
return your filled in form to: chcrn@hotmail.com so your information
can be sent to the newsletter subscribers along with the next edition.
Thank you. If you are from a country other than Canada and would like
to network as well, feel free to use the same form and we will just
include you on an international networking list instead of the Canadian
one. You will receive the networking info from Canadians and Internationals.
Many blessings!
Also available is an email copy of a NETWORKING SHEET of some current
contacts.
CONTENTS
===================================
15. NETWORKERS
BY REGION
===================================
Following is a list of people you can contact if you are interested
in connecting with others in your region in Canada who are interested
or involved in house churches and in networking together. Let us know
if you¡¦d like to be added to this list in the future as someone willing
to potentially coordinate local events in your region. chcrn@hotmail.com
***** For an excellent article on the role of facilitators/networks/partnerships
in the Body of Christ at this time in history, check out: FACILITATOR:
A NEW ROLE FOR CHURCH LEADERS
Also, excellent resources re Networking,
etc.
and Partnership
Development
ALBERTA
-------
* Calgary ¡V rossrb1@home.com
BC
----
* Cariboo Region ¡V carpresb@uniserve.com
* Coquitlam ¡V AorBStokwl@aol.com
* Dawson Creek - Home-Based Church Network
Foursquare Gospel Church of Canada
dahagey@pris.bc.ca or doug@foursquare.ca
* Kelowna ¡V www.nextreformation.com - next1@nextreformation.com
* Maple Ridge ¡V cleave4372@home.com
* New Westminster ¡V foxkis@telus.net
* Penticton ¡V connerjw@shaw.ca
* Summerland ¡V redbridge@telus.net
* Surrey ¡V granholm@direct.ca
* Victoria ¡V vschuetze@telus.net
MANITOBA
--------
* Winnipeg ¡V zuzu@escape.ca
* Winnipeg ¡V harstone@home.com
ONTARIO
-------
* Guelph ¡V alkarem@hotmail.com
* Hamilton ¡V alexm.navs@hwcn.org
* Kitchener/Waterloo ¡V the_dwelling_place@hotmail.com
* Mississauga ¡V jason_johnston@yahoo.com
* Ottawa? - takam@sympatico.ca
QUEBEC
-------
* Montreal ¡V brazzeals@canada.com
* Montreal ¡V jj.dalton@sympatico.ca
* Montreal ¡V pkconnor@sympatico.ca
Tessierp@videotron.ca
SASKATCHEWAN
-------------
* Moose Jaw ¡V rodharrington@bigfoot.com
CONTENTS
+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+
W E B S I T E
S W E B S I T E S W E B S I T E S
_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+
CANADIAN HOUSE CHURCHES/NETWORKS
--------------------------------------------------------------------
43rd House Church Group in Calgary
Agape Fellowship
House Churches (Dorchester, Ont.) - Mennonite
4962 Marion St., Dorchester, ON, N0L 1G4. (519) 439-1563.
HouseChurch.ca
Kitchener-Waterloo
House Churches (Kitchener, Ont.) - Mennonite
101 David St., Kitchener, ON, N2G 1Y1. Phone: 1-519-578-3453 or 1-519-743-0758
Email: myantzi@hotmail.com - John Miller - pastor
Began in 1970...The congregation originated through outreach by Mennonite
and non-Mennonite individuals. The group is considered to be a congregation,
but in effect are a cluster of individual house churches with a central
meetingplace where they gather in alternate weeks.
OIKOS - K-W House
Church newsletter, published 2 to 4 times per year, Historical issue,
Winter 1980; Records at CGCA
The Meeting House¡V
Oakville, ONT
Timothy Wai ¡V Calgary,
AB -- timmywai@home.com
Waterloo
Region House Church Network
----------
(HOUSE CHURCH) STARTUPS:
----------------------------------------------
#1
Do You Have
the Guts to Be a House Church Pioneer?
How to Start a House Church
How to Start
a House Church
HOUSE CHURCH
ICEBREAKERS ¡V can be very helpful!
Starting House Churches
With New Converts
-------------
FREE WEB SITES for you to develop your own web site (online) for your
house church/house church network. (make sure you read the fine print).
--------------------------
HOMESTEADM
No need to purchase web site designing software for this particular
package ¡V however it looks like they may be transitioning into a minor
cost involved??
FreeFlash.com
MySiteInc.com
WebSpawner
¡V quick and easy basic web page option
---------------------
CONTENTS
NEXT TIME¡K
What¡¦s the House Church Situation Like in Canada? ¡V We Need for you
to Help Us With the Research
Expectations re House Churches ¡V Realistic or Unrealistic
Why Do House Churches Fail?
Church/Proposal for a House Church Network in the Lower Mainland
House /Dangers to Keep in Mind as you Prayerfully Consider Going in
House Church Directions
Networking: a Biblical Model of Cooperation ¡V the Nehemiah Strategy
Etc.
In forthcoming editions¡K
House Churches & The Great Commission/The Questions About Reproducing
¡V How & When to Multiply, etc./Financing the Vision/Role of House Churches
in Missions/Some Streams/The Value of Intergenerational Home-Based Churches/Historical
Overview of House Churches/ What Happens in a Typical House Church Meeting?/Encouraging
the Development of a Biblical DNA in House Churches/Biblical Authority
& Mutual Accountability/Releasing the Whole Body in their Spiritual
Gifts, Etc.
CONTENTS
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
WELCOME! to the 4th edition of the
CANADIAN HOUSE
CHURCH RESOURCE NETWORK
N e w s l e t t e r
December 2001 edition
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
CANADIAN HOUSE CHURCH RESOURCE NETWORK:
1. Update on Regional Conferences on House Churches
* Upcoming WOLFGANG SIMSON visit in the Planning Stages
HOUSE CHURCHES AS A VITAL PART OF DISCIPLING THE NATION/S
2. Stories of What God is Doing In and Through House
Churches in Other Nations
* International House Churches – links to stories
3. Discipling the Nations: Seven influential
Sectors of Society Hold The Keys
TRANSITION
4. CANADA: Post Modern Church Planting
* The Unchurched - Who They Are & Why They Stay
That Way / Why Do People Join the Church?
* Healthy Churches The Canadian Way
* Get Ready: There’s a Transition in the Church
5. What’s the House Church Situation Like in Canada?
– We Need For You to Help Us With the Research
6. Expectations re House Churches – Realistic
or Unrealistic
* Identifying With the People He is Calling
Us to Reach
7. Why Do House Churches Fail?
8. Dangers to Keep in Mind as you Prayerfully
Consider Going in House Church Directions
NETWORKING HOUSE CHURCHES
9. NETWORKING: A Biblical Model of Cooperation
– the Nehemiah Strategy
* Nehemiah: Rebuilding the Walls – Ray Stedman
10. A Proposal for a House Church Network in the
Lower Mainland (BC, Canada)
STARTING A HOUSE CHURCH
11. How to Find a ‘Man of Peace’
BIBLICAL AUTHORITY / MUTUAL ACCOUNTABILITY
12. Leadership & Authority – very helpful article!
CITY REACHING
13. Transformations Intro/Resources
Transforming the City – online book
Home-Based Churches Can Help Reap the
Harvest – article
A Look at the Harvest – online book
14. Organic Church Planting
MISCELLANEOUS
15. Some Streams of House Church
16. State of Christianity in 2001
17. DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION or TOPIC you would like
for us to address in a future edition?
RESOURCES:
18. Networking Sheet
19. CD - Resources re House Churches
20. Power Point Presentation re House Churches & the Canadian
House Church Resource Network
21. Houses that Change the World – better price!
22. Prophecies about Canada
23. Come, Let’s Disciple The Nations – Interactive
CD Textbook for Computer
24. Join the House Church Web Ring
25. CHCRN Newsletter INDEX according to THEMES
Web Sites
Next Time…
CONTENTS
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
<><><>><><<><><<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
1. UPDATE
ON REGIONAL CONFERENCES ON HOUSE CHURCHES in Canada
<><><>><><<><><<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Upcoming
WOLFGANG SIMSON visit in the Planning Stages
-----------------------------------------------------------------
As mentioned in the Sept. edition of the newsletter, we have invited
Wolfgang Simson, author of ‘HOUSES THAT CHANGE THE WORLD’, to Canada
around the end of Jan. & first part of Feb. 2003. Thank you for your
prayers in this regard!
Some of you have expressed interest in potentially hosting him or a
house church conference in your region (with Wolfgang as the speaker/coach)
while he is in Canada. We will continue to be in touch with you about
this.
In further communications with Wolfgang, it seems he will not be able
to stay here as long as we had hoped, and therefore may not be able
to travel to more than a couple of the regions we would like to see
him visit during this particular trip. He will only be able to stay
for a week and so please pray with us that God would lead us in how
to most effectively benefit Canadian house churches in this short visit.
Thank you!
We are in the process of approaching the various Missionsfests across
the country about potentially having him as a plenary speaker. If that
happens, we will adjust the plans for the rest of his time accordingly.
Currently we are hoping to have him here in Vancouver for a few days
and there is great interest in the Toronto/Hamilton, etc. region as
well, to have him spend some time there. We hope that by about Feb.
or Mar. 2002 we will have more information for you about his potential
involvements in Missionsfest for 2003 so that we can begin to plan more
specifically with others of you that may be interested in hosting him
in your region. Costs to have him out (from his hope in Europe) would
be shared by Missionsfest, us as the Canadian House Church Resource
Network, and any local regions that would be inviting him.
For those that may not be able to meet/hear him this time, his contact
info is in the Sept/01 edition of the newsletter so you can contact
him directly about potentially coming to your region at another time,
or, if you would like to network with others who may wish to invite
him again at a later time, so you could potentially share costs, etc.,
if you let us know we can help to facilitate that if you wish. Contact
us at: chcrn@hotmail.com
CONTENTS
####### HOUSE CHURCHES AS A VITAL PART OF DISCIPLING THE NATION/S #######
;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;
2. Stories
About What God is Doing In and
Through House Churches Around the World
;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;’;
INTERNATIONAL
HOUSE CHURCHES
------------------------------------------------------
If you would like the web site addresses for the following articles
on Int’l House Churches, contact: chcrn@hotmail.com
Diversity Within the Chinese Church
House Churches in China – several articles
House Churches in Cuba
House Churches in Israel
House Churches in N. Korea
House Churches in Turkmenistan
House Churches in Vietnam
Insight into the House Churches of China
CONTENTS
*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(
3. DISCIPLING
THE NATIONS:
From: Seven Influential
Sectors of Society Hold the Keys
If you cannot access the article online, contact: chcrn@hotmail.com
for an emailed version of this excellent article!
*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*
(Editor’s Note) – In the Matthew passage commonly known as ‘the Great
Commission’, Jesus commanded His disciples to MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL
NATIONS! What does that look like? Is our neighbourhood discipled? or
our city/nation? Sadly, as we look around it doesn’t take much to see
that the world has discipled the Church much more than the Church has
discipled the world.
Here in the western nations, especially, we have largely relegated ‘religion’
or ‘spirituality’ to a small segment of our lives. I believe that this
inconsistency with the teaching of Jesus as to what a true disciple
of Jesus is is one of the many things that has drawn many of us into
the direction of seeing house churches becoming a part of the way that
we can live out our lives FULLY as believers, in EVERY aspect of our
lives, as He continues to conform us into the likeness of His Son Jesus
Christ. As we express the Life and Presence of Jesus in every segment
of our lives, in every segment of society, we will see the Holy Spirit
influencing the various sectors of society and changes beginning to
take place as relationships are built and true disciples of Jesus are
spreading the Life of Jesus wherever they go.
I personally believe that as we see our homes as ministry centers (and
places where we gather with others for fellowship, whether in restaurants
or businesses, schools or hospitals, etc.,) and where we live out the
life of Jesus He has called us to exemplify in every area of our lives,
that we will begin to see our neighbourhoods, cities and nation discipled!
The following very helpful article is available at the web site noted
above --
----------------
“The seven spheres of influence described (in the article) will help
us shape societies for Christ. God gave us these handles to use in carrying
out Matthew 28 and discipling nations for Him. We believe He is wanting
all His people to see the importance of these seven areas and work in
them to extend Christ's reign throughout the earth. ..”
The Family and Health Care...
Commerce, Science and Technology...
The Church...
Government...
Education...
The Media...
The Arts, Entertainment and Sports..”.
CONTENTS
&&&&&&&&& TRANSITION &&&&&&&&&
4. CANADA:
Post-modern church planting
Excerpts below from HERE:
-------------------------------------------------------------
(Editor’s Note) – Although the stats of this report are a few years
old, they will help to give some idea of where our nation is at spiritually,
and help to give us a bit of a context of why house churches can potentially
be an important component of seeing Jesus’ Life lived out through His
Body to reach ‘post-moderns’ in these days.
As we also consider the strong multicultural values of this society,
and see that many internationals come from very family/community-oriented
societies as well as from societies that are very familiar with living
life on a spiritual plane, and as we see many of them coming to our
cities as immigrants or perhaps as refugees who are poor, misunderstood
and lonely, house churches can potentially provide a place of refuge/family/community
for them, and enable them to see spiritual life lived out in the Presence
of Jesus in every aspect of life, drawing them into the Family of God.
As we also consider our post-modern society, and especially Gen X &
Y, etc., we see that they are often very passionate people once they
find meaning to life, and/or ‘a cause’. They are often willing to count
the cost to fight for causes they believe in and to pay the price. We
also see that many desperately want to be part of family/community,
and value intimate, honest relationships of integrity. They frequently
desire to be mentored in loving relationships. Many are very spiritually
inclined – though sadly most have not yet found the Truth! They are
looking for reality and experience, though to them that does not often
equate with ‘Truth’. They are generally anti-hierarchal in their thinking/approaches
and want to work together with others that share vision, etc. They are
often anti-institutional and want to give input and be heard. They want
to be a part of something of worth/value.
Personally I feel that many of these qualities (though this is of course
a generalization) are almost like a set-up for the kind of people that
God is wanting to draw into His Family in these days...I believe that
many of them would flock to house churches if they knew about them and
were invited, since Christ-centered house churches can help to meet
many of the needs of their hearts, which many have felt have not been
met by the traditional church which many post-moderns feel is irrelevant
to their lives.
I also think that because Canada is a very laid-back kind of society
for the most part, that house churches would go very well with the Canadian
personality. Even the way new subdivisions are being built, in communities,
seems to indicate a growing desire of the masses to feel like they belong
to a community. Why can’t local networks of house churches be sprinkled
across these types of communities and add a much deeper and eternal
dimension of community for those that God is calling in that community?
I believe that God is in the process of raising up house churches of
disciples ‘for such a time as this’! --
----------------
“…13 March, 1999 82% of Canadians are unchurched', i.e., not actively
involved in Christian churches, according to the latest research published
by Church Planting Canada', a national missionary initiative based on
the DAWN strategy. Murray Moerman, editor of Outreach Canada' magazine,
says that those with no religious preference' form the fastest-growing
religious group in the country. How are the churches reacting? Moerman
reports that there are now six regional church planting conferences
planned in 1999, instead of four. In British Columbia, the conference
in Vancouver in late spring will have four tracks: post-modern church
planting, new churches for new immigrants, planting cell and house churches,
and Natural Church Development'. During a historic conference in 1997,
most churches agreed on a common target of planting 10,000 new churches
in Canada, and to reach out to the 800,000 native Canadians, of which
some 232,000 live on reservations. Sociological factors limit the average
size of Canadian churches to 135. According to Moerman, if the number
of Canadian Bible-believing Christians is to double, twice the number
of churches will also be needed...”
Source: Murray Moerman FAX (+1)-604-272-2744
Content provided by the Dawn Fridayfax. Text © DAWN Europe. Redistribution
is explicitly allowed as long as the copyright remains intact with the
text. Editor: Wolfgang Simson. The Fridayfax is also available by email
CONTENTS
@@@ See also the following illuminating articles @@@
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The Unchurched
- Who They Are
& Why They Stay That Way / Why Do People Join the Church?
CONTENTS
Healthy Churches
The Canadian
Way - by Don Posterski
CONTENTS
GET READY –
THERE’S
A TRANSITION IN THE CHURCH
CONTENTS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
5. What’s the
House Church Situation Like in Canada? – We Need For You to Help Us
With the Research
- Grace Wiebe (October 2001)
=====================================
We were recently asked some questions which we thought that many of
you would also be wondering about. We would like to respond to those
questions.
We would be grateful for any additional information any of you could
give us on this. Thank you in advance for your help with this as we
go along. Contact: chcrn@hotmail.com
Q: Are you aware of any research that has been done on the house
church movement in Canada? It seems the only source for information
and resources on house churches comes from the US and overseas.
A: Although we have heard of some existing house churches that have
been in existence in Canada for some years, most of the situations that
we’re aware of are folks that are either interested in or considering
starting a house church, or have fairly recently begun a house church,
and quite a number of folks feel God is leading them to be involved
in house church networks, or even facilitating local networks, etc.
There have been house churches in existence, perhaps, all along, but
we are not yet too sure of what that has been like in Canada’s history
or up to the present date. Most that we have become aware of have been/are
single house churches which have seemingly not functioned in networks
and do not seem to have multiplied. Some have continued for years, others
have ended earlier for various reasons. We are not aware of house churches
that have been around for a long time that have a focus on reproducing
as a vital part of seeing our cities and nations (& beyond) reached,
although there may be some out there. If you are able to help us gather
any of this type of research information, we would be most grateful.
We can then hopefully pass it on to our readers as we learn more. Contact:
chcrn@hotmail.com
At this point, probably most of our contacts are a part of a house church.
Next would be the number of people interested in house churches or hoping
to start them shortly. It seems that most of the ones who feel they’re
being led to start them have a major heart for the lost and a desire
to see their neighbours and/or city reached. Most of the ones we’re
connected with seem to be a part of house churches as church planters
and not because they’re bitter with the traditional church, which we’re
grateful to see!
There are also a number of networks of house churches represented. A
few of the house churches represented so far are planning on becoming
multiplying, reproducible house churches. As far as I am aware, not
many are currently reproducing, but I think this is only because so
many of them are still at such early stages and networks take time to
develop. Perhaps sometime in the future we can give you more specific
numbers in this regard.
As far as we know to date, there hasn’t been any research on the house
church movement in Canada done...but if there is, we would be very grateful
to be told what findings there are/have been.
As time goes on, we trust we will be able to find out more and to be
able to pass that information on to you.
Q: Who has the best understanding of the Canadian situation?
A: I would venture to say that Outreach Canada, in conjunction with
the Canadian DAWN Ministries (www.dawnministries.org), Every Home for
Christ and the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, etc., has come up with
the best statistics/state of the church in Canada (see the book TRANSFORMING
OUR NATION noted in the June2001 edition of the newsletter), which includes
the vision to see churches within walking distance of every 500-1000
people – and of course house churches are a part of their vision. Other
than this research, we don't know of anyone other than ourselves with
the type of information we are looking for and which some of you have
been asking us about, to date.
Q: Is the Canadian House Church Resource Network the only one in
Canada that stands out when it comes to building a network of cooperative
housechurches?
A: The only national one that we are aware of at this point. Other networks
that we are aware of and are connected with are regional – as in local
or city-wide, for example.
Q: Has anyone taken a hard look at the pros and cons of housechurch
in Canada? Why is it working? Why is it not working? How is it different
in Canada than in other nations?
A: Again, we don’t have enough information, yet, on house churches that
have been around for quite awhile, and we are still in the process of
finding out why they work or do not work in Canada. I suspect, however,
that though some will fail and we will hopefully learn from our mistakes,
that many will also succeed. Even though house churches have also been
in many other nations for quite some time to some degree, it is also
a fairly recent thing that house churches are becoming a phenomenon
in most countries. Most people are sensing that God has His Church in
the midst of a major transition/paradigm shift into the cell church
and house church models in order to increase the Harvest! As things
are currently, if God suddenly answered our prayers for revival and
the Harvest came in NOW, where would all the people go and who would
disciple them?
There isn’t even room in the traditional churches for that...and they
could never build fast enough! or afford to look after that many new
believers that would need to be discipled. And there aren’t enough people
in traditional churches that have been discipled themselves one on one
or in a holistic/practical/ mentoring/family type of way which house
churches can provide - or who know how to disciple others - to be able
to disciple the anticipated harvest...so I believe God is in the process
of preparing us for what He’s about to do. This is something God is
raising up all over our nation and in other nations. So I am convinced
it will work, though I expect we’ll all have some hard lessons to learn
in the process...but also many great joys and victories!
How are things different re house churches in Canada than in other
countries? One way in which we differ from house churches in countries
where there is persecution is that we don’t appreciate the value of
the Body of Christ or house churches to the extent that they do there
because of the intensity of their situations. Also, in some countries
they cannot afford other options like we can. Some cultures are more
family-oriented and community-oriented than we are, or are less transient,
and so that could also cause some differences. I personally believe
that house churches will become like a raging fire across Canada once
there are enough successful examples that people can see to help remove
their fears and suspicions about them...I believe that Canada is very
ready for house churches and that they are very culturally relevant
to most of our society. Some people will continue to feel more comfortable
in traditional churches. But many believers and even many pastors who
deeply love the Lord have already left the traditional church in droves
and are longing for the kind of Body life they’ve read about and been
inspired by in Scripture. Once they are aware that it is happening in
Canada and once they see actual evidence of reproducing, loving, God-honoring,
Holy-Spirit empowered, servant-hearted disciples of Jesus living out
the Word of God and meeting in homes and other places in the marketplace
for fellowship, etc., I believe they will take notice and be drawn into
what God is doing in this move of His as well.
Q: Is there a chat room/bulletin board for people like us?
A: Yes, you can find that on our RESOURCE LINKS page on our web site
HERE
There is also a Canadian-focused message board soon to arrive HERE
CONTENTS
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
6. EXPECTATIONS
RE HOUSE CHURCHES – Realistic or Unrealistic
- Grace Wiebe (Oct 2001)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
It seems that when we begin to do research on house churches or begin
to move in these directions, or as we begin house churches, we can tend
to approach this with some preconceived realistic AND UNREALISTIC expectations
as we eagerly move forward. If the unrealistic expectations are recognized
and dealt with, they can prevent serious blow-ups and potential failures
which could otherwise cause great disillusionment and bitterness as
well as bring shame to Christ’s Name.
Therefore, we felt it might be helpful to lay out a few unrealistic
expectations that can be considered in your own situation. There may
be many other unrealistic expectations as well, but here are a few to
help you begin to think through these types of possibilities.
HAPPY EVER AFTER FANTASY - Many people interested in or becoming
part of house churches can think that after leaving the traditional
church, their problems are behind them and that house churches will
be the answer to all their problems. They may see the New Testament
church as the ‘perfect church’. HOWEVER, if we look at New Testament
house churches, they were not perfect and experienced some major struggles.
Other problems can arise from being part of house churches – especially
if we’re moving from a traditional church background into a house church
model – ie. misunderstandings from our families and friends; misunderstandings
from mainstream Christianity; neighbours viewing us a cult, etc.
WE’LL GET ALONG ALL THE TIME – We can tend to envision almost
perfect relationships in a house church situation. HOWEVER, people are
still people, and still imperfect as we also see evidenced in the house
church situations in the New Testament. If we move on into house churches
without dealing with our baggage beforehand (as much as God leads us
to do), we will bring it with us. We may in fact bring the traditional
church model with us and just have a smaller version of it (for example),
which can also cause a whole assortment of conflicts. Since most people
in traditional churches (where most of us so farare from) have likely
not learned many conflict resolution/ peacemaking skills, and since
most people are not used to a deep level of intimacy in relationships,
it is likely that the first few years in a house church situation can
be fairly explosive at times as a new depth of intimacy is developed
which most may not have experienced before. This can be very scary for
many because the greater vulnerability and accountability can be potentially
very threatening or overwhelming. However, if we are willing to hang
in there and work through it by God’s grace, and willing to humble ourselves,
repent, forgive and forgive again, and keep Jesus, His vision of His
Family/Kingdom and all-surpassing reign alive and as our goal, we CAN
indeed experience the kind of intimacy that we are longing for. But
it will take time. It will not happen overnight, though we’ve been conditioned
to expect that. God is developing PERSEVERANCE and ENDURANCE and LONG-SUFFERING
into His people – part of the fruit of the Spirit He is longing to see,
so it will most likely not come easy! Let’s pray that He gives us His
Strength to have the courage to stick with it and hang onto Him in the
midst of the struggles we will all face as we go. But may we also be
encouraged by the plunder we will take from the enemy of our souls as
we trust and obey Him!
THE TRANSITION WILL BE EASY – some moving into house church
directions out of traditional church models may feel that the transition
may be easy and a huge relief. That may be true in many ways. However,
it will likely take more than one or two generations for us to get the
traditional systems out of us, though it doesn’t take that long for
us to get out of the traditional systems. It is truly a complete
paradigm shift that is necessary . Our whole thinking, philosophy
and ways of doing things need to not only be re-thought, but the Holy
Spirit will need to make major changes in our hearts to enable us to
hold what He is preparing us for and to instill in our hearts HIS DNA
for the Church as He wishes it to function in greater freedom! It is
traditional church ‘systems’ and ‘structures’ (and not the people) which
many of us have felt are actually hindering the Life of the Church as
Christ intended rather than releasing the Body into its fullness and
maturity – and that will take time to change since it is deep in our
history and roots. Many of us moving in house church directions believe
that the house church model will help to free up the Church to be what
she has been called to be and to live out the Life she has been called
to live out.
THEY’LL COME TO US – we may think that because we’re in house
churches or moving in these directions that the unsaved and backsliders
will automatically come to us. It is true that many whose hearts God
is stirring in these directions, among believers AND non-believers,
will be attracted to Body life which is Christ-centered and empowered
by the Holy Spirit. HOWEVER, God has still called us to GO to them,
and our homes can also become self-absorbed and self-focused if we don’t
continue to reach out. May our continued vision be to know Christ and
dwell in His Presence and to reflect Christ’s character all around us,
by going to people in our jobs, in the stores, in the marketplace, in
parks, wherever the people are, etc. Our homes should not become new
fortresses, but rather our homes ought to become a vital part of the
‘Church Without Walls’; our ‘ministry centers’.
POWER/CONTROL ISSUES WILL NO LONGER BE A PROBLEM – we may think
that now that we are no longer in the traditional church systems, that
hierarchal or power/control issues won’t be a problem, especially since
we’re wanting to have a flat leadership structure and wanting to operate
with the spiritual gifts flowing in unity with each other as the Holy
Spirit leads. But again, it will take time for God to do His work in
us to remove those power/control issues from our lives as we repent
and again experience deeper revelations of His mercy, grace and power
because of what He accomplished on the cross for us! May He indeed remind
us that He has called us to SERVANT-LEADERSHIP, in whatever roles He
has us, and to loving, mutual accountability....not power/control struggles.
May we be patient with each other as God deals with us in these areas!
Other (feel free to add to the list)...
CONTENTS
IDENTIFYING
WITH THE PEOPLE HE IS CALLING US TO REACH
=============
We see a very important principle in Isaiah 6 where Isaiah says “Woe
to me, for I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean
lips.” We see that in order for God to be able to effectively use Isaiah
to reach these people, God had to first reveal to him that he had to
deal, first, with the same sin issues in his life and to repent of them
before God could use him to effectively reach the people that struggled
with the same sin. They were a people ‘of unclean lips’. He had a revelation
from God that he was a ‘man of unclean lips’. Once he allowed God to
deal with this in his life, God used him mightily in the area of his
gifts....using his MOUTH (as a major part of his calling).
So with us, if we are seeking to see God bring restoration, revival
and renewal into the Church in Canada and to see our families, neighbourhoods,
cities and nation discipled, we can expect that He will be revealing
to us areas where we need to repent so that we will be able to effectively
identify with the people, continue to develop in godly character and
be used in the areas of our giftings to reach out to them. He will likely
bring to our attention our own need to surrender to Him our control
issues and become servant-hearted; our own need to forgive; our own
impatience and lack of perseverance, etc. But as we repent and submit
these areas to Him, we will also be amazed at the way He is able to
use us as He continues to work in our lives to fulfill His purposes
in/through us!
Conclusion:
---------------
As we begin to see what our unrealistic expectations are, let us be
faithful to entrust them - and all our fears about the unknown in this
journey – to God, and learn to depend on each other as brothers and
sisters that God has provided for us so we can, together, move forward
to possess the land that God has called us to! Let us move forward in
healthy interdependence as God intended!
CONTENTS
+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+ NETWORKING HOUSE CHURCHES +_+_+_+_+_+_+_+
===========================
9. NETWORKING: A Biblical Model of Cooperation
– the Nehemiah Strategy
===========================
“...The Book of Nehemiah has some very helpful insights and examples
of how God seems to be working in these days, especially in terms of
how He is increasingly networking His Body together in regions, cities,
nations and even internationally at an unprecedented rate. We believe
that this is because He is raising up His Church and preparing us to
be able to increasingly bring in the Harvest as we, together, focus
on Him and on the things that are deepest on His heart! His desire is
for unity, and it is something HE is bringing into His Body in these
days!
We desire to be a part of what God is doing in these days and to cooperate
with Him in that as He leads us, and so we would like to present to
you one biblical model of cooperation which is exemplified in Scripture
and which He put on our hearts as a Network when it began...” (see the
rest of the article for more...). If you are not internet accessible
but would like an emailed copy of the article, contact: chcrn@hotmail.com
CONTENTS
----------------------------------------------------------
10. Proposal
for a House Church Network in the Lower Mainland (BC, Canada)
- Surrey, BC - granholm@direct.ca - October/99
(Click on HOUSECHURCHES
link on left, and then on VANCOUVER PROPOSAL for article)
CONTENTS
-----------------------------------------------------------
@ @ @ @ @ STARTING A HOUSE CHURCH @ @ @ @ @
============================================
11. HOW TO
FIND A MAN
OF PEACE – Erich Bridges
============================================
(Editor’s Note) – Although the following approach is being used in church
planting (house churches) in many parts of the world, many of these
aspects could be utilized in our local situations as well.
CONTENTS
@@@@@@@ BIBLICAL AUTHORITY / MUTUAL ACCOUNTABILITY @@@@@@@
#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#
12. Leadership
& Authority – Hal Miller – excellent & very helpful article on biblical
authority and leadership – a very helpful perspective for house churchers!
#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#
CONTENTS
++++++++++++++++ C I T Y R E A C HI N G +++++++++++++++++
(Editor’s Note): - It has been very encouraging to hear from many of
you your heart to see house churches becoming a vital part of seeing
your cities and our nation reached and transformed with the Gospel of
Jesus Christ! We therefore wish to include helpful resources to help
encourage you in these directions. More below, as well, under the TRANSFORMATIONS
section, and next time in the LIGHTHOUSES OF PRAYER section –
--------------
The following is from HERE
”Transformation vision:
THE WHOLE CITY TRANSFORMED BY THE WHOLE GOSPEL THROUGH THE WHOLE CHURCH
Definition of City Reaching - City reaching is the ongoing process of
mobilizing the whole body of Christ in a geographically identified area
to strategically focus all of it's resources on reaching that area with
the whole gospel resulting in the redemption of society and the transformation
of the area.
A City of Praying Neighbors - What would your city be like if every
neighbor and neighborhood were prayed for daily? I think it would be
a city in transformation with many people coming to Christ. That's what
God wants. His heart's desire is for all people to be saved and for
all of us to "live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness"
(1 Timothy 2:1-2).”
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
13. TRANSFORMATIONS: When God Comes to Town
- information and summary intro/resources
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
(Editor’s Note) – As many of you are aware, God is moving in many cities
around the globe and breaking down denominational walls through unified
prayer as the Church comes together to seek God’s purposes and transformation
of their cities. More recently God seems to be beginning to do this
with NATIONS, also!
There are currently two very inspiring and encouraging, faith-building
videos available regarding the stories of what has happened in these
cities/nations ‘when God has come to town’! There is ordering information
available at the web site noted above.
One of the regions exemplified in the 2nd Transformations video is the
northern region of Canada where God is blowing His revival fires throughout
the Arctic!! Increasing numbers of believers and churches of many kinds/denominations
are longing to see God’s restoration of His purposes and glory in our
cities and nation as well!
Those of us involved in house churches/house church networks are a part
of the city church. As Wolfgang Simson says “HOUSE CHURCH / CITY CHURCH”.
We as a Network want to serve God’s purposes in our cities and nation
as we seek to work together with those in house church networks and
other forms of Christian gatherings who are seeking God’s purposes and
glory as we ‘seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness’ so that we
can also see transformation happening in our cities and across our nation!
May we be led by His Spirit and build up the Body so that, as in the
book of Joshua, we may take the land that God has given us!
CONTENTS
Transforming
the City – online book
CONTENTS
A
Look at the Harvest – book on Transformation process in Spokane,
WA – see in Appendix section – A Brief Apologetic for the City Church
CONTENTS
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
14. ORGANIC
CHURCH PLANTING – Ancient Principles for a Post Modern World
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
CONTENTS
=========== M I S C E L L A N E O U S ============
----------------------------------------------------------------
15. Some
Streams of House Church – Frank Viola
-------------------------------------------
(Editor's Note) - There are many foci that house churches have, and
many have begun from various backgrounds and perspectives. This article
includes some of the main ones, which we trust you will find helpful.
Our focus is included in our vision statement at (see above in introduction
to this newsletter).
CONTENTS
16. STATE OF
CHRISTIANITY IN 2001.
----------------------------------------------------------------
From: TOGETHER – email newsletter (Canadian)
To: together@idirect.com
Subject: National Newsletter 06-22-2001
“David B. Barrett, Professor for Missionmetrics at Regent University,
Virginia Beach and publisher of the World Christian Encyclopedia, and
Todd M. Johnson, Director of the World Evangelisation Research Center
in Richmond, USA, recently published their annual report of Christian
statistics. A full table with their findings is available at http://gem-werc.org.
The table shows that the world has a current population of 6,1 billion
of which 1,8 billion (roughly one third) is under 15. About 720 million
people live in slums. The world has 410 cities with a population over
1 million. There are 111 million Christians without a local church.
There are 5,2 million fulltime Christian workers and 36,500 Christian
periodicals. Since AD 30 there have been 1540 world mission plans. According
to Barrett, the rise of the so-called 'neo-apostolics' is particularly
marked, now numbering over 20,000 movements and networks with a total
of 394 million church members. They reject historical denominationalism
and restrictive or overbearing central authority, and seek a more effective
missionary lifestyle. They are one of the fastest-growing church movements
in the world, and, in Barrett's estimation, will have 581 million members
in 2025 - 120 million more than all Protestant movements.” (Source:
GEM-WERC)
CONTENTS
00000000000000000000000000000000000000
17. DO YOU
HAVE A QUESTION or TOPIC
you would like for us to address in a future edition?
00000000000000000000000000000000000000
In future editions of the newsletter, we would like to include, as able,
discussions from YOU about things you’re learning in your journeys regarding
house churches – some of the transitions you’re currently in and ways
that God is encouraging you/leading you through the transitions, some
of the struggles and joys, potential pitfalls and potential ways to
avoid them, etc. What kinds of things is God teaching us, as Canadians,
about house churches as a part of seeing His Life experienced and lived
out/expressed in Canada? What can we learn from each other? How can
we encourage each other?
If at any time you have questions or topics you would like for us to
discuss in future editions, please send those to us at: chcrn@hotmail.com
Here are some initial questions for you to consider responding to as
applicable:
1) How did the house church you’re part of, begin?
2) What is/are the foci of the house church you’re part of?
3) How long have you been in existence as a fellowship?
4) Have you multiplied? If so, how did it happen in your situation?
And how many times has it multiplied? Over what period of time? Was
it a good experience or a bad one, or both? If so, how/why?
5) Do you have elders in the house church you’re a part of? Or what
is your leadership style?
6) What do you do with the children? What have you found helpful? Any
resources you’d recommend? Why those in particular?
7) How did you get through the transition from the traditional church
to moving in the house church direction? What is your current relationship
with the traditional church?
8) How does one work through/get rid of? the traditional hierarchal
mindset in favor of the flat structure of a house church family?
9) Are you currently part of a local network of house churches?
10) Etc.
CONTENTS
############## R E S O U R C E S ###############
18. NETWORKING
SHEET – if you would like to network with others in Canada, you may
wish to fill out the Networking Sheet (which can be emailed to you)
and email it back to us once it’s filled out so we can include your
information with a future edition of the newsletter. Let us know if
you need it emailed to you in text format. Contact: chcrn@hotmail.com
CONTENTS
19. CD
of HOUSE CHURCH Resources – we now have a CD available which includes
many of the excellent resources that are available re house churches,
including the newsletters to date, quite a few items from our web sites,
many helpful articles, a couple of free books on house churches, etc.
It also includes other resources on church planting, evangelism, etc.
If you are a Canadian (sorry we don’t currently have the personnel to
send it beyond Canada at this point), you may wish to order some for
your non-email or non-internet accessible friends. We would like to
make these available to you free of charge for the CD, but will need
to ask you to send us $5 (CDN) for shipping and handling charges. To
order, please contact us at: chcrn@hotmail.com
CONTENTS
20. POWERPOINT
PRESENTATION of House Churches & the Canadian House Church Resource
Network – We have finished, or will soon be finishing up a Powerpoint
Presentation on house churches and the Canadian House Church Resource
Network which you can present to others via your computer, or which
those without email/internet access may wish to put on their computers.
For those with email access, we can email it to them. For those without
email access, we will probably be able to mail it to them on a diskette
(only Canadians at this point since we don’t have enough personnel to
send it beyond Canada by snail mail). We will need to let you know about
any potential costs with that (they would only cover the costs for the
diskette and mailing). Let us know if you are interested: chcrn@hotmail.com
BTW: If you have pictures of your house church meetings which you think
would be good to include in this presentation, please send them to us
via email for consideration. We only need a few more. Please send them
to us as soon as possible so this presentation can be completed and
sent to those that request it. Many thanks!
CONTENTS
21. HOUSES THAT
CHANGE THE WORLD - Wolfgang Simson’s excellent book on house churches!
– BETTER PRICE! We have been made aware of a better price tan we have
known about previously, and we want to let you know about it as well.
In the current edition of the William Carey Library catalog from the
US Center for World Mission, you can order copies of the book for $10.50
US plus shipping and handling, which is quite a bit less than we can
get them for!
You can order copies from: 1 800 - 647-7466 or from: GABRIEL@OMLIT.OM.ORG
or from their web site at: WCLBooks.com
CONTENTS
22. PROPHECIES
ABOUT CANADA:
Some of you may be interested in reading some prophetic words that have
been given about Canada over the years. You can find some at this web
site. As you know, all prophetic words need to be tested. I have not
had a chance to finish reading through all of them so please keep that
in mind as you read them.
CONTENTS
23. COME,
LET’S DISCIPLE THE NATIONS – interactive CD textbook for computer –
contact: chcrn@hotmail.com for further information
CONTENTS
24. JOIN
THE HOUSE CHURCH WEB RING
CONTENTS
+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+
W E B S
I T E S W E B S I T E S W E B S I T E S
_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+
CANADIAN HOUSE CHURCHES:
-----------------------------------------------
House Church Planting.Com
– Calgary, AB
MISC
---------
Bringing
the Church Back Home – articles on house churches
(Christian Counterculture Online magazine)
Church Planting Movements-
– David Garrison has written a very helpful booklet on church planting
movements around the world, which includes some helpful information
about house churches as a part of the big picture. We trust this will
be encouraging for you as well.
– downloadable book
**Ministers
Emerging in the Marketplace
Prayer Links and Resources (LOTS)
Spiritual Gifts Links and Resources (LOTS)
Third Apostolic
Reformation
---------------------
NEXT TIME…
The Value of Intergenerational Home-Based Churches
ALPHAS as a Potential House Church Nursery
Lighthouses of Prayer as Potential House Church Nurseries
What Happens in a Typical House Church Meeting?
The Questions About Reproducing – How & When to Multiply as Painlessly
as Possible
The Value of Itinerant Apostolic Teams
House Churches in the Context of the KINGDOM OF GOD
In forthcoming editions…
House Church Opportunities for Supporting Missionaries/Ministries –
or getting involved in other ways, House Church Planting in Teams/House
Churches as Houses of Prayer for All Nations/Being Relevant in/to Our
Culture and Faithful in Our Time/Sample Core Values of a House Church
Movement/House Churches & The Great Commission: Effective Equippers
& Effective Senders/Financing the Vision/Potential Roles of House Churches
in Missions/Historical Overview of House Churches/ /Encouraging the
Development of a Biblical DNA in House Churches/Leadership & Authority/Making
Decisions By Consensus, Etc.
CONTENTS
=============================================================
WELCOME! to the
5th edition of the
CANADIAN HOUSE CHURCH RESOURCE NETWORK
N e w s l e t t e r
March 2002 edition
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
TABLE
OF CONTENTS:
CANADIAN HOUSE
CHURCH RESOURCE NETWORK:
1. Update on Regional Conferences on House Churches
* Upcoming WOLFGANG SIMSON visit in the Planning Stages
* Events
* Victoria
* Brief Update on Feb 16 House Church Conference
Just Across the Border - Pacific Northwest
HOUSE CHURCHES
AS A VITAL PART OF DISCIPLING THE NATION/S
2. Stories of What God is Doing In and Through House Churches
in Other Nations
* Middle East: Over 500 (House Churches) Planted
Through Christian Radio
LIGHTHOUSES OF
PRAYER as Potential House Church Nurseries / CITY REACHING
3. * Lighthouse of Prayer definition
* Pray the Five Blessings for your Neighbours
* Perspectives on Lighthouses of Prayer
* Resources/Start-Up Kit info on Lighthouses of Prayer
4. GOD'S WAYS ARE HIGHER THAN OUR WAYS: One Journey in the
Direction of House
Churches
* Sample Letter Inviting Christian Neighbours
to Consider Meeting Together to Pray for the Neighbourhood
CITY REACHING
5. City Church: Is God Introducing a New Chapter Into Church
History?
6. Seek God for the City - calendar booklet
7. Montreal's Immigrant Mix Makes 10/40 Window
MISCELLANEOUS
8. The Process of Seeing Our Visions Becoming Reality
RESOURCES
9. House Church Registry Opportunity
10. Tentmaking/Business Resource Links
11. Decision Making By Consensus
12. We Would Like Your Input
Web
Sites
Next Time
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
<><><>><><<><><<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
1. UPDATE ON REGIONAL CONFERENCES ON HOUSE CHURCHES in
Canada
<><><>><><<><><<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Upcoming
WOLFGANG SIMSON visit in the Planning Stages
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As you may recall from earlier editions, we have invited Wolfgang Simson,
author of HOUSES THAT CHANGE THE WORLD, to come to Canada to encourage
Canadians who are interested or involved in house churches. We want to
update you on the progress of our plans at this point.
Several folks
have let us know of their interest in coordinating something (such as
a conf. on house churches) in their region when he is in their city. If
you are interested, as well, let us know and we can connect you with others
who may be interested in coordinating something together with you for
your region.
Initially we had
hoped to combine his visit with some potential plenary sessions with Missionsfests
being held across the country early in 2003. HOWEVER, that does not seem
to be coming together and so we have decided to check out another option
which we are currently in the process of pursuing.
In fall (Oct?)
of 2003, Vancouver is hosting the National Congress on Church Planting.
We are hoping to have Wolfgang here as a part of that and then coordinate
those plans along with others that would like to have him in other Canadian
cities. We are sorry that at this point we cannot be more specific than
this and sorry if this change of plans has caused any inconvenience for
those of you who have begun to do some planning in this regard.
We would like
to hear from you before the end of March if you have not already contacted
us about your interest. We will look forward to hearing from you.
EVENTS
------------
* VICTORIA: Says Val Schuetze - "...We are
thinking of having Felicity and Tony Dale here on the island for a conference.
They are editors of the House2House magazine and have a lot of experience
to offer. We were wondering if there might be interest among the people
in the Lower Mainland, on Vancouver Island (or in the Seattle/Pacific
NW regions)? We could pick people up at the ferry so they can save the
price of driving (although a full car isn't too bad, with everyone pitching
in.) The dates are May 24/25, maybe 26. Nothing in stone yet. We would
like to know if there is interest there on the mainland and if people
might attend. Could you let us know? Will try to forward more info. for
you soon..." IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, PLEASE CONTACT VAL DIRECTLY at:
vschuetze@telus.net. Thank you!
----
Brief
Update on Feb 16 House Church Conference Just Across the Border - Pacific
Northwest
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Says Mark Coulter, organizer of the recent Burlington conference with
Beresford Job: "The Lord was good to us again this year and, with
minimal efforts on our part, brought together about 100 folks for a great
day of teaching and fellowship. About 1/2 were folks that had already
heard Beresford last year and another 1/2 were new altogether. So we were
able to meet new brothers and sisters as well as enjoy the company of
those we met last year. We're pretty excited about what the Lord appears
to be doing here in the Northwest...How are things with you and the churches
to the north? Peace to you and yours in the Lord Jesus, Mark" - marknwa@bigplanet.com
####### HOUSE
CHURCHES AS A VITAL PART OF DISCIPLING THE NATION/S #######
;';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';
2. Stories About What God is Doing In and Through House
Churches Around the World
;';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';';''
*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*)
MIDDLE EAST: Over 500 New Churches Planted
Through Christian Radio
*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*)
Reprinted From:
F R I D A Y F @ X: Issue 43, November 2, 2001
FridayFax archive: http://www.cmd.org.nz/fridayfax
(see archives)
@
@ @ @ LIGHTHOUSES OF PRAYER as Potential House Church Nurseries @ @ @
@
3. (Editor's Note)
- In coming editions of the newsletter, we hope to include more on various
ways that God may be using which can potentially lead to the birth of
house churches. Here are some initial resources which you may find to
be helpful regarding 'lighthouses of prayer".
----------
Lighthouse of Prayer definition (from the Lighthouses of Prayer web site)
-
"...a cluster of two or more believers banded together to PRAY for,
CARE about, and SHARE the blessings of Christ with those who live or work
nearby..." - http://www.missionspokane.org/lighthouse1.htm
·
Pray the Five Blessings for your Neighbours
http://www.missionspokane.org/lighthouse2.htm
· Perspectives on Lighthouses of Prayer
http://www.missionspokane.org/lighthouse3.htm
· For some very helpful resources/start-up
kit info on Lighthouses of Prayer, check out this site:
http://www.hopeministries.org
IDEA: (from their
web site) "...The Lighthouse Movement is for all ages and circumstances.
You can be a Lighthouse at age 4 and 104. The concept is simple
praying, caring and sharing shining the Light of Jesus by lifting
up people in prayer, caring for their needs and most importantly sharing
your faith in Christ. You can be a Lighthouse in your neighborhood and
community, in your workplace, in your school, within your circle of friends
of acquaintances, in a nursing home or assisted living facility
anywhere God has placed you, He can call and equip you!..."
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
4. GOD'S WAYS ARE HIGHER THAN OUR WAYS:
One Journey in the Direction of House Churches
-- Grace Wiebe, March 2002
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
God's ways and God's timing are usually not what we would expect! Over
the past couple of years, as never before, I have become increasingly
aware of the importance of God's 'appointed times' and his 'proper times'.
There are references of this throughout Scripture and I am continually
seeing this played out in my life as well.
With regard to
house churches, I thought it might be helpful, in coming editions, to
occasionally share stories of the journeys of some Canadians that God
is leading or has led into house churches. To get us started, I'll begin
with a bit about my journey.
It was about 22
years ago when I recommitted my life to the Lord and realized that He
needed to be the Lord of my life, that my heart began to stir with longing
when I read through Acts and saw how God was working in and through the
New Testament church!
I didn't see that
kind of life evidenced around me, and so I thought that what happened
in Acts was a one-era occurence that could only happen when the Church
began and didn't ever think it could or would happen again or happen in
my life. However, this longing continued not far beneath the surface as
the Lord continued to lead me on my spiritual journey.
This journey led
me into two decades of being involved in ministry and missions, and led
me to become a part of numerous denominations for various seasons. I learned
many things about these denominations and churches I was a part of. Many
good things. I had and continue to have some wonderful relationships from
each of these churches!
I was also involved
in a number of church planting situations which I greatly enjoyed, though
they of course also came with many challenges. Working in a mission headquarters
for many years has also revealed many things to me about churches/denominations.
Many good things, and many challenges.
Over the years,
I began to sense God increasingly stirring in my heart the vision of the
Church living out a lifestyle as exemplifed in Scripture...the vision
of seeing biblical Christianity lived out in every aspect of life and
being manifested through godly disciples in Christian community in a way
which truly reached out to the lost and hurting not only overseas but
also locally. Increasingly I wondered how the many groups of unchurched
peoples would ever come into the Kingdom of Light if the growing sense
among the lost is that the churches/denominations are irrelevant. Who
would reach those that wouldn't come to the churches? And how could the
Great Commission be accomplished with the small number of missionaries
(compared to the need) truly equipped to be missionaries and able to be
financed by churches who are increasingly struggling with their own budgets
and building projects? How would the many disenfranchised unchurched people
ever be connected with and the poor and needy ministered to as a vital
ministry of the Body? How would the many gifts in believers in the churches
be released into ministry when the structure of the traditional system
hinders rather than helps to release them? These were just a few of the
questions that were increasingly in my prayers and study of Scripture.
And the more years
that have passed, the more it has seemed like the Church has been discipled
by the world, rather than the nations being discipled by the Church. How
could this ever change, with the trends going in such negative directions?
I began to see
that as well-intentioned as most of the people in churches and denominations
are, churches and denominations are not able to fulfill the Great Commission
with the quality of discipleship that Jesus requires if things continue
as they have been.
And so the vision
of Christian community and a healthy, unified, fully functioning, mature
Body living out Christ's life as we read about in Scripture continued
to stir in my heart, and I longed for the day when God would release me
into that, even though I also realized this is not something that would
come easily or happen overnight.
Working with a
mission that plants house churches in Muslim countries only continued
to stir that vision in my heart, and the more non-Christian friends God
has put into my life, the more I have longed to see them coming into a
situation where the life of Christ is manifest through biblical Christian
community through His Body as exemplified in Scripture, and where they
could be discipled in ways which are not readily available in a traditional
model. But the Holy Spirit had many things to teach me where I was until
the time was right.
Over the past
years He's also involved me with a group of believers from various parts
of the city in a situation which is very much like a house church except
for we're not from the same neighborhood and we don't meet as often as
we would like to. This has been WONDERFUL and it only served to continue
to intensity my desire for the day when He would finally release into
that kind of fellowship on a regular basis in my own neighbourhood!
To make a long
story short, about 3+ years ago I felt the time was right to begin to
take some initial steps of faith in this direction, and immediately God
brought others along who shared the same/similar vision, and out of that
the Canadian House Church Resource Network was born.
I figured that
God would soon allow me to also become personally involved in a house
church situation, but I was a member of two different denominations and
didn't sense that He was releasing me to go at the time.
It wasn't until
a little over a year ago that I felt that God was impressing on my heart
that He was about to release me, finally, in that direction, and within
a few months a major event took place which God used to help confirm the
timing. Once He had me work through some issues over the event that transpired
(a major upheaval in the church I was attending for the past 7 years),
I was hoping that He would soon bring together a team of people He wanted
me to plant a house church with and which I could begin to invite my non-Christian
friends to connect with as well. And so I began to pray with some interested
parties who shared similar vision, but none of us felt it was the right
timing or that we were necessarily to begin a house church together. It
was rather confusing and we wondered what God was up to..
So I continued
to pray...and to wait...and to pray...and to wait, meanwhile having more
fellowship than I've ever had - mostly in my home! It has been wonderful!
My health has also been too poor to allow me to go to church in the mornings,
and I have not felt that I was to do so, in spite of what other believers/friends
might think. I felt that this was a transition time where He was preparing
me for what He was leading me into, and that I was to trust Him.
It wasn't until
about Oct. 2001 that He finally began to give me some direction in this
regard, and it wasn't at all what I had thought! I had been praying for
Him to raise up a local team of leaders to plant a house church with in
my neighbourhood, and what was growing in my heart was a vision to connect
with all of the local believers in my neighbourhood who also love Jesus
and want to focus on Him, who have a heart for the lost in our neighbourhood
(as well as to see the city reached), and to begin to pray together with
them. I felt that what He was wanting to do was to establish Lighthouses
of Prayer in my neighbourhood, some of which would become house churches!
As usual, God's
visions are so much bigger than ours, and so much more strategic! I can
now see how this vision also ties directly into my desire and the desire
of growing numbers of believers in our neighbourhood and city to see the
city transformed by the life/Presence of Jesus and by His power!
Again it will
take a lot more prayer and waiting before house churches will be birthed
out of this, but I also see how the visible evidence and manifest Presence
of Jesus has much potential to be observed and experienced in our neighbourhood
as we as believers are united in prayer and in reaching out to our neighbours
through biblical discipleship and Christian community.
As I have been
taking some initial steps in this direction recently, I have already been
greatly encouraged by the way God seems to be confirming the direction
and the timing in some very interesting ways!
And so I share
this with you for two reasons, basically: 1) to encourage those of you
that are sensing God leading you to start house churches and haven't seen
it happen yet, that He may indeed do it entirely differently than you
had originally envisioned, and in a different time frame (so keep praying
and waiting and He WILL lead you!); and 2) to share with you another option
which God may want to use in other neighbourhoods as well, as a possible
nursery for house churches.
I am sending an
attached file with this newsletter which includes a sample copy of the
letter of invitation I have just sent to my Christian neighbours to invite
them to prayerfully consider meeting to pray together and to discuss how
God may want to move us in these directions. Perhaps it will be of help
for some of you as well? I have already has some very enthusiastic replies!
Hopefully we will have our first meeting in April!
We would therefore
greatly appreciate your prayers if God brings us to your attention. I
will update you on occasion as seems appropriate. Thank you very much
for your prayers!
==================
· Sample Letter Inviting Christian Neighbours
to Consider Meeting Together to Pray for the Neighbourhood -
==================
Sender
Address:
Email:
Web Site: DiscipleTheNations.org
March 9, 2002
Re: Would you
like to discuss the possibility of meeting together with other believers
in our neighbourhood to prayerfully consider uniting together to see our
homes become Lighthouses of Prayer as part of seeing the city of Surrey
transformed by the life of Christ as we live out Christ's life - together
- becoming a visible biblical community expressing His Presence among
our hurting neighbours?
====================================================================
"All authority
in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. THEREFORE, go and MAKE DISCIPLES
OF ALL NATIONS (we have many nations in our neighbourhood), baptizing
them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
and teaching them to OBEY EVERYTHING I have commanded you. And SURELY
I WILL BE WITH YOU ALWAYS, to the very end of the age." Matt.28:18,
19
"My house
will be called a HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL NATIONS"...Mk 11:17
"...They
(we) will REBUILD THE ANCIENT RUINS and RESTORE THE PLACES LONG DEVASTATED;
they will RENEW THE RUINED CITIES that have been DEVASTATED FOR GENERATIONS."
Is. 61:4..."and YOU will be called priests of the Lord; you will
be named ministers of our God"... (vs.6).
==================================================================
CONTENTS:
-----------------
Why are YOU receiving this letter?
The Invitation
What is a Lighthouse of Prayer?
Response if interested
What would happen at the meeting?
Some ways which can help you to prepare for the upcoming meeting
This letter has been sent to the following
Some Related Resources for you
============================
Dear Friends;
Those of you who
are receiving this letter are from various churches and denominations
and live within a few blocks of each other. This invitation is not intended
to pull you away from your churches or denominations, rather, to strengthen
unity in the Body and to complement what is already happening through
the local churches in our region.
Why are YOU receiving
this letter?
-------------------------------------------------
Many (most?) of you have already been praying for this neighbourhood -
some perhaps even for many years! Many (most?) of you already have a heart
to see our neighbours and neighbourhood reached with the Gospel, and many
(most?) are wanting to see the Church move out of the churches into our
neighbourhoods ("the Church without walls"), as well, in order
to obey Christ's commands to GO and to GO INTO THE HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS,
and to see people not only becoming believers, but becoming true and wholehearted
DISCIPLES of Jesus Christ! Many (most?) of you have also seen the TRANSFORMATIONS
video/s in the past couple of years and also have a longing to see this
happening in Surrey and indeed throughout our nation, and we realize that
this is only possible through united prayer and increasing unity as believers
come together to seek God's purposes and glory in our neighbourhoods and
cities. Many (most?) of you also desire to use your spiritual gifts in
ways which build up the Body and are used to minister to the lost and
hurting. It is because of this that I am sending this invitation to you
to prayerfully consider.
We all realize
that there are many groups of people in our neighbourhoods that are not
feeling connected to the local church, but we want to see them reached
anyway. How can this be done? We also may have a deep desire to reach
out to our neighbourhood but may feel very alone in it and would like
to see Christians in the neighbourhood praying together and supporting
each other and working TOGETHER to reach them. This way the joys and the
faith challenges/struggles don't land on anyone's shoulders on their own,
but are shared by the believing community in the neighbourhood. What better
way to reach our neighbours, exercise our gifts, build up the Body, and
allow the Holy Spirit to manifest the multifaceted character of Jesus
through us to our neighbours! - a visible Presence of Jesus in the neighbourhood
as His Body functions TOGETHER as part of a larger neighbourhood team
of believers who share similar vision! As this happens, I believe the
dark spiritual atmosphere in our region will begin to lift and eventually
become transformed, and I believe that God wants to do FAR MORE in our
neighbourhood than we have ever asked or imagined!
There are already
some significant and interesting signs that He is beginning to answer
some of our prayers over the years, and I will look forward to sharing
more about this with you when we meet...hopefully you can come!
Have you perhaps
been asking God to 'enlarge your tent'? - the Prayer of Jabez? If so,
perhaps this is one part of the answer?
The Invitation:
============
I would like to present something to you to prayerfully consider.
In order to help
to realize some of the dreams and visions that God is stirring up in our
hearts, I want to present to you one potential option that we can perhaps
prayerfully consider together as a starting point...
One way to potentially
begin to move forward by taking some steps in that direction, would be
to consider the possibility of our homes becoming "Lighthouses of
Prayer" in our neighbourhood.
What is a Lighthouse
of Prayer? (or a House of Prayer for All Nations)?
----------------------------------------------
We would not have to copy anyone, but could adapt what they are doing
to suit our neighbourhood and to how the Holy Spirit is leading US.
The Mission America
coalition of denominations and Christian ministries is helping mobilize
the church to pray for, care for and share Jesus Christ with every man,
woman, young person and child in America. Across the country, thousands
of Christians are establishing their homes, churches, businesses and other
private groups as Lighthouses. These Lighthouses have committed themselves
to pray for, care for and lovingly and appropriately share Christ with
their neighbors, friends and family who don't know Jesus Christ. (this
is also happening in many other nations and is rapidly multiplying, which
is also important. They are also easily reproducible - another important
aspect).
The elements of
a Lighthouse are very simple:
· Prayer praying, by name, for a few family members, neighbors,
co-workers, schoolmates who don't know Jesus Christ. Many are prayerwalking
or praying with two or three other people.
· Care showing kindness, having a neighborhood barbeque, exercising
together, meeting their physical needs, building relational bridges.
· Share a sensitive Gospel witness, sharing the JESUS Video, a
Gospel tract, inviting them to an outreach event or crusade at your church,
etc.
Lighthouse Christians
are breaking out of the car-to-garage-to-house mold to meet and develop
relationships with their neighbors. They are literally opening their doors,
demonstrating Christ's love to the family next door.
Lighthouse can
be a church, family, business, school group or other gathering. Participants
commit to pray regularly - by name - for their neighbors, and to develop
genuine friendships that can lead to sharing the Gospel.
Lighthouses are
springing up everywhere:
· Schools - students praying for the students in their homeroom
classes, or those who locker next to them.
· Businesses - workers praying for coworkers in the offices or
cubicles next to them, or who work on the same factory line. They're also
praying for the customers and vendors they come in contact with.
· Prisons - inmates who have become Christians are establishing
their cells as Lighthouses, to reach their fellow inmates.
· Retirement/nursing homes - senior citizens praying for those
in the beds or rooms next to theirs.
Many Lighthouses
are placing an electric candle or lighthouse in their window, along with
a Lighthouse Movement decal, to demonstrate their commitment to being
a Lighthouse.
-----------------
Some of you have
been involved in ALPHAs at your churches....some of you may be considering
hosting one in your home...some of you may be considering starting a house
church in your home, etc. All of these ways can work TOGETHER, complementing
what God is doing in this neighbourhood, and helping to see believers
united in prayer, in vision, in reaching the lost, in glorifying the Lord
Jesus Christ through every aspect of our lives.
Response:
----------------
If you're interested and would like to talk further about this to see
if God may be leading you in
these directions with others of us in our neighbourhood, please let me
know the following:
1) Which part
of the day would be best for you to meet for an initial meeting? - morning,
afternoon, evening?
2) Which day/s would be best for you to meet?
3) Would your home be open as a potential place to meet? If so, approx.
how many people can your home hold?
4) If so, are there stairs or is it level entry? If stairs, approx. how
many?
5) Would you potentially be able to meet during the first or second week
of April? And if so, which week would be better for you?
6) If you would be unable to meet in April, would you like for us to contact
you about our next potential meeting as we begin to meet to pray together?
7) If you're interested, I would encourage you to begin to pray about
this...that God would raise up the local believers in our neighbourhood
that He wants to have meeting together and that He would connect them
with us. We are not trying to convince anyone of anything, but want to
see what He has already been stirring in our hearts and see how we can
work TOGETHER to see the vision come to pass which HE has for our neighbourhood.
8) Also, please pray about some of the prayer concerns that God may be
wanting us to pray for together as a group --for people/schools/businesses,
etc. in our neighbourhood, for our neighbourhood as a whole, for believers
in our neighbourhood as a whole, and for our role as believers in the
city of Surrey, etc. Also, begin to pray about anything in particular
that God may put on your heart that He may want you to share with the
rest of us as a group as a word of encouragement, etc.
What would happen
at the meeting?
============================
* INTRODUCE EACH OTHER and get to know each other - share a bit about
our vision and why we came
* SHARING THE VISION: I would share more about the vision on my heart
and how I believe God is already moving in these directions in this neighbourhood.
* Time of WORSHIP - perhaps through poetry, prayer, singing, showing us
a piece of art which you have created which expresses worship to God,
doing a worship dance, other?
* PRAY about the vision GOD has for us and about some of the unsaved neighbours
we already know
* DISCUSS the vision amongst each other and see how God may be wanting
to lead us together and so all of us would be helping to shape the vision
as God wants it for US, since HE alone knows what HE wants to do in our
neighbourhood and how HE wants to accomplish HIS purposes through us here
* POTENTIAL NEXT STEPS: Discuss some potential next steps and a possible
next date/location to meet for our next prayer time.
Some ways which
can help you to prepare for the upcoming meeting:
=====================================================
* PRAY about what has already been said in this letter and whether you
feel that God wants you to attend this initial meeting as a first step
in seeking His confirmation of His directions for you in this
* Prayerfully ask God if there is anything that He wants to put on your
heart to share with the group when we meet - ie. especially particular
passages of Scripture, etc., or things you feel He has already been saying
to you about the type of things He wants to do in our neighbourhood
* Let me know by March 15, 2002 whether you are interested in coming (we
need to know how big of a place to find for this initial meeting). If
you are interested, please let me know ASAP so that I can begin to coordinate
the meeting place/dates, etc. If you are on email, please email me with
your note of interest. I will then send you further info on potential
dates/location and send you a couple of articles to help prepare you for
the meeting, as well.
* Let me know if there are other Christians in our neighbourhood that
you believe would share similar vision and whom you think would want to
join us for that
* Bring one plate of snack foods for a potluck snack time as we fellowship
I am eagerly looking
forward to seeing what God wants to do in our neighbourhood as He brings
His people together to see our neighbours prayed for and reached and as
we as local believers potentially become a visible biblical, Christ-centered
community within our neighbourhood! May He indeed express His compassion,
love and life through us and use us to see a 'new thing' happening in
our neighbourhood and bring 'streams into the wasteland' all around us
as we seek to live out His life through us.
So we may become
a bright light in our neighbourhood,
Sender
This letter has
been sent to the following neighbours:
-
-
--
Are there some
folks that I have missed that should be included? If so, please let me
know. Thanks!
SOME RESOURCES
FOR YOU:
==========================
Lighthouses of Prayer - Houses of Prayer for All Nations
http://disciplethenations.org/index58.html#HOUSES
Articles on Prayer,
Spiritual Gifts, Spiritual Warfare, Prayerwalking, Intercession, etc.
http://disciplethenations.org/index58.html
Information on
TRANSFORMATIONS
http://disciplethenations.org/index89.html
http://disciplethenations.org/index58.html#TRANSFORMATIONS
ALPHA CANADA
http://www.alphacanada.org
Canadian House
Church Resource Network
www.outreach.ca/cpc/housechurches.htm
http://disciplethenations.org/index87.html
- free e-newsletter
YOUR HOME A LIGHTHOUSE:
Hosting An Evangelistic Bible Study - very helpful book by Bob & Betty
Jacks. Available through your local Christian bookstore. From the book
cover: Bob and Betty "...apprehensively opened their home for a weekly
Bible study. Surprised by the results, Bob and Betty quickly shed their
fears and proceeded to make a significant impact on their community. Here's
the practical guidebook that grew out of the Jacks' years of experience
with evangelistic studies. You'll learn how to start one in your own home
(or office or campus). You'll find out who to invite. What to study. How
to ask good questions. How to answer them. And when to encourage a decision
for Christ. Ultimately, you'll discover that the secret isn't in your
personal skills or power with people. It's in a simple, heartfelt concern
for your non-Christian friends (and neighbours) - and the power of God's
Word (and the Holy Spirit and prayer). Now that's the kind of house-warming
your home needs! : ) Published by NAVPRESS.
HOUSES THAT CHANGE
THE WORLD - Wolfgang Simson - free download - http://www.dawnministries.org/general/freedownloads.html
Info about the book: http://disciplethenations.org/index14.html#WOLFGANG
++++++++++++++++
C I T Y R E A C HI N G +++++++++++++++++
(Editor's Note):
- It has been very encouraging to hear from many of you your heart to
see house churches becoming a vital part of seeing your cities and our
nation reached and transformed with the Gospel of Jesus Christ! We therefore
wish to include helpful resources to help encourage you in these directions
--
--------------
5.
City Church: Is God Introducing a New Chapter Into Church History? - Wolfgang
Simson
http://www.dawn.ch/CCE1x.html
"Seek the
welfare of the city where I have sent you...and pray to the Lord on its
behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare" (Jeremiah 29:7).
6.
A 64-page calendar booklet, "Seek God for the City," can be
ordered from http://www.waymakers.org . Cost is $2.00 each, with significant
quantity discounts.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. MONTREAL'S IMMIGRANT MIX MAKES 10/40 WINDOW
From: "Religious World News for Mission Mobilizers"
<brigada-orgs-missmob-newsbrief@XC.Org>
NEWSBRIEF--2001-05-31
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Editor's Note) - In the coming months/years, house churches will have
opportunity to reach out to the many rapidly growing ethnic communities
in our nation and to potentially help bring reconciliation between the
races -
---------------
"Turn back
to the Canada section of almost any road atlas, search for the province
of Quebec, and then look for a map of Montreal. Standing out are two highways
- "autoroutes" in Quebec - 10 coming from the south and 40 going
east-west across the island of Montreal. The autoroute numbers symbolize
the increasing role the largest city in the mostly French-speaking Canadian
province of Quebec plays as home to immigrants representing many of the
world's ethnic groups, including newcomers from what missions experts
call 10-40 Window countries. Because Montreal culture remains predominantly
French and English, most churches in the city are aimed primarily at the
French- and English-speaking populations, but leaders are now realizing
the need to plant churches among Montreal's numerous other ethnic groups.
"There are plenty of ethnic groups here," Georges Boujakly,
North American Mission
Board church planter/catalyst in Montreal, said. "The key is to find
leaders who are not bogged down by the traditional ways of doing things
that they have imported." (bold - editor's addition) SOURCE: May
29, Baptist Press: trosson@sbcec.org
=========== M
I S C E L L A N E O U S ============
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8. The Process of Seeing Our Visions Becoming Reality
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- by Grace Wiebe - fall, 2001
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(Editor's Note)
- The following article is being included because it seems many people
interested in house churches have to (or have had to) wait for quite a
long time (sometimes many years) before God seems to begin to bring it
from vision into reality. This process can be discouraging if we don't
understand what is happening. Hopefully the following article will provide
some encouragement for those of us who are still in the 'waiting room'
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Often when God
first begins to put a vision in our heart, we feel that the vision is
about to come to pass almost immediately!! We get all excited and then
we can just as easily become disappointed and disillusioned with people
and with God because it's not happening as we expected! - or when we expected!
So with our visions
about what God wants to do with us regarding house churches/house church
networks in our cities and in Canada...He may not do it in the way we
have expected or in the time frame we are anticipating, but if this is
truly from Him, He will do it in His way and in His timing and He will
receive all the glory!
I have found it helpful to see a pattern of how God leads us through the
process of bringing the visions He puts on our hearts into fulfillment....both
in the Bible and in my personal life. Perhaps some of these thoughts will
be of value to some of you as well.
Often we begin
by going through various stages of interest level as He begins to introduce
the idea/vision to us. As we go along, the vision begins to grow and develop.
We become more and more open to it. Then we gradually begin to get emotionally
involved and excited about the potential that He is laying out before
us and we write down the vision (Hab.2:2,3). Prayer is very necessary
throughout the process, and at the point where the vision begins to grab
our hearts, it is very important that we lay down the vision in terms
of our own potential strivings to see it coming into being, and allow
Him to lead us so that HE can bring it to pass in His timing and in His
ways.
In my own life
and in the visions I have seen Him bring to pass, I have noticed that
often at the point where I can almost taste the vision, He seems to forget
about it, and begins to lead me in directions, for often many years, that
often seem almost completely unrelated. This can be a very painful and
sometimes confusing and frustrating time, but 'a corn of wheat must fall
into the ground and die if it is to bear much fruit'.
It seems that
this period of time is a time where God is not only beginning to, behind
the scenes, line things up and work things out so AT THE RIGHT TIME He
can bring it to pass, but it is also a time where He searches and tests
our motivations and purges us of our impure ones. He eventually brings
us to a place of rest where, although He has given us faith to believe
that He can bring it about, we don't want to move ahead with the vision
unless we know He is leading every step of the way and we know that it's
by His Spirit and not by our might or power. This Loooooong and sometimes
seemingly endless time of WAITING often tests our patience and ability
to endure/ persevere to the outer limits (according to our perceptions).
Meanwhile God''s character is being shaped in us as we trust Him even
though we don't see any fruit for a long time. It can often take many
years for Him to bring the vision to pass, but once He moves on it, it
often happens very suddenly and in such amazing ways that we and others
watching KNOW it's GOD who brought it about, and not us!
This long time
of waiting is a time of seeing our faith and trust in Him strengthened.
It is also a time where our dependence on HIM to bring it to pass, grows,
rather than depending on our own futile attempts (no matter how much He
has gifted us). Again, it is not by might or by power but by His Spirit!
If we want to see His power and anointing, we need to let HIM carry out
the vision He has put on our hearts...and He will bring it to pass if
He has given that desire to us, because He desires to be glorified!
Once He has us
where He wants us, it seems He begins to resurrect the vision and passion
in our hearts. At about this time, God seems to face us with the question
of whether we are willing to allow Him to use us to carry out this vision.
At this point we often struggle greatly with fears of potential failure
and feelings of inadequacy, etc. We also struggle with issues of faith...can
God really do this impossible thing? - while using ME? But as we continue
to seek Him, He gives us the ability to trust Him and puts faith in our
hearts to believe that He can do it.
He then begins
to bring us through the process of working out His purposes through us
step by step. And when He does begin to bring it to pass, we can be assured
that we will face fiery trials, but we will also see GOD OVERCOME them
all and do miracles to bring the vision to pass as we trust in Him and
keep abiding in Him!
So if you are
in a time where you are WAITING for God to do through you what He desires
to do re house churches, etc., rest assured that He has you somewhere
along this process and is fully able to carry it out as you/we continue
to trust in Him step by step!
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R E S O U R C E S ###############
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9. HOUSE CHURCH REGISTER opportunity
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From: housechurchregister@juno.com
If you are interested
in becoming a part of the House Church Registry, please take a few moments
and fill out the information below and return it to us via e-mail. You
will find more
information about the House Church Register attached to the bottom of
the questions.
If you do not
wish to be a part of this free service, please e-mail - housechurchregister@juno.com
- and we will no longer contact you.
In His love and
service,
Kathy Harrison (housechurchregister@juno.com)
Daughter of Cliff James, author of The Blueprint and manager of
www.theearlychurch.com
Name
Phone Number
Address
E-mail
Web Site
Do you invite children to participate? Yes No
Do you gather for a meal before services? Yes No
What are the times and days of your gatherings?
Do you meet in a different location each time or the same? Different Same
How long have you been meeting?
How many members gather with you?
Would you be open to receiving visits from members of other house churches?
Yes No
Do any of your members maintain a guest room for visiting house church
brethren? Yes No
Do you support the biblical concept of plural leadership? Yes No
Are you a cell church, defined as neighborhood groups with ties to a larger
institutional church?
Yes No
Are you a seed church with intentions to go into a larger structure later?
Yes No
Are you dedicated to a return to simple early church worship in the home?
Yes No
Do you have any denominational affiliation? Yes No
Would you be interested in fellowshipping with other house churches? Yes
No
Would you like to be notified of conferences and meetings held in your
area relative to house church? Yes No
Please share with us the names and e-mail addresses of two other members
who could act as representatives for your fellowship should you not be
available.
1.
2.
Is there any other information you feel we should know?
Explain:
House Church Register
Housechurchregister@juno.com
The House Church
Register serves to inform other house church assemblies about things which
affect this wonderful movement of God's spirit. It will connect and encourage
interaction between the many assemblies which now meet in New Testament
fashion around the world. It will make
available, quarterly, to each house church participating, e-mail addresses
and states and cities of other house churches. It will do this to facilitate
fellowship and unity among the brethren. In cases where e-mail is not
available, it will, with permission, supply to these house churches, snail
mail addresses and/or phone numbers.
The House Church
Register will serve as a central information resource for all participating
house churches. It will maintain updated records of house church locations
and e-mail addresses. We will be calling upon all our friends and participating
assemblies to send us any and all information which they may possess regarding
existing house churches. We will contact them by e-mail and invite them
to join us.
We are only interested
in those groups who meet together in a house after the pattern of the
New Testament. Seed churches, those churches intending to go into a larger
structure later, do not conform. Cell churches, neighborhood churches
with ties to a larger institutional church, do not
fit this criteria either. Only those who are independent of denomination,
totally dependant on Christ and the leading of the Holy Spirit and dedicated
to the restoration of the New Testament church as Christ and the apostles
gave it to us, qualify to be a part of this information resource.
How It Works
How does one find a house church? Where do they go to look for one? You
don't find them in the yellow pages. There are no steeples or church buildings
to mark them. There are no signs in front of their meeting places to catch
our attention. This is the reason for establishing the House Church Register.
The House Church Register will supply general information common to most
house church assemblies and is designed to inform a potential member on
some of the more basic elements in this biblical church.
When someone seeking
a house church contacts the house church register, they will be supplied
with as many house church assemblies as may be found in their town. If
there are none, they will be told where the one closest to them is located.
If they would be interested in beginning a
house church and have a few people gathered to meet with them, we will
recommend someone to them who can help them get started. The house church
register will supply the e-mail address of the applicant to the nearest
house church to enable the two parties to get together. It will be up
to the applicant to e-mail the recommended house church or the closest
house church to e-mail the applicant. This is where the involvement of
the House Church Register ends. The rest is up to the parties involved.
There will be no additional information supplied to either party except
in the absence of an e-mail address and then, with permission of the applicant,
their snail mail address or phone number will be supplied to the nearest
house church making the house church responsible, in this case, for initial
contact.
Quarterly Reports
Once every three months, a quarterly report will be sent by e-mail to
each participating house church listing the updated e-mail address with
state and city locations together with the first name of the person appointed
by that respective house church to represent it. This will make it possible
for participating house churches to contact each other, arrange visits,
organize formal or informal get togethers; in general, develop strong
ties with each other. Relationship is the key to becoming the body of
believers that Christ meant us to be. We can't fellowship with each other
if we are unaware of who or where each other are.
The House Church
Register will issue a standard form asking basic informational questions
such as, name, address, name of contact person, alternate contact person,
location or locations of meetings, times and days when meetings take place
and other information as needed. The House Church Register will hold in
confidence all this information. Our hope is that our reputation, built
over the last six years through the Living Water Epistle, our website
(www.theearlychurch.com) and the book entitled, The Blueprint, will encourage
your trust in us.
The register will
also include the names and titles of books, booklets and periodicals which
we would recommend for reading. It will alert all participating assemblies
to any house church conferences being held anywhere in or out of the country
as we become aware of them. The register will include house churches that
are outside the borders of the United States and
their locations.
In Conclusion
We would encourage each house church to consider this opportunity as a
valuable resource with the following caution. Any house church assembly
found abusing this resource or the principles of Christian love and fellowship
will be dropped from the register. Any attempt on the part of
any individual or house church to organize other assemblies under a common,
earthly leader or in any other fashion try to denominationalize other
house churches will result in a published warning appearing in the quarterly
e-mail report (Rom 16:17, 1 Cor 1:10-13). The purpose of the house church
register is to build love, trust and fellowship and through this strengthen
the church of our Lord, Jesus Christ. We will not condone any man's effort
to build or further his own spiritual empire. It only takes two assemblies
looking to the same earthly overseer to start a denomination. Let's build
the body of Christ instead.
If any of you
receiving this have a website devoted to Christian information or teaching,
we would appreciate your help. It would be great if you would help us
by posting the following on your website:
LOOKING FOR A
HOUSE CHURCH? A CHURCH PATTERNED AFTER THE NEW TESTAMENT?
IF SO, CONTACT
housechurchregister@juno.com.
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10.
TENTMAKING / BUSINESS RESOURCE LINKS:
Some resource links to help those who are wanting to support themselves
and their ministries/housechurches through business/tentmaking/home-based
business, etc.
Can A Rich Man
Enter into the Kingdom of Heaven? - biblical business values
http://www.ceed-uofn.org/foundations.htm
Center for Entrepreneurship
and Economic Development - http://www.ceed-uofn.org/site_map.htm
- a global network for persons who have a call to disciple nations through
the sphere of business:
frontier business creation ~ tentmaking ~ micro-enterprise to multinational
business
ExportHotline
Homepage: http://208.177.32.76/exporthotline
A highly recommended web site with incredible practical information on
many different countries in which you may be interested, for example,
in starting a business. Very well researched and worth looking at. Printing
rights can be purchased.
Great Commission
Business Definitions - http://www.ceed-uofn.org/definitions.htm
Mentors/coaches
- If you are an emerging business that needs a coach, let them know (http://www.ceed-uofn.org/need.htm),
OR if you have coaching/mentoring skills in enterprise-building or tentmaking
that you are willing to share - please contact them.
My Father's Business:
Guidelines for Ministry in the Marketplace - (book)
http://www.ceed-uofn.org/gird2.htm
Transform the World: Biblical Vision and Purpose for Business (book)
http://www.ceed-uofn.org/resources1.htm
(Joint offer if you get them both (above): http://www.ceed-uofn.org/gird1.htm)
Planning A Successful
Home Business Home Page - excellent resources from a biblical/Great Commission
perspective! - http://www.scruples.org/web/seminars/pssb.htm
LOTS of helpful
resources on tentmaking/Christian business as part of the Great Commission
Business - http://disciplethenations.org/index3.html
Tentmaking - http://disciplethenations.org/index57.html
Canadian Tentmaker Network - Email: 74140.3626@compuserve.com
260 Avenue Rd., Unit 25, Richmond Hill, ON L4C 5G6, 260 Avenue Rd., Unit
25, Phone: (416) 751-7875
Fax: (416) 751-7304, Contact: Henry Van Boxtel Focus: Tentmaker training
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11. DECISION MAKING BY CONSENSUS
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How are decisions based on truth and love to be made in a house church
situation? Here are some helpful resources to help you consider the process
of decision making by consensus.
Making Decisions
By Consensus: http://www.spokane-county.wsu.edu/family/consen.htm
Consensus is Not Unanimity: http://www.starhawk.org/activism/consensus-nu.html
The Consensus Decision Process: http://www.cohousing.ca/cohsng1/old/def_cons.htm
A BRIEF STUDY
- by Warren McKenzie
"...For a good Biblical example of group decision making by consensus
read Acts 15 to find in which verse/s they followed these guidelines:
They explained the history of the debate in detail in order to base their
discussion on fact, not feeling.
They remained silent while another talked.
They let godly elders give them suggestions
They looked to Scripture for help
They allowed 'the whole church' to help decide
They heeded to guidance of the Holy Spirit
Both 'sides' gave in to a degree, to arrive at an acceptable solution..."
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12. WE WOULD LIKE YOUR INPUT
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We would like
to know if there are some questions that you would like for us to address
in the future, or which you would like for us to ask our subscribers as
a discussion question where responses from our subscribers can be included
in a coming edition. Please submit your questions to:
chcrn@hotmail.com. Thank you.
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E B S I T E S W E B S I T E S W E B S I T E S
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CANADIAN HOUSE
CHURCHES:
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House Church Planting.Com - Rob Ross - Calgary, AB
http://www.housechurchplanting.com
HouseChurch.ca
- Jason Johnson - Mississauga, ONT
http://www.housechurch.ca
The Church in
Chateauguay - Montreal - http://www.geocities.com/thecitywidechurch/
MISC
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A Day in the Life of a House Church
http://www.dawnministries.org/regions/nam/housechurch/dayandlife.html
Another good article
on Authority in the Church
http://www.auburn.edu/~allenkc/openhse/authority.html
FATHERING APOSTLES
- An article by Mike Steele on apostles. "Business models, hierarchical
leadership and strategic plans do not make an apostle. It is the Father's
heart that is the core of the issue." Steele introduces two new definitions
of an apostle: "foot washer" and "a weeping father
crying out for his sons to overtake him." Link: http://makeashorterlink.com/?K6B11207
House Churches:
An Apostolic Strategy Since Biblical Times
http://www.dawn.ch/HCE1x.html
(LOTS of) House
Church LINKS - http://disciplethenations.org/index72.html#CLIPART
HOUSE CHURCH STRATEGY
- An article by Mike Steele and John White on the development of a North
American House Church Strategy. "We believe that there may be a group
of ordinary Christians who have been prepared to have a catalytic effect
on the Church in North America in such a way that the
'knowledge of the glory of the Lord' would greatly increase in this part
of the world." Link: http://makeashorterlink.com/?I2516107
How to Plant a
Church Without Trying - http://nextreformation.com
OUTSIDE THE WALLS
- Bob Jones and Keith Davis - God is wanting His Church to go to where
the people are... http://www.bobjones.org/articles/outside_the_walls.htm
Revival or Reformation?
(see under Apostolic Letters)
http://www.eaglesaint.net/frameset.htm
Suffering Ordained,
say China's House Church Leaders
http://www.canadianchristianity.com/cgi-bin/na.cgi?nationalupdates/020122suffering
The Church is
Losing Face - John Paul Jackson gives a timely word on the type of leaders
whom the Lord is raising up in this time of refreshing. Excellent article!!
http://www.tacf.org/stf/2-3/prophet.html
Seven Characteristics of Facelessness: Authority by Favour / More Love
for Jesus Than For Theological Dogmas / Relationship Over Hierarchy /
Character Over Giftedness / Lack of Ownership / Greater Anointing With
Less Privilege / Kings Without Kingdoms /
To Tithe or Not to Tithe? - http://www.prophetic.net/tithe.htm
NEXT
TIME
House Churches and their Vital Roles in the Great Commission
ALPHAS as a Potential House Church Nursery
What Happens in a Typical House Church Meeting?
The Value of Itinerant Apostolic Teams
In forthcoming
editions
House Churches in the Context of the KINGDOM OF GOD/The Questions About
Reproducing - How & When to Multiply as Painlessly as Possible/The
Value of Intergenerational Home-Based Churches/House Church Opportunities
for Supporting Missionaries/Ministries - or getting involved in other
ways, House Church Planting in Teams/House Churches as Houses of Prayer
for All Nations/Being Relevant in/to Our Culture and Faithful in Our Time/Sample
Core Values of a House Church Movement/Historical Overview of House Churches/
/Encouraging the Development of a Biblical DNA in House Churches/Leadership
& Authority, Etc.
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