== House 2 House Webring==
Email: <<MailTo(bcttway@gmail.com)>>
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House 2 House Web ring
Our mission is to help transform the world, with home-based churches all over the wolrd, We need help setting up online publications, magazine, newsletters, books, and websites. We also train others to plant home churches that multiply, come grow with us. Some people call them house churches, we prefer to just call them God's churches. They are a communities of believers, meeting in homes, offices, wherever God is moving. "Where are two or more are gathered in His name, there is church. "
Most of early Christian House Churches were made up of 12 adults, and their children meeting in each other's homes. They meet in homes "for fellowship, ministry, prayer and evangelism. There is no professional clergy preaching to an assembled congregation; rather, there are many independent groups of lay persons meeting together on a regular basis. They may meet in homes, apartments, parks, restaurants, halls, etc. They may or may not network informally with other home churches in their area. The early Christians wanted this organizational structure, because their home meetings were mentioned in the early verses of Acts. The position in the early Church that is referred to as pastor, elder, bishop, and overseer were in reality leaders chosen to watch over the membership. They were unpaid volunteers, who served part-time. They were not career clergy who were employed by the church. They were not educated at Bible schools or seminaries; they were trained on the job.
God is Love
“Christianity” is not a club that exists for the purpose of reviewing Jesus or a ticket to Heaven! The invitation of God to all of the world is worship together for the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; to be a Bride that has made them selves ready for the return of her beautiful Groom. Jesus said that all men will know that we are HIS disciples, if the world will SEE our love for each other. He didn't say that the world "will know" by how loud you sing on Sunday morning, or by how well you preach, or by your meetings-but by how you love one another daily. The world must see us loving each other, they cannot see us through the walls of a room a few times a week when we are all dressed up and on our best behavior. This is how all men will KNOW that we are His disciples-not just by what we believe, but by how they see us loving each other. This is the call of God for His People today.
"Christian" It was the unbelievers that first called the disciples "Christians." What the world saw in those early disciples was a Christ-like character and power. Would the world today call the Christians in America "Christians" had the word not already been established? Would they see us like Jesus in character and power? It saddens me to hear the world now calling us .. hypocrites! I am afraid we have a name that we are alive, but dead. Let us examine the reasons for this falling away.
Christian groups follow different models:
Most Christian churches, from the third century to the present time, have been "program-based" organizations. Each is usually composed of one or more clergy, staff, volunteer committees and a large congregation. They conduct many programs during the week: from Scouts to Bible study; from choir practice to young adult meetings. The highlight of the week is the Sunday service, and the highlight of that service is usually a member of the clergy preaching to the assembled congregation. That is what most people visualize when they hear the term "church."
House Churches A second, recent and growing church model is composed of many house Churches, each with up to perhaps 10 adults, and their children meeting in each other's homes. They meet in homes "for fellowship, ministry, prayer and evangelism, while the large group meetings are designed for preaching and worship." Individual home churches, there is no professional clergy preaching to an assembled congregation; rather, there are many independent groups of lay persons meeting together on a regular basis. They may meet in homes, apartments, parks, restaurants, halls, etc. They may or may not network informally with other home churches in their area. The early Christian movement was not forced to meet in each other's homes because of religious persecution. They appear to have chosen this organizational structure, because their home meetings were mentioned in the early verses of Acts, long before widespread persecution started. The position in the early Church that is referred to as pastor, elder, bishop, and overseer were in reality leaders chosen to watch over the membership. They were unpaid volunteers, who served part-time. They were not career clergy who were employed by the church. They were not educated at Bible schools or seminaries; they were trained on the job by other leaders.
House church is an informal term for a group of Christains gathering regularly or spontaneously in a home or on grounds not normally used for worshp services, instead of a building dedicated to the purpose. Some churches meet in houses because they lack a conventional church building these are not normally regarded as house churches as the intent is to eventually move into an offsite facility. Others meet in homes because they prefer to meet informally, because they believe it is an effective way of creating community and engaging in outreach, or because they believe small family-sized churches were a deliberate apostolic pattern in the first century and intended by Christ. Some, perhaps, meet in homes for several of these reasons.
Understanding Some within the house church "movement" therefore consider the term "house church" to be a misnomer, because the main issue for people who practice their faith in this manner is not the house but more the type of meeting that takes place; other titles which are sometimes used to describe this movement more functionally are "simple church", "relational church", "primitive church", "bodylife", "organic church" and similar terms.
Leadership Some house churches have a conventional leadership structure, others have none. Jesus Christ alone is the Head of the Church, and the believers the body. The absence of hierarchical leadership structures in many house churches, while often viewed by the Protestant church at large as a sign of anarchy or rebelliousness to authority, is viewed by many in the house church movement to be the most viable way to come under true spiritual authority of love, relationships, and the visible dominion of Jesus Christ as Head of his own bride
Meeting Together in There Homes As a rule, house church gatherings are free, informal, and sometimes include a shared meal. Participants hope that everyone present will feel free to contribute to the gathering as and when they sense the leading of the Holy Spirit to do so. Leadership structures range from no official leaders, to a plurality of appointed elders, however, there is a deliberate attempt within most house churches to minimize the leadership of any one person, and so having one pastor or leading elder (clergy) is generally frowned upon, in favor of a more plural responsibility of leadership diffused over several people or the members as a whole.
Networking The house church movement today also owes much of its networking and exchange of information to the use of the Internet. HC is generally used as an abbreviation for "House Church" and IC is used to designate "Institutional Church" which is the generalized term for more traditional church structures. Mt. 18:20 (the source of the house church doctrine of church) is "two or three gathered together.
Churches in the New Testament were most often small gatherings that met in homes. "Greet Priscilla & Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful for them. Greet also the church that meets at their house." Romans 16:3-4 "But when the Jews opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, 'Your blood be on your own heads! I am clear of my responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.' Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God." Acts 18:6-7
Getting Started:
God is organzing an army of ordinary people to carry out His extraordinary work in simple ways around the World, this webring will help you change the way you view the world and t God's Church. The early church of God touched lives everywhere, do you ever wish that you had more power to change your the world. Do you want to follow the Great Commission, to "GO", but don't know how? In the first century ordinary men and women, just like you came face to face with Jesus and became a force that turned the world upside down. These people are Revolutionaries.
Christian Revolutionaries People who are more interested in the Kingdom of God, not just going to church every week. They are more eager to produce the fruits of the Spirit, than to become comfortable in our Christian culture. They are focused on spiritual growth, and allowing God to transform them in every aspect of their life.