In Melbourne and across the world House Churches (or Simple Churches) are multiplying and bringing many to faith who would never “come to church”. Some local churches are finding new missional life through related house churches. House churches are found in homes, in businesses, football clubs or even on-line. What they have in common are love and expectant prayer with a focus on Jesus – going deeper with Him and sharing Him with others. The result is that they grow as others join and come to faith – and they plant new house churches.
House churches, along with united prayer and making disciples, are identified as key strategies for reaching the 3 million outside the Church. They are the only way to reach out to the people in the sprawling growth corridors.
Increasing numbers of Christians with strong faith no longer “go to church” have drifted, but are now growing in faith as part of a House Church and seeing people come to faith.
“House Church” is not about doing conventional church in a home with a set pattern of singing, Bible study, prayer and supper led by one person. It relates to the way of being church, not where people meet. There are many styles and sizes, but they all reflect gatherings the earliest Christians would recognise, and they seek to be an ‘organism’ not an organization, with a focus on feeding and health and reproducing.
Far from being in opposition to “the Church”, house churches are enriching the life of local churches, and reaching people for Christ that the research identifies as largely outside the Church.
See full article: House Church Conference Article