Assembly Meetings in a Home Setting

Assembly Meetings in a Home Setting

Assembly meetings that are held in a home setting are often called “house churches”. This is a traditional term and is used because of its familiarity. The common associations of the term “church”, however, must be set aside. The Assembly of believers often meets in a home setting for three reasons: Biblical soundness, freedom, and practicality. God’s people must meet regularly for fellowship, worship and prayer. That is a fact of Christian life. Christians are not called to live isolated lives but rather in community. Therefore, how they meet is an important issue. Tradition has established many patterns to fit the multitude of divisions within the context of Christianity. For the majority of Christians, at least in our society, these patterns revolve around a building and clergy. In fact, the term, “Church”, came to replace the more accurate word, “Assembly” as a result of its focus on the structure where believers meet. The building, organization and fellowship of believers came together in one common term, “Church”. But has this been a positive move for Christianity?

The home setting for congregational meeting is Biblically sound. There are specific instances that are mentioned of believers meeting regularly at individual homes. Philemon, for instance, had an assembly that met in his home [Philemon 2]. Priscilla and Aquila also had an assembly that met in their home [Romans 16:3-5]. Nymphas is mentioned in Colossians 4:15 as having an assembly in his house. There are many other such examples found in the New Testament if we could only see beyond our tradition-bound notions of “church”. When we read of the assemblies at Thessalonica, Philippi, Laodicea, etc. there is great evidence that these were all fellowships that met in the homes of various individuals. No one familiar with these early years of Christianity would imagine that believers met in some great building set apart for religious purposes. Such notions of the Assembly of believers did not pollute God’s people until at least the middle third-century. God’s people regularly met in the homes of individuals for congregational worship, prayer and fellowship.

The home setting gave them a sense of freedom unlike anything experienced by the traditional “church” in our society. America is fortunate to have experienced over two centuries of religious liberty. But religious liberty is not necessarily freedom. Christians, in general, have imposed on themselves certain bonds that have hindered a genuine expression of freedom. The possession of property by the Assembly, for instance, is self-imposed bondage. It adds nothing to the Assembly but excess baggage to weigh it down. It also connects the Assembly to the world. The Lord never intended this. Think about our Lord’s wonderful words to the would-be disciple, “the Son of man has no where to lay His head” [Luke 9:58]. Is this statement intended to evoke sympathy for our Master? Poor Jesus, He did not possess any property! No, Jesus knew that true freedom could only come when one is shed of worldly cares. The “seed” in His parable could not produce abundant fruit because the “cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches” strangled and choked it [Mark 4:19]. When the Assembly of believers possesses property it is no longer free. It can no longer produce fruit worthy of our Lord.

This is not to say that believers cannot own property or possessions. They certainly may. But the Assembly must not own possessions. Take a look at any traditional “church” setting. How much time, money and effort are spent in the care and maintenance of property? Does our Lord Jesus Christ instruct His people anywhere in Scripture to use their resources in such a way? You will not find it. God’s people should give of their resources willingly, cheerfully and freely. But are those resources to be used to enlarge and polish the “ball and chain” that you have placed on your leg? The Assembly of believers is to be free to serve in the Spirit of Christ. This freedom cannot be experienced in the traditional “church” setting.

At this time in America there is no widespread persecution of believers. This, however, could change at any moment. Religious liberty is a privilege. Nations like China, Iran, Cuba, etc. do not have religious liberty for Christians. Does that mean that there are no Christians in these places? On the contrary, Christianity is alive and well under persecution. How can that be? Christianity is alive and well there because they have learned to live and worship not in religious liberty but in spiritual freedom. The government cannot grant this to you neither can it take it away.. But, Jesus Christ has given you spiritual freedom. “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” [John 8:36] We should pray for those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, but we should not look on them with pity. For they have learned to live in genuine freedom. The Assembly of believers will survive under persecution because the possessions that it has are not worldly but spiritual.

The home setting for the Assembly of believers also is ultimately practical. The distinctions within the home setting are clear and unfettered. The assembly meets in the home of the host family and is ministered to by an elder. The host family provides the space and hospitality for God’s people to congregate for fellowship, worship and prayer. The elder owns the material that is necessary for leading a worship meeting. The assembly, however, does not own anything collectively. It does not cost the assembly anything to meet together. This frees the assembly to give to others.

Let us take a look at the results of such freedom. A typical assembly of sixteen people may meet regularly at Brother John’s house. Offerings for the month may come to $800. Since there is no cost required for meeting and no building to maintain then the offerings may be used entirely for helping others. How many traditional “church” settings of sixteen persons can give $800 per month to help the needy? The home setting for the Assembly of believers is extremely practical. It is a simple thing to transform a living room or some other room in a home into a space conducive to worship. This space can then be changed back quickly with little interruption for the host family. The host family serves a valuable function in Christ’s Kingdom. Like Priscilla and Aquila from the New Testament scriptures, the host family deserves honor within the Assembly of God’s people.

Within the traditional “church” there have always been groups that have met in houses for various reasons. It is often said that “house churches” are good ways to begin a new “church”. This is one common usage of the home setting. Then there is the “home-cell” concept that has gained much attention in the past decade. Perhaps the saddest usage of the “house church” is what may be called the clique. A group of believers who cannot feel at home among other Christians isolate themselves in their homes. But all of these so-called “house churches” contain the same errors as the traditional “church”. The home setting should never be considered a starting-point so that one day you might grow into a “real church”. This is a perverted concept of the Christian assembly. Eight believers that gather together in a living room is as surely an Assembly as eight hundred that have amassed in some cathedral. The criterion is “in Jesus’ name” rather than how many are present. Home-cell groups revolve around a central “church”. They are little more than a convenience for the traditional “church”. And, cliques that meet in their homes simply because they cannot get along with others are pathetic. If they continue long enough they will shrivel up and die like a branch cut away from the vine. Believers may, however, meet in home assemblies in a very positive way.

There are three things that should be considered regarding assemblies that regularly meet in home settings for worship, prayer and fellowship. First, we should understand that an assembly that meets in a home setting does not seek to outgrow that setting. Many that have met in “house churches” have done so with the goal of one day acquiring the people and resources to become a “real church” (i.e. a congregation that meets in a building set apart for regular meetings). These “house churches” should be called starting-points. Whenever an assembly of believers grows in numbers where it can no longer meet comfortably in that home setting then some of these people should begin meeting in another house with either the same elder or a different one presiding. This is not a “split”, neither is it a “home-cell” of the first congregation. It is natural growth within the Assembly.

The second thing that should be considered is that the assembly of believers, which meet in a home setting, is not denominationally oriented. In other words, there are no specifically Baptist, Pentecostal or Methodist assemblies as opposed to Catholic, Orthodox or Presbyterian assemblies. This does not mean that an assembly might not have characteristics in keeping with these groups but these differences must not separate believer from believer. For some this is not acceptable. But one day we will all come to recognize that there are no Baptists, Catholics or Pentecostals in the Kingdom of God. This becomes very clear in assemblies that have met in home settings for a while. When believers see each other as born-again believers in Jesus Christ rather than the artificial designations of denominationalism then there can be true fellowship. For our fellowship does not rely on doctrinal or liturgical distinctions but in the Spirit of Christ.

The third point is that assemblies meeting in home settings are not isolated from other assemblies. Assemblies that meet in home settings are connected to each other by what might be called, “networking”. They are also encouraged to have fellowship with other believers who attend traditional “churches”. Networking is simply a way to share joys and concerns between different assemblies. Any assembly that remains isolated will quickly feel the seduction of the world. An assembly may have fifteen or twenty believers within its group. But when they are linked with four or five other local assemblies in home settings then wonderful opportunities for fellowship, growth and ministry present themselves.

Christians can experience the fullness of congregational worship, prayer and fellowship in a home setting. Whatever ordinances are required in Christian assembly may be met in this way. There is really nothing of any spiritual value that is lacking. Instead there is a genuine sense of spiritual freedom that is gained through gathering for worship and prayer in a home setting. Many persons miss the sights and sounds of a traditional “church” building. Stained glass windows, ornately carved pulpits, reverberating organ sounds and large choirs are seldom found in the home setting. But these all have their price. The cost is exacted not only in money but also through the loss of spiritual freedom. But Christian assembly in a home setting develops its own charm after a while. This charm cannot be duplicated in the grandest building.

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How do Assemblies in Home Settings Work?

In order to understand the way the Assembly of believers operates in home settings we must first define a few terms. Every worship meeting includes the assembly, the host family and an elder. The assembly consists solely of the believers who congregate for worship. It is important to know what believers are actual members of that assembly so that decisions may be made properly within the group. The members of the assembly deal with all of the handling of collections. The host family is simply the family that provides the home setting for the assembly to meet. This is a very important role. The host family may or may not be members of the assembly. They have certain responsibilities that will be outlined below. The elder is a believer that is ordained to administer the ordinances of the Assembly as well as to preach and teach God's Word. Unlike the other members, the elder may be a member of more than one assembly. The elder is a member of the congregation where he or she regularly ministers. The elder does not receive money for his or her service.

The Assembly:

The assembly of believers in any home setting is an autonomous congregation of baptized believers. They are to meet regularly for worship, prayer and fellowship. The worship meeting is to be lead by an ordained elder but fellowship and prayer may be held at any time by any of the members. The assembly is to keep a low profile. This is not to say that the believer is to keep a low profile. How could he or she let the light of Christ shine if it is hidden under a basket? Yet the activities of the assembly are the concern of the members only. It is not advisable, for instance, to place a sign in the yard of the host family advertising the assembly’s presence. The assembly does not need any identifying name to distinguish it from all others. In scripture it was enough to be known as “the assembly that is in their house”. The assembly is not “Bro. John’s Assembly” or the “First Full-Gospel, Bible Believing Assembly”. Such things are vain and a perversion of the New Testament concept of the Assembly.

The activities of the assembly are to be consistent with the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ. Believers are to worship God and serve others. The meetings of the assembly are always directed toward these two goals. The question then is not, “Why are we congregated?” but rather, “How might we worship God and serve others?” Stewardship has nothing to do with worshipping God except in the sacrificial nature of the offering. How resources are used is solely a matter of serving the needy. If the assembly is clear on this matter then the stewardship of resources should never be a problem. But any time that money is involved there is always the potential for problems. The local assembly, therefore, must provide distinct channels by which they are disbursed.

All assemblies that accept offerings need to follow certain guidelines. The first is that disbursement of collections is done through a decision from the assembly. The elder does not decide who should receive help. The host family does not make this decision either. But the assembly must clearly designate how these funds are disbursed. The second rule of disbursement should be that funds should not be left to accumulate for more than two weeks. There is no need, therefore, for checking accounts to be used. The third rule is that offerings must be collected and properly accounted by a designated person within the assembly. It is not a complicated job but one with great responsibility. If these guidelines are followed and everyone understands that the offerings are used solely for serving the needy, then there should be no problem concerning stewardship. [See the booklet, “Home Assemblies and Stewardship”]

The Host Family:

The host family is an essential part of the assembly that meets in a home setting. They provide the space and hospitality for the assembly to congregate. The host family deserves not only the respect that anyone should expect as a host, but also the respect that comes from performing a great service in the Kingdom of Christ. The assembly of believers that meet in their home must always remember that they are guests in someone’s home. Rules of common courtesy should dictate proper actions by the members.

There are four things that are required of any host family. The first thing is a core-group of believers who would like to meet as a Christian assembly. This core-group does not need to be large. Three or four committed believers outside the host family can assemble together in Jesus’ name. One of these, however, needs to be someone ordained to lead the worship meeting. But, before any worship meeting is held in your home you need to take the issue before the Lord. The use of one’s home to assemble is an important decision for the host family as well as the assembly.

The second requirement is commitment by the host family to open their home for this purpose. This commitment hopefully will be long-term so it should not be taken lightly. It is also important that a host family consider their motive for opening their home. The assembly, remember, does not belong to the host family anymore than the house belongs to the assembly. There are often temptations to spiritual pride that come with being a host family. You should pray about this decision with your family before becoming a host family.

The third requirement is cooperation by all of the host family. For instance, if a wife wants to host an assembly at her home but the husband does not, then do not consider having meetings there. The same thing applies to others in the family. If the family is not committed to it, then do not attempt having regular meetings. The tension that comes from a lack of cooperation will spoil any meeting that you might have. Do not give up on the idea but continue to pray that your family might share the same desire.

The fourth requirement is that the host family has a comfortable space for meeting. If your house’s living room can seat eight or more comfortably then you should have plenty of room. But there is more to it then just having enough cubic feet of space. Would anyone feel comfortable in this place? Are there distractions and interruptions that you cannot control? Are you willing to turn off the TV, computer games, etc. during meetings? Does your telephone have a mute and an answering machine so that you will not have to disturb the meeting with it? Just keep in mind what it takes to make a space conducive to worship. [There is a booklet written expressly for that purpose – “The Place of Worship”]

The responsibilities of the host family are simple. First, they are responsible for providing a space for regular meetings. An alternative home should be available for use whenever necessary. Do not become a host family if your schedule may conflict with the meetings. Someone from the host family needs to be there for every meeting. Secondly, the host family is responsible for setting up the meetings. A prayer meeting or time of fellowship may not require any changes. But a worship meeting will probably need some things moved around. [These things are also covered in the booklet, “The Place of Worship“] It is not advisable to transform one room for worship and then leave it that way. You will need to transform your living space into a place conducive to worship and then change it back afterward. This may sound complicated but it may be easily done in a few minutes. Things like hymnals, Bibles and utensils for the Bread and Wine are the responsibility of the presiding elder. All other things (i.e. chairs, banners, a lectern, table for the Bread and Wine, etc.) are the responsibility of the host family. These things are your property. They do not belong to the assembly that meets there. Being a host family is a great responsibility but it is also a wonderful opportunity to serve in the Kingdom of Christ.

The Elder:

An elder is a believer that has demonstrated the spiritual maturity and knowledge necessary to administer the ordinances and to preach and teach the Word of God. [The Eldership Training Series is designed to train prospective elders] The elder serves an important role in the Assembly by leading the worship meeting. Hymnals, additional Bibles and the utensils for administering the ordinances of the Assembly are the sole responsibility of the elder. These things belong to the elder and not to the assembly. Usually a dozen hymnals will serve the purpose. They may be transported from place to place as needed. There is no need for every home setting to have them on the premises until the time for meeting. [The booklet entitled, “The Elder’s Manual” contains instructions for the ordinances and suggestions on how to make the most of what you have.]

The elder often serves in more than one home setting. He or she is a member of the assembly. Unlike other members of the Assembly, the elder may be a member of two or more assemblies at the same time. The elder does not receive remuneration from the assemblies under his care. The assemblies, however, should carefully monitor the needs of the elder. If the elder is in need of help then God’s people should be there to help. But no elder should request money from the assembly. The elder is a minister. Traditional “churches” often have paid employees that they refer to as “ministers”. But the Assembly should never fall into such a snare. It steals the blessing of service away from the elder.

When the elder arrives at the home of the host family for worship meeting, the room should be already set up. The elder would then arrange the utensils for the Bread and Wine of Remembrance. The elder should also coordinate the music. Someone else may lead the music but in cooperation with the elder. The offering is not the responsibility of the elder. It is recommended that worship meetings be held at the same time every week. However, it is not necessary for worship meetings to be held at 11 AM on Sunday morning. They should be held at a time agreed on by the elder and host family.

The elder has a great responsibility. The assembly depends on him or her to be there when they arrive for worship. It is not necessary for the elder to be there every time there is a prayer meeting or time of fellowship. But he or she needs to be dependable in leading worship meetings. The elder serves a valuable role also in the network of home assemblies. Prayer requests and needs should be regularly shared between assemblies. The elder often finds himself involved with this.

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