What’s Wrong with Organic Church? Lack of networking with other house churches

[Part 5 in the series]

When I first started hosting a house church in our home, about five years ago now, I was desperate to connect with others who were doing the same thing we were. Mainly just so I wouldn’t feel all alone, and so I could learn from the mistakes of others without making them all on my own.

One of the first people I got in touch with was Ken Eastburn of The Well. We started out meeting at a local Carl’s Jr. and over time we developed a friendship that continues to this day. Ken’s story was not the same as mine. He was the pastor of a local Baptist church that transitioned into a series of house churches after selling their building. Still, Ken and I were able to encourage one another and inspire each other to continue on in our journey into New Testament church.

Out of the many ideas we bounced around together, one of them was to create a network of local house churches in the Orange County area. We both knew the value of getting connected with others who were hearing the same call on their life and sharing stories, ideas and resources with one another. From here we added other local house church leaders and advocates like Bill Faris and Michael Bischoff.

Of course, not every house church wants to connect with others in this movement. I’ve had some people over for dinner who were hosting house churches locally who had no interest in meeting others, or in connecting with other house churches. I’m not sure why this is, but I do know from experience that it’s so much better to have people you can reach out to for ideas, for encouragement, for prayer and for support as you walk down this organic church experience. Not only that, I think there’s a biblical precedence for this networking together of churches. In the New Testament there were no maverick groups. Every house gathering in a city was considered as one church family. Paul letters to the church in Corinth, the church in Galatia, the church in Ephesus, the church in Collosse. He did not write to individual groups, or to pastors. He wrote to everyone who was in that city or region as one church family. So, there’s one church in Orange County, made up of house churches, and traditional churches, of all denominations and practices. We are the church in Orange County, and the more we get to know and to love one another, and to work together to preach the gospel, to feed the poor, and to advance the Kingdom of God in Orange County, the better.

Now, with a house church the idea of finding everyone is difficult, as we’ve already discussed in this series. House Churches don’t have signs out front or ads in the paper. Some have blogs or websites, but not all of them do. Some are closed groups for example and the last thing they want is to attract newcomers. So, getting connected with other house church and simple church groups in your area can be a challenge. But, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try!

One good place to start is over on Facebook. There are several great groups like one that I help to moderate called "Organic Church Movement", and several others.  You can list your house church group and also search for the groups that are nearest to you. If you’re in the SoCal area be sure to check out the site I set up called OCHouseChurch.com.

You don’t need to agree with everything the other groups practice. Ken and I are like night and day on most things, and both of us are different from Bill Faris and Mike Bischoff, but we still meet regularly for lunch, share ideas, encourage one another and even hose monthly “OC/Organic Church Forums” where people can come to meet with others in the local organic church movement, and to discuss important topics, share ideas, etc. In fact, this blog series I’m writing came directly out of last month’s OC/OC Forum with Paul and Lori Byerly.

I’d encourage you do all you can to connect with others in your area who may be leading or participating in house church. If you’re all alone in the desert, I’d suggest connecting online at Facebook or try Googling for "Organic" or "House Church" or "Simple Church" in your area.

The organic church is especially relational, so the more we stay in relationship with others the more we can learn and the more we can work together to have an impact on our community for Christ.

-kg

What's Wrong With Organic Church?

In our recent OC/Organic Church Forum, our facilitators Paul and Lori Byerly from House2House.com asked us to make a list of what’s wrong with the house church movement.

Specifically, we were tasked to look at how our brothers and sisters in the traditional church were better equipped than simple churches to handle certain tasks, and to contrast what they do well with areas where we sometimes struggle.

It was a refreshing break from our usual flag-waving, back-patting conversations and allowed us to really step back and take a look at ourselves and gain some much-needed perspective.

Here’s what our list looked like:

•Organic churches are often invisible to the community
•Too inwardly focused
•Isolated from traditional churches
•Unequipped to deal with internal conflicts
•Too much spiritual pride – i.e. “We’re doing it the right way”
•Lack of networking and connection with other house churches
•Too closed and secretive
•Reluctance to confront error, sin, in the Body - i.e. "Church Discipline"
•Lack of resources to deal with divorce, addiction, depression, etc.

In addition, we also identified perceived problems that our traditional brothers and sisters see in us:

•Perceived lack of strong leadership
•Lack of spiritual covering
•Prone to heretical doctrines and practices

What would you add to this list? How do we address these problems or weaknesses within the organic church?

I’d love to hear your thoughts as I will be blogging over the next few weeks on several of these topics.

OC/ ORGANIC CHURCH FORUM: This Saturday

You're invited to join us for our next OC/OC FORUM on Saturday, Feb.26th.

We'll hear from local house church leaders Wendy and Keith Giles as they share their story and answer questions about their journey into organic church in Orange County.

*** RSVP REQUIRED! ***
Seating is very limited for this event.
TO RSVP: Please reply to this email with names of all who wish to attend.

Check-in will be required at the door. Please bring a picture ID with you when you arrive.

Info:
OC/ORGANIC CHURCH FORUM
Saturday, Feb. 26th - 9am to 11am
Fuller Seminary California Coast
2021 Business Center Drive, Suite 115
Irvine, CA 92612

Need more info? Post questions here or visit
http://www.OCHouseChurch.com/

NOTES FROM THE OC/OC FORUM

Here are a few notes to reflect what those who attended the Orange County Organic Church Forum on Monday night of this week had to say about our topic:
“Learning to Put Jesus at the Center”

What Can We Do to Put Jesus at the Center?
*It starts with an inner relationship with Jesus that flows outward into the Body.
*Participation is essential
*The principles in 1 Cor 14 reveal that “encouragement” is the fruit of this participatory expression.
*Embrace those who are different and who disagree with us. (No “Party Line”)
*Have the courage to believe that Jesus really IS already at the center and acting out of that reality is key.
*Real fellowship (see 1 John) – “Walk in the Light as He is in the Light...”
*Going first, being transparent and real and authentic is crucial.
*Let Jesus lead the meeting.
*Be Church.
*Church is not a performance.
*Christ in us = Christ in the meeting.
*The quality of my intimacy with Christ influences what I bring to the Body and the Assembly.
*Embrace simplicity. Following Jesus isn’t a riddle to be unraveled but a life to be lived one day at a time.
*Explore what it means to have “Christ in me, the Hope of Glory” by asking Jesus daily to show you.
*Listen more than you speak.
*Allow everyone the opportunity to share their portion of Christ with everyone else.
*Be ok with waiting for God to lead. Uncomfortable silence is ok.
*Embrace spontaneous moves and break your liturgy easily and joyfully.
*Discover Jesus in one another.
*Encourage the hunger to experience loving God, loving others, and being loved by God and others.

What Does It Look Like When Jesus is At the Center? [Breakout session]
*Let the church be what God is forming not what meets your expectations.
*Take off your mask.
*Kill the hymnbook, songsheet, liturgy and remove any other crutches where your comfort reigns.
*Uncomfortable silences are great!
*1 Cor 14:26 – “Not one of you comes not ready to bring something to share...”
*Seeing Jesus in everything daily, not just in the meeting.
*Confess your weakness and sins and failures to others often. They’re not surprised and it makes it easier for them to be real too.
*The Church should be a safe place to be real and human with everyone else.
*How do we prepare? More quality and quantity time with Jesus during the week.
*Find ways to break your unspoken liturgy with joy. "Behold, I make all things new..."
*Find creative ways to involve children of all ages in every part of the meeting.
*Pray together and ask Jesus to lead you in everything. Then make sure to actually let Him!
*Have the courage to trust Jesus as your leader in the meeting, and in your daily life.
*People shouldn’t be allowed to act religious. Instead everyone should be honest, human and humble.
*Recognize that people want so badly to belong that they will assimilate to almost any group to be accepted. Therefore, accept everyone on the basis of their place in the Family of God, not on their allegiance to the party line or the culture of the group.
*Have courage not to create hoops in order to belong.
*Let go of expectations - no model.
*Drop your religious mask.
*Disagree in love, respectfully.
*Share food.
*Mentor the young people.
*Focus on following Jesus, not tradition.
*Church never "begins".
*Let love be the guide.
*Love, acceptance and forgiveness are freely practiced.