Stages of congregation growth and development
The church’s environment plays a crucial role.
We must ask certain questions about the growth stage of the house church. What makes a congregation grow? Why do some congregations break up? What phases or growth stages does a congregation go through before it reaches maturity? What holds everything in place? What makes a congregation strong?
The institutional church has certain structures in place to maintain it. What maintains the house church? The house church is a living organism. It is born of the Spirit and is maintained by the Spirit. There is no human structure or support system for the house church. The living, indwelling Christ, in other words, Jesus in us, controls the church and maintains the church. He controls us from the inside.
As we renew ourselves by putting to death the fleshly activity in our members, Jesus Christ can grow in us and make the workings of the Spirit in our lives and in our gatherings possible. We subdue the flesh and the soul by renewing our minds. We crucify our old selves so that Jesus Christ can live and reign in us. We do this together as the corporate body of Christ.
Colossians 1:27 and 28
To whom God would make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
Our growth actually has to do with the image of Christ within us. Our growth in Christ is determined by the extent to which we allow Him to live in us. We all start as babies in Christ. As a baby grows, he undergoes constant changes in his abilities, functioning, size, wisdom, skills, capacity, knowledge, experience, frame of reference, and self-image, among other things.
One can see before one’s eyes how the little person grows and develops. He has now mastered things that were difficult for him a month ago. He enjoys the new things, and every day brings him new opportunities for new experiences and new challenges to master. He grows bigger and stronger by the day. He absorbs all this stuff that happens around him, and these experiences make him develop quickly.
In the house church, spiritual growth takes place in exactly the same way. The church is a living being, and therefore it grows. The Spirit’s workings in the life of the individual and the church enable spiritual growth. The Spirit uses our interactions with each other, personal circumstances, and the gifts of the Spirit as building blocks.
These growth phases in the house church are truly unique. Because the house church congregation is planted like a young tree in a spiritual “Utopia” where all the different elements, raw materials, food, nitrogen, water, sun, and light are perfectly balanced and available, dynamic growth and development take place.
What are these specific raw materials that the congregation needs, and what is a spiritual “Utopia”? The dictionary says that a “Utopia” is a place where there are perfect social and political systems. It is a perfect place, state, or balance of what is needed to nourish and positively influence the organism. The perfect political conditions are the absence of the positional leadership structures and methods of the organized church. The perfect social conditions are the reality of a shared community life and the all-functioning, participatory systems of the organic church.
All-participating, all-serving, all-functioning, all-communicating, all-helping, all-contributing, all-caring, and all-supporting are all essential dimensions of family life and of cardinal importance in the church of God. A functioning child of God requires equal footing to foster growth. There are no restrictions; there are no bands or knee halters or yokes or bridles or ropes or chains. All are free, all breathe, and all live.
This again cannot be compared to the institutional church at all. Where the spiritual “person” or congregation in the institutional church is constantly exposed to malnutrition, unfavorable circumstances, and drought, spiritual growth simply cannot occur normally. If we were to really see the condition of the spiritual church within organized religion, it would shock us. I am sure that this being must be thin, emaciated, crooked, starving, pale, crippled, or invalid. There is no way that she is a healthy, balanced being. Human institutions are still busy suffocating and squeezing her to death. She craves spiritual nitrogen, water, raw materials, light, and nutrition.
The frustration of pastors and ministers in the institutional church is proof of that. Surveys and tests over the years have proven time and again that spiritual growth in the organized church is very slow or nonexistent. Year after year, people sit passively in the pews and stagnate. They are not challenged, called to serve, used, sent out, or expected to do much. This is how the structure dictates it.
Often, the congregation has no freedom or the ability to share or take part in any worthwhile activities at all. This is the result of the subversive influences of the institutional church in action. The formal nature of the meetings, along with the leadership’s attitude within the institutional church, suppresses the fully functioning nature of the family of God. No one in that congregation really has the boldness to live out the 1 Corinthians 14:26 ministry in the meetings.
What are the consequences of that? Passive congregation members who are never given the chance to minister and grow spiritually. These are truly very unfavorable circumstances for the church of God.
People in the institutional church who do show spiritual growth do so more out of personal development than with the help of the “church.” Efforts to alter these conditions and tackle the issue yield minimal results, as the structure is inherently incompatible with the all-participating and functioning model of the house church. It is like trying to sew with a crowbar.
The mechanical methods of the institutional church fail because, no matter what they do, the chains that put the structure in place can never be shaken off. It is always there. Many leaders recognize the shortcomings in their structure and understand what the congregation needs. However, their attempts to make it available to the congregation within the structure do not work, and what they attempt usually “explodes” in their faces. We are specifically referring to cell churches, cell groups, and similar structures.
Gene Edwards, a very well-known American author who was active in planting house churches, says that he was once approached by institutional church leaders to teach them how to plant house churches. The seminar arranged for this purpose was for the leaders of the denominations, who would all come for training. However, they wanted Gene to give them the assurance that the denomination would still maintain control over these house churches. They wanted Gene to explain what control measures they could implement to ensure they still maintained authority. This condition or requirement was crucial to these church leaders, but it stopped Gene in his tracks.
He was obliged not to accept the invitation. The whole exercise would have been a waste of time. Even if the planting of these house churches had been carried out according to Bible-based principles, the control mechanisms of the denomination concerned would have curbed and crushed it.
The organic church does not have these negative mechanisms and structures that so mercilessly undermine the institutional church. That is why spiritual growth is dynamic. People who have left the organized church to become part of a house church congregation cannot get tired of talking about the experience. On the contrary, in house churches, spiritual growth is certain because all the circumstances are so favorable for it. It cannot be stopped.
Spiritual growth occurs automatically, similar to how a plant grows without intervention. We plant the seed, and a few days later we see that it has sprouted overnight, and it continues to grow unabated into a large tree. Why does it work that way? Because just like in nature, spiritual growth cannot be stopped when all the raw materials are perfectly available.
The Scriptures clearly outline the essential elements required in the church of God to foster spiritual growth. No, it is not preaching. I have already mentioned somewhere in this manual that the sermon is the most overrated act in the institutional church. It has far less spiritual value than the children of God have attached to it over the years. Yes, it can be beautiful, and it stirs our insides, and we love it. The sermon has its “wow” moments. However, the reality is that the sermon is “ice cream” and all sorts of “goodies” on the Christian’s plate of spiritual food. The inherent problem with the traditional institutional “sermon” is the following: It calls the child of God to action, it breaks down certain truths, it explains symbolism in the Bible, it tries to mobilize the children of God, it nudges, it tries to motivate, but it also brings a feeling of “I have to perform” and often feelings of guilt: “I am sitting on my laurels, but there is work to do”, “I have to get up and do”, “without works faith is dead”. It all sounds appealing, but it does not work in practice. It merely brings mental knowledge and produces soul reactions. After the “wow,” everyone goes home, and tomorrow everything is forgotten. It is, at its core, just theoretical knowledge.
Through the sermon, the institutional church provides instructions to the children of God, but three very important elements are absent: it does not show the saints what to do. It does not show the saints how to do it, and the church does not have the structures in place to practically carry out these “instructions.”
Two alternative and very important elements are essential: Practical training and the opportunity to apply what you have learned. The consequences of the institutional church’s method of equipping (the sermon) can still be described in the words of Hosea 4:6; although the children of God are sitting in the pews warm and crammed full of theoretical knowledge, they still perish due to lack of knowledge. Why? True equipping is not merely theoretical schooling.
The child of God is not taught practical skills. To be properly equipped, the child of God must follow in the footsteps of Jesus with his brothers and sisters. This is the “eyes focused on Jesus” with the towel and dish in his hands. It is a way of life that is taught, not a five-point method or action plan.
If preaching does not promote spiritual growth, what does it promote? Scripture is very clear on the matter. It is something of infinitely greater value than preaching; it is the God-given method of spiritual education in the church:
Ephesians 4:16
From whom the whole body, joined and knit together by the working of every part according to the proper working of each part, makes for the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
Here we see in black and white that the whole body promotes the growth of the body. How? Through the support that each member provides through the operation of each separate part in its measure. How? The all-functioning and participatory nature of each part or member of the body contributes to its overall function. The all-functioning way of life of the children of God is evident during meetings and in their daily shared community life.
What each member does through the operation of the Holy Spirit promotes growth in the body of Christ. What each member does supports the body. It is built into the body. The physical body actually grows according to the instructions in the DNA that controls cell growth.
Each body part functions according to these DNA instructions. It is built into the cells of the body. This is how God also put the body of Christ together. Just as a natural body becomes healthy and strong when all its parts function, so healthy spiritual growth occurs in the congregation when all its members function.
To replace the shared community life and the all-functioning ministry of the saints (congregation) with the ministry of the pastor (preaching) is to cut off the body’s esophagus, amputate the left leg, and remove both arms. What chance does such a body have of growing up healthy and strong?
In the house church, the body functions normally. All the members of the body function, and the body is in a very healthy state. Therefore, healthy spiritual growth is a given. That being said, one should not assume that there are no problems in house churches. No, there are definitely growth problems in the house church that need to be identified and resolved to ensure consistent growth.
What growth problems does the house church congregation experience?
To answer this question, we must first know what “spiritual growth” really is. What does it mean to be a fully grown adult child of God?
What does Paul mean when he says we must come to the full stature of Christ?
To answer these questions, we must obviously look to Jesus. Who and what is Jesus?
Jesus was absolutely focused on pursuing sanctification.
He was obedient in everything that Father required of him.
He adopted the attitude of a servant.
He only said and did what He saw the Father do and what He heard the Father say.
He had a humble attitude and never defended himself.
His trust was absolute in the Father, and He relied on nothing and no one except the Father alone.
He had a strong faith in the omnipotence and power of the Father.
He knew that the Father exists and that the Father rewards those who seek Him.
He had a strong faith in the love of the Father.
He knew who and what He was in God.
He knew that He stood before God in perfect righteousness.
He knew that victory was guaranteed in all areas of his life.
Jesus knew that He could do all things through the Father who gave Him strength.
He knew it was more important to show the Father’s nature than to show God’s power.
The fruit of the Spirit was in Him, and He always demonstrated it in His actions and walk. He allowed the Father to live in Him and through Him.
He encouraged people, prayed for them, taught them, provided assistance where needed, healed them, cast out demons, fed them, interfered with them, released prisoners, and made the blind see.
Jesus, like us, had to master all these things. He was not God on earth but man. The things were not just perfect in Him. No, Jesus also had to grow spiritually and become better and stronger in them. Luke 2:52 confirms this:
And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.
The child of God must also realize that all of these things apply to him if he wants to grow spiritually:
We must also focus on pursuing sanctification.
We must be obedient to everything God requires of us.
We must adopt a servant’s attitude.
We just need to say and do what Jesus said and did.
We must always be humble and never defend ourselves.
Our trust must be absolutely in God and rely only on Him alone.
We must have a strong faith in the omnipotence and power of God.
We must know that God is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
We must have a strong faith in the love of God. We must know that Father loves us just as much as He loves Jesus.
We must know who and what we are in God.
We must know that we stand before God just as perfectly in righteousness as Jesus stands before Him.
We must know that victory is guaranteed in all areas of our lives.
We must know that we are capable of all things through Christ, who gives us strength.
We must show God’s nature more than His power.
The fruit of the Spirit is in us, and we must always demonstrate it in our actions and walk.
We must encourage people, pray for them, teach them, provide assistance where needed, heal them, cast out demons, feed people, engage with them, release prisoners, and make the blind see.
We must demonstrate the characteristics of God as a family within our spiritual community.
The above list, however, can be summarized in one sentence: The image of Jesus Christ is established in us. Spiritual growth in us, therefore, has everything to do with the growth of the image of Christ in us. He becomes more, and we become less. This is true spiritual growth. This is a true all-participating and all-functioning ministry.
The day the church fully realizes that they stand in the same anointing, power, and righteousness of Jesus Christ, that day the sons of God will come forth in victory. Spiritual growth is to be like Jesus. It is to allow Jesus to live in us and through us. It is not only possible and obtainable but self-evident if we just do what we must do. It only takes obedience, dedication, and diligence. God will never expect anything from us that cannot be done. We possess the DNA of God in us; we possess the nature of God in us, and we are capable of all things through Him who provides us strength.
However, we cannot walk this path alone like Christ. We need the support and help of our brothers and sisters in Christ, and together we can achieve it. It is then a certain outcome. The victory is assured, guaranteed, and already written in the record books of heaven!
Together we can grow into a mature son in Christ. Together we can support, motivate, help, encourage, and teach each other until we all come to the full stature of Christ, as Ephesians 4:13 affirms.
The Different Stages of Growth
There are essentially four stages of development that a house church congregation must go through before it reaches maturity. The willingness of each member to change and allow the Holy Spirit to change him or her plays an important role in this regard. The faster each individual dies to self and the faster the congregation together as a corporate bride in unity seeks and finds the image of Jesus Christ, the faster they “grow” through these stages.
The Honeymoon Phase
The first stage is usually the honeymoon phase. During this phase, everything is “hunky-dory” in Utopia. Everything is just fantastic. Everyone is filled with love for one another, and everything is going smoothly. There is a wonderful unity and a sweet and rich experience with Jesus and with each other. Especially the older Christians who have left the institutional church are very excited and surprised by the freedom they experience in Christ. They fall in love with Him again as they were when they first met Him. Everyone enjoys this wonderful phase of growth and development, and they couldn’t be happier. It is as if there is no end to the joyful togetherness and blessings of God.
The Trials Phase
And then, out of nowhere, there are suddenly problems in Utopia. No one expected it, and no one saw it coming. This test or trial immediately throws the young congregation into a panic, causing them to experience an intense emotional remorse akin to a baptism of fire. The trial phase has arrived. Usually, the test or trial ranges from mild to severe. It can be very traumatic and even turn into a “bloody war”. There can be many reasons and causes for such a trial. These tests will occur in all house congregations. Without these tests, the congregation cannot grow. These are the building blocks for character building in the individual as well as in the congregation itself.
It can be compared to a marriage. The husband and wife suddenly realize that they have a lot of “issues” to work through. All sorts of events and trauma in each person’s past, as well as fleshly works and who knows what else in each congregation member’s life, are suddenly awakened within him or her, and he or she has to deal with them. The same principle applies to the house church congregation.
Sometimes there are misunderstandings or incidents that test people’s spiritual maturity a little. When we accepted Jesus, we received the Divine nature. We became partakers of his ability. We can be like God because his blood (DNA) flows in our veins. However, we need these crises in our lives so that his nature can develop in us through knowledge, self-control, patience, and brotherly love. 2 Peter 1:4-7 says it so clearly:
…so that through this you may become partakers of the divine nature…And for this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith virtue and to virtue knowledge and to knowledge self-control and to self-control patience and to patience godliness and to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things are in you and abound, they make you neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In the midst of the struggle, these tests and trials are anything but pleasant. They have the potential to disintegrate the young congregation. In such a case, the more serious consequence is that there are usually only a few people who are “hurt” in the process and are no longer keen on going to or being part of a church. This process is where the wheat is separated from the chaff.
God uses this type of trial to separate the pearls from the stone. He also reveals in the process what is inside you. If this type of trial does not come, you will never know about the “flesh” in you that needs to be “washed out.” God wants to purify each of us in our faith and in our relationship with Him and with other people. He wants to make us like He is. This trial is the furnace of purification. It burns out all the impure metals from us until only the gold remains.
The gold of the Spirit, true faith, and the divine nature are in those who submit themselves to this purification process by dying to themselves. They are the ones who accept and yield and settle and make peace. You must address the demands that your brothers and sisters sometimes make. How are you going to handle it? These “purified” children of God are not hurt at all in the process. They survive it without suffering emotional damage. Submission to God and his will always brings healing, resignation, peace, and victory. Even if it doesn’t feel that way in the midst of the struggle.
Hurt, when analyzed, is of course a sign of spiritual immaturity. It’s sad when people are hurt, but it’s worse if it was for no reason. I think it’s impossible to be hurt if you’ve completely died to yourself and are living in faith.
What exactly is hurt? How does one get hurt in a congregation? Someone did or said something you didn’t like. Someone gossiped about you and insulted you. You didn’t get your way. Whatever it is. You were innocent and were wronged. “So what?” “Get over it”! The Scriptures say very clearly that we should forgive 70 times seven times.
In the house church congregation, something like this can easily happen. Everything I have mentioned here, and much worse, happened to Jesus Christ. He was slandered, cursed, gossiped about, insulted, beaten, and scolded as demon-possessed. What was his attitude when he was being persecuted? “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” We can say the same about Stephen. He uttered the same words while he was being stoned to death. This is one of the greatest signs of spiritual maturity. If we can act like Stephen, “we are getting over it while it is happening,” not even years later.
When a church breaks up in a crisis phase, you always end up with two groups of people. One group withdraws and licks its wounds. They are completely disillusioned and shocked and hurt to their core. They are frustrated with God and everyone around them. They want nothing to do with the church and usually fall back into their faith. Some literally take years to regain their trust in the church and in God. Some never do. They are done with church. These are truly spiritually immature people who act like this.
The other group is a little sad about the unwanted event but is already starting to talk to each other to start a new group again. Hopefully it works out well this time. Their trust in God, his children, and his congregation remains intact. They know where the blame really lies: in the flesh. They now know what can happen if the flesh is not crucified. They have just seen the destructive consequences of the “own self”. They blame the flesh in them and repent when they realize it.
They do not look fixedly at the flesh of their brothers and sisters. This does not discourage them either. They know that an unfading crown awaits them if they press forward steadfastly in faith through all the storms and setbacks. On the contrary, they are stronger now than they were when they started. The struggle was not in vain.
Of course, there are congregations that do not experience a honeymoon at all. These congregations immediately enter a baptism-of-fire phase. However, if the congregation successfully survives this baptism of fire, then the congregation moves on to the next growth phase, the crucifixion phase.
The “Taking up the cross” phase
In the trial phase, the congregation realized that they could not become stuck there. However, they learned that there is a crucial phase in a child’s life that they can no longer avoid.
We call it the “taking up the cross phase”. The congregation now voluntarily chooses to make the dynamic of the trial phase their own permanently. They realize that avoiding it is like choosing not to grow.
Luke 9:23
And he said to all, “If anyone wants to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
Luke 14:27
And whoever does not carry his cross and come after Me cannot be my disciple.
To follow Jesus in his resurrection and in his victory, you must first follow Him to the cross. The congregation must first learn to experience the cross of Jesus together. Together they die to themselves every day. The flesh, the self, physical comfort, one’s own preferences, and a multitude of human characteristics, traits, and qualities must be crucified daily. Everyone grits their teeth and lets go of all these things that rob them of a victorious, Spirit-filled, Godly life together as individuals but also together as the family of God. They know that if they want to overcome and share with Jesus in the victory of his resurrection, then such a sacrifice is necessary.
I am not suggesting that everyone should live in poverty and deny themselves all kinds of things. No, we are children of kings; we live in victory because our God takes care of us. We can trust Him for physical provision. The Scripture says that we should not be anxious about anything. Ask, and you will receive. Cast all your worries on Jesus because He takes care of you. In Him we lack nothing because He provides for all our needs. No, I am talking about accepting, serving, and loving your fellow believers as Jesus did. I am talking about sacrificing your desires, opinions, and comfort when your fellow believers require it or when circumstances call for it.
Place everything on the altar that is not from God. It is especially in the shared community life that all these things are exposed and purified. Everyone learns his lessons. Everyone recognizes the flesh and crucifies it. One accidentally “bumps” the other and the flesh jumps out. When one person speaks about another, the flesh reacts. One accidentally forgets about the other, and the flesh jumps out. It is precisely this shared community life that is the building block of spiritual growth. Without it, we can forget about growing spiritually.
It is in this phase that the questions repeatedly arise. When you witness the exposure of the flesh or become aware of it, you ask yourself every time: Am I willing to give it up? Am I willing to lose? Am I willing to die in myself? Am I willing to be the least?
“Am I going to fight for it?” is, of course, not the solution. Even if you are right. And so God expects us to nail everything to the cross: our opinions, our ideas, our temperament, our ministry, our gifts, our agendas, and ultimately ourselves. If everyone in the group does not do their part, they will not all survive in the group. With this phase, the focus is on the interests of the group and not on those of individuals.
The shared community life can only work if the congregation lives together like a family. They share each other’s lives throughout the week. The congregation experiences both the good and the bad together. They rejoice with one another and cry with one another. One suffers when the other suffers because they make themselves responsible for each other’s problems. However, they also celebrate with each other because they share in each other’s joy. People, believe me, there is no other way to a true worship life.
The work of the cross is essential to take both the group and the individual to spiritual heights they have never experienced before. This phase is what propels the group into the next stage, similar to how a spacecraft launches and sends its cabin into the sky.
The victory phase
We call the next phase the “Glory of Christ” phase or the “Overcoming” phase. This is where the group learns to live by the indwelling Christ. Jesus lives in us and through us, and we release Him into this world so that every eye sees Him in us. The congregation has worked in obedience by “fire,” and now they see the fruit of God. They build rich relationships with each other, and they will sacrifice their lives for each other. Jesus reveals Himself to them in a way they have never experienced in their lives. God is with them, and everyone sees it, knows it, and experiences it.
There is an anointing on their gatherings, and the world sees the love they have for each other. Only Jesus is lifted up in their presence. Nothing and no one else. They have profound relationships, and there is no room for religion. Conflict comes and goes, crisis situations are handled, people die in themselves, people become obedient to all the demands made of them, Jesus’ character is firmly built into them, and their faith has truly attained steadfastness in all patience. They are mature sons of God, and they reign with Christ. When people look at them, they see only Jesus. The flesh is dead.
The congregation does not remain constant in this phase. They go through all the phases again in a continuous cycle, except for the honeymoon phase. This time, however, they are a mature congregation that knows what to expect in each phase. They only become a stronger and closer unit in the process. They have succeeded in bringing God down to the people of this lost world in a dynamic way. Truth, peace, freedom, healing, salvation, hope, faith, and love are in their midst and in their hands.
Spiritual growth occurs during all phases. It’s just on different levels and dimensions, and it doesn’t always feel that way. Some growth phases are enjoyable, while others are challenging. When it comes to numerical growth, there is also a definite trend. During the fun phases, the honeymoon and the victory phases, people are always cheerful. During trials, crises, and the crucifixion phases, the congregation loses members. This phenomenon occurs in most situations.
In the institutional church, there are no growth phases because the organized church is not a living organism. It is a mechanically manufactured product that reflects how the manufacturer assembled it. The institutional organizational structures maintain everything, and very little change occurs. It cannot really change. The manufacturer may make an improvement to one of the mechanisms now and then, but that is about it. The people inside this “structure” do not go through any growth stages as a group. As I said: They are “planted” in a dark place with no “water, nitrogen, and nutrition”.
Multiplication of house church congregations
I am not going to say much about this aspect of growth in the house church congregation. It can happen that a house church becomes so large that even the largest room in the congregation’s largest house is no longer large enough to comfortably accommodate the congregation members. In such a case, multiplication must certainly take place.
If all members of the congregation can still actively participate and function, such a step is unnecessary. I am, in a sense, convinced that 12 members in a congregation is probably Biblically the ideal number when it comes to the size of a proper house church congregation. When people are starting to become passive, it is time to multiply. However, the second breakaway group’s foundation must be ready. Also, never multiply purely as an act of Yes, we know that with aggressive evangelism. We do need more house churches to accommodate the new converts, but the balance should be carefully addressed. The leading of the Holy Spirit is crucial when it comes to these aspects of growth in the church.
Apostles and evangelists should plant a new church rather than overpopulate existing house churches with new members unless the church is tiny. Rather, it is the church members themselves who add new members to their congregations. The guidance of the Holy Spirit regarding multiplication is crucial. We should not do it before the time is right.
Spiritual seasons in the house church
The congregation must go through all four seasons. We cannot just experience nice summer months during which everything is easy and pleasant. If we never experience winter, we will never know what we are capable of and how God saves us from situations and carries us through trials. How will we ever be able to appreciate and measure the value of our faith and spiritual victories if we have not braved a few defeats and unfavorable circumstances?
We also need autumn to scale back somewhat in terms of our spiritual activities. Autumn is a season of preparation for spiritual and physical rest. It is not as cold and ugly as winter, but still we experience a sense of compensation within us. We must take stock. We must evaluate where we are going and what we are doing here. Are we still on the right path? Do we need to make adjustments? God does not want us to always rush forward and never be a little calm. This is very much needed in our lives.
Summer, with all its activities, exhausts a person. Spring brings a little color and freshness into our midst. It excites us to look forward to more in Christ. People are afraid of change, and they don’t like it. However, it takes us out of our comfort zones. That’s why winter must come too. It’s not nice, but we have to experience the winter months. There must be variety. It brings new dimensions into our relationships. It brings out positive qualities in us that need to be expressed and instills beneficial traits that we should possess. That’s exactly what the seasons do.
Seasons are, of course, totally unpredictable. We don’t know when it’s coming, and we don’t know what’s coming until it hits us. And if it hits us, then we just have to deal with it. It’s not going to help us cry about it.
The winter seasons are times when nothing seems to work out. We feel like we are going nowhere, and we face one crisis after another. People leave the congregation, and we become fewer. There are no exciting prospects, and everyone feels like throwing in the towel. Yes, there must be times like these. This moment is where faithfulness, patience, long-suffering, and self-control are tested. This moment is where motives are tested, superficiality is shed, and faith is refined like gold.
Look at the emotions Paul must have experienced at times. We read about them in 2 Corinthians 1:8:
For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of our affliction, which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life.
It was so hard for Paul and his companions that it felt beyond their ability. At one point, they were completely hopeless about their chances of survival.
This is where everyone just holds on and keeps going. We just cling to Jesus, we submit ourselves to God, we resist the enemy, and we die to ourselves. We are sifted, and we are weighed: “Are we going to fall?” is the question that flashes through your mind. “Are we going to be found wanting?” You see how people, from whom you did not expect it, give up and make themselves miserable. This is the path of faith in the house church. Dynamic, fulfilling, challenging, emotional, enjoyable, exciting, demanding, sweet, and bitter—absolutely a must if you want to live a victorious life in Christ and live very close to your God.
Oh, summer is great! New members are joining in droves; things are going wonderfully, everyone is growing, and everyone is feeling exuberant with joy. Who would have ever thought that it could be so godly? This is precisely why we stuck with it. Now we are reaping the fruits of our labor and our hardships. God is good, and He is faithful. We live in so much gratitude and joy that it feels as if our insides are about to burst open!
It is then that we realize that winter has come to question and confirm these facts about ourselves, our motives, and the shortcomings of our abilities. It only brings us back to the realization of who and what we are in Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:7
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us.
Yes, winter has exposed us, but it has also rewarded us with wonderful spiritual blessings, such as making this verse your own.
There are also dry seasons, desert experiences, wind, dust storms, and sand in our eyes and in our hair, and who knows what else? Our lips are chapped, and we thirst for water. There is almost no working of the Spirit in the meetings. People testify, but it doesn’t really touch us. There is no depth, and we hardly hear God at all. Yes, that can happen too, but once again we just have to push through the dust storms. God is faithful. Just ask the right questions, and you will get the right answers. The dry season will clear up. It comes, just like all the other seasons, from God. He brings it, and he takes it away. It is there for a reason. We don’t go through it in vain. Everything always works together for our good. We will survive it once again, and we will reap the fruits of it. Victory always breaks through. That is how God works.
The wet season is the most wonderful of all seasons. There is a Spirit working in our meetings like never before. People are getting healed. God speaks to us more clearly than ever. We cannot stand upright in His presence. It is as if we are experiencing a revival. No one wants to go home, and we are basking in our love for Him and for each other. We are filled with His unconditional, never-ending love.
Stay motivated despite challenges.
As you can see, there are truly wonderful times, but also more difficult times, in the growth phases of the house church congregation. That is how it should be. That is how God designed it because that is how He builds His will, character, and God-given qualities into us. Don’t shy away from it. Don’t hesitate or be afraid of it. The outcomes of a God-ordained spiritual family life are immeasurably rewarding. You will be so grateful and so fulfilled in your deepest being.
Your love and your hunger for Jesus Christ will only grow more and more and bigger and bigger. These growth processes will precisely eliminate religion and its pitfalls from your system. Your outlook on life, your opinion about people, and your entire value system will change drastically. Your thoughts and the way you think will change. For the first time in your life, you will be a normal person who functions and lives as God ordained.
This is where you will realize the influence the institutional church has truly had on your life. You will develop a love for people you didn’t know was possible. You will experience true “agape” love. You will see the principles you read in the Scriptures clearly in your life and in the church. You will be certain that what you are experiencing is the genuine application of Scripture. All the pieces of the puzzle will fall into place before your eyes, and it will be so liberating.
You will definitely no longer be a prisoner of human methodology, prescriptions, and traditions. No, you will be free. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. The informal lifestyle of the house church will suit you perfectly, as it aligns with the way God has designed his children. Simplicity, openness, innocence, and unsophistication are godly qualities. This is how God is, and this is how we are. You will experience much more joy and enjoyment in your faith walk. The house church lifestyle is fun. No more chains, ties, or any bondage will be in your life. This is exactly what God had in mind for you.
However, it is important for you to understand what the house church family life is and what it entails. Don’t expect too much too soon. There will also be disappointments. People will sometimes fail you, and you will experience unwanted conflicts with people. These are the tests that you have to go through. Someone may criticize you without offering a better suggestion than you, and you may do the same to them.
Don’t be afraid to walk the path. Be brave; it’s a God-given life after all. Don’t be afraid of failure. It’s going to happen, and you’re going to learn from it. Don’t be afraid to expose yourself to your brothers and sisters. It’s surrender. It’s the path to spiritual victory. Don’t be legalistic. Be patient, be open to change, be willing to be persuaded. Be willing to accept strange things. Don’t force all your ideas, preferences, and beliefs onto the group. Don’t say no to everything. Only do this when the proposal completely contradicts your beliefs. If you propose, you must be willing to take responsibility for it and follow through on it. Don’t be afraid to be creative and take a little risk.
Don’t be afraid to talk and participate more if you are an introvert. On the contrary, you should suppress your introverted tendencies by doing just that. Be willing to talk and participate less if you are an extrovert. Remember, introverts actually want to participate but need to be encouraged. Extroverts need to give introverts a chance. Be sure to solicit their opinions. This will help them participate. Make a point of nicely quieting extroverts a little so that introverts can also get a chance.
Don’t be fanatical about a certain subject. This is usually a sign that it is hopelessly too important to you. There must always be a balance with everything. Remember, the weekly meeting belongs to Jesus and the Holy Spirit. It is not there to meet our needs. Our meetings are not like the care groups that popped up a few years ago. If that were the case, it would be a carnal ministry and not of much value. Learn to be receptive to the Spirit’s work in the meetings. This is not your meeting. The Spirit wants to work through everyone. Leave your special teachings, interests, and spiritual hobbies at home. I am thinking especially of end-time teachings and such. There are much more important things to share than that.
The manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit
The gifts of the Spirit can never be forced. The Holy Spirit is in control of them, and we must obey. Yes, we must strive for the gifts, but we must also obey by flowing in the Spirit. Yes, we must also step out in faith when it comes to the gifts of the Spirit. It is precisely in relation to the gifts of the Spirit that Paul refers when he says that God did not give us a spirit of fear but of love, power, and self-control.
Please never judge and torture yourself if you have erred regarding the gifts of the Spirit. Apologize, move on, and continue. It’s like learning to ride a bicycle. You are not going to fall off the bicycle on purpose. You’re also not going to stop once you’ve fallen off, are you? How else are you ever going to learn?
When a congregation is young, the gifts of the Spirit are still underdeveloped, and we need to fill the void somewhat with other activities.
Great suggestions
Always start with praise and worship. It immediately creates a sacred atmosphere. It is divine protocol anyway. We should always “greet” and welcome God first when we get together. If a very important person visits us, we will most definitely make a bit of a scene welcoming such a person when we start. Why do we think it is OK to start without welcoming God first when we get together?
Attempt to share and discuss the content of this manual with everybody involved. Alternatively, download and share the Practical House Church Manual from the website. If everybody reads and gets themselves familiar with its content, it can help the group to grow much faster and quicker, for they will understand why things happen to them, and they will know how to address it.
Give everyone a chance to share their conversion testimony until everyone has had a chance to do so. Allow only one person at a time to share. Everyone should know about a week in advance when it is their turn so that they can prepare adequately.
Ask a little about it. It should not just be a short testimony. Learn about the person and their values, hobbies, and life goals. In this way, we begin to forge family bonds and promote shared community life. It is much more important to become a family in the first year than to chase all kinds of activities.
Provide two people the opportunity to sing their favorite spiritual song, play a CD, or sing with the congregation. Participants should explain why the song is special to them. This activity prepares everyone to serve each other with their talents and gifts and is very important.
Allow one or two people a chance to read and discuss their favorite Scripture passage. Have a group discussion. Do this until everyone has had a chance. This activity is also essential to teaching the congregation members to flow in the Spirit through the gifts of teaching, encouraging, and edifying.
Give one or two people the opportunity to share their aspirations for their lives. Ask students to share what they would like to do or become in the future. Even if the exercise was already done in the first session, it should be repeated. In this way, we learn each other’s aspirations and know what to pray for and what to encourage each other for.
If everyone has attended these sessions, the group knows each other well and can practice the gifts of the Spirit.
The Practical House Church Manual was written by ASR Martins
