Back to Session 6
Practical training in house churches
If the principles we have already discussed are foreign to you, do not be discouraged by them. We have all traversed that path, and today we reflect on it with gratitude and enthusiasm. Grateful because we know where we came from. Excited because we know where we are now and where we are going. The house church has many strange things, but it’s worth it.
The house church experience is so full of meaning and richness, and when you become a part of it, you experience a purposeful fulfillment in your life. The unusual eventually becomes familiar.
Like a Gideon, a David, and a Peter, we must sometimes step out in faith. We will not sink. God walks with us every step of the way. He is always looking for a man or a woman to make history with Him. “Do not fear, brave hero, for I am with you and I will support you mightily” are the words He says to each of us.
I begin the practical part of the manual by referring to some very well-known house church sayings:
The church is never a place but always a people; never a fold but always a flock; never a sacred building but always a believing assembly. The church is you who pray, not where you pray. The body of Jesus Christ is a community that expresses God’s nature. Christianity has no holy places, only holy people. We gather together so that the Lord Jesus Christ can manifest Himself in our presence in His fullness. The church is the earthly image of God. The church is a community in which all are gifted and all have ministry.
– Unknown
We are very likely to find the practical complications of the above quotes confusing. This is precisely because we have never been exposed to alternative ways of functioning. This manual presents so many facts that sound strange to our ears, making it hard for us to believe they are Scriptural.
In so many ways, religious tradition has shaped our minds. It’s captured our hearts. It’s framed our vocabulary. So much so that whenever we open our Bibles, we automatically read our current church practices back into the text. Whenever we see the word “pastor” in the Bible, we typically think of a man who preaches sermons on Sunday mornings. Whenever we see the word “church,” we typically think of a building or a Sunday-morning service. Whenever we see the word “elder,” we typically think of someone on a church board or committee.
– Frank Viola
Traditions can confuse us a lot. Sometimes it is hard to recognise the authentic from the corrupt or the word of God from human fables.
Many people don’t see the opportunity to start a house church. They feel that they are not trained to do it, which can lead to hesitation in participating in house church activities without proper guidance and support.
This manual is for you if you haven’t been in a house church before. House church “training” always takes place practically, and the ideal is that every church planter should be in a house church for an indefinite period of time, where he or she gains practical experience. However, because of the unavailability of experienced workers, such training is not always possible, and that is why God raises people who are willing to be a pioneer in this field. A pioneer is an individual who fearlessly and enthusiastically explores uncharted territory and creates a path where none exists. They are special people whom God is calling to do his will. These people are the Paulines and the Martin Luthers of today, but these people are also everyday people like you and me.
The alternative is then to use the “house church manual” and other help as outlined below to pave the way for others to follow. Eventually, future house church planters will receive practical training in the house churches, as it should be. A few guys take the bull by the horns, and they get the job done. They wrestle a little, they make a mistake here and there, they try again, and in the process, they do pioneering work. The path has been paved. Now others can follow, and the kingdom of God is built and expanded. The true “Ekklesia” of which all are participating and functioning ministers of God is born!
This is exactly what Paul and the other apostles did in the New Testament. First, the pioneers showed the way, and then others followed.
There was no formal education in the early church, nor should there have been. It was never instituted by God. Formal education in universities, colleges, and seminaries was instituted only very recently. The Protestant seminary was established in 1808, and the first Bible colleges were established in 1882. This is less than 200 years ago. In contrast, Jesus walked with the twelve disciples every day for three years, and in those three years, He taught them everything they needed. Education is not theoretical schooling. Education is practical experience lived out in the day-to-day interaction of the family of God, where individuals learn through shared experiences, mentorship, and community support. House churches today still adhere to this full-fledged school of learning from God.
We need to examine our vocabulary carefully. It is not enough to speak where the Bible speaks, but we must also speak as the Bible speaks. When we do, we will come to realize that ministry is not something done to the church but that which is done by the church – the whole church! Every Christian is a minister. One enters the ministry by coming into Christ. That which makes one a child of God makes him a minister of God. We do not go away to study to become ministers…You can no more make a man a minister of God by handing him a diploma than you can make him a priest of God by giving him a certificate. Men can make clergymen, and if they are made, men will have to do it, but only God can make us ministers of God, and He makes all of us His ministers because He is no respecter of persons.
– Karl Ketcherside
Why is practical training the ideal method of training? In the house church, everyone learns how to live the shared community life as the family of God. This life is lived out practically every day. We learn how to live. Theoretical information is of no use. On Sundays, they gather somewhere in a house where they eat the Lord’s covenant meal together and gather around the Lord Jesus. This is all personal interaction, practical experience and a “come I show you how we do it” way of life. The word of God plays an important role, and the implementation of that word practically equips the disciple to do the same. This is precisely how Jesus instructed his disciples. The word must be learned, but must be brought into context by the practical implementation of it in the environment that God created for it: the shared community life, where disciples can actively engage with one another and practically apply the teachings of Jesus in their daily interactions.
In reality, it is no different from what the disciples experienced when Jesus showed them the “Jesus life.” Today, the Jesus in us continues to show the world the “Jesus life.” The word of God is very important. Teachings and practical training, not only for all children of God but also for all disciples and the fivefold ministers in the house church, also take place in this way, emphasizing the necessity of relying on the word of God as the primary source of guidance and instruction. The Bible is very clear about the fact that it is the Holy Spirit who teaches us everything and that the word of God (the Bible) is sufficient as study material. Jesus did not teach all kinds of books. He taught the word of God.
1 John 2:27
And the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you, but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and is true and is no lie, and as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
1 John 2:20
And you have the anointing of the Holy One and know all things.
John 6:63
It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Matthew 23:8-12
But you, do not be called “Rabbi,” for one is your teacher, the Christ, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth your father, for one is your Father, who is in heaven. Nor be called teachers, for only one is your teacher, the Christ. But the greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
2 Timothy 2:15
Study to present yourself approved to God, a workman who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
2 Timothy 3:14-17
But continue in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto every good work.
From the above Scriptures, it is very clear what God’s instructions are regarding the training and development of full-time or part-time workers in his church. It says very clearly that we need two important “elements”: The Holy Spirit and the Bible. Nothing else! Teaching in the spiritual church of God is always only Jesus Christ (through the Holy Spirit) and his word. The institutional church teaches its members a variety of subjects, making the process of teaching within the institutional church quite complex.
The Scriptures are sufficient to equip every man thoroughly for every beneficial work. We must therefore know the Scriptures. We come to know the Scriptures by reading and studying them. We ask the Holy Spirit to open the word to us and reveal the truth. The Holy Spirit teaches us, and we do not need anyone else to teach us (although the Bible says that the Holy Spirit is sufficient regarding teachings, it also does say that He appointed teachers in the church as part of the fivefold ministry to help us as well, to make sure that our own limitations do not hinder the Holy Spirit). This has been enough all these years. Do not let traditions and fear teach you otherwise. God is faithful, and He does what He has promised. The Holy Spirit will not teach you wrong. You are able by the grace of God to learn the truth, know the truth, and rightly divide the word.
Only the church leaders can answer why they established training centers 200 years ago to teach intellectual knowledge theoretically. The Bible was no longer enough for them. All kinds of human-written books and human teachings that promote the “institution” and protect and control the “institution” have been taught since then and still are today. The institutional church needed to take this step.
The Scriptures were written to a living organism, the church, the body of Christ, or the bride of Christ. It is a living, breathing organism, and the Holy Spirit dwells in it. The Scriptural guidance and instructions are absolutely relevant and appropriate for the true church, as they provide essential teachings and principles that help the church fulfill its mission and grow in faith.
In contrast, the institutional church is a human institution or organization. Scripture has basically become irrelevant to the institutional church, leading to a disconnect between its teachings and the practices of the institution. The true church within the institutional church suffers from it, unfortunately. The true church within the institutional church is basically subordinate to the institution. The institution takes precedence because it must sustain itself.
If the organization collapses, everything collapses. To keep everything in place, very clear guidelines had to be put in place by the leaders of the institution, including protocols for governance, curriculum standards, and faculty responsibilities. This is where seminaries and Bible colleges came from. This is also the reason why alternative literature was brought in, as they provided additional theological frameworks and guidelines that supported the institution’s mission and values. Literature had to be put in place that controlled and protected the institution. This is also why church constitutions came into being. There have to be rules and regulations, otherwise everything hangs in a vacuum: “We have to tie our traditions and church activities to something, otherwise we are not anchored”.
Each denomination had to protect its interests, and rules and regulations specific to the denomination were put in place. These constitutions, rules, and regulations had to be passed down from generation to generation to ensure the survival of the denomination, and it is precisely here that training colleges were started 200 years ago.
God’s method of schooling and equipping is practical exposure to the community life of the saints (the family of God) and the teaching of the Word of God. Nothing less and nothing more. The Bible is absolutely relevant in all times and circumstances. When the Word of God is broken open by the Holy Spirit and the (Rhema), the revelatory word of God, is deposited in the spirit of man, then the living organism, the church, can only be complete in its development and spiritual growth process. She suffers no harm from not receiving the formal education required for professional careers.
The church is not a professional institution. It is a living organism. She grows up as a young, beautiful bride in spirit and in truth, and everything about her is beautiful and complete. She lacks nothing, and she is absolutely healthy. There is no defect in her. On the contrary, the school of learning that Jesus was sent to demonstrate to us is the perfect will of God for his church.
The Practical House Church Manual was written by ASR Martins
