Seven Characteristics of House Churches

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And why they are appealing to more and more believers

Elmer Towns, Ed Stetzer, and Warren Bird | posted 6/04/2008

Topics:	Community, House churches, Relationships
Filters:	Group Leader, House churches, Train
Purpose:	Discipleship
References:	Acts 2:46-47
Date Added:	June 04, 2008

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The New Testament uses faith as both a noun and a verb. When faith is used as a noun, it is a reference to a doctrinal statement of faith—a concept to internalize. When faith is used as a verb, it suggests action, such as trusting in God, obeying his Word, and so forth.

Most house churches do not ask members to sign a doctrinal statement of faith, nor do they usually teach their beliefs in structured classes. Correct doctrinal faith (the noun) is acquired as a member exercises inner faith (the verb). These occur as facets of a person's overall response to God.

Both living faith and doctrinal faith are important and necessary. However, which comes first? In house-church contexts, living faith that is nurtured in a community comes first.
Usually, a person's faith is formed through reading the Scriptures: "Then faith [comes] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17, NKJV). But a person also gains faith through interacting with God.

When the formation of faith occurs in community, new believers observe older believers following Jesus Christ and, in the same way, they follow Jesus Christ. Many young believers see the older believers step out in faith, and they follow the same example. Thus, their faith is both formed and nurtured in community under the influence of others. In community, young believers typically grow in their desire to serve God, and they begin to find places to serve him. Usually, they start with small tasks in a house church and then grow to greater areas of responsibility and accountability. Therefore, it is in community that young believers discover their spiritual gifts and calling.

4. House Churches Are Value-Formation Communities

As the community becomes important to a new believer, its values become contagious. New believers find themselves aligning with others in the group. If others in the group model honesty in their business dealings, the new believers begin to value honesty. The same happens with purity of heart, obedience to God, and service to other people.

Taken together, these values create a sense of self-identity: I am a follower of Jesus Christ. Over time, these values help people discover how they are growing: I am a fully committed follower of Jesus Christ.

5. House Churches Are Mentoring Agents

When new Christians enter a house church, they are not initially taught what to believe, nor are they taught how to practice the Christian life. These values and attitudes are assimilated through observation and non-verbal experiences, usually through one-on-one relationships. These mentoring relationships are need-driven rather than driven by the study of a prepared curriculum.

Because most house churches see themselves as a close-knit extended family, they often do not have formal statements of faith and practice—any more than we do with our biological families. New believers are accepted for who they are, but soon feel pressure (and hopefully desire) to assume the attitudes of others in the house church, to live the way others are living, and to prize the things the others value. As a result, it's usually not any one individual who leads them into acceptance in the house church; it is the community as a whole that becomes the mentoring agent.

6. House Churches Are "Belonging" Communities

The house church offers a network in which new Christians feel recognized for who they are, as well as for who they are becoming in Christ. Therefore, the house-church community becomes a powerful focus for influencing the lives of new believers.

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