House Churches Are More Satisfying to Attenders Than Are Conventional Churches

[HouseofJudah]

Hi All,

Just wanted to share this and get everyones feedback


House churches are more likely than conventional churches to satisfy the needs and expectations of their participants. That’s one of the key results of a new Barna study, which examines the house church phenomenon more closely. You’ll also discover what house churches typically do, who is involved, and how people immersed in a conventional church feel about house churches.


Levels of Satisfaction

Perhaps the most compelling insight from the national study was an evaluation of the levels of satisfaction of those who attend a house church compared with the views of adults who attend a conventional local church. Four aspects of people's church experience were gauged. Overall, people attending a house church were significantly more likely to be "completely satisfied" with their experience in each of the four dimensions examined.

Two-thirds of house church attenders (68%) were "completely satisfied" with the leadership of their church, compared to only half of those attending a conventional church (49%).

Two-thirds of the house church adherents (66%) were "completely satisfied" with the faith commitment of the people involved in their gathering. In contrast, only four out of ten people attending a conventional church (40%) were similarly satisfied with the faith commitment of the people in their congregation.

Three out of five house church adults (61%) were "completely satisfied" with the level of community and personal connectedness they experience, compared to only two out of five adults who are involved in a conventional church (41%).

A majority of those in a house (59%) said they were "completely satisfied" with the spiritual depth they experience in their house church setting. In contrast, a minority of the adults involved in a conventional church were "completely satisfied" (46%).
Most house churches (80%) meet every week, while 11% meet on a monthly basis. The most common meeting days are Wednesday (27%) and Sunday (25%), while one out of every five (20%) varies the days of the week on which they meet.

The typical house church gathering lasts for about two hours. Only 7% meet for less than an hour, on average, while only 9% usually stay together for more than three hours at a time.

While most conventional churches follow the same format week after week, four of every ten house churches (38%) say that the format they follow varies from meeting to meeting. The proportion of home gatherings that typically engage in spiritual practices include:

# 93% have spoken prayer during their meetings
# 90% read from the Bible
# 89% spend time serving people outside of their group
# 87% devote time to sharing personal needs or experiences
# 85% spend time eating and talking before or after the meeting
# 83% discuss the teaching provided
# 76% have a formal teaching time
# 70% incorporate music or singing
# 58% have a prophecy or special word delivered
# 52% take an offering from participants that is given to ministries
# 51% share communion
# 41% watch a video presentation as part of the learning experience

Most house churches are family-oriented. Two out of every three house churches (64%) have children involved. Those churches are divided evenly between those who have the adults and children together throughout the meeting (41%) and those who keep them separated (38%). The remaining churches divide their time between having everyone together and having time when the children and adults are separated.

 

[Faithful Son]

Hi there brother, I moved your thread to the Church and Sermons section, I think it's more fitting here.

My input would be that it's an individual decision, like everything in life, this article could help some people to decide which church to attend, but I don't see it going further than that.

God bless
Much love
teraside

 

[stephen]

I have no quarrel with the figures. Some earn a living from compiling such, and figures are a useful tool when making a statement. A valuable source of info also, when pressing a point.

The important thing regarding churches, and what is said about them, is that we (Christians) always need to remember that Jesus is the centre. "I will build my church.......etc"

Where-ever, whenever, the saints of God meet together to magnify and to worship His lovely Name all else is secondary to Jesus. He is the Altogether Lovely, Master Supreme, Lord Paramount.

Saints of God meet together in all sorts of buildings, and in an array of different places. Comfortable in the West. Difficult, persecuted in other lands today.

"Its all about Jesus"

 

[Spreadtheword]

I prefer house church better.

 

[SpiritLedEd]

I have no quarrel with the figures. Some earn a living from compiling such, and figures are a useful tool when making a statement. A valuable source of info also, when pressing a point.

The important thing regarding churches, and what is said about them, is that we (Christians) always need to remember that Jesus is the centre. "I will build my church.......etc"

Where-ever, whenever, the saints of God meet together to magnify and to worship His lovely Name all else is secondary to Jesus. He is the Altogether Lovely, Master Supreme, Lord Paramount.

Saints of God meet together in all sorts of buildings, and in an array of different places. Comfortable in the West. Difficult, persecuted in other lands today.

"Its all about Jesus"

The primary thing is whether or not The Triune Godhead is preached and worshiped in truth. But, that probably won't happen if the people doing the preaching or leading the worship aren't anointed by God to perform those ministries. One sure way to run people out of a church is make them listen to dead sermons preached by people who do not have the gift of preaching.

Another reason for the decline in participation in some mainline denominations is entrenched heirarchial type bureaucracies that are separated from the people and isolated from them. People want and need spiritual leaders they can relate to and rub elbows with, not leaders who seem aloof and untouchable.

When Jesus died on the Cross the veil that blocked the Most Holy Place from the masses was torn in two top to bottom. God wants the curtain between us and him (and his ministers) removed permanently.

SLE

 

[Tonyb]

The Charismatic movement

Hi All,

House Churches do often fulfil a need that is not always met in some denominational churches. I speak from personal experience. I started out by being saved amongst the Baptists, I've spent time with the Christian Brethren, the Anglicans and most other Christian denominations. For 23 years I was involved with the House Church movement known also as the Charismatic movement here in England. I think I've probably seen house churches at their best and possible also at their worst. What really made the house churches successful was the annoting of the Holy Spirit. The Charismatic movement was born out of a revival. Smith Wigglesworth prophesied over a man called David du Plessis and told him he was to have a major roll in bringing Pentecost to the denominational churches. (See book, Man Called Mr Pentecost: by David Du Plessis .) For a brief but informative history of the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement see 'Baptised by Fire, The Story of Smith Wigglesworth,' by Jack Hywel-Davies. Published by Hodder and Stoughton One of the differences between the Pentecostal movement and Charismatic movement was God used the Charismatic movement to cross the denominational boundaries so that all manner of Christians no matter what the denomination were Baptised in the Holy Spirit.

I remember this well in the late seventies and early eighties when the House church I used to go to, had public meetings in a local theatre. This happened every few months, on a weekend. The people from the local churches, Anglican, Baptist, Catholic, whatever would come to these meetings. They would get Baptised in the Holy Spirit, healed – physically, emotionally set from demons. They would often bring alone their un saved loved ones, friends etc. and they would be born again; then they'd take Pentecost back to their own churches.

I've digressed quite a bit there I know, but there were several main reasons the house church movement worked. 1 was they were anointed by the Holy Spirit. 2 They followed His leading. 3 They met in small groups, 12 being about the optimum size for a house or cell group. Once you get a small group of like minded people together God can use them to shake the earth. I've seen it in a measure.

Matthew 28: 19, ... Therefore go and make disciples of all the nations..,

The cell group or house group phenomenon has now advanced into discipleship training groups. Some of the largest and most successful Churches in the world use some form of disciple group training. The largest and one of the most successful Churches in the UK, KT.ORG uses discipleship training and has hundreds of cell groups through out London. Pastor David Yonggi Cho, founder of Yoido Full Gospel Church, the largest Church in the world, uses a similar system.

Ultimately, I believe cell groups are of great benefit to any church denominational or independent Charismatic, but it's seeking the Lord's will within the group/church that makes it work. Abba Father, Hallowed by your Name, Your Kingdom come now, Your will be done in our cell group, as your will is done in Heaven... Amen

Blessings,
Tonyb

 

[SpiritLedEd]

Re: House Churches.............

Acts 2:42-47 shows that first century believers in Israel met in what could be called house churches. Also, the church I'm part of uses small groups as the seed bed for church planting. It seems to me that to be healthy, a congregation needs small groups.


SLE