House Church Q&R: Pt. 1

Written By Garden Church
 

At our OC Family Night, we received an influx of questions that come up when leading a House Church.

I went ahead and categorized and answered them with some additional resources here.

Many of these questions will receive a more robust response through future recordings and trainings.

I pray this empowers you to lead more intentionally and confidently.

 
 

On Facilitating House Church

  • "Teaching" can take a variety of forms in House Church. The main purpose is to read the Bible, engage with theology, and wrestle with how it gets lived out.

    You, as a leader, are empowered to discern what your HC needs in each season. Maybe your group needs help growing in prayer, then read a book on prayer and pray together. Maybe your group wants to learn how to read the Bible, so you lead them and train them in an Inductive Bible Study. Or maybe the Sunday sermon really resonates with the group, and they want to dive deeper.

    There is no one right way to lead the teaching. I expect you as leaders and those you empower to lead to take the initiative and do what feels right.

    •••

    Resources

    1. HC Curriculum

    Our Curriculum is optional but was intended to empower your House Church to go through a variety of topics together all intended to shape the individual and collective in discipleship.

    LEARN MORE


    2. FAMILY GATHERING RHYTHMS

    We have a PDF that gives further insight on how each part of the liturgy of House Church can flow. Use it as a guide for yourself and to help empower others to lead different aspects of House Church.

    LEARN MORE

  • I recommend pulling aside those who make much of politics during the family gatherings and making them aware that we want to keep Jesus at the center of House Church.

    We are a family in House Church, which means we make space for the uncles and aunts who may stir the pot. However, we want to make sure we guide everyone towards unity in spirit.

    That doesn't happen because everyone agrees, but through pointing everyone to mutual submission to our king Jesus.

  • Like the previous question, we will have family conflict and drama because House Church functions as an extended family.

    In the event of conflict, we ask everyone to follow Jesus' instruction in reconciliation (Matthew 18:15-19):

    1. Encourage the individual/party to approach the person or persons who have caused offense.

    2. If it still isn't resolved, set up a meeting where you as the House Church Leader are present with the parties.

    3. If it still isn't resolved reach out to your Overseer or the House Church Pastor to help facilitate reconciliation.

    A special note on gossip. Throughout the Bible gossip is consistently condemned as a sin, and is seen as the source of disunity and discord in the church. If you are aware of any gossip in your midst, as the House Church Leader you need to confront the source and bring an end to it. Make sure that person repents by reconciling with those who they were spreading gossip of.

  • House Church in it's pursuit of the four pillars of COMMUNITY, FORMATION, PRESENCE, and MISSION, will regularly make others uncomfortable.

    The introvert will be challenged to live missionally. The evangelist of the group will be challenged to be mindful of the community piece of House Church.

    As such, you cannot cater to everyone. The best we can do is be available to hear people's concerns and discomfort. Then out of humility bring it to the Lord. Maybe He may guide you to be more mindful where your House Church is at.

    At the end of the day, you are a servant of God's people, so do not hold on too tightly of "your vision" of House Church. However, you are entrusted as a leader to lead those in your House Church in the four pillars.

  • You, as a House Church Leader, are empowered to present and pursue the four pillars of COMMUNITY, FORMATION, PRESENCE, and MISSION. It is also your role as a leader to discern where the Lord may be asking you to prioritize your efforts.

    1. Regularly assess your House Church to see where their strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities to grow.

    2. Empower those in your House Church who feel particularly gifted in one of the pillars. You are not meant to do it all.

    3. Meet with your Overseer to get an outside perspective on the health of your House Church and what blindspots you may be carrying as the leader.

    As a House Church Team, we provide resources and training to help you feel confident in completing this task.

    VISIT: House Church Basics to find resources on the four pillars.

  • Be intentional when you recognize that people bring distractions to House Church.

    Often times people may not know that they are being distracting.

    After a meeting. Ask to pull them aside and bring attention to their behavior. Do it in a loving way that that you appreciate their voice and

  • The church is an extended family made up of brothers and sisters who all experience God differently.

    During your time together as a family, your main priority is to make Jesus the one we worship, pray to, and study.

    The beauty of House Church, that is different than any other gathering, is that everyone gets to play. As a leader, regularly make space to others to lead portions of the family gathering: communion, prayer, teaching, and worship.

    Empowering the different personalities to lead will regularly allow your House Church to experience God through the head and the heart.

  • Because of the extended family environment of House Church, many of us as leaders try to make everyone feel included and valued.

    While that is admirable, it oftentimes can limit the growth of your group.

    My encouragement is to set the course, empower those who get the vision, and to invite those on the fringes to join you.

  • We desire to be like the early church, to have "no needs among us."

    As a family, we can be quick to support those who bear burdens, either emotionally or financially.

    While we must remain patient, and create space for those who are suffering. We want to be a church community that points people towards wholeness.

    So whether pastoral care or financial care, we would encourage you to reach out to Garden to help you help those in your House Church.

    •••

    Resources

    GARDEN CARE PAGE

    Jesus always responded with deep compassion to all who came to Him. It is that same compassion that we partner with for the care of our community.

    Whether you are experiencing an unexpected emergency, grieving the loss of a loved one, or seeking guidance with one of life’s many challenges, we have a variety of ways to come alongside you.

    EXPLORE

  • House Church is an extended family environment, so we want to make sure we make parents with kids of all ages feel like they are welcome.

    Depending on your House Church situation, there are a variety of options:

    A. Volunteers & Break-outs: House Church can add a cycling volunteering opportunity where kids have a place in the family gatherings and also have their own breakouts.

    As leaders, take the extra step to purchase things to have on hand for kids to play with (coloring books, bubbles, or sidewalk chalk)

    B. Childcare: The House Church can pitch in to cover childcare for parents who want to leave their children at home.

    C. Incorporate Them: Find ways to let the kids like they too have a place to be themselves as part of the House Church environment. They can read scripture or open the time in prayer.

    There are many more options to choose from in how you incorporate children as part of House Church. Ultimately, prioritize in making parents and kids feel loved and appreciated for taking part and being present.

 

On Community

  • Just like any family environment that grows in number, we face the challenge of not being able to know one another as intimately.

    We would encourage your House Church to break up into smaller groups to answer questions and check in with one another.

    One option is to empower your House Church to meet with one another in smaller environments, what we call Discipleship Groups.

    LEARN MORE

  • The depth we create in a discipleship group answers that deep longing for us to know one another and be known. Unfortunately, any group has a level of exclusivity. However, we can use discernment when talking about a discipleship group.

    As these groups are around being vulnerable and transparent, there will be a level of intimacy and depth created between participants. That is okay, and we do not need to feel guilty for that.

    We should make sure however that we make time to be with those who are outside of our discipleship groups, whether it is at a Family Gathering or by participating in a more inclusive outing with others.

    Be intentional to not allow the discipleship groups to become your new center of gravity, allow House Churches to be.

  • One thing we do really well in church is protect any community we have. This is because we long for relationships, we value the connections we make, and we will keep anything from interrupting those relationships.

    This is beautiful, but it often may become a block for House Churches from growing missionally. When we feel safe with others we feel like we can become more vulnerable with one another, and when that happens it becomes harder for strangers to enter into that space.

    Give your House Church the vision as to why breaking up into smaller groups would be beneficial. Here are some options:

    1. During your Family Gathering you can invite men and women to break up into smaller groups of 3-5 for discussion and prayer.

    2. Give people homework to meet with others in the House Church for the purpose of being in a discipleship group. Maybe assign a few men and women to be the facilitators of the groups.

    If you need any additional help and strategy, please don't hesitate to reach out to the House Church Pastor or an Overseer.

 

On Formation

  • Garden Church's beliefs are publicly available on our website. Please visit our beliefs page. You can point others to this page as well.

    If you need any additional help understanding certain beliefs or how to explain them to your House Church, please contact Pastor Michael.

  • At Garden Church, we understand everyone is on their unique journey with Jesus and that over a lifetime, Jesus will be the one to draw them into a clearer vision of Him and the truth of who He is.

    False doctrine is anything that falls outside of orthodox Christianity, defined by the Apostle's Creed and the Nicene Creed. Garden Church's belief page falls under these parameters. Such beliefs include the diety and humanness of Christ, the Trinity, and the physical resurrection of Christ. Anything outside of these boundaries may be our personal beliefs or preferences.

    In our House Churches, we must expect that:

    A. People will believe different things
    B. Not everyone will agree with Garden or each other.

    As House Church Leaders, we encourage you to point people towards truth by speaking truth in your discussions, listening with wonder when others share, and then using discernment to bring alignment.

    If someone shares false doctrine, you must correct the theology in front of the group. Then, grab them for a follow-up conversation to understand and raise them further.

    Pastoral Note: We can often interpret someone processing something we may disagree with as a threat to our House Church. So our natural response is harsh rebuke or correction rather than further questions and wonder. You will see that creating a space where people can wrestle openly (while you affirm truth) will allow more space for the Holy Spirit to move in everyone's heart.

    In our Garden Beliefs, we have strong boundaries of how we prioritize unity by the Spirit: We believe in unity among the essentials and liberty among non-essentials. We embrace diversity of opinions and theology, finding it more edifying and Christ-like to build bridges when it comes to peripheral doctrinal matters (i.e., eschatological interpretations, Calvinism/Arminianism, etc.) versus drawing lines of division. Because of this, our volunteers and leaders are comprised of diverse theological backgrounds and are exhorted to be respectful and inquiring toward one another in the spirit of Christian unity.(Ps. 133:1, Acts 15:1-21, Eph. 4:3, Phi. 2:2, 2 Cor. 13:11)

 

On Presence

  • There are a variety of tools and practices that empower you to facilitate God's presence in House Churches.

    Garden offers Prayer Trainings regularly. House Church Handbooks have a few Exercises to try.

    However, to begin, make sure you watch our House Church Leader Training on the pillar of Presence.

  • House Churches should prioritize making space for God's presence, and expect Him to meet us when we gather as the church.

    When God does show up, we must stop business as usual. Don't rush to the next thing; pay attention to what He wants to do. If you feel Him during Communion, don't rush to worship. If you feel Him during worship, don't rush to the next thing.

    We also must recognize that no House Church gathering can contain all that God will do in our lives.

    Let us honor God and honor each other.

    When the Lord is moving, and the time may be going over, it is okay to end the night or to even allow others to go home. Allow people to linger if they want to stay, but do not make it a requirement.

 

On Mission

  • House Churches are designed to bring Jesus to the lost and the lost to Jesus. To be a disciple is to be sent out on mission!

    When trying to stir our House Churches towards mission, we must do a few things:

    1. Bring focus to Jesus
    Remind those in your House Church who Jesus is, how He has worked in their lives, and how He is wanting to reach those who don't know Him.

    2. Be Intentional
    Get together as a House Church regularly to pray for the "who" they are all called to. God's heart is for those who are lost, and like a good Father, He is pursuing those who don't know Him. We should be too.

    Use this sheet as a guide on how to begin your missional journey.

    MISSIONAL WORKSHEET

    3. Make a Plan
    Once you land on a missional expression meet together as a House Church and plan how exactly you will live together on mission.

  • Everyone is invited to House Church!

    This is where abundant life and discipleship get to be experienced. We want everyone to be in a House Church. However, we know that there will always be a waitlist to join from Garden Church. Once a House Church has increased through sign ups, I encourage all leaders to limit how many people they accept from Garden, in order to make space for those who aren't part of Garden.

    If your House Church is full, and cannot accept anyone from Garden or beyond, it may be time to consider multiplying.

  • Finding a "unified" mission is hard when you include everyone in your House Church in that process. Especially, because everyone has different passions and different network of relationships.

    Remember, your mission is a who not a what. When there is disunity in the mission, I would encourage you as the leaders of the House Church to land on a mission and go after it, inviting your House Church to join. Don't ask for permission.

    If you, as House Church Leaders, have questions regarding mission reach out to the House Church Pastor (michael@garden.church) or your Overseers to help.

 

On Empowering Leadership & Multiplication

  • Your priority as a House Church leader is to take care of your soul and your discipleship to Jesus.

    The best gift you will give to your House Church is a fully transformed self. Jesus will use your health and growth as a model for healthy discipleship.

    Our House Church team is here to help support and care for you and your House Church.

    To learn more about taking care of your soul (and how that impacts taking care of everything else), consider reading:
    1. Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership by Ruth Haley Barton
    2.     The Emotionally Healthy Leader by Pete Scazerro

  • One of the key charactersitics of a leader at Garden is humility. Meaning, a leader needs to teachable, approachable, and open to correction and is quick to serve and others oriented. They need to see themselves as defined by grace and nothing else.

    If you are discerning someone wanting to step into leadership for anything other than serving, then an intentional conversation is needed naming what you are observing.

    1. Obscure Tasks
    You can give people obscure tasks such as setting up or staying to clean. This is a great way to see if someone will be willing to serve before being seen.

    2. Offer Boundaries
    Someone who is humble will receive any boundary or correction, and they should be given the opportunity to course correct.

    If they change, then revisit the conversation with them! If not, then your clarity will be helpful in naming the boundary.

    As a leader, you need to be very clear to what you are asking of people, and what you aren't, and why.

  • Multiplication should be the goal of all House Churches, especially if there is health.

    There may be a few reasons to multiply:

    PRACTICALLY: You might have run out of room, and there is a need to make space both for community & mission.

    MATURITY: You have empowered leaders, discipleship is happening, and it just feels like the House Church has reached the 1-2 year mark and is ready to multiply.

    SENDING: As you raise up leaders, there may be a call for a different missional expression, or maybe to reach a different neighborhood. If the opportunity arises, it may be right to empower those leaders to multiply and start a different House Church.

    Regardless of the reason, multiplication can be hard, and be done in a way that honors the process and celebrates what Jesus is doing!

  • When we multiplying a House Church, you are partnering with God to raise up disciples, empowering new leaders, and making room for others. On the other, multiplication breaks up what we have come to know and love.

    In order to navigate the many tensions, I recommend a few things:

    1. Always keep multiplication on the table and in peoples vision. This shouldn't surprise your House Church. It should be something that is anticipated and expected.

    2. Once multiplication is imminent (need and leaders identified). Bring your House Church into the eventual plan to multiply.

      • Invite people to consider where they want to go. Encourage people to go with the new House Church in a way to honor and celebrate what is happening.

      • Invite people to pray for the new House Church.

    3. Celebrate & Honor multiplication as best as you can.

      • Plan a final date of your current House Church, where you will send those off. Make sure this last date is a huge celebration, go all out!

      • Then a month prior to the multiplication day, stop the normal rhythms. Start enjoying one another as a family. Make the last month together feel special for everyone together.

    If multiplication is seen as a celebratory act as a House Church, you will find it becoming a regular rhythm in the life of those who continue to be part of your House Church.

  • Empowering others requires intentionality if it will be done well.

    Identify other leaders, their gifting, and their capacity.

    Develop them by investing extra time and resources to raise them up to be the person you know them to be.

    Delegate tasks that you can observe. Empower others to take opportunities in leadership. Give them clear expectations of what you want and what authority they are carrying in these tasks.

    Coach others in the tasks delegated. Give clear feedback on what was done well and what could use work.

    Empower people in the gifts you recognize in them, and call them into being the kind of leader Jesus sees them to be.

 

Questions & Feedback

Submit any questions or feedback that need to be answered here. Whether it is for your on on behalf of those in those in your House Church, please use the form here or, email: michael@garden.church

Garden Church
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House Church Q&R: Pt. 2
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April 2024: A Resurrected Life