freetobeme Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 (edited) just curious on how to find a group meeting in a home when we don't know anyone who does this personally. none of us really want to go to church, but we don't want to not go to church either. any thoughts? thanks! Edited October 17, 2010 by freetobeme for clarity Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyDay Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 research. Find what you want: denomination or not big little family integrated or not programs or not youth group or not multiple services or not style: contemporary or traditional Then make calls, ask around, and visit. If you don't run out the side door, go back and visit again. And again. And again. If it doesn't totally turn me off first visit, I like to go back a few times. Most churches "put on a good face" for the visitors and new folks. It can take quite a few visits to get a good feel of the place. This is often not an easy process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freetobeme Posted October 17, 2010 Author Share Posted October 17, 2010 thanks for this, but please let me clarify: i meant a church that meets in someone's home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex-mex Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 thanks for this, but please let me clarify: i meant a church that meets in someone's home. We attend one that has been in existence for 6+ years. It started when a friend retired from being an assistant pastor for decades and was burnt out. He decided to start a bible study with a few friends and it took off from there. Our attendance is anywhere from 20-30 people who meet on Saturday evenings. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gooblink Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 :bigear: This has been something my heart keeps coming back to again and again. I'd love to learn more about home churching. How to start, what it *looks* like. My ideal "church" would include a few like-minded families, gathering to study the Word, fellowship, and sharing the love of Christ by serving the community. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
********* Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 :bigear: This has been something my heart keeps coming back to again and again. I'd love to learn more about home churching. How to start, what it *looks* like. My ideal "church" would include a few like-minded families, gathering to study the Word, fellowship, and sharing the love of Christ by serving the community. :) Yep. This is what we do. To the OP: to find a homechurch can be difficult. First of all, pray. The Lord will lead you where he wants you, if you ask him to. Second, the internet has some databases of homechurches; google around in your area. Third, you can always start your own. We have. Just invite any like-minded brethren you know over for a bible study and potluck. Homechurch, when done with the Lord at the center, is an amazing blessing to families. It's so natural. We gather, sing, study the word, eat, talk, share in eachother's lives. It's great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 First, pray! If you Google "family integrated churches" there should be a website with a state by state listing of churches, thar while not "home" based may be helpful. I would ask likeminded families where they go to church. When you find one who homechurches, ask to visit. We semi-homechurch (basically a home church in a building) and I love it. I hope you find a church home soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 I just googled "how to find a home church" and quite a bit came up. I know when we were doing our home church, we were interested in visiting others, too. I found out of many in our area, and I live in small town NH. Just be forewarned. Home church can have all the same issues that regular church does. We had one family who wanted to monopolize everything, and they got downright nasty. Issues still arise. But we were lucky because our family and the other hosting family (there were three but two of us got everything started) made a pact up front to be transparent with each other and to keep the lines of communication open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LND1218 Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 (edited) There are websites that lists some. Here is one. It's a little slow. There is another one out there too that is better. I can't remember it. I don't have it saved on this computer. Edited October 17, 2010 by Steph Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freetobeme Posted October 18, 2010 Author Share Posted October 18, 2010 thanks for all your comments and suggestions. i'm just kind of stuck and exploring the options! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 (edited) read books by Frank Viola and most definately peruse his site at www.ptmin. org (no spaces) FINDING ORGANIC CHURCH REIMAGINING CHURCH PAGAN CHRISTIANITY House2House is a website for homechurchers, too http://www.site.house2house.com/ Just beware-home church shouldn't be church at home, just like some of us shy away from school at home. Take the time and let it happen organically. Put it out there to God, that this is what you want, and you'll find likeminded people. It's taken me 8 years and a move (some move as a conscious decision to be closer to a community, but I moved because we knew that time in our life was done and we had a new thing to move into and we eventually found the house we 'knew' we were supposed to move into), but it's coming together and it's an amazing, beautiful thing. We don't live together, but I can walk to their houses and we live in community. They are my sisters and brothers and it's not just a title I give them, I love them as such. One called me the other day, "I can't get home from work, did you make dinner and can you feed my kids before play practice?" I was able to. Tonight everyone is coming here for dinner because we want to. When they're out they buy my kids clothes at the store because they see them. We live in community. My brother picked up furniture for me today. It's a constant thing, not just on Sunday. BUTBUTBUT--I didn't MAKE it happen. I prayed my heart out and I let God grow it in his time. And we hash out God together. :D that's the most fun part. The funny part-I saw our old Pastor at Costco today and as I got in the van to go home I was so relieved that I don't have 'that' anymore. Sometimes I ask myself, would I go back? There are a few churches around here--would I go back? Nope. I don't miss it one bit. There are also some homechurches that ..say, center around things, like only homebirths, only wearing skirts, or doctrinal issues that they've left church over and the 'church' they develop uses those issues as their center. You need to research, and then, have a church planter come and stay with you a bit (much like PAul did. Someone wit wisdom about how things go with homechurches. (That's the part we're working up to. We're almost there.) This is about Christ being the center, not a man, not a Pastor, not an issue. Edited October 18, 2010 by justamouse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freetobeme Posted October 18, 2010 Author Share Posted October 18, 2010 Just beware-home church shouldn't be church at home, just like some of us shy away from school at home. Take the time and let it happen organically. Put it out there to God, that this is what you want, and you'll find likeminded people. It's taken me 8 years and a move (some move as a conscious decision to be closer to a community, but I moved because we knew that time in our life was done and we had a new thing to move into and we eventually found the house we 'knew' we were supposed to move into), but it's coming together and it's an amazing, beautiful thing. We don't live together, but I can walk to their houses and we live in community. They are my sisters and brothers and it's not just a title I give them, I love them as such. One called me the other day, "I can't get home from work, did you make dinner and can you feed my kids before play practice?" I was able to. Tonight everyone is coming here for dinner because we want to. When they're out they buy my kids clothes at the store because they see them. We live in community. My brother picked up furniture for me today. It's a constant thing, not just on Sunday. BUTBUTBUT--I didn't MAKE it happen. I prayed my heart out and I let God grow it in his time. And we hash out God together. :D that's the most fun part. this is beautiful! i am in a transitional time in my life anyway - and have been for a couple of years - all i can do is wait. . .and pray. . .and trust. . . thanks for the encouragement. i have read pagan christianity already. guess i'm off to wait and pray and trust some more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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