An example of this “reimagining” is the house church movement (HCM), which is growing in North America. The most notable example of the house church movement can be seen in the significant growth of the Christian church in China. Many facets of the house church movement are open to academic inquiry, such as theological presuppositions and historical precedence.
This research is generalized to the four house church networks that form the focus of the research. Therefore, it is important to define key terms and concepts for a proper understanding of the context of house church networks and. A house church leader is the facilitator for the practices carried out by the members of the house church.
The result of this research may help demystify a particular aspect of house church networks: leadership development. Fourth, examining the position of the house church provides insight into the diverse social status of first-century believers.
Luke provides the first glimpse of the post-resurrection early church
Pauline texts that are critical in understanding the biblical validity of the HCM will also be examined. The content probably consisted of the apostle's knowledge concerning the person and work of Christ. They were also dedicated "to the breaking of bread and the prayers". Much discussion followed about the theological significance of “the breaking of bread amp.
This researcher agrees with John Stott who writes: “On the whole, then, the expression 'the breaking of the bread' seems to be a primitive way of alluding to the Lord's Supper, although it cannot be ruled out that it is a ordinary meal' (Stott 1998, p. 161). Stott believes the key to interpreting this theological issue is to remember the social significance of Luke's portrait of the early church. Luke's portrait of the early church also depicts a redeemed people in perpetual prayer.
It is clear from Acts 2:42-7 that specific characteristics accompanied the initial life of the early Church. In chapter five of Acts, the apostles are brought before the ruler of the temple.
The oikos is described in Acts as a growing hub of apostolic teaching. In chapter five of Acts the apostles are brought before the captain of the temple
This is supported by the evidence that the content of the apostolic teaching was consistently about Christ in the temple and in homes. The importance of the oikos is also seen in a tragic sense due to the growing persecution, which departs from the idyllic reality of Acts 2:42-47, where the believers once enjoyed "the favor of all the people" against the Jewish rulers who wanted to suppress the evangelical movement (Acts 4, 17-18). The imperfect tense of the verb indicates that the ravaging of the church was an ongoing act at Saul's expense.
The brutality of Saul towards believers was so persistent and brutal that Luke writes that the church experienced "peace" with Saul's later conversion (9:31). The importance of this particular narrative that is relevant to this research is the connection within the Lukan narrative between the concept of the ekklesia (church) and the oikos (house). This is the first instance in Acts where the home is emphasized as the main meeting place of the early Christians.
The gathering of Christian believers in private homes (or homes renovated for Christian meeting purposes) continued to be the norm until the first decades of the fourth century, when Constantine began to build the first Christian basilicas. This overview will deal more extensively with the meaning of the ekklesia in the next theological part of this research.
On his third missionary journey Paul bypasses Ephesus in order to get to Jerusalem for Pentecost. While on this route he summons the Ephesian
This emphasizes the fact that both Jews and Gentiles needed the same message of repentance (Longenecker and that the practice of house-to-house ministry was used by both groups. House church ministry was not a contextualized form of ministry to one group and not the other; rather, it was the way to extend the reach of the gospel to all people The apostle Paul, who previously hunted and persecuted house churches, takes the mantle of Christ's command (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8) to extend the reach of the gospel into the non - Jewish world.
A significant text occurs near the end of Paul’s letter to the church in Rome. In a lengthy conclusion Paul exhorts the Roman Christians to send
This section of Romans points to possibly five house churches being greeted: the house of Prisca and Aquila (v. 5), those belonging to Aristobulus (v. 10), those belonging to Narcissus (v. 11), and verses 14 and 15 contain probable members of two houses. And since even the largest house of the wealthiest Christian could hold no more than seventy or eighty for worship, growth beyond that point required the Christians to split into house churches. churches was a deliberate strategy toward spreading the gospel in the Gentile world.
Third, Roman house churches were connected with each other and sometimes met as a whole. The apostle Paul concludes his first letter to the church in Corinth with these words: "The churches in Asia send you greetings. The expression "the church in their house" is used here for the first time in Paul's writings.
Robert Banks, Adjunct Professor of Ancient History at Macquarie University, Australia, testifies that “the term oikos, house, could refer to the chambers Priscilla and Aquila occupied (or possibly to a particular room within, although this seems unlikely here) or to the household under their care. Mario Barbero, whose dissertation is entitled, A First-Century Couple, Priscilla and Aquila: Their House Churches and Missionary Activity, examines this text from 1 Cor 16:10 (along with Rom 16:5; Phlm 1:1-2 , and Col 4:15).
During his first imprisonment (Acts 28:16, 30) the
The nymph is an example of the importance of women in the life and mission of the early church. This text also shows Paul's theological view of the relationship between the universal church and the individual house church. Since "the church (as a whole) in Laodicea" is also mentioned in 4:16, it is clear that "the church" can be used equally for individual gatherings at home and for the Christian community as a whole in a particular place. , as it would really seem, for the totality of the Christian presence in the world.
This is true wherever Nympha lived, since Colossae contained at least both the church in Colossae and the church in Philemon's house. The point is that being "church" means that believers worship and act together, both on a microcosmic and macrocosmic scale. This text from Colossians 4:15-16 again emphasizes the importance of women and Paul's desire for his communication to be spread over a geographical area.
The relationship between the universal and individual local church will be discussed more in the theological section, but it is enough to say at this point that there is a certain relationship between the universal church and the local church. The letter to Philemon is closely related to Paul's letter to the church in Colossae.
The Epistle to Philemon is closely related to Paul’s epistle to the church in Colossae. They were both written by the Apostle Paul and from the same
The Holy Scripture
In the sixty-six books of the Bible, which is the Word of God, God has revealed everything that is necessary for life and salvation. The authority of the Bible comes from its author and not from the opinions of men.
God and the Trinity
Creation
Providence
The Fall and Its Effects
Man's Inability
The Birth and Life of Christ
The Death of Christ
The Resurrection of Christ
The Ascension of Christ
Election and Responsibility
Calling and Regeneration
Justification
Sanctification
Perseverance
The Church
Baptism
The Lord's Supper
Evangelism
The Return of Christ
The Old Covenant
The New Covenant
The Glory of God
CF-LTRs provided these answers during interviews about other key practices in supporting house church leaders. The house church within the Denver Network that this researcher attended occurred early on Sunday morning. The primary mechanism of leadership development within the Denver House Church Network is through intentional interpersonal relationships.
In their interviews, leadership coaches provided these answers regarding important methods for supporting house church leaders. One leadership coach cited an overemphasis on relationships as a common struggle among house church leaders. The following table shows the numerical responses of house church leaders and leadership coaches to the overall leadership development of their network.
The leadership trainers within the Denver house church network emphasize the importance of consistent relationships as a tool for leadership development. For most house church leaders in the Denver house church network, this relationship was an integral part of their development process. The leadership development process employed by Leader Trainers in the Denver House Church Network is to build relationships with emerging house church leaders.
Leader trainers across all networks expressed serious thoughts and actions about supporting house church leaders. These answers are drawn from interviews with leader trainers from all four house church networks. However, for 3 of the 4 home church networks, the HCLs were more satisfied than the LTs.
What process do house church networks use to select potential house church leaders? What are the methods used by house church networks to develop potential house church leaders. What are the methods used by house church networks to provide ongoing leadership support to house church leaders.
What are the self-perceptions of house church leaders regarding the inadequacy of their training. Coaching is another approach to leadership development that describes the relationship of leader coaches and new house church leaders within selected house church networks.
