Quote from Forum Archives on October 11, 2001, 11:53 pm

Posted by: kmat <kmat@...>

Hi Robin,

I thought I would answer a few of your questions, and let you know
what some of us are doing in homes. I realize that there are many different
types of "meetings" that are happening in homes.

First, you asked about families and numbers each week. In the last five
years
we have experienced different seasons...when we first started meeting in our
home
it was just my hubby and I and our two kids, for six months. Some of my
family
did not understand (or accept) that we were no longer "going to church".
As "hard"
as it may have been (with lack of understanding from others - friends and
family) I can
say that the Lord was with us in our midst and did a great work in our
relationships
with our kids - our family!
Then, we had a family that met w/us - we met at their house or ours (they
were good friends
from the church we had left) and after 4-5 months with just the two families
we got connected
with others here and there. Sometimes we would have 15-20 at our house (or
a park).
We've connected and fellowshipped with a lot of people since 1996, we
attended a
House Church Conference in Indiana, people were there from all over the U.S.
We also met many people at a gathering at someone's BIG house in Ohio one
weekend a few years back.

It has been an interesting journey for us and it hasn't always been easy,
but one
thing that we have learned is that we want the Lord to build His house.
He WILL do it, and He doesn't need our ideas/plans and timing. It seems
that
when we have tried to "gather" (invite) a bunch of believers over it has
been
"our" work. When He puts it together it is much better!

You also asked about sharing a Sunday meal....when we have gathered with
other believers most of the time we have shared a meal together, but not
always.
Sometimes it has been on a Friday or Saturday night, so we might just serve
coffee/tea/pop and some snack.

How do we decide who leads? That is an interesting question!
I have been in quite a few different types of home meetings, and the
ones that I come away from that challenge/encourage me the most
are the ones where the Holy Spirit has definitely been leading.
We have been blessed when we have let the Holy Spirit speak through
whomever he chooses on a given day. For example, one time we were
worshipping in our friends living room, and after a while most of the kids
had
gone downstairs to play. I was still at the piano, and we were singing some
song,
and I think I was just playing some chords and my friends daughter (who I
think
was four at the time?) came and started to sing, it was a message to all of
us (I think
it was only my friend, my hubby and I and this little girl in the room at
the moment)
from our Father, how much He loved us! It was VERY deep and moving
(especially
since it was coming out of a four-year old's mouth). She sang for probably
a good
four or five minutes. I was so humbled and felt the
Lord right there with all of us, loving us. And, only as a child will
do...when she was
"done" she was done...and she sang something like...."that's all...the
end"....and she
ran off to play with the other kids!
That is one example of how the Lord will use His children (of any age) to
minister
His love and grace to all of us.

I have also been very humbled/blessed/encouraged when I have sat in
gatherings
where someone is sharing and there are others in the room who would be more
"qualified" or speak more eloquently, but have allowed their brothers and
sisters
to share instead, and have seen them jotting down notes and being blessed
also.
It is a blessing when we come together and we can experience 1 Cor 14:26...
one shares a Psalm, another
a hymn, and another a spiritual song.....
To me a leader is someone who is definitely in tune with the HS, and is very
humble, allowing the HS to speak through whomever He chooses to....and many
times it will be from someone you least expect it from. We have experienced
"leaders" who try to run the whole meeting,(to me this is NOT a true leader)
and then others who have not. We have found that when we look to man we
become
very disappointed (if he doesn't perform well enough for our tastes, etc...)
but, when we choose to look to the Lord and how He
wants to do things it is so much better! Looking to Jesus, the Author and
Finisher of our faith!

Well, I hope this may answer a few of your questions, it is just our
experience and we
are continually seeking the Lord for His life to be revealed in us.
One last thing is that we have found that it isn't "where" we meet, but that
we
allow the HS to speak to us in the manner that HE chooses to.
A few weeks ago we gathered with some believers in a bookstore on a Sunday
a.m., then went to one of the couples home for a fish fry afterwards.
At the end of this month we are getting together with some other believers
in a
room in a restaurant. We will drive about an hour (one way). Once again we
seem
to be in a season where it is just our family (for most of the time), but we
are seeking
the Lord for what HE wants to do in and through us. So, while we wait on
Him I continue
to do the "little" things that I hear my Father saying....bring over some
fresh eggs to the
neighbor today...bake some bread for another....

Blessings to all tonight,
Pam
in MN
Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear
God, honor the king! 1 Peter 2:17

----- Original Message -----
From: <The5Kims@aol.com>
To: <homesteadheaven@welovegod.org>
Sent: Thursday, October 11, 2001 8:35 PM
Subject: [HomeSteadHeaven] homechurch - Tammy (and anybody else!)

> In a message dated 10/11/01 2:38:49 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
> gladheart@alaska.com writes:
> >
> > First, I haven't ignored your requests regarding homechurch. I just
don't
> > know what really to say. We are meeting in our homes because of lack of
a
> > Godly fellowship nearby. Also our family loves the intimacy of a close
knit
> > body, it is so difficult to really get to know one another, to love,
> > encourage and exhort if we meet only once weekly in a typical church
> > setting. It may be done, but it is difficult...
>
> Yes Tammy, our church has "small groups" set up which is a way to have
> intimate fellowship with others in our church and to have some
accountability
> as well as people who regularly pray for each other. We don't belong to
one.
> Our church has somewhere around 2000 people in two services. We haven't
> joined one because we don't seem to "fit" in ... well it seems that way
> looking in from the outside.
>
> My husband was not raised going to church but as a young child "heard"
Jesus
> speak to him saying that He had something special planned for his life.
He
> has always had a personal relationship with God. But he has never seen
any
> reason to actual attend church. The only part he truly enjoys is the

>
> I truly think that I am tired of the big church (which appreciates my
> children's talents and so readily accepts them into every program - which
I
> am so thankful for) and all the effort that it takes to talk to everyone.
> (Don't I sound awful! I don't mean to.) I guess I am ready for that
small
> intimate feeling that I assume that a homechurch would offer. I can
imagine,
> though, that a homechurch could imitate some of the very same problems
that a
> church could have too. I guess that there would be problems with
difference
> of opinions, thoughts, and actions. I don't know.
>
> Tammy, could you tell us how many families (and number) that meet each
week
> with your homechurch. I'm only curious, really. And do you rotate your
> meetings from one house to another. Do you share a Sunday meal too? How
do
> you decide what you will study and does one person lead? In the
House2House
> magazine, there were two sisters who shared their thoughts about
homechurch.
> One of the things they said was that they - even the children - could
voice
> their opinions and thoughts (maybe on theology, maybe not) just like the
> adults did and they weren't treated less important. (Really paraphrasing
> here. Don't have the article in front of me..)
> ~ Robin "And let us not become weary in well doing: for in due season we
> shall reap if we faint not." Gal. 6:9
>