Spiritual Parenting - 2

GRADUATING FROM HOUSE CHURCH

So it has been about eight years now since we left the institutional church world and stumbled into the house church world - and I think now we are graduating from house church.

First, I have recently started preferring the term "Organic church" over house church - anyone can have a house church, and it can look like dozens of different things. There are as many flavors of house church as there are denominations out there. I want organic church - a local expression of the family of God existing and functioning in a completely natural way. Organic - as in, the seed of Jesus Christ is planted in the soil of an oikos, it sprouts naturally, the resulting plant grows to maturity freely, takes the unique shape of - and also functions unique to - the local environment in which the Lord planted it. A vibrant family of Jesus untouched by the religious traditions of men, completely consumed with Jesus Christ, and constantly led and shaped by the Holy Spirit. And this doesn't have to happen in a particular house. I think that often it will - but it might also take root in a school, a workplace, a restaurant or bar, a park, a mall, or just about anywhere else.

Ive had conversations about this with at least three different parties from the larger house church community in the last few weeks. One said something like, "Yes, we've never been 100% committed to house church - what we are fully committed to though, is listening to Jesus in all things and obeying." They are fully committed to His active and present leading and direction. Another said, "Yes I am almost as frustrated with house church at this point as I was with traditional church." The third said, "I feel like the Lord is not done speaking to us and leading us regarding our form of 'church'".

One root of this topic in my heart is that I have looked back over the last several years (almost 8) spent co-leading and helping oversee house churches, and examined how much spiritual growth has actually taken place in those under my care - and the answer is, not much... A sad and startling realization. As I discussed this with Bruce, one of my 'partners in crime' in Aurora, I said, "I don't care so much if it's house church or not, I just want to be a part of something that works!" By 'something that works' I meant primarily something where true discipleship is taking place. I want to see spiritual babies turning into spiritual grownups and being able to then parent spiritual children of their own. That's how the church (and churches) will grow and multiply.

Now granted, another 'form' of church is not going to fix this problem. Where the church regularly gathers to share a meal and worship together is not the problem (at least not the main problem - granted there are obvious problems with the financial burden, centralized nature, and programmatic nature of churches who are trapped in church buildings) . The true limitation lies in the 'body life' of the church (for lack of a better term) - what goes on among the members of the body during the gatherings and throughout the week (regardless of where they meet). And the 'body life' is modeled by spiritual moms and dads - spiritual grownups in the body who join CHRIST, THE HEAD OF THE BODY (pardon the all caps :), in leading the way for the entire family into healthy, holistic, vibrant and growing church life.

We're graduating from mere house church - and I think even following His present leading - into something that really 'works'.