Ministry Partners | The Gathering

What Is A House Church?

The Gathering is looking for ministry partners who want to join our network of house churches to reach communities neighborhood by neighborhood. We want to see people come to know and follow Jesus. If you are looking to start a gospel movement in your city, or neighborhood, we would love to help.

Please read through this ministry partner information. If you have questions, please contact us.

WHO WE ARE

The Gathering is a house church movement meeting in homes to make disciples in the context of community so they are equipped to go out and serve the mission.

The house church exists to make disciples. The house church does not primarily exist to study the Bible, but we do study the Bible. The house church does not exist to build community, although we highly value community because community is where life-change can occur and forms the home-base from which mission is accomplished. The primary purpose of house churches in The Gathering Network is to grow disciples of Jesus.

Another way to state who we are is:

We are a family that pursues Jesus and pursues His mission.

Who we are shapes our core values. These core values shape the commitments that we make as a community of disciples.

Core Values

Discipleship – We value growth in our lives as we together seek to grow into conformity to Christ.

When we become disciples of Jesus, we are called to a life of following Jesus. As we follow Jesus we become more like Him. Jesus is more than just a moral example and our life of following Jesus is much more than being moral and practicing the correct behaviors. We become like Jesus when we abide in Him and walk in the power of His Spirit. Through practicing spiritual disciplines, disciples of Jesus connect with Jesus, hearing from Him and then submit to His leadership.

Jesus identifies two distinguishing marks of a disciple. In John 13:35 Jesus says, “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another”. The second mark of a disciple is obedience to the words of Christ. In John 8:31 Jesus says, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples”. These two distinguishing marks of a disciple are amplified and reinforced by Jesus when He identifies the two greatest commandments.

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all our mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it; You shall love your neighbor as yourself”.

Community – We value and love one another.

When, through the gospel, God called us to be His children, we not only gained a heavenly father, but we were adopted into a family. It is in this eternal family that we grow and mature in Christ. We are called to live in community and in dependence on one another. Community is the seed bed of growth in discipleship to Jesus. It is impossible to mature and grow in relationship to Jesus when we are isolated from the body of Christ. It is the environment in which we learn to love, forgive, strengthen, persevere and encourage. It is only as we live intentionally in community that we can come to full maturity in Christ.

“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-13).

Mission – We value growth in the Kingdom of God in the lives of those who are outside of the faith.

Jesus came to seek and to save those who are lost (Luke 19:10). Just as the Father sent Jesus, so Jesus sends us on the same mission (John 20:21). In Matthew 28, Jesus gave His “Great Commission” to His disciples.

“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”

Matthew 5:18-20

The disciples were to go to all the nations and make more disciples. This is the commission Jesus has given to all of His followers. It is the work that disciples are to be doing until Jesus returns. Every disciple of Jesus is to be engaged in the kingdom work of expanding the rule and reign of Jesus into the hearts and lives of others.

Our core values of discipleship, community and mission move The Gathering forward in our vision.

The Gathering is a house church movement meeting in homes to make disciples in the context of community so they are equipped to go out and serve the mission.

Next, we will talk about our commitments. These are the activities we do every day that reflect what we value and that we have embraced the vision of Jesus for our lives to be disciples of His.

Commitments

Prayer

- Because we are committed to community, we will love for one another pray and for unity.

- Because we are committed to discipleship, we will pray for not just our own growth in discipleship but also for the spiritual growth of our church family.

- Because we are committed to mission we will pray for boldness as God open hearts and doors for the gospel.

Action

- Because we are committed to community we will love, serve and forgive one another because we value unity in the Body of Christ

- Because we are committed to discipleship we will practice spiritual disciplines, lovingly confront sin and celebrate growth.

- Because we are committed to mission, we will love our neighbor and speak the gospel.

Our Beliefs

The Bible

We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.

The Trinity

We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons, that these are equal in every divine perfection, and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence and redemption.

God The Father

We believe in God, the Father, an infinite, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of all people, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ

We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles and teachings. We believe in His substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and personal visible return to earth.

The Holy Spirit

We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ, and that He is an abiding helper, teacher and guide.

Regeneration

We believe that all people are sinners by nature and by choice and are, therefore, under condemnation. We believe that those who repent of their sins and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit.

The Church

We believe in the universal Church; a living spiritual body of which Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members. We believe in the local church, consisting of a company of believers in Jesus Christ, baptized on a credible profession of faith, and associated for worship, work and fellowship. We believe that God has laid upon the members of the local church the primary task of giving the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world.

What We Believe About the Gospel

The gospel is Kingdom centered.

When Jesus began His public ministry, He began preaching a gospel that was centered on the Kingdom of God.

“Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, ‘the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” Mark 1:14-15.

The phrase “kingdom of heaven” appears 32 times, and the phrase “kingdom of God” appears 4 times in the book of Matthew. As one goes through the teachings of Jesus, He is asking people to respond to an invitation to the kingdom of God.

He is telling people how to enter the kingdom of God. Entrance is through repentance. Through it we receive the grace of God. This is by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9).

He is informing people on what life in the kingdom of God looks like. The gospel is about more than going to Heaven. It is about living in the Kingdom now. It is about being transformed into a citizen of the Kingdom. The gospel is not just for the moment of salvation, but is for the duration of the life.

When we think about the gospel – how to enter it and how to live it – we begin where Jesus began, by proclaiming “the kingdom of God is at hand”. The kingdom is here because the king is here and the kingdom exists wherever Jesus rules and reigns. The message of the gospel is so much more than a message of how to get to heaven when you die. The message of the gospel is about giving leadership of your life to Jesus and aligning yourself with him. The gospel of the kingdom compels us to live no longer according to the values and standards of the world, but instead to live as a citizen of the heavenly kingdom.

The Gospel has transforming power.

When we receive the gospel, we become new creatures in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). We receive new power to transform by the indwelling Spirit of God (2 Corinthians 3:18). We have a new mind – the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). This means, at salvation we are transformed from our old self that was ruled by the flesh with its desires, and are given a new nature that desires to submit to the will and desires of the Spirit of God who dwells within us.

The gospel not only saves us, but gives us a new transforming power in our lives. In Colossians 1:5-6, Paul talks about the power of the gospel to advance and transform the lives of disciples throughout their lives.

“Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing, as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God is truth.”

Colossians 1:5-6

Notice that the gospel continues to bear fruit and increase among the disciples in Colossae. The gospel is not only a message about how to enter the kingdom, but it is also the message that allows for ongoing life transformation. Disciples of Jesus, let the gospel into their lives. This is known in the Bible as the process of sanctification. The old desires of the flesh do not die easily. Following Jesus means that the disciple begins to listen to the Spirit of Christ within and learns to submit to His will.

The Gospel has a mission mandate.

Community and discipleship ultimately so that God may be glorified to the world through His people as they spread the gospel to more and more people. We see this in the ministry of Jesus when He called His first disciples.

“And He said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.’”

Matthew 4:19

We see Jesus praying for His disciples to continue His mission in John 17:19

“As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.”

Before Jesus left the earth, He promised to be with them always as they continued His mission on earth.

Matthew 28:18-20

We believe that our house churches exist to be missional communities, reaching others with the gospel. We do this by equipping disciples to use the natural rhythms of life to form relationships with people who are far from God. Every disciple has a part in the missional work. It is the reason for community and discipleship.

Starting And Leading A House Church

Starting a house church

Host Homes

Many leaders prefer to host meetings in their own homes. This is not required. Some leaders may not have a home that is a suitable size or layout to host a house church. Many times, it is actually preferred to have the meeting at a different house from the leader. Having a separate host home allows for the leader to concentrate on preparing the content of the meeting instead of preparing their home for guests. Also, when someone else in the group hosts the meeting, it shares the ministry with others.

A host home is important because it sets the tone for the meeting. The host of the house church should provide a welcoming atmosphere where people feel at ease and relaxed. Never agree to make a home your permanent meeting place until you have had a trial period of several weeks in the home. The host needs to determine if they are comfortable having people in their home on a regular basis and you need to determine as the leader if the home is the right environment for the house church.

Be careful about burning out your hosts. It can be tiring to host every week. It is important to have alternate homes to meet in occasionally. This reduces the stress on one person and shares the burden with other families.

Meeting Times

When house churches meet is totally dependent on the members. Typically, a school night is not ideal for many families. First, consider your host. Since they have been gracious to open their home, find out what times are best for them. After you have connected with your host, have a conversation with your group to find out what times best suit them and the people you are trying to reach.

How long a house church meeting lasts is also dependent on those attending. First, consider your host home and what works for them. Other factors to consider is the ages of those attending, the night it is meeting, and host home specifics. In order to effectively build community and allow time for sharing, it is typical for a house church to meet for an hour and a half or two hours.

Starting a Micro-church

Micro-churches are evangelistic bible studies that have potential to turn into a house church. The micro-church model is based out of the evangelistic and church planting practices in Africa and many Eastern European countries. There are also several micro-church movements within the United States (Tampa Florida, known as the “Tampa underground” and Kansas City, known as the “KC Underground”.)

If you would like to find out more about micro-churches and how we can help you start one, we would love to talk to you.

Remember your purpose

Your role as a house church leader is not to simply lead a meeting.

You are making disciples

You are building community

You are an example of a disciple who is living on mission

Leading a house church

Leading towards Community

As a house church leader, community needs to be held as a high value. The house church leader needs to be able to lead their house church into a being a community of people where there is accountability, transparency and trust. In this environment each individual will be able to grow in maturity in Christ.

Each house church leader must be committed to building Christian community. That means that they must do certain things in their house church that strengthen relationships. Building community begins at scheduled meeting times, but community is deepened when people spend time together.

Practical ways you can lead towards community.

Praying regularly for those in the church.
Modeling transparency in church gatherings.
Connecting with church members during the week through text, and calls.
Seeking in-person meetings with church members on a regular basis.
Scheduling casual times for people to be together.

Leading towards discipleship

As a house church leader, your own discipleship to Jesus must be a constant pursuit. Leading others means that you are out in front so you can lead by example. It is important for you to have established practices in the spiritual disciplines. Active, consistent time abiding in Christ in prayer and scripture are vital not only to growth in your own discipleship but empower you for ministry.

The identifying marks of a disciple of Jesus are love and obedience.

Practical ways to lead towards discipleship.

Talk about what God is saying to you from your time in scripture from the past week.
Incorporate time in each of your meetings for others to share what God has been saying to them through the scripture in the last week.
Be transparent about areas of growth God is working on in your life.
Start a Bible reading plan together. The YouVersion app has a lot of great plans.
Pray daily for the spiritual lives of those in your house church.

Leading towards mission

As a house church leader, the desire to be missional must be firmly established in your own heart. You must see the house church as the means God will use to answer the prayer in Matthew 9:38. “Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” If you do not already have a heart that is burdened to see the lost converted and step into the Kingdom of God, begin to pray this for yourself.

The missional activity of the house church begins with the leader. It must be the burden of your own heart. It should be seen by the people as you lead by example. Without a strong emphasis on the mission of the gospel, it is easy for the house church to become self-centered and focused on their own needs.

Practical ways you can lead towards mission.

Make prayer for the lost a weekly item in your meetings.
Regularly share opportunities you have reach out to the lost
Talk about regular giving to the ministry for the purpose of funding personal service opportunities to unsaved friends and neighbors.
Look for group outreach projects to communicate the importance of seeing and serving needs outside of the church.

How to avoid boring meetings

Prepare well

Nothing will kill a meeting faster than an unprepared leader. Don’t make the common mistake of not thinking and praying during the week and hurriedly preparing something in the car on the way to the meeting. Think about how you will open the meeting. Take time to read and think deeply about the scripture you will be discussing. Come up with key insights you would like to discuss. Above all – pray. Pray that the Spirit of God would speak during the meeting, that God would open the hearts of those who attend to hear His word, that God would fill you with His Spirit as you lead and guide. God may change everything once you get to the meeting but it is still important for the leader to prepare for how he expects the meeting to go.

Enable an organic flow

A leader must stay open to the leading of the Spirit during the meeting. By enabling an organic flow, the leader is able to adjust to what is happening during the meeting in a way that does not feel rigid, and allows for what the Spirit is doing. For example; someone may come into a meeting with a deep or urgent need. As a leader, you should be able to adjust to minister to the needs of the church member. The leader should be aware of how the discussion is moving through the meeting. A topic related to the scripture may come up that was not part of your preparation. The leader should be able to pivot and discuss this issue with the group.

Focus on people

This is a common mistake for house church leaders, especially those gifted in teaching. The meeting becomes largely focused on teaching and becomes a bible study. Remember, in house churches we study the bible, but it is not a bible study. Focus on the people present. It is tempting to start with prayer and dive immediately into the study. Make room to minister to people. A good way to start a meeting is to ask about what people are praising God for, and what challenges they have faced in the past week.

Start and end on time

People tend to get frustrated when a meeting does not start and end on time. This does not mean that there are not exceptions, especially when the Spirit of God is doing something extraordinary. But people have busy lives and they need to know that the meeting will start and end so they know when to arrive and when they will be free for other things they have scheduled that day.

Give opportunities to share

Meetings can be boring when all the sharing is done by the leader or one or two other people. Meetings are livelier and more dynamic when many people are sharing their thoughts and asking questions. In order to lead this type of meeting takes some skill from the leader. There are some people who do not naturally want to share and the leader must be able to draw them out.

Some leaders will tend to want to teach for 40 minutes and ask if anyone has any questions at the end. This is stifle conversation and inhibit people from wanting to talk. It is better to do “spot” teaching. This is when the leader teaches for a short time and then has prepared some insightful questions to get people discussing and sharing. The leader can also ask specific people who are sometimes hesitant to share, but never in a way so people feel pressured. Be careful not to ask questions that have only one correct answer. People do not like to be put on the spot and give the “wrong” answer. Ask people what they think about a certain topic, or to give their opinion on a subject matter. When asking the whole group a question, the leader should never just answer it right away. Allow time for people to think about their answer and process what is being taught.

There will be some people who talk too much and monopolize the conversation. In these times the leader should be able to gently step in and summarize what the person is saying something like; “So what you are saying is that God is just as concerned about how we say something, as He is about what we are actually saying.” This will gently signal to the person that they need to allow others to share their thoughts.