I think there was an incredible thing taking place after Christ ascended. The work, the love, the movement began. They waited and they were empowered to do the work of the Kingdom. Make disciples. Let the disciplines of Christ be yours. Empowered to do that which He is doing (my mantra). Deacons were selected to meet the needs of the people while the disciples tried to teach a new idea to people as well as create the framework to do the work of the Kingdom. Committees began. Stories remembered, events explained to those who were not witnesses. Disciple making by stories, structures, remembering, waiting, etc.
Can that take place is a large arena? Something takes place in a large arena, I am just not sure what does. I surely believe that large things don't necessarily cause deep things. Intimacy happens at the dinner table, in the bedroom, on a bench, in a car ride to Colorado with friends, not in a auditorium. Mass communication can take place in large buildings, but not intimacy. Still small voice type stuff.
Small groups can be intimate and I hear of many which are. Life changing, words given in love, vocations defined. Just because a program has small groups doesn't mean that intimacy will happen. It is the disciple deciding to be vulnerable and trustworthy. Personal choice and commitment.
House churches are better than large auditorium churches for many things that tend towards the relational. Egos don't develop as much in small groups, they are usually held in check by those who are familiar. That is good. Large groups don't ask for much except show up, line up, and don't disrupt. I am not sure what needs are met in large groups. 5000 people can get fed but do they know the story of the one who gave his lunch?
In large churches, resources are great to do greater projects. People with needs may be able to find a program in a larger church. But is it a good use of the property, facilities, and resources it takes to maintain it? How much of a budget is just to maintain the large facility?
Don't read into this that I am against anything here. I am just asking questions...
5 comments:
...buy me some peanuts and Mac and Jacks, I dont care if I never get back...
I changed the lyrics a bit, but you get the point. I look forward to seeing you soon.
Tony, I agree that there are good things that can happen in smaller churches, and I affirm that as the organization gets larger, there is an overhead cost for running the institution required to facilitate it.
Practically, though, I think the question I have with the house church model is that of leadership. You and I have been church leaders for decades. We swim in the waters with church leaders, and to us they seem as common as barristas. I asked some folks at an emerging church conference about this though. They were advocating forming small missional communities. I said, that seems attractive to me. I'd enjoy going and being a part of this with a few other folks. But who will then lead my church? Are we not just siphoning away the leaders into cool little groups that we enjoy being in?
This was attractive to us, the leaders disenfranchised with the institution. How, though, would we find enough people to provide the leadership for the number of house churches we would have if even a small fraction of the present institutional churches split apart into house churches?
One of the challenges of such a model on a mass scale would be to find enough leaders, and continue to raise up enough leaders.
You make some good arguments for the house church, Tony, and I am sure there are very effective house church model ministries out there. I am skeptical, though, of this model on a mass scale.
Those gigantic, inverted couch cushions they have on the ceiling are quite excellent. I wonder how they got them up there.
Exploring the costs and benefits of extremes is important. CS Lewis stated that he saw Satan contructing temptations for us in extremes, so that in our reaction to one we might be insnared in the other. Both mega churches and home churches have their benefits (I have attended both for extended periods of time) but in my experience it is not context that makes a community holy, but the work of the Spirit in them.
I never thought I'd see the day when Micahs would have to be distinguished so as to avoid confusion . . .
Post a Comment