Is the Way We Organise Church Outdated?
He leads me …
It is generally recognised that a lot of churches worldwide have lost a lot of followers, and some have had to close completely because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Reduced church attendance has meant that affected pastors are choosing to get a second part time job to make ends meet. In many cases they are doing this hoping that once we are through the pandemic the attendance numbers will grow again. But will they?
Surely we cannot afford to lose the benefits that church provides? The benefits go beyond the usual worship, communion and biblical teaching. Churches are recognised for providing a good social support network amongst likeminded people. They also have several public health advantages for regular attenders, such as less depression, lower suicide rates, and less drug and alcohol overdoses. An alternative like online services, with people isolated at home, are unlikely to offer the same level of benefits.[1]
So, why are church numbers continuing to decline?
One of the reasons so many churches struggle these days is that their general organisation is badly outdated.
General society is changing rapidly, and people are having to keep up with the new ways of doing things. This means that if we want to reach people, we have to use the new advances to be effective and relevant.
These days, if we want to buy something, we check out the various types available on line from our phone, decide what we want, order it from our phone, and have it shipped to our home the next day. This saves all the hassle of walking around the shops comparing products and prices.
Then, we also have the internet. A lot of church leaders underestimate it as a serious tool for ministry.
They do not completely appreciate that if they want to take the church to the people, they can do it through:
· A great social media presence
· Messages available anytime, anywhere in multiple formats (web, social, podcast)
· Practical help/advice/encouragement for everyday life (like devotionals, and links to services, both in and outside the church)
· Partnerships in the community with other organizations that are making a difference
· In-home gatherings
It creates a reciprocal, daily relationship. Whatever is happening during the week builds on what happened during the weekend. And also the other way around.
These days, most people who visit a church in person have watched online for weeks or months before they set foot in the building. They will have watched the messages online, and may have been in contact with church staff by email as well. This is typical of how people communicate.
If our church experience can be 100% downloaded, why go to church? The reason that people show up at church, is usually to encounter God through music, prayer, biblical teaching, and also to have interaction with other Christians.[2]
What if we are looking for a good social support network amongst likeminded people that includes the public health benefits, but does not feel like a formal church setting?
Maybe the answer is having a home church.
Roger Thoman wrote Simple/House Church Revolution. He shared the following thoughts about having a house church.
There are many scriptural reasons for having a house church based on the examples given in the Book of Acts. Here are some examples –
· Replace the sermon making, spectator church to interactive church where everyone participates. (1 Cor. 14: 26-31; Acts 17:11)
· Replace clergy domination - by submitting to one another. That is, encourage, comfort, exhort, admonish, edify, serve, pray and love one another. (Gal. 5:13; Eph. 4:2, 15; John 13:34-35)
· Replace the Holy Communion using a piece of bread and some grape juice/wine with “Agape meals” eaten together with gladness of heart. (Acts 2:46; 1 Cor. 11:20-23)
The purpose of the group should be to be set up so that everyone has the same expectations. Is the group primarily to share in fellowship and be a place of prayer, care, and support for one another? Or is it primarily to provide an opportunity for discovery of the word of God together? Or is it primarily to be a base for planning and carrying out missions, works of compassion, and discipleship with an outward focus? Or maybe a balance of all three?
If meeting at someone’s house is a problem, the group can communicate using Zoom or Skype so that everyone can be seen virtually on their personal computer. There are pros and cons with these systems, but they both serve the same purpose of getting each member of the group face-to-face while being in their own homes.
It is not necessary to be limited to attending just one ‘church’ either. This is not ‘church hopping’, but rather being part of different ‘churches’ for different purposes.[3]
As an example, one group wanted to reach out to some unsaved business people who they knew. The business people were asked to join the group in a study of business principles while enjoying pizza, using the book of Proverbs as their textbook.
Everybody's opinion was valid and there was no such thing as a wrong answer. Gradually prayer and worship were introduced and over the course of a year, every one of the business people became a Christian.
In another group many who came to it were new believers. So the Bible teaching was down to earth, and aimed at people's needs. Everyone loved it.[4]
Small groups – in whichever form they take – are an effective answer to the current COVID-19 pandemic as well as the overall decline in church numbers. If fully embracing the Gospel through personal interaction, so that it shapes every aspect of our lives appears inviting, maybe being part of the house church movement is what we should be looking at.
Dear Reader – If you have found some value in this blog, please feel free to send a copy on to your family and friends. Kind regards, John
[1] Here’s Who Stopped Going to Church During the Pandemic, Wendy Wang and Alysse Elhage, Christianity Today;
[2] 5 Specific Ways The Current Approach to Church Seems Badly Outdated, Carey Nieuwhof, careynieuwhof.com;
https://careynieuwhof.com/5-specific-ways-the-way-we-do-church-is-badly-outdated/
[3] Covid-19, House2House (NZ);
https://www.house2house.net.nz/?view=article&id=18:covid-19&catid=8
[4] How to Start a House Church, Larry Kreider and Floyd McClung, SmallGroups.com
https://www.smallgroups.com/articles/2008/how-to-start-house-church.html