Spunky Homeschool

Home Churches

Jun. 5, 2006 at 6:51 AM

Homeschooling

We're looking for a new church and have been for some time. You would think in a major metropolitan area finding a church would be easy. It isn't. We spent yesterday morning praying and discussing as a family this very subject. I know many who have chosen to home church because of the difficulty. We've been a part of small family groups most of our married life. So a home church would be an easy transition and something we've considered. According to the article in yesterday's Washington Post, Going to Church by Going Home, so are many others.
A growing number of Christians across Washington and around the country are moving to home churches -- both as a way to create personal connections in the age of the megachurch and as a return to the blueprint of the Christian church spelled out in the New Testament, which describes Jesus and the apostles teaching small groups in people's homes.
I've discussed home church here before. I have noticed that many who home church also home school. The article didn't talk about a connection but to there seems to be a correlation to me. Therefore, it wasn't much of a surprise that those who are antagonistic toward homeschooling might also be toward home church as well. Dr. West, many homeschoolers "favorite" theologian said,

For the same reason that I have problems with home-schooling (i.e., untrained persons doing a job they have no skills for) I have problems with house-churching...

Home-Churching as disestablishmentarianism and emotionalism. Perhaps that's where it comes from, and where it's going. When emotionalism drys up and one is left with no more "excited feeling", where will those who depend on that emotionalism turn?

Dr. West's analysis is interesting because that is the exact reason we are considering home church. Most mainline denominations have sidelined doctrine for "feel good" emotionalism. They use gimmicks to entertain us, instead of the Gospel to train us. God forbid we actually let people know they're sinners in need of a Savior. It seems, Truth doesn't matter as long as everyone is accepted and feels good about themselves. We don't want to make anyone feel bad, you know. We haven't "thumbed our nose" at the institutional church as Dr. West says we have. It's not that we want to leave "church" it's more that we feel like the institutional churches (or at least the places we've visited) have left us.

I know the old saying, "If you find the perfect church don't enter or you'll spoil it." We're not looking for the perfect church. But where are those who just want to be challenged to believe what the Bible says to turn? The church is not just a place to meet, it's the gathering of believers to become equipped to do the work of the Gospel. But it seems most churches today look more like my local Starbuck's than a place to build soldiers for the Cross.

There is one area Dr. West and I agree however; God's Plan for His church cannot be stopped by us. Referring to home churches he said,
If it is of God, there is nothing we can do to fight it. And if it is not, it will come to nothing.
For us, we'll continue to look for a place where "it is of God". It doesn't matter if it's in an ornate building or a humble home.

(HT: Daryl)

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11 Comments and Trackbacks

posted by on Jun. 5, 2006 at 8:14 AM

Me thinks that Dr. West has taken the traditions of man and made them as sacred as Biblical truth. He correctly states that one’s “feelings” are not very good indicators of God’s will. Which is why I was so surprised to see an entire post without even one Bible reference! In Hebrews 10:25 we are encouraged to “not give up meeting together,” but the Bible never tells us to go to church. Because church in the New Testament never meant a building, the church always refers to a local body of believers.

Dr. West also argues that perhaps the leader of the church does not have training to teach or preach. Hmmm… I wonder where Paul sent Timothy for seminary training. Perhaps he just saw in him someone honest and full of Holy Ghost and Wisdom (Acts 6:3).


Edited by AcceptanceWithJoy on Jun. 5, 2006 at 5:17 AM

posted by GAhomeschoolmom on Jun. 5, 2006 at 10:49 AM

The Bible says " For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Matthew 18:20

As for qualifications, you would think Dr. West was living under the law. Is he a priest that his followers must come to in order to hear what God has to say? The way I read it, we are ALL qualified to understand and interpret God's Word. As for the qualifications of a preacher:

1 Timothy:

1. This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
2. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
3. Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
4. One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
5. (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
6. Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
7. Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

I don't see "bible seminary" in there anywhere. I don't believe just anyone can preach, but I don't think you have to be educated by this world to do so, just by God Himself.

posted by Jim on Jun. 5, 2006 at 4:43 PM

Your "favorite" theologian!!!! Well, I'd like to thank the academy for this wonderful award- coming, as it does, on my favorite (and notice- I didn't put that in quotes because I really mean it!) homeschooler's blog. It brings tears to my crass and heartless eyes... ;-)

Maybe next year I can be deemed the favorite theologian of homeschoolers! (Without the "!!!!!)

posted by spunkyhomeschool on Jun. 5, 2006 at 5:26 PM

Keep trying Jim, I have a high standard. The term favorite is not something I throw around lightly :)

By the way, this is actually my second blog. My primary blog has a little bit of a discussion going on this issue. You may want to join in there. I cross posted your comment for them to read as well. That blog has quite a bit more traffic.

Here's the link

Home Church

posted by pianosteve on Jun. 5, 2006 at 7:32 PM

Spunky, this is way off-topic, but how did you post that link in your comment? I have been unsuccessful in my attempts to post links in comments here on HSB. I use HTML commenting all the time on other blogs, but can't figure it out here. Is there a trick here?

Thanks, and thanks, too, for the permission to "hijack" your other blog's comments. It's a good discussion, and I hope it will continue to be interesting. If at any time you want to retract your permission, just let me know. I'll be very willing to oblige :)

steve :)

posted by on Jun. 5, 2006 at 8:51 PM

Here's how you do it

a href="PUT YOUR PERMALINK URL HERE COPIED directly from the browser to avoid error">Put YOUR TITLE HERE

The whole thing should be between the < and the /a>

Does that make sense?

Edited by spunkyhomeschool on Jun. 5, 2006 at 5:52 PM

posted by pianosteve on Jun. 5, 2006 at 9:31 PM

So it's just straight HTML? I had tried to use that before, and it just displayed as plain text. I'll try it here with a link to my HSB blog just to see if it works now. Maybe HSB just recently added this capability to comments??

steve :)

posted by pianosteve on Jun. 5, 2006 at 9:33 PM

The problem seems to have been that when you click "Preview Comment", it leaves the html as plain text (so you see the <a> tag in plain text). Posting it, however, makes it right. Boy, am I glad to have discovered this now!! Thanks, Spunky!!!

steve :)

posted by spunkyhomeschool on Jun. 5, 2006 at 9:48 PM

Not a problem. One thing to note, if you go back and edit a comment after using HTML it often reverts back to code for some reason. So if you make a mistake in a post it is often better to delete and repost then to edit. I thought I'd add that to avoid future frustration.

posted by Anonymous on Jun. 9, 2006 at 1:05 AM

Three weeks ago, we left what had been our church home for most of the last decade for the same reasons. I was beginning to think we were the only people that had noticed the "worshiptainment change" or that cared enough to do something unpopular about it. By unpopular I mean doing something besides sitting there and being entertained. We live in a rural area but have the same trouble you do with finding a new church. While we search, we have enjoyed sound teaching by downloading (free from itunes) the sermon from a church thats located too far from us to attend regularly. Also, I know of a great church as far as Bible teaching (that is my standard for greatness)in MI - don't know how close you are to it. If you are interested in either church's name, let me know in the comments and I'll e-mail it to you. God bless you and help you. -Melissa

posted by Visionary7 on Oct. 23, 2006 at 12:35 AM

Now this is something I can relate with. My daughter and I left my church a week ago of course hubby doesn't want to go but is okay with us leaving. We now do church at home together. She has been getting bullied by children and adults even her Sunday School teacher and she has been singling her out because she is homeschooled. This has been going on for sometime by a good size group there. Those are the main reasons I took her and left. My husband is going to have a talk with the Pastor Tuesday. I've been really angry these days I haven't seen Jesus in the church I've seen another model of what is going on in society and the public schools if I wanted that I would have sent her to public school. Right now were home.

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