I am concerned about the growing number of people who are leaving the institutional church, and attending only house churches, or home groups of some kind. I believe that the institutional church is important and will remain so as we move forward into the 21st century. I use the term “Institutional Church” to describe a wide range of churches.
My definition of an Institutional Church.
“A group of believers, who meet in a building, identify themselves with a name, Have a leadership structure, offer programs, services, and support to its members (and hopefully their community).”
I see at least three reasons these type of churches are important.
1. An institutional church provides an effective way for individuals to use their resources to help their community.
An individual or a small group could volunteer for Habitat for humanity, and have a positive impact on the community. But a large group has enough resources to sponsor a Habitat Blitz Build. They could fund and build a whole neighborhood, in just a few days. An individual could sponsor a child. But a church could sponsor a whole village. If enough people leave institutional churches for home churches they take their resources with them, which hurts the churches ability to have this kind of impact.
2. An Institutional church can equip individual believers for more effective ministry.
I see this on a personal basis. After I became a Christian, I wanted to serve Christ. I can do this on my own, but through my church’s bus ministry, I am able to minister to dozens of families. I am able to help give children the same foundation that I had as a child. I am able to minister to people I wouldn’t have access to on my own. A Good Institutional Church can offer ministry training & opportunities not available to some one not plugged into a local church.
3. An Institutional Church can protect an individual from being led astray by false teaching.
This is obviously not true of all Institutional Churches. There are many churches out there who have many destructive teachings. I am also not talking about the preservation of pet doctrines. I am talking about protection from being led a stray from the Core Beliefs of the Christian faith.
The Bible tells us that “The Devil walks around like a roaring lion, seeking those whom he may devour” and calls false teachers- wolves.
Think about how a wolf or a lion hunts. They pray on the weak, on the animal that gets separated from the herd or flock.
I believe that that one of the biggest dangers of house churches is that if it is made up of individuals who don’t have a good understanding of scripture, and if you add to that mix a charismatic leader or facilitator with bad intentions, you have the danger of being led astray from those core beliefs.
There is strength in numbers. An Institutional Church has members who are more mature in their faith. It has pastors and teachers, and there are build in safeguards against false teachings. When an individual starts to be led astray from the flock, there are people there to gently bring him back into the fold.
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I believe that Institutional churches are important, and will remain important. I also realize that many of those churches must adapt (not conform) to the changing culture around us. If churches don’t emerge that effectively communicate the gospel to the emerging Post-Christian culture. I fear that within a generation, so many people will either leave (or never join) that the positive impact they have on the Body of Christ, in the community and in the world will be drastically reduced.
Filed under: Christianity, Church, Emerging Church, Faith, God, House Churches, Institutional Church, Jesus, Theology, Thoughts, Uncategorized | Tagged: Emergent Church, religion, Uncategorized
I have posted a response to your three points on my blog. I have to disagree with you and perhaps my experience can help bring about a better understanding of the house church movement. Perhaps the biggest reason for this shift to the house church is point number two on your list. People don’t feel like they are being equipped to make a difference. In a house church setting, everyone is involved and able to participate. That isn’t always the case in an institutional church.
I think looking at the back of someone’s head every week and not having an opportunity to share in worship is another reason for the move to a more simple form of gathering. Singing four songs, pass the Lord’s Supper, take an offering, and then listen to a message, doesn’t often allow for any interaction, any other gifts to be shared during worship. The experience is limiting. In a simple setting, each person is able to bring something to the group as a whole.
My guess is from reading this and the little I know about you from your bio, you may not have had any experience with or limited experience with the house church. I would hope that we all could learn to not bash either of our choices for where and how we choose to walk with God. Let’s remember it is all about a relationship with Him through His Son. He will lead some to institutional churches and others to house churches. We are all part of the Kingdom.
Blessings to you as you continue to walk with Him in your journey of faith.
Greg
i see it has 2 sides of a coin the small groups you can teach better, people get to know each other and help each other in other words being church.
the main service is were every one meets up and praises GOD.
if the small group is run properly with an overseer then you will not have
wrong teaching or dictatorship.
sadly even in big congregations there can be false teaching they are not just prone to small groups or house churches.
each part of the boby needs the other members
THE VOICE FOR CO-OPERATION
Respected Sir,
Greeting in the name of our lord the jesus christ.
Churches Property Save Welfare Association is an non-profit organization, Which is rendering its activities, In the domain of protecting churches from the illegal possessors, without the distinction of particular church. this organization is totally non-profitable and has pure welfare base. we know that the foreigers prople are intersted in increasing Churches in Pakistan while some missionaries of our country are selling these properties rapidly. In this miserable condiition of churches, our organization has took a step against these illegal possessors. On the demand of any institute, We can provide the record of such illegal possessors.
We humbly request, that please, help this association for a good task of Almighty God. God bless you.
Chudary Patras
President
Churches Save Property Welfare Association.
There is strength in an institutional church. The Catholic Church is the best example. It continues to take a strong stand on core Christian believes in the public domain, where other institutions are not as quick to do so. It has a solid financial base and strong traditions. It is the strongest political force of all Christian institutions in the world. But as a believer, I am in no way moved by the Holy Spirit, intersted, or intellectually inclined to serve within any institutional church. By their nature, institutional churches are bureaucratic and self-serving.