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Frequently Asked Questions

Age: What is the average age of house church members?  Can older people be involved in a house church?  Are there families and singles involved in the house church?

Baptism: How do you do baptism without a baptistry? What is your view on baptism?

Biblical: Are house churches biblical?  Are institutional churches biblical? Does it really matter if neither one is specifically commanded?

Building: Isn’t it much more practical to have a building?  

Budget: Do any house churches have a budget?  Is it a problem having a budget or not having a budget?

Centralized/Decentralized: Do house churches try to attract people (centralized) or go out into their community (decentralized)?  Aren't there advantages to each one?

Children: What do the children do in a house church gathering? Can the children effectively learn in a house church model?

Communion/Lord’s Supper/Eucharist: What does communion look like in a house church?  Who administers the elements of communion in a house church?  How often does a house church observe communion?

Deacons: What is a deacon?  Are there deacons in a house church? What do deacons do in a house church?

Denominations: Should the house church be affiliated with a denomination?  Is the house church interdenominational or non-denominational?

Disagreements: How does the house church handle disagreements?  Can house church members be kicked out or silenced?

Discipleship/Evangelism: What is the house church strategy for discipleship?  How does the house church do evangelism?

Doctrine: What is the doctrine of the house church?  Does every house church have the same doctrine?  How does the house church keep the same doctrine if it multiplies many times?

Food: How often does the house church meet around food?  Does each person at the house church have to bring food?  What do you do about food allergies and special diets?

Heresy: Doesn’t the house church model promote heresy?  How does the house church keep heresy from happening?

House Church/Simple Church/Organic Church: Why do you meet in a house?  Why do you call it house church?  Does your house church have a name?  Are all house churches operating in a biblical way?  What is the difference between a house church and a simple church?  I'm happy at my church.  Should I leave my church to find a house church?  I'm very interested in the house church but I can't find one anywhere.  Is it worth moving to a different state?  Why does your house church have a website?  Isn't that contrary to a simple house church? 

Large Gatherings: Does the house church ever have large gatherings?  Do people in the house churches ever try to gather everyone together for worship or fellowship?  What is the largest gathering you would want to have in someone's house?

Legality: Is it legal to meet as a house church?  Does the house church have to be an official organization?

Location: Where does the house church meet?  Why isn’t the location of the house church posted on the website?

Meeting: What does a house church meeting look like?  How long does a house church meeting last?  How many times each week does a house church meet?

Membership: Is there membership for a house church? Can I be a member of a house church and an institutional church?

Missionaries: Does a house church support missionaries?  What kind of missionaries does a house church support?

Multiplication/Training/Growth Strategy: What happens when a house church gets too big?  How does a house church train up new leaders? Would a house church ever have the goal to meet in a large building?

Music: Is there music at a house church meeting? Is there sound amplification at a house church meeting?  Is there a worship leader at a house church meeting?  What kind of songs do you sing at a house church meeting?  Is there special music at a house church meeting?

Network: Do you try to network all of the house churches together?  Is there a central office or administration for the house churches?

Non-Profit: Is each house church a non-profit organization?  Can each house church accept donations for tax purposes? 

Pastor/Bishop/Overseer/Elder/Leadership: Does the house church have a pastor?  What does the leadership of the house church look like?  Is the house church elder-led?  Does the house church have a regional leader?  What is the difference between a pastor, bishop, overseer, and elder?

Programs: Does each house church have outreach programs?  How does the house church decide what programs to do?

Purpose/Mission Statement: What is the purpose of the house church?  Does each house church have it’s own mission statement? What does success look like for the house church?

Research: Is there any research about house churches?  Does the research demonstrate that the house church model is more successful?

Resources: What resources are recommended to learn more about the house church model?  Are there resources my church can go through that talk about the house church model? What resource about would you recommend for me to give to my pastor about house churches?

Safety: How does the house church look at safety when new people come into the house?  Are the children safe in the house church when visitors are present?  

Schedule: How often do people in a house church get together?  Does a house church gathering happen at the same time and place every week?

Size of Group: How big is the typical house church gathering?  When you start a new house church, how many people do you try to start with?  When do you say that a house church gathering has too many people? 

Small Group/Bible Study/Life Group: What is the difference between a house church and a small group bible study? Can’t a small group be just as good as a house church?  

Special Needs: How does a typical house church accommodate people who have special needs?  Can I still come to a house church gathering if my child has special needs?

Statistics: Are there any statistics about house churches?  Have house churches been around for a while or is this something new?  Do other countries meet in house churches?

Sustainability: Is the house church model really a sustainable model? 

Tithe/Giving: Do people tithe in the typical house church?  How are the people in a house church encouraged to give?  How does the typical house church spend the money?

Women: Can women be involved in the house church?  Can women speak up in a house church meeting?

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