Every Christian Likes Meeting in Homes

"Every Christian likes meeting in homes."

That is a strong statement but is also one that I believe is true.

I've heard numerous Christ-followers talk about times when they have met with other Christians in homes. It may have been in the early stages of a church plant. It may have been during a special missions meeting at some friends' home. It may have been in a small group meeting. It may have simply been hanging out with Christian friends in their house. Regardless, almost all Christians have had the opportunity to gather with other Christians in homes. Everyone seems to like it.

In fact, I cannot ever remember one Christian saying negative things about their experiences with the church in homes.

This is not, of course, to say that all (or even most) Christians believe that homes should be the primary gathering places for churches. Rather, it is an interesting aspect of church life that is often ignored.

Since home gatherings are so positive, my encouragement to all followers of Jesus is simply this: get together in homes with other Christians some of the time. It will be a blessing.

The content and structure of the gatherings may differ. It could range from a meeting of all the local body all the way to just a few people coming together to share how things are going. My concern in this post is not content. Rather, it is location.

There is something special about meeting in homes. The setting lends itself to openness, sharing, and authenticity. People generally feel comfortable in homes. Because of this, relationships in Christ can grow deeper fairly easily.

A word of caution: this is not automatic. A group of Christian folks can't simply show up at a house and hope for community to magically develop. It takes hard - and enjoyable - effort.

A home is a setting that sets the stage for life-sharing in Christ to take place. The home provides an excellent atmosphere for true fellowship to happen.

I believe all Christians like home gatherings because they sense relationship-building occurring. They grow closer to their brothers and sisters in Christ in this environment.

Therefore, let's get into the homes. This may look different for different local bodies. It may be in addition to other gatherings or take the place of them. It may be weekly, monthly, or unscheduled. It may be just a few people or many. There may be some planning involved or none at all.

Since everybody likes meeting in homes, let's do the obvious thing: meet in homes.