Comments on Jonalyn Grace Fincher: Tidbits in My Tummy

Madame,There is much that I can appreciate about t...

2008-12-18T14:07:00.000-08:00

Madame,
There is much that I can appreciate about this house church, as you describe it.

I wanted to note a few of the differences between our house church and this one. I think some will be interesting to you.

First thing is that no one person or family is the pastor. We do not designate the men or the older people as spiritually more gifted to lead, preach or teach than the younger or the females in the group. We all take turns leading the church, or as we say, offering the soul food, each week. Different family members (of all ages) team up, or sometimes friends in the church team up. I did a soul food session about Samson because a 12 year old in the church had the idea and she wanted to team up with me.

Second, the children, of all ages, are present during the entire house church. They ask questions, make suggestions, pray and share with the adults. So this means there is no kids church or sunday school especially for them and no dividing of the group to care for the kids. Currently we have a 1 1/2 year old, a 10, 13, 15, 16 year olds.

Third, every meeting we eat together, pray together and share our financial resources (which means we pool our money to give to the community in a way that allows us to do more together than individually).

Sometimes we sing, sometimes we do not. But everyone has a part. I think you've nailed it, however, when you pointed out the reason for a church forming.

The way a church begins will drive the systemic strengths of fault-lines deeply into the way a church grows.

So far we are at 15 people, growing a few every month. By the time we reach 20, I believe we will need to split it half and continue multiplying, like a cell, to keep the entire body listening and knowing each other.

So far, it has been the most meaningful experience of church I have ever known, where I'm truly being taught to follow Jesus by those younger and older than me. The book we've used to guide us is "Houses that Change the World: The Return of the House Churches" by Wolfgang Simpson.

Jonaly,The home church I was brought up in was (an...

2008-12-15T15:38:00.000-08:00

Jonaly,
The home church I was brought up in was (and still is, although they use a room in a church building on Sunday afternoons these days)a very close knit fellowship, very much like a family, where people care for each other and are involved in each other's lives beyond the "spiritual" realm (to call it something!)
I learned a lot from being in that fellowship, things like being genuine, helping each other, caring for each other and looking out for each other's needs. Living the Gospel, not just preaching it.

We didn't have a pastor per se, but there were three or four elders who were responsible for the meetings, organizing evangelism, preaching and generally caring for the organizational aspect of the church.

It was (and still is) traditional. Men did the speaking and praying out loud, both men and women taught children's Sunday school, and I distinclty remember it only being men at all the church leadership meetings.

We sat in a circle, opened with prayer, sang songs from a hymnal and a chorus book as people requested them (only the men back then, now the women and children also participate). We always celebrated communion, usually led by the elder responsible for the meeting.
After communion the children went out to their respective classes. A few minutes were spent exchanging prayer requests, we prayed and sharing time began.
We didn't usually have a preaching. They followed the instructions in 1 Corinthians 14. Two or three would share a word from the Bible, sometimes only one would because the topic sparked a discussion. Again, only the men talked.

When the service was over we all sat together and had a meal. Each week one family was responsible for the meal. Singles would help a family by providing a part of the meal and helping serve it, or they would team up together and take over one Sunday.

I have some very good memories from that church. The children were well cared for and everyone took part in teaching us. They got to know us and we got to know them.

Over the years I have noticed some weaknesses. The church hasn't grown much, possibly because people feel observed when they arrive and maybe they feel like they have to make a commitment. We had a lot of visitors over the years, some people stayed for as long as they lived in that city. A few new believers began in our church but then moved on to a more mainstream one.
There was nothing for young people so as we hit puberty we wanted to be around people our age and we started visiting youth groups "abroad".

I left the church when I was 22 after nearly two years of regularly attending a larger one where everyone was encouraged to be active and participate in the church life in some way or another. Four of my siblings are active in that other church now too.

I think some weaknesses can be traced back to how the church began. It was a youth ministry that was separated from a larger, missionary planted church. The youth minister had some serious disagreements with the leadership and was fired. The young adults whom he was ministering to wanted to continue meeting at his house, so that's how it all began.
Sadly, the first generation of children have left the church seeking greener pastures, partly because we felt like we couldn't really grow in that setting.

Heh, heh. I don't know how many people have tried...

2008-12-10T11:03:00.000-08:00

Heh, heh. I don't know how many people have tried to tell me that scripture calls us to have our major sp. time early in the morning (therefore, to always get up early for it, etc.), but God certainly did not make me that way.

Deborah

Madame,We'd love to have you :) What was the hous...

2008-12-10T08:17:00.000-08:00

Madame,
We'd love to have you :) What was the house church like that you grew up in?

Deborah,
Glad the test, especially #3, was helpful. And for my book on women being prejudice against other women (Walking in Her Shoes) I plan to have a chapter on how women find it hard to like Spiritual Giants, those women who do devotions every day at 6 am and like it! But, I think this gossip test will be integrated, too. Thanks for the idea :)

Jonalyn, Hi. Just the night before last while ed...

2008-12-09T18:12:00.000-08:00

Jonalyn,

Hi. Just the night before last while editing one of my books, I was looking up this verse to insert. At the time I was struck by how the only other use of morsel (albeit a Gk word, not Heb) was of Judas the Iscariot taking that bite at the last supper before heading out to betray Our Savior. It's interesting how the truly life-giving bit can be as poison to us when we have developed a taste for the other and also how great a forest is set on fire by those small sparks.

Anyhow, I love your tasty morsel test. I've meditated on this passage a good deal before and so have previously thought a lot about the first two concepts, especially the question of "What am I really hungry for?" in regards to speech/listening motivation. But I never thought of #3! This nifty three-step test is a great tool I certainly had not thought of. Seems like it should find a spot somewhere in your manuscript on how women relate to each other in the Church (?).

All best wishes
Deborah

Jonalyn,If I lived near you, I'd love to visit you...

2008-12-09T14:43:00.000-08:00

Jonalyn,
If I lived near you, I'd love to visit your church. I was brought up in a home church.

I think I'll write down your Tasty Morsel Test. So...

2008-12-09T14:00:00.000-08:00

I think I'll write down your Tasty Morsel Test. Sounds like a great mental activity that might just distract me enough not to let the information out or pursue it unless it's for the right reasons.

I've also been trying to cut down on snacking gossip. It makes you fat, like overeating! And it seldom leads to solutions.

You know? I think we can actually find a lot of parallels between food for the belly and food for the information bank. You really have to watch what you let into you.

You've made me think. Thanks!

Wonderful post! Gossip can turn you into a differ...

2008-12-08T15:05:00.000-08:00

Wonderful post! Gossip can turn you into a different person. Just being in the presence of others who are gossiping makes me feel ugly. I try so hard, when I am in those situations, to turn the conversations into something positive.

Blessings, to you, Jonalyn.
Cazandra