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House Church Seminar for Pastors

TRAINING MANUAL

February 2016 Edition

© House Church Ministries, International

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Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION 4

1.1. A Brief Church History (Missionary Perspective) 4

1.2. The Most Outstanding Characteristics of the Churches in Acts 5

1.3. The Key Principles and Methods Behind the Explosive Growth of the

Church in Acts 6

2. THE GOALS OF HOUSE CHURCH MINISTRY 6

3. SOULTIONS TO THE LIMITATIONS OF A TYPICAL CHURCH 7

3.1. The Limitations of a Typical Church 7

3.2. Problems With The Typical Church 7

3.3. Going Back to the Bible 7

4. THE THREE AXES OF HOUSE CHURCH MINISTRY 9

4.1. Weekly House Church 9

4.2. Life Bible Study 9

4.3. Sunday Corporate Worship 9

5. THE FOUR PILLARS OF HOUSE CHURCH MINISTRY 9

5.1. The Purpose of the Church’s Existence (Saving the Lost) 9

5.2. Jesus’ Method of Discipleship (Modelling) 10

5.3. Biblical Division of Ministry (Every Member a Minister) 10

5.4. Servant Leadership 10

6. WEEKLY HOUSE CHURCH 10

6.1. Definition 10

6.2. The Difference Between Weekly House Church and a Cell Group 11

6.3. The Difference Between Weekly House Church and a Location-based Small

Group 12

6.4. The Difference Between Weekly House Church and a Traditional Discipleship

Bible Study Group 12

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7. HOW TO START HOUSE CHURCH MINISTRY 12

7.1. Step #1: Starting with the Presiding or Senior Pastor 12

A The Presiding or Senior Pastor as Leader 12

B A Strong Conviction of House Church Ministry 12

7.2. Step #2: Helping the Church Sense Urgency 13

A Transitioning the Church 13

B Sensing the Urgency When Realising the Limitations of the

Traditional Church 13

7.3. Step #3: Presenting the Vision 14

A The Presiding or Senior Pastor to Present a Clear Vision 14

B Define the New Testament Church 14

C Using Correct House Church Terminology 15

D Presiding or Senior Pastor, Lay Leaders and Members to Know the

Vision 15

7.4. Step #4: Communicate Effectively 15

A Expect to Face Resistance 15

B Spend Much Time To Publicize 16

C Invite Pastors and Shepherds of Other Churches 16

D Pilot A Weekly House Church With Lay Leaders 16

7.5. Step #5: Preparing the Start of House Church Ministry 16

A The Presiding or Senior Pastor Must Take Lead and Initiative

B Train Lay Leaders and Church Members 17

C Help the Members 17

D Re-Evaluate the Purposes of Existing Committees and Meetings 17

E Choose Long-term and Short-term Church Management System 17

F Transition the Entire Church 18

7.6. Step #6: Starting the House Church Ministry 18

A Preparation Period 18

B Leaders 19

C Formation of the Weekly House Church 19

D Appointing Shepherds 20

HOUSE CHURCH COVENANT FORM 22

E Those Who Serve in Weekly House Church 23

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F Weekly House Church Meetings 24

G Multiplication of the Weekly House Church 26

1 Principles of House Church 26

2 The Methods of House Church 27

H Evangelism 27

I Children at a Weekly House Church 28

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1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 A Brief Church History (Missionary Perspective)

Christianity grew and developed in the Western context (until 1793)

First Century: 0-100 A.D

Century of Jesus and the Apostles (Beginnings)

Key Event: Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection

Key Thought: Jesus died for our sins, He rose again and He is Lord.

Second Century: 101-200 A.D

Century of the Church Fathers - Expansion

Christianity was mainly an urban movement meeting in homes for worship, fellowship

and teaching. Expanding in Southern Europe and reaching Britain.

Key Thought: Christianity is Authentic

Third Century: 201-300 A.D

Century of Great Persecutions - Embrace the world or be extinguished?

Monasteries begin as Church suffers severe persecution

Key Thought: The Blood of the Martyrs is the seed of the church Tertullian

Fourth Century: 301-400 A.D

Political Acceptance - Debate

Constantine accepts Christianity in 313 A.D and Christianity became the official Roman

religion in 380 A.D. The Council of Nicaea maintained that Christ is both divine and

human. In him divinity became man in order that we might become like Him (Source:

come from Dr. Mark Paynter)

Key Thought: the church became institutionalized, secularized and paganized; the world

swallowed authentic Christianity

The Age of the Reformation (1517-1648)

The Protestant Reformation took place in the 16th Century (1517) through Martin

Luther, John Calvin and other reformers.

The Five Solas are five Latin phrases (or slogans) that emerged from the Protestant

Reformation intended to summarize the Reformers’ basic theological principles in

contrast to certain teachings of the Roman Catholic Church of the day.

Sola Fide, by faith alone

Sola Scriptura, by Scripture alone

Solus Christus, through Christ alone

Sola Gratia, by grace alone

Soli Deo Gloria, glory to God alone.

The Age of Reason (1648-1789)

The Age of Enlightenment (or simply the Enlightenment or Age of Reason) was a

cultural movement of intellectuals beginning in the late 17th century. Europe

emphasized reason and individualism rather than tradition. Its purpose was to reform

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society using reason, to challenge ideas grounded in tradition and faith, and to advance

knowledge through scientific method. It promoted scientific thought, scepticism, and

intellectual interchange. The Enlightenment was a revolution in human thought. This

new way of thinking was that rational thought begins with clearly stated principles,

uses correct logic to arrive at conclusions, tests the conclusions against evidence, and

then revises the principles in the light of the evidence.

The ideas of the Enlightenment continue to exert significant influence on the culture,

politics, and governments of the Western world (sources come from Wikipedia). The

ideas of the Enlightenment influenced the church. But they realized they cannot have a

better world by this - 1st and 2nd world wars are testimonies to this.

Positive developments in Western Christianity:

Knowledge and analytical and systematic theology, etc.

Negative developments in Western Christianity:

Individualistic not communal Christianity, secular and humanistic Christianity, etc.

Lacking areas in Western Christianity:

Lack of biblical evangelism and discipleship (more knowledge-based than sharing one’s

life). Lack of contextualized missionary endeavour.

Crisis and challenges:

Decline of Christianity in the West and East. There is a need to sense the urgency to

overcome the crises and challenges in Christianity in the 21 Century. The way to

overcome this is to restore Biblical Christianity

1.2 The Most Outstanding Characteristics of the Churches in Acts

(i) The churches grew despite intense persecution.

(ii) The churches, by the power of the Holy Spirit, took the Gospel of Jesus

Christ to unbelievers.

(iii) The churches learnt, obeyed and taught the Word of God.

(iv) The churches worshipped and praised God.

(v) The churches prayed and fasted regularly.

(vi) The churches moved from being Jewish congregations to becoming more

multi-cultural congregations (mixed with Gentiles and Samaritans).

(vii) The churches had regular fellowship and practised the “breaking of bread”

(communion) together.

(viii) The churches performed, by the power of God, many miraculous signs and

wonders.

(ix) The lives of churches were radically transformed by the Holy Spirit.

(x) The churches shared their possessions in order to meet the practical and

social needs of people.

(xi) The churches were led by the Holy Spirit.

(xii) The churches met in each other’s homes.

(xiii) The churches partnered with the missionary team for the progress of the

Gospel.

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(xiv) The churches were self-governing, self-supporting and self-propagating

under the leadership of God.

(xv) The churches had godly, Spirit-filled missions-minded leaders.

1.3 The Key Principles and Methods Behind the Explosive Growth of the Church

in Acts.

(i) Spontaneous evangelism and proclamation of the Gospel occurred by the

empowerment of the Holy Spirit, by not only the Apostles but also by

ordinary ‘unknown’ disciples.

(ii) The missionary team moved to the more receptive people and areas.

(iii) The Word of God was taught thoroughly and preached authoritatively.

(iv) God was praised and worshipped with sincere hearts.

(v) Prayer and fasting were very crucial parts of their spiritual lives.

(vi) They loved one another and expressed this by giving, sharing possessions

and helping the needy.

(vii) They became a strong spiritual family by having regular fellowship

together.

(viii) They developed godly, Spirit-filled, missions-minded leadership within

the churches.

(ix) Qualified elders and leaders were appointed to take care of the churches.

(x) Following the appointment of leaders, the missionary team entrusted the

disciples to God’s care.

(xi) Although there was no actual physical structure to the churches, the

church was well established in the homes of the disciples, which was not

only practical but effective.

(xii) The missionaries served the Lord as a team, establishing a partnership

between the various churches and themselves.

(xiii) Through the efforts of missionary teams, good relationships existed

between the network of churches. All their endeavours to advance the

kingdom were enhanced.

(xiv) Paul and the missionary team continued to nurture, disciple, strengthen

and encourage the churches by revisiting them, and sending them fellow-

workers and letters.

(xv) The apostles, evangelists and missionaries were led by the Holy Spirit and

obeyed Him completely.

2. THE GOAL OF HOUSE CHURCH MINISTRY

Although reformed theology was established, practice and application of this theology

were not fulfilled. In fact, Reformers said “the church of God should continue to reform

until Lord comes back”.

The goal of the movement to reform the church in the 21st century is to restore the

Biblical Church (New Testament Church). In other words, the aim is to assist churches

to be healthy and missional.

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Strategies of the Movement

(i) Work with like - minded pastors and leaders.

(ii) Training and teaching.

(iii) Coaching and mentoring.

(iv) Like – minded churches work together for this movement.

3. SOLUTIONS TO THE LIMITATIONS OF A TYPICAL CHURCH

3.1. The Characteristics of a Typical Church

3.1.1. All activities are done inside the church building.

3.1.2. The worship service is the goal of Christian life.

3.1.3. Church ministry is done primarily by home visitation and programmes led

by a select few.

3.2. Problems with the Typical Church

3.2.1. True fellowship (koinonia) is difficult because it is centred on the worship

service.

3.2.2. It is difficult for every member to be a part of the body of Christ because

church ministry is being done by a few individuals with positions and

titles.

3.2.3. It is hard to reach out to unbelievers because they have negative ideas

about the church.

3.3. Going Back to the Bible

3.3.1. The New Testament churches met at people's homes.

3.3.1.1. Romans 16:3-5, 14, 15

“Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus. They risked

their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are

grateful to them. Greet also the church that meets at their house. Greet

my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the

province of Asia.” (Romans 16: 3-5)

“Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the brothers

with them. Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and

all the saints with them.” (Romans 16: 14-15)

3.3.1.2. Colossians 4:15

“Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the

church in her house.” (Colossians 4: 15)

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3.3.1.3. Philemon 1:2

“…to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier and to the church

that meets in your home” (Philemon 2)

3.3.2. Today, people think of church buildings when they think of churches.

However, if you look in the New Testament, you will find a different

model of church in the 1st Century A.D.

3.3.3. In today’s typical church, it is difficult for many to experience true

fellowship (koinonia), for all to serve as a member of the church, and for

the lost to be evangelised. Furthermore, as the church grows, buildings

must be expanded!

3.3.4. We seek to recover the New Testament Church through House Church

Ministry and strive to do our best to make church structure, activities

(Acts 2:42), ministry methods (Acts 2:46-47) and leadership style

(Matthew 20:26-27) as close to the New Testament as possible.

3.3.5. We make salvation of the lost our priority, not church growth. It is

because we believe God desires everyone to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4).

We consider saving the lost and making them disciples of Christ the

purpose of the church's existence. We believe it is for this reason Jesus

established His church (Matthew 28:19-20).

3.3.6. We prefer cultivation of spiritual strength over transfer of biblical

knowledge, on the job training and field experience over classroom

teaching, and modelling through life over teaching through words as our

discipleship method. We believe this is the way Jesus made his disciples

(Mark 3:14-15).

3.3.7. We help pastors and lay members reclaim their proper ministries.

Pastors focus on equipping God's people (Ephesians 4:11-12a), praying

and proclaiming God's word (Acts 6:2-4), equipping the saints for the

work of ministry (Ephesians 4:12), and exercising leadership (Acts

20:28). Lay members focus on ministering to other members and

building up God's church (Ephesians 4:12b). We pursue after the original

church based on the New Testament.

3.3.8. Our model of the New Testament church is based on Acts 2:42-47. The

local church is made of up many house churches that meet individually

in different homes and together for corporate worship on a weekly basis.

3.3.9. Through house churches, members are faithfully committed to being

disciples of Christ, living an active life of service to Christ and to one

another, and reaching out and ministering to unbelievers with the hope

of saving the lost and making those disciples of Christ.

3.3.10. The House Church is a community of 6-12 people who meet on a weekly

basis at each other's homes to fulfil all the functions of a local church -

worship, discipleship, fellowship, service, and evangelism and missions.

3.3.11. House Churches provide a non-threatening environment for unbelievers

to attend church, ask questions about God and other religions, and

receive Christ as Lord and Saviour. Unbelievers experience God and

transformation in their lives through honest sharing and answered

prayers that can only happen in the House Church.

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4. THE THREE AXES OF HOUSE CHURCH MINISTRY

4.1. Weekly House Church is where family-like community is experienced - touches

upon human EMOTION.

4.1.1. Unchurched unbelievers come to know and believe in Christ.

4.1.2. Believers' lives are changed.

4.2. Life Bible Study that is structured and systematic - touches upon human

INTELLECT.

4.2.1. Unchurched unbelievers come to understand the gospel.

4.2.2. Believers' lives are transformed by God's Word.

4.3. Grace-filled Sunday Corporate Worship - touches upon human WILL.

4.3.1. Unchurched unbelievers decide to believe in and receive Christ.

4.3.2. Believers decide to sacrifice for Christ.

The figure below clarifies the relationship and interaction between these axe, as well as

the central role of the Presiding or Senior Pastor wonderfully:

Sunday Corporate

Worship

Pastor’s Servant-

Leadership

Weekly House

Church

Weekday Bible

Study

5. THE FOUR PILLARS OF HOUSE CHURCH MINISTRY

5.1. Matthew 28: 18-20 - The Purpose of the Church's Existence (Saving the Lost):

5.1.1. The mission of church is to make disciples.

5.1.2. The method is by going, baptizing and teaching them to obey.

5.1.3. Facilitating the saving the lost and making them disciples of Christ, is

the purpose of the church's existence.

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5.2. Mark 3: 13-15 - Jesus' Method of Discipleship (Discipleship through Modelling a

Christ-like Character)

5.2.1. It was not transferring knowledge but cultivating spiritual power.

5.2.2. It was not classroom lectures but field experience.

5.2.3. It was not by teaching with words but by modelling.

5.2.3.1. Jesus helped his disciples learn by example.

"I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you."

(John 13: 15)

5.2.3.2. Paul told the believers to follow his example.

"Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." (1 Cor. 11: 1)

5.2.3.3. Peter told the elders to be an example.

"…not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the

flock." (1 Pet. 5: 3)

5.3. Ephesians 4: 11-12 - Biblical Division of Ministry (Every Member a Minister)

5.3.1. The Pastor's ministry is to prepare God's people.

5.3.1.1. Train them so that they can do ministry.

5.3.1.2. Appoint them to the right place so that they can do ministry.

5.3.2. God's people are responsible for doing ministry and building up God's

church.

5.3.3. In addition to preparing God's people for ministry, the Pastor is

responsible for: prayer, preaching and teaching God's word (Acts 6:

2-4,) and exercising leadership.

5.4. Mark 10: 42-45 - Servant Leadership

5.4.1. The purpose of life is to serve.

5.4.2. True leadership comes from serving.

5.4.3. Being a servant means that the needs of the community come before the

leader's own needs.

6. WEEKLY HOUSE CHURCH MINISTRY

6.1 Definition

6.1.1 A community that fulfils all the intrinsic purposes of a local church that

is shepherded by a lay leader, is made up of a group of between 6-12

members and meeting in their homes at least once a week. That is:

6.1.1.1 House church is shepherded by a lay leader.

6.1.1.2 House church meets at people’s homes.

6.1.1.3 House church is made up of 6-12 people.

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6.1.1.4 House church meets regularly - at least once a week.

6.1.1.5 House church fulfils all the intrinsic purposes of a local church:

worship, education, fellowship, service, evangelism and

missions.

6.2 The Difference Between Weekly House Church and a Cell Group:

6.2.1.1 The name “House Church” is derived from the emphasis on the

gathering place. The name “cell group” is derived with the

emphasis on size. In China, house churches exist that are

made up of more than 100 people.

6.2.1.2 The Weekly House Church sees its members as family that

shares life together. Cell group sees its members as

multiplying cells.

6.2.1.3 The Weekly House Church pursues after the restoration of the

New Testament Church. Cell group pursues after efficiency

and evangelistic results.

6.2.1.4 The Weekly House Church that House Church Ministries,

International endorses and acknowledges is the principle of a

small group and limits its size to fewer than 12 people.

6.3 The Difference Between Weekly House Church and a Location-based Small

Group:

6.3.1.1 Location-based small group is made up of church members

who live in close proximity to each other. House Church is

made up according to people’s choices. However, the context

of each church will determine whether the geographical or

choice model is applied.

6.3.1.2 House Church’s purpose, similar to church planting, is to

emphasise God’s plan of salvation. All the house churches

come together and form a corporate local church.

6.3.1.3 The main purpose of location-based small group is fellowship.

The main purpose of House Church is to fulfil all the intrinsic

purposes of a local church.

6.4 The Difference Between Weekly House Church and a Traditional

Discipleship Bible Study Group:

6.4.1.1 Discipleship Bible study group tries to make disciples through

intensive Bible studies. House Church makes disciples

through modelling a Christ-like character.

6.4.1.2 Only believers participate in Discipleship Bible study group.

House church is also for unbelievers.

6.4.1.3 Discipleship Bible study group’s main purpose is to train the

existing members to become leaders. The House Church’s

main purpose is to have people accept Christ as saviour and

make them disciples of Jesus.

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7 HOW TO START HOUSE CHURCH MINISTRY

Step #1: Starting with the Presiding or Senior Pastor

A. The Presiding or Senior Pastor as Leader

(a) Three things are required from a leader:

(i) Provide direction;

(ii) Provide motivation; and

(iii) Demonstrate competence.

(b) Even if you know a lot, if you cannot provide direction and motivation,

that knowledge is worthless.

(c) If you have a clear direction, then you will motivate people, and if you

motivate people, you will come up with "how-to" knowledge.

B. A Strong Conviction of House Church Ministry

It is imperative that the Presiding or Senior Pastor must have and demonstrate a

strong conviction underpinned by the fact that:

i. House Church is the New Testament Church. The New Testament church

had power. It was the power of House Church that undermined the

Roman Empire.

ii. House Church was effective in the 20th Century just as it was in the 1st

Century. From 1949, when Mao Tse-tung expelled all the missionaries

from China and closed down the churches, until Teng Hsiao-ping came

into power and opened the door, the number of Christians increased by

between 1,000 to 8,000%. The current estimated number of Christians in

China is 50-100 million people.

iii. House Church meets people’s needs in today’s world through

1. The utilization of lay ministers.

2. The formation of small group communities

3. Pastoral ministry through prayer and spirituality.

iv. The biggest reason why House Church fails is because of a lack of the

Pastor’s conviction.

1. You will fail if you think of House Church as a church growth method.

2. First, understand the difference that exists between House Church and

other various kinds of cell or small groups. Then, choose one and

move forward with it consistently:

a. A cell group that emphasizes evangelism.

b. A cell group that emphasizes discipleship/training.

c. A cell group that emphasizes formation of community.

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d. A cell group that considers it as ministry opportunities.

e. House Church that focuses on restoration of the New Testament

church - This is what House Church Ministries, International is

pursuing after.

3. After participating in the house church seminar, if you have decided to

transition into the House Church model, paint a clear picture of the

church based on house church ministry, learning as much as you can

from the hosting church.

Step #2: Helping the Church Sense Urgency

A. Transitioning the church into House Church Ministry will be difficult if

members are not dissatisfied about the present condition.

i. House church is restoring the traditional church to the New Testament

Church. Therefore, it will require a tremendous amount of energy.

ii. The energy will be supplied only when the Pastor and church members

sense the urgency.

iii. Churches that are content with their present condition will have a

difficult time implementing the House Church concept.

B. People will sense the urgency when they realise the limitations of

traditional church.

i. What are traditional churches like?

a. Much of the church's activities take place inside the church

building.

b. Many think of the Sunday corporate worship service as the only

thing that matters in Christian life.

c. Church ministry is done mainly through the Pastor’s home

visitation and programmes that are led by a select few key

leaders.

ii. What are the problems of traditional churches?

a. True fellowship is difficult because everything is centred on Sunday

Corporate Worship (SCW).

b. It is difficult for every member to be a minister because much of

church ministry is done by those who hold positions and titles.

c. It is difficult to evangelize the unbelievers because they have

negative impressions about traditional churches.

iii. How to help people gain a sense urgency

a. Reveal the differences between the New Testament Church and the

current traditional church.

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b. Point out the fact that the current church depends more on traditions

rather than on the Bible.

c. Show how the practices of the current church are not biblical.

d. Present the beauty of a biblical church.

Step #3: Presenting the Vision

A. As the Presiding or Senior Pastor, you must present a clear vision to

church members

i. You must be able to express your vision in one sentence.

“Saving people and making them disciples”

“Restoring the New Testament Church”

“Building a biblical church”

ii. Your vision must be biblical.

iii. It is best to use “saving people and making them disciples” found in The

Great Commission (Matthew 28: 19-20) as the foundation of your vision.

B. Define the New Testament Church by using a “House Church Mission

Declaration.”

The Mission Statement of House Church Ministries, International:

1. We seek to restore the New Testament Church. We attempt to do our best

to make our structure, ministry activities (Acts 2: 42), ministry methods

(Acts 2: 46-47), and leadership style (Matthew 20: 26-27) as close to the

New Testament as possible.

2. We make the salvation of unbelievers, not church growth, as our priority. It

is because we believe God wants everyone to be saved (1 Timothy 2: 4).

3. We consider saving unbelievers and making them disciples as the purpose

of the church’s existence. This is the reason why Jesus established His

church in the world (Matthew 28: 19-20).

4. We prefer as our discipleship method --- cultivating the spiritual strength of

people over the passing on of biblical information, on the job training over

classroom education, and modelling through life over teaching through

words. It is because we believe that Jesus made His disciples this way

(Mark 3: 14-15).

5. We help pastors and lay members regain their rightful and respective roles

and ministries in a local church. Pastors are responsible for and must be

focused on equipping God’s people for the works of service (Ephesians 4:

11-12a), praying and proclaiming God’s Word (Acts 6: 2-4) and providing

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leadership for God’s church (Acts 20: 28). Lay members are responsible for

shepherding and building up God’s church (Ephesians 4: 12b).

6. We are not cell groups or small groups. We pursue after establishing a

biblical New Testament Church. In order to help House Church become a

basic New Testament community, we are committed to the following:

a. We meet every week (Acts 20: 7).

b. Men and women meet together (Romans 16: 3-5).

c. Believers and unbelievers meet together (1Corinthians 14: 23-25).

d. Children form an integral part of House Church (Matthew 19:14).

7. We respect each local church’s autonomy and uniqueness as to baptism,

The Lord’s Supper, and preaching, based on the Presiding or Senior Pastor’s

theological and denominational background and conviction.

C. Using Correct House Church Terminology.

Names have power to define ministry.

i. House Church Ministries, International strongly recommends the

following names:

a. The basic New Testament community: House Church.

b. The person responsible for house church: Shepherd.

c. The group made up of several house churches: Village.

ii. The terms “Shepherd,” “Shepherd’s Wife” and “Village Leader” are not

titles. These terms refer to ministries. Someone who has resigned or

stepped-down from ministry should no longer have these designations.

iii. We recommend that those who participate in the House Church seminar

and plan to implement it in their churches use at least these three terms

– “House Church (HC),” “Shepherds” and “Village.”

D. The same vision statement must come out naturally from the lips of the

Presiding or Senior Pastor, lay leaders and church members.

i. The vision should not be known just by the Presiding or Senior Pastor

and church leaders, but by all the church members.

ii. The vision must be repeated and explained over and over again until it

is etched (“engraved”) in every member’s mind.

Step #4: Communicate Effectively

A. Expect to face resistance against House Church from lay leaders and

typical church members. This is a normal reaction. The reasons for this is:

i. The fear of change.

ii. The fear of having to make sacrifices.

iii. The burden of meeting every week for a long period of time.

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iv. The burden of opening up one’s home and providing meals.

B. Spend Much Time to Publicise House Church

i. Preach messages on House Church.

ii. Engage your intercessors.

iii. Continue to share your commitment to and decision about House

Church using the Pastor’s Column in the weekly bulletin.

iv. Publicly pray for House Church Ministry.

v. Focus on the benefits they will experience, rather than on their

responsibilities. The benefits include, for example:

a. Problems in life will be solved.

b. Family-like friends will be gained.

c. Unbelievers will be evangelised.

d. Heavenly rewards will be stored.

C. Invite Pastors or Shepherds from other churches where House Church

Ministry has been well-established as speakers and have special

meetings. You may do so by:

i. Arranging either retreats at retreat centres or seminars at the church.

ii. Providing opportunities for church members to share their testimonies

towards the end of these special meetings.

iii. Have questions and answer sessions with the speakers towards the end

of the retreat or seminar to help minimise the fear of starting House

Church.

D. The Presiding or Senior Pastor can start with piloting a House Church

with the key leaders.

i. The leaders will be hesitant about House Church because they have

never experienced it before.

ii. House Church Ministry will succeed only when the leaders appreciate

its value.

iii. The Presiding or Senior Pastor should have 6-8 weeks typical House

Church meetings at his/her home with the leaders and their spouses.

iv. The key leaders will support House Church Ministry enthusiastically

when they realize it is fun and beneficial.

Step #5: Preparing the Start of House Church Ministry

A. The Presiding or Senior Pastor must take the lead and initiative in

transitioning the church into House Church.

i. The Presiding or Senior Pastor’s pastoral ministry must communicate

the message that House Church Ministry is not optional, but an

imperative.

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ii. Although the Presiding or Senior Pastor must take the initiative, s/he

should boldly entrust shepherding ministry to lay members.

iii. The Presiding or Senior Pastor should champion the transition until

House Church is fully settled.

B. Train the lay leaders and the church members.

i. Offer Living Life Bible Study, which is essential in starting House

Church Ministry.

a. In preparation for start of House Church, offer the Bible study as soon

as possible. The more church members take the class the easier the

transition will be.

b. Have key leaders take the class first, showing an example to the

rest of the church members. If the key leaders feel uneasy about

taking the class with other church members, offer the first class just

for the leaders.

c. The Presiding or Senior Pastor must teach the class regularly.

ii. Offer a House Church seminar to church members.

C. Help the members’ energies to be focused on saving unbelievers.

i. Unlike the full-time Pastor, the lay members have a full-time job.

ii. The lay members have limited time and energy.

iii. Help them to focus their energy on House Church Ministry, which is the

most effective tool in saving unbelievers.

D. Re-evaluate the purpose of existing committees and meetings.

i. Are they effective in saving unbelievers and making disciples out of

them?

ii. Are they interfering with the establishment of House Church?

iii. Unless you see a clear reason to discontinue them, make it a principle to

let them continue.

iv. Discontinue them when the church members realize they are no longer

essential.

E. Choose a long-term or short-term church management system.

i. You can separate shepherding ministry and operational ministry.

Shepherding ministry is done by Shepherds and Village Leaders.

Operational ministry could be done by Deacons and/or Elders.

ii. Shepherds and Village Leaders could be responsible for both

shepherding ministry and operational ministry.

iii. Village Leaders could be Elders and Shepherds could be Deacons.

iv. Elders could be Village Leaders and Deacons could be Shepherds.

v. Whichever system you choose to use, make sure that the key leaders

have a true shepherd’s heart.

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F. The best way to establish House Church Ministry is to transition the

entire church into the House Church Ministry.

i. When you choose to transition this way, the Presiding or Senior Pastor’s

heart for and commitment to House Church will be demonstrated.

ii. You will experience less pain, compared to the pain you will experience

by making incremental changes.

iii. You can prevent House Church Ministry from failing because of

potential clashes that arise with existing committees and meetings.

G. Even if you have to transition partially at first, make it your goal to

transition the entire church, eventually.

i. Even if church is transitioned partially, operate the church as if the

whole church has been transitioned.

a. Do not allow any meeting to take place during the time when the

Weekly House Church meets.

b. Have each Weekly House Church do a special programme either on

Wednesday or during Sunday Corporate Worship (SCW).

ii. Consider those who have not chosen a Weekly House Church as if they

were candidates for evangelism for a certain time period. Reach out to

them by inviting them to the Weekly House Church.

iii. The Presiding or Senior Pastor can assemble those who have not chosen

a Weekly House Church and start a Weekly House Church with them.

a. When the number increases, appoint a Shepherd and turn it over

to him/her.

b. Repeat this until the entire church is transitioned into the House

Church Ministry.

Step #6: Starting House Church Ministry

A. Preparation Period

i. Begin the House Church Ministry after spending enough time in

preparation. It is better for the Pastor not to make a statement on his

own about starting House Church, but to make the statement through

the Leadership Team after making an official decision on it.

ii. Problems could arise if preparation time is too short.

a. People could resist House Church because they don’t understand it.

b. If you start too soon, the risk is to appoint leaders as Shepherds

who don’t understand House Church Ministry.

c. If you fail the first time it will be difficult to try again in the future.

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iii. Church members could get tired if preparation time is too long.

a. The people will lose interest.

b. Those who are eager to start the Weekly House Church, it is best to

start with them.

iv. If possible, it is best to imitate a church who has “mastered” the House

Church Ministry.

a. You can lose the essentials of House Church Ministry when you try

too hard to make it fit to your church situation.

b. When you do House Church Ministry exactly like the model church

for 2-3 years, you will not have to reinvent the wheel or make

unnecessary mistakes.

v. If the Presiding or Senior Pastor and church have a specific mission God

has given them, pursue it after House Church Ministry is well-

established.

B. Leaders

i. Appoint only those leaders as Elders (or Board members) who serve as

Shepherds and are exemplary in their conduct and generosity (giving

their tithes).

a. Your leaders must have servant hearts.

b. True leaders are those who are lead exemplary lives in all respects

c. They must be people “…not lording it over those entrusted to

you, but being examples to the flock.” (1 Peter 5: 3)

ii. It is preferable to appoint male leaders. Appointment of female

shepherds must only be done as the exception. The following biases

exist:

a. Unbelieving men have a difficult time responding to female

leadership.

b. When men exercise spiritual leadership, families and society

become holy and stable.

c. If a woman has excellent leadership qualities, has an unbelieving

but understanding husband or is single, she may be appointed as a

Shepherd.

C. Formation of the Weekly House Church

i. When you form House Churches, have members choose their own,

where this is appropriate.

ii. Lay members will become more responsible and loyal when they

choose on their own.

a. Shepherds will become more responsible, realising that the

members chose them.

b. Members will become more loyal to their Shepherd because they

are the ones who chose him/her.

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iii. The church may appoint Shepherds and have members choose their

own Shepherds.

iv. A good approach for churches that are medium to large:

a. Have everyone choose 3 shepherds in order of preference.

b. The Presiding or Senior Pastor gives first choice to those who are

new or weak in their faith.

c. Only the Presiding or Senior Pastor should know the choices

members make.

d. This can prevent the key leaders from getting embarrassed when

they are not chosen as shepherds.

e. If those key leaders who are not chosen get appointed to serve as

Shepherds, there is a risk that they will not be excited and

passionate about House Church Ministry.

v. The church members may also recommend all the possible Shepherds

and they can choose their Shepherds from them.

vi. An effective approach to take in small churches is listed below. The

same process as above could be utilised.

a. Those who are most respected by members could be appointed as

Shepherds.

b. There could be opposition from those who are in key ministry

positions who don’t get elected.

vii. If you have members who don’t choose their own Weekly House

Churches, allow the Shepherds to choose and draft them.

a. Those Shepherds who don’t have enough members for their

Weekly House Churches can get together and choose members

from this “homeless list” by taking turns.

b. Ten members is a good number to start.

D. Appointing Shepherds

i. Shepherds must finish all the required classes Life Series Bible Studies

and two one-on-one Bible studies that are done in House Church

Ministry.

ii. Those who haven’t finished all the required classes serve as “Deputy

Shepherds” (fulfil all the functions of a Shepherd, except that they have

not met all the requirements for a Shepherd) when the Weekly House

Church needs to multiply.

a. Evangelism becomes very difficult when a Weekly House Church

has more than 12 members.

b. The Shepherd is not a ruling leader but a serving leader.

Therefore, a person can serve as a Shepherd even without

knowing much of the Bible.

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c. These Deputy Shepherds will join in meeting weekly with other

Shepherds and the Village Leaders to learn and receive prayer.

iii. When you begin House Church Ministry, it is good to appoint all the

Shepherds as Deputy Shepherds.

iv. Before a person gets appointed as either Shepherd or Deputy Shepherd,

the Presiding or Senior Pastor should have a personal interview with

the candidate.

a. Listen to his/her childhood, family, spiritual and professional

background. Decide if s/he is suitable to serve as a Shepherd.

b. Explain to him/her the role, responsibilities, the challenges and

joys of serving as a Shepherd.

c. Review and consider the following example of the House Church

Shepherd’s Covenant Form on the next page:

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HOUSE CHURCH SHEPHERD’S COVENANT

I hereby make a covenant with God; to do my best to keep the following:

1. As the Deputy Shepherd of my House Church, I will be responsible for the spiritual

growth of my House Church family as well as the operation and administration of

my House Church.

2. I will attend the Weekly House Church Shepherds' meeting as well as the Village

Meetings with my spouse (where applicable) when called upon to do so.

3. I will pray for at least 20 minutes a day, four days a week. I will pray for each

individual member by calling out his/her name.

4. I will either read three chapters of the Bible a day, four days a week or have regular

personal devotional time, four days a week.

5. I will complete and submit my Weekly House Church report and submit it to my

Presiding Pastor every Monday after the Friday Weekly House Church meeting.

6. I will tithe to our church so that I can set an example of being God's steward for my

house church members to follow.

7. I will consistently make every effort to help lead one VIP (unsaved unchurched

person) to receive Christ as his/her Lord and Saviour and become a member of

Christ’s family and AFM Victory Celebration.

8. I will consistently make every effort to attend all Wednesday Prayer Meetings to

model the importance of prayer to my House Church family.

9. I will consistently make every effort to attend all Sunday Corporate Worship

services to model the importance of this service to my House Church family.

10. I will consistently make every effort to attend all 6 Life Series Bible Studies to meet

the requirements of becoming a fully-fledged Shepherd.

11. I will attend all retreats and on-going training for Deputy Shepherds.

Date __________________________________

Deputy Shepherd (Name) ____________________ Signature: _______________________

Spouse (Name) ____________________ Signature: _______________________

I, Clarence “Jiff” Pereira, hereby make a covenant with God to pray for the above Deputy

Shepherd and his/her family at least once every two weeks by calling out their names.

Date ___________________________________ Signature: ___________________________

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E. Those Who Serve in Weekly House Church

i. The advantage of doing House Church is that everyone can become a

part of the body of Christ serving one another.

ii. Designations in Weekly House Church

• Shepherd or Deputy Shepherd

• Intern

• Word-time Leader

• Missionary Correspondent

• Fellowship Activity Co-ordinator

• Praise and Worship Leader

• Children’s Minister

• Etc.

iii. Intern

a. If s/he gets appointed immediately, the benefit is that s/he will get

plenty of time to get trained. However, the downside is the risk

that someone who doesn’t have a leadership gift could be

appointed.

b. If you choose your intern right before your multiplication, then

someone who is most trusted and respected can be selected as a

Shepherd/Deputy Shepherd. But he will not get enough time to be

trained.

c. When you select an intern right before your multiplication, have the

House Church members choose and the church acknowledge and

appoint him officially in the Sunday Corporate Worship.

d. Allow your intern to facilitate the Weekly House Church meeting

once a month.

iv. Word-time Leader

1. Make sure that the role of the Word-time Leader will not get

elevated above that of the Shepherd.

a. In a typical Weekly House Church meeting, this person plays

one of the most important roles.

b. Word-time Leaders may develop a tendency to lead the

Weekly House Church meeting as small group Bible study.

This must be avoided as s/he’s responsibility must be limited

to sharing the sermon summary of the previous Sunday

Corporate Worship service.

c. Care should be taken that no attempt be made to “improve”

on the sermon. Weekly House Church members must be

encouraged to share how they applied the sermon in their

daily lives during the week.

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2. You could gather all the teachers at one place on Sunday or any other

suitable day, to provide resources and train them beforehand.

F. Weekly House Church Meeting

1. The principles of Weekly House Church meetings:

a. If possible, follow the standard guidelines.

b. Be careful that your Weekly House Church meeting doesn’t turn

into a Bible study.

c. Put emphasis on sharing lives, focusing not so much on events,

but feelings.

d. If it becomes evident that a House Church member has a problem,

focus on helping that person solve the problem instead of

following the guidelines rigidly.

e. If an unbeliever attends the House Church, put an emphasis on

sharing lives and listening to his/her story during the first two

or three weeks, without strictly following the guidelines.

f. Put your ultimate emphasis on evangelism and missions.

g. The following must take place in your Weekly House Church

meeting:

i. Unbelievers come to know Christ.

ii. Believers’ lives are transformed.

iii. Interns are raised.

2. A Typical Weekly House Church Meeting Programme Order (Only a

guide relating to the time allocated)

a. The order here proposed, should be followed as far as possible.

b. Deviation from the order outline below must only be allowed

when a VIP (unchurched unbeliever) visits the Weekly House

Church. After about three weeks, the regular order should be

followed. The Love Feast, Sharing of Lives and Answered

Prayer parts of the programme must be followed.

c. Love feast – a simple and inexpensive hot meal kicks off the

meeting and creates a relaxed and non-threatening atmosphere

that will encourage deep and intimate sharing. The meal could be

prepared by the Shepherd couple for the first few meetings, until

other members feel comfortable hosting and preparing meals. If no

one is prepared to host, the Shepherd couple must host. A potluck

could also be arranged to lighten the burden. When under

pressure with time, take-aways would also suffice. Men must do

the dishes to model servant leadership (45 minutes)

d. Praise and Worship – this part is the one where members come in

praise and worship before the Lord and is led by someone with the

gift of singing and music. A CD/MP3 player could also be utilised

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for this purpose. One or two children songs must sing with the

children by adults (15 minutes).

e. Olive Blessings – Children’s testimonies is the part where each

child share one thing they are thankful to the Lord for and one

prayer request. Adults then pray for those requests (15 minutes).

Adults may sing one or two more songs after children leave with

Children’s Shepherd.

f. Church news/Announcements – only special announcements and

news are shared here (3 minutes)

g. Ice-breaker – it is sharing something funny or factual that will

make the members at ease and open them for intimate sharing.

This is especially good for new members and VIPs, but once the

relationship in the Weekly House Church is established, you do not

have to do it every week. If there is dessert, it can be served

during this time (15 minutes).

h. Word Summary – A summary of the message of the previous

Sunday’s Corporate Worship service is given. Do not allow the

presenter to bring an own message or interpretation of the

message. Members could give testimonies of what the previous

Sunday’s sermon meant to them and how they applied it during the

week. (not to be more than 20 minutes)

i. Sharing of Lives – Here the Shepherd must say the least as this is

the most important part of the programme where members share

deep and intimate things with each other and where they can

encourage one another. Start this part of the programme with

people sharing how the Lord has answered their prayers. The

Shepherd must also lead them to share what they are thankful for.

This is also aimed at finding healing and encouragement during

tough times. The testimonies of victories over tough times will

have the same effect. Members must not try to counsel those who

share, but can share their similar stories and how God came

through for them. Confidentiality is non-negotiable (60-90

minutes)

j. Vision-casting – The Shepherd must share with members the

expected date of multiplication and encouraging them to invite

VIPs (5 minutes). At least 1 VIP must be lead to salvation in Jesus

Christ for the year.

k. Intercessory Prayer – pray for each other’s prayer requests in

groups of two if the group is large or each pray corporately for

individual requests. Also pray for at least 5 unbelievers by name so

that the Lord can prepare their hearts to accept an invitation to

House Church (15 minutes)

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l. Missions and Evangelism Challenge and Offering – the

missionary correspondent will share news and prayer requests

received from the mission field. Stories of the persecution of

Christians could be told to prepare believers for the worst (15

minutes).

G. Multiplication of the Weekly House Church

1. Principles of Multiplication

i. Problems that arise when a Weekly House Church has too many

members:

a. There will be people who will go through the entire meeting

without saying a single word.

b. People will not want to reach out to and evangelize

unbelievers because the place is full. They will have a difficult time

just maintaining their Weekly House Church.

c. Two choices:

(i) Wait until someone finishes all the required classes of being

a Shepherd; or

(ii) Appoint someone who hasn’t finished all of the classes to

serve as a Deputy Shepherd.

(iii) It is better to appoint a Deputy Shepherd and multiply,

even if he hasn’t finished all the required classes.

ii. When the Weekly House Church becomes much larger than 12

members, multiplication will become even more difficult

because no one will want to volunteer to serve as a Deputy

Shepherd.

iii. Because Weekly House Church emphasizes servant leadership,

much biblical knowledge is not essential as in someone serving

as a Shepherd.

iv. In the Weekly House Church, people observe and learn.

Therefore, much formal training prior to someone becoming a

Shepherd is not necessary. They will learn as they go along.

v. New Deputy Shepherds could share their problems in their Village

meetings, where they can learn and receive prayer from other

experienced Shepherds.

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vi. When a person finishes all required classes after s/he gets

appointed as a Deputy Shepherd, appoint him as a full-fledged

Shepherd.

2. The Methods of Multiplication

i. Multiply into two equal halves.

ii. The Shepherd can give over the entire Weekly House Church to the

new Shepherd and s/he can come out and plant a new Weekly House

Church.

iii. A Shepherd Couple can either come out by themselves or bring one

couple with them and start a new Weekly House Church.

iv. A Shepherd Couple can bring out those few members that the new

Shepherd has a hard time dealing with.

v. The principle is to help the new Shepherd become successful in

his/her new ministry.

vi. The Weekly House Church that the new Shepherd will be responsible

for must have at least three couples in order for them not to be

discouraged because of the size of the Weekly House Church.

vii. Unless the Shepherd and the members complain about their own

Weekly House Church that hasn’t multiplied for a long time, leave it

alone.

viii. You can’t close down a Weekly House Church because it is a small

local church.

ix. People who are somewhat unskilled or incapable must be allowed

to serve and thrive in church.

H. Evangelism

i. The ultimate purpose of Weekly House Church is to reach out to people

and make them disciples.

ii. If your house church doesn’t evangelize the lost, it will slowly die out.

iii. Within one year after multiplication, the purpose of the house church

meeting must transition from fellowship to evangelism.

iv. God has used different styles of evangelism at different times.

1. Street evangelism

2. Home visitation

3. Revival meetings

4. Evangelism Explosion

v. The evangelism style that the Weekly House Church uses is relational.

Therefore, it is highly effective in reaching unchurched unbelievers.

vi. Today’s people are tired of hearing “You must believe in Jesus.” We must

invite them to the Weekly House Church where they can experience

love.

vii. Seek after those who have hurts or who are looking for answers or

peace in their lives.

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viii. Remain as friends with those who don’t feel the need to come to God

until they experience crisis.

ix. If possible, have them receive Christ through the Presiding or Senior

Pastor (when s/he hosts the Receiving Jesus Meeting (RJM)).

a. The Presiding or Senior Pastor becomes a role model in

evangelism.

b. The Presiding or Senior Pastor can present the gospel clearly

and help the person to receive Christ clearly.

c. Only those who truly are ready will receive Christ.

d. The person will become loyal to the church.

x. The reason why Weekly House Church is effective in reaching

unbelievers is because the work has been divided.

a. Weekly House Church members are responsible for bringing their

unbelieving friends to Weekly House Church.

b. Weekly House Church Shepherds are responsible for encouraging

their members to take The Living Life Bible Study.

c. The Presiding or Senior Pastor is responsible for teaching the

Bible and helping people receive Christ.

d. Because everyone is doing what s/he is good at, evangelism

becomes very effective.

xi. The spiritual principles of reaching unbelievers through Weekly House

Church:

a. God will entrust souls to you if you love God and people.

b. God will entrust souls to you if you are committed to prayer.

c. Unbelievers will come to Weekly House Church when they

experience answered prayers.

I. Children at Weekly House Church

i. Having no programme for children is not a bad idea.

ii. Children enjoy coming to Weekly House Church because they get to see

their friends, even if there is no separate programme for them.

iii. At times, parents end up coming to Weekly House Church and getting

saved because of their children, who enjoy coming to Weekly House

Church.

iv. You can have children join at the beginning of the meeting for praise.

Then, pray for them and allow them to play on their own.

v. An older child can be appointed as Children’s Shepherd and serve the

younger ones with some help from the Children’s Ministry Co-ordinator.

vi. A young student or an older primary school learner can lead

Children’s House Church while the adults are having their meeting.

vii. One member can be appointed as Children’s Ministry Co-ordinator to

help the Children’s Shepherd.

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viii. The church can provide materials for Weekly House Churches so that

they can do children’s ministry during their Weekly House Church

meeting.

ix. Provide them with craft materials, ideas, praise songs, movie DVDs,

etc.

x. Train the Children’s Ministry Co-ordinator or Children’s Shepherd to do

their ministry well.