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What We Can Learn from the Global House Church Movement with Dr. Randy Wollf. Worldwide. It is estimated that worldwide there are approximately: 450 million Christians within conventional churches 10 million in cell-based churches
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What We Can Learn from the Global House Church Movementwith Dr. Randy Wollf
Worldwide • It is estimated that worldwide there are approximately: • 450 million Christians within conventional churches • 10 million in cell-based churches • 450 million in simple, organic structures such as house churches, or meeting outdoors Source – Dale (2005)
Case study - China • China went from having approximately five million believers (1949) to 80-130 million today • Tens of millions of believers are part of house churches Sources – Brother Yun et al (2003), Zdero (2004)
Case study - India • 100,000 house churches started in India from 2001-2006. “These little house churches in India are like the starfish, the more you divide them the more they replicate.” (Choudhrie, 2007, p. 308)
Case study - Ethiopia • In 1982, the Ethiopian government outlawed the MesereteKristos Church. It was comprised of 14 congregations with 5,000 members. • What happened to this church that the government forced underground? Source – Case Study (Ethiopia) in Nexus (2007). Note: You can hear more about the story of the Meserete Church in the film “Against Great Odds” distributed by www.visionvideo.com.
Case study – Muslim world • In an Asian Muslim country, more than 150,000 Muslims embrace Jesus and gather in more than 3,000 locally led Isa Jamaats or Jesus Groups (Garrison, 2004).
Case study – United States • It is estimated that there are 5 million+ people in the U.S. who are involved in house churches (Dale and Dale, 2007). • Neil Cole started his first organic church in a coffee shop. This was the start of Church Multiplication Associates (CMA – www.cmaresources) • – Cole (2007) and Cole (2005)
Case study – United States • NBS Report on House Churches in the United States
Churchgoers Putting Feet to Their Longings in the U.S. Source - Barna (2005)
Churchgoers Putting Feet to Their Longings in the U.S. Source - Barna (2005)
Case study – Canada • Chilliwack – Chilliwack House Churches (http://www.chilliwackhousechurches.com) • Calgary – East Edge (part of Centre Street) (http://www.eastedge.ca/) • Winnipeg – The Journey (www.journeypath.com) • Ontario – The Meeting House (http://www.themeetinghouse.ca/) • Canada-wide - Pathfinders Fellowships (www.pathfindersfellowships.com).
Connecting with the Longings of North American Christians: • Customization • Participation • Incarnational community • Relationships From Zahn, D. (2005). What are driving today’s innovations. Leadership Journal, 26(1), 11.
A Key Characteristic in Some Global Church Planting Movements Garrison, David. Church Planting Movements: How God is Redeeming a Lost World. Midlothian, VA: WIGTake Resources, 2004.
A Key Characteristic in Some Global Church Planting Movements • Extraordinary prayer • Abundant Gospel sowing • Intentional church planting • Scriptural authority • Local leadership Lay leadership House churches/cell churches Multiplying churches Rapid reproduction Healthy churches Garrison, David. Church Planting Movements: How God is Redeeming a Lost World. Midlothian, VA: WIGTake Resources, 2004.
Painting entitled “Simplicity” Characteristics of Healthy House Churches…they are • Simple • Minimal programs • Minimal organizational requirements • Minimal expenses
Characteristics of Healthy House Churches…they are • Relational Characteristics of healthy house church communities: • Continuous • Authentic • Intimate • Intergenerational
Characteristics of Healthy House Churches…they are • Missional • Talking outreach • Sharing Jesus • Inviting the curious • Starting discussion groups • Launching a movement
Characteristics of Healthy House Churches…they are • Flexible • In coming alongside new friends • In changing to address needs/opportunities within the group
Characteristics of Healthy House Churches…they are • Participatory • Everyone can use their gifts and abilities • Interactive learning encourages personal discovery and application of biblical truths • They can provide a context for extraordinary prayer
Recommended Books • Cole, N. (2005). Organic church: Growing faith where life happens. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. • Dale, F. (2005). Getting started: A practical guide to planting simple churches. Manchaca, TX: Karis Publishing – E-version available on MinistryLift website • Frazee, R. (2013). Connecting church 2.0. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. • Garrison, D. (2004). Church planting movements: How God is redeeming a lost world. Midlothian, VA: WIGTake Resources. • Simson, W. (1999). Houses that change the world: The return of the house churches. Emmelsbull, Germany: C&P Publishing. • Zdero, R. (Ed.) (2007). Nexus: The world house church movement reader. Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library.