The practical reality of the priesthood of the believer was lost until the Reformation. Are we to believe that having smaller congregations was a purely incidental aspect of the blueprint for church life or was it purposeful? The record in the book of Acts tells us that 'They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to … Some argue that Roman villa sized churches were characteristic of the church in its infancy, but not in its maturity. What constitutes a successful ministry anyway? Is a home / house church biblical? Many times that is the way the early church would have met. How successful was Isaiah’s ministry to a dull, spiritually blind people?         Martin Selman of Spurgeon’s College in London wrote, “The theme of the ‘household of God’ undoubtedly owed much to the function of the house in early Christianity as a place of meeting and fellowship (e.g. Early church meetings centered on the Lord’s Table were tremendous times of fellowship, community, and encouragement. Some argue that Roman villa sized churches were characteristic of the church in its infancy, but not in its maturity. However, what happens when they marry and have children? Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings.” Colossians 4:15, “Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.” In early Christianity, there were no church buildings. God used these house churches to turn the Roman world upside down (Ac 17:6). There are no evidences of larger places of meeting before 300.” Again quoting Snyder, “there is no literary evidence nor archaeological indication that any such home was converted into an extant church building. Yet even in the absence of persecution, might the apostles have intended to lay down a purposeful strategy of smaller congregations? “Small Churches Struggle to Grow Because of the People They Attract,” Barna.org, accessed September 01, 2016. Size plays an important role in this. “How Much Does It Cost To Start A Church?”, MissionalChallenge.com, accessed September 1, 2016. 2:5-11; Gal. For example, a Barna Group’s study on why small churches don’t grow revealed that people with children are often looking for a church that offers an impressive children’s ministry, which in turn requires the funding for first-class facilities and to hire competent personnel, something smaller churches have financial difficulty doing. Kingdom minded older congregations may be willing to let you use their building after their services are over. Second, continue doing things to bring in new singles under 35. Church buildings would not be built for another 200 years. ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2217 This article may be copied or redistributed with acknowledgement and permission of the publisher. Smaller churches can best foster the simplicity, vitality, intimacy and purity that God desires for His Church. When a person or church experienced economic trouble, the others shared without reservation. During the first several centuries of Christianity, the church was centered on the home. The church was depicted by apostolic writers in terms which describe a family. A loving, family-like atmosphere is more easily developed. How many people attend a church? These ideals are best accomplished in smaller congregations where people know and love each other. How successful was Isaiah’s ministry to a dull, spiritually blind people? Worst yet, many parents drop their children off at a church youth program as sort of a reform school, hoping for a miracle. In short, involvement with a smaller church can be a wonderful blessing with strategic, divinely-designed advantages. A home-school family’s thinking is often based on such truths as, “Folly is bound up in the heart of a child” and “the companion of fools will suffer harm.” Because children are foolish, putting them all together in a school classroom may be a recipe for spiritual and social disaster. The epistles of the New Testament written to churches were all written to congregations that met in homes. Rather than growing a single church bigger and bigger, consider sending off clusters of people to start new small churches. A hallway between them led into the home’s atrium. Worst yet, many parents drop their children off at a church youth program as sort of a reform school, hoping for a miracle. The size should be just right; not too big and not too small (neither mega nor micro). One challenge in worshiping in a home today lies in the fact that modern homes are often far different from first-century Roman villas. New churches grow faster than larger ones. The real influence in the room is not the teacher but peer pressure. It is not surprising then to see women taking leadership roles in house churches. Paul tells of women who were the leaders of such house churches (Apphia in Philemon 2; Prisca in I Corinthians 16:19). It was right and natural, they argue, for each church to grow beyond the confines of a home, building larger and larger places to meet. The sacredness of these places did not arise from their architecture, it resided in the presence of those gathered — the assembling of the local Body of Christ — and in what they had gathered together to receive, the Body of Christ in the signs of bread and wine. . Worst yet, many parents drop their children off at a church youth program as sort of a reform school, hoping for a miracle. We desperately need new settings and structures for watching over one another in love.” The Matthew 18 restoration process detailed by Jesus clearly assumes more than just “us four and no more.” There was a single congregation meeting in Corinth at the time Paul wrote; counting the various people using their spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 14 adds up to a healthy number of believers. 5. How do you feel about this? What can be done? We desperately need new settings and structures for watching over one another in love.”. The two rooms facing the street were often businesses. At the far end of the atrium was the business office. Free Help Teaching Strategic Size The first church began in a home on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2). Ute E. Eisen, Women Officeholders in Early Christianity: Epigraphical and Literary Studies (Liturgical Press, 2000) Roger Gryson, The Ministry of Women in the Early Church … 8. 4. Special thanks to Stephen David of Hyderabad, India for significant contributions to this section. Why? Paul claims that during these gatherings, the fact that some were well-fed and getting drunk while others went hungry, proved that their meals failed the test of a genuine Eucharist (1 Corinthians 11:17-22). Multiplication: Small churches have great potential for growth through multiplication. There is extensive archaeological evidence from many cites showing that some homes were structurally modified to hold such churches.” One such modified home known to host a church was found in Dura-Europos, Syria.         Scripture indicates that the early church met in the private homes of its more affluent members. Size plays an important role in this. Posted Sep 10, 2020. The Church should be associated with mutual encouragement, accountability, relationships, community and maintaining church discipline. [I wrote a blog series explaining the marks of a biblical church.] It is not a cure-all panacea for the many ills in the church today; however it is the start of a conversation that may—with God’s help—lead to much-needed reform.”. Disciple making is more personal and natural. Celebrating the Lord’s Supper as an actual faith-family meal is more natural in a smaller setting. This includes the house/home churches who attempt to emulate the early Church organization. Impressive children’s ministries mean little to them. When a "church" wasn't a building These early believers did not have church buildings to meet in. For all their scandalous behavior, we are grateful to have Paul’s response to the Corinthians. Multiple house churches in Rome are mentioned in Romans 16. 6. The Church as Family: An overarching significance of the New Testament church lies in its theology of community. Those who have pulled their children out of both government and Christian schools are often not interested in their children being involved with Sunday school or youth groups. Perspective Proportions In 313 AD the Roman Emperor Constantine granted full religious tolerance to Christianity and other religions – and since then the construction of dedicated church buildings started. The Catechism describes the Church as “the family of God” (§ 1655). When one member suffered, they all suffered. These small numbers are based on the size of houses in Corinth, and the house that Murphy-O’Connor used as his primary example was the spacious abode of someone with considerable wealth. Christian fellowship meant unconditional availability to and unlimited liability for the other sisters and brothers—emotionally, financially and spiritually. New Bible Dictionary (Wheaton, IL:  Tyndale, 1982), 498. “How Much Does It Cost To Start A Church?”, MissionalChallenge.com, accessed September 1, 2016. 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