3 reasons why you SHOULDN'T start a house church.

by The Missional Boot Camp on Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at 9:10am

We recently posted a list of 10 reasons why you SHOULD start a simple/organic/house church by Rad Zdero (find it at http://www.facebook.com/missionalbootcamp) But here are a handful of reasons why you SHOULD NOT start one.

• 1. You hate or are bitter towards traditional/institutional church. Some house/simple churches spend most (if not all) of their time criticizing everything that's wrong with the traditional/institutional church. Seriously?! Move on, exercise grace, and invest your time and energy following Jesus into the world on mission.

• 2. You want to spend the rest of your life with a certain group of people. Jesus instructs us to GO and make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20). But sadly many house churches turn inward. But Like Abraham (see Genesis 12) we must embrace the reality that "going" always involves leaving certain things (and people) behind. As we seek to multiply disciples/apprentices of Jesus we have to embrace this reality. Although we seek to develop community around a shared critical mission, in time, Jesus will call some of you to go and take the gospel of the kingdom to an unreached pocket of people.

"Then Peter began to speak up. “We’ve given up everything to follow you,” he said.“Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, 30 will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life." -Mark 10:28-30

• 3. You want a following. Simple/organic church is about following Jesus, not Christian celebrities. Leadership is a gifting the must be recognized in the church, but the primary role of a leader is to help men and women understand how to follow Jesus, the head and leader of the church! There is really no place for men and women who want to attain to Christian celebrity status in a simple/house church movement. Simple/ogranic church is all about training and releasing ordinary men to follow JESUS on mission, and no one else.

What are some other reasons?