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Which denomination?

Blake said:
Asking honestly, not as a counter point or as an attack: When Paul wrote his epistles to the churches, what do you think they looked like? The churches, I mean.
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I think they were house churches, and maybe they met in public, as in a public park, or a private place.
 
Deborah13 said:
It appears to me that the Roman Catholic church was set up to imitate the Jewish Temple.
Pope - High Priest (all his finery, especially his head gear)
Cardinals, bishops, something like the Sanhedrin, Pharisees, Sadducees
Priests - Levites
Nuns - thrown in as the widows of the NT that have taken a oath to serve Christ/married to Christ
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Which is so ironic because they are the one's that erased the church's understanding of our Hebrew roots.
 
Jethro Bodine said:
Like open, but controlled, Bible studies:

"When you assemble,each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.
27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and one must interpret;
28 but if there is no interpreter, he must keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God.
29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment.
30 But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, the first one must keep silent.
31 For you can all prophesy one * by one *, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted" (1 Corinthians 14:26-31 NASB)

.
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I bet they were sharing their new faith with everyone and new people were coming to the meetings all the time.
 
Jethro Bodine said:
Yes.
The correct method of church growth, IMO.
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I know of several churches who started out this way, outgrew the living room, moved to a larger place, then a building.
When they were smaller it was feasible to have questions answered, similar to a Bible study, however when numbers start increasing to 100's, it no longer is.
What would be your solution of a house group growth? Continue to split and them split some more?
We would have several "denominational" house groups it seem? Not all would agree on all.

Maybe you have a different idea, what would be your solution?

I'm genuinely asking. Thanks. :)
 
Abigail123 said:
I know of several churches who started out this way, outgrew the living room, moved to a larger place, then a building.
When they were smaller it was feasible to have questions answered, similar to a Bible study, however when numbers start increasing to 100's, it no longer is.
What would be your solution of a house group growth? Continue to split and them split some more?
We would have several "denominational" house groups it seem? Not all would agree on all.

Maybe you have a different idea, what would be your solution?

I'm genuinely asking. Thanks. :)
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In my experience, the home groups did split up, and they were never the same.
That's just the way it is.
Personalities play a big role in this, as well as a good leader.
The Pastor of the church would visit each home group, trying to help them stay focused and act as one in Christ.
Nothing we do is perfect.
 
Rollo Tamasi said:
In my experience, the home groups did split up, and they were never the same.
That's just the way it is.
Personalities play a big role in this, as well as a good leader.
The Pastor of the church would visit each home group, trying to help them stay focused and act as one in Christ.
Nothing we do is perfect.
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It would be difficult to shepherd from afar which is a major problem with mega churches.
We had one here that started in a living room, grew to 20,000+ members and folded last year. Too much wanting of more and more power. Sad
 
Abigail123 said:
I know of several churches who started out this way, outgrew the living room, moved to a larger place, then a building.
When they were smaller it was feasible to have questions answered, similar to a Bible study, however when numbers start increasing to 100's, it no longer is.
What would be your solution of a house group growth? Continue to split and them split some more?
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Yup. Continue to split, and split some more, until you have the proverbial 'and they'll tell two friends' commercial playing out live in your congregations. (Google it, lol).

The largest 'denomination' being, oh, up to 50 people max, I suppose. And each group having it's own leader, who is himself under the leader of a number of small groups. Jethro had excellent counsel in Exodus 18:21 NASB and that would be the guide for structuring the groups of leaders and their respective groups. (With a name like Jethro who can argue with him?)


Abigail123 said:
We would have several "denominational" house groups it seem? Not all would agree on all.
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A system of leadership as noted above would make sure heresy in any one group stays in check. Any non-heretical differences would be reviewed by the system of leadership over the whole thing.

Abigail123 said:
I'm genuinely asking. Thanks. :)
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I believe many Christians would get on board with a grass roots movement away from the tradition of the church today and into a more Biblical way of meeting together. It has to be grass roots, then when the churches realize they're losing members to the new movement they'll adapt accordingly. I'm convinced it will be impossible to get the church leadership to change first and take the body of Christ in this direction. For a lot of reasons....some understandable, some not so.
 
From what I have seen and heard....
In congregations one of two things can happen depending on the size of the church membership.
The pastor is forced to take on duties that are Biblicaly handled by the elders. Such as finances, solving disputes among members, and ministering to the sick. Leaving him little time to pray, study, and create sermons. His personal life, rest and time being a husband and father are sorely lacking.
OR The pastor presides over the congregation rather like a king. He doesn't want to give the control to the elders like the Bible instructs. Surely he can minister to the elders but he has to trust them to do their jobs and it doesn't happen.
In my view, both scenarios are incorrect.
 
Abigail123 said:
LOL
I can see why! I hope you took pictures!
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Party Time!!!

JavierBardem.jpg
 
Rollo Tamasi said:
yes
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bob coy's church is well basically a goner. sadly I have heard that since he left. that is from a godly man that tried to start a ministry there and lost funding and saw the church politics.

the local one in my county has a problem of cliques. so none of those are perfect for sure.
 
Deborah13 said:
From what I have seen and heard....
In congregations one of two things can happen depending on the size of the church membership.
The pastor is forced to take on duties that are Biblicaly handled by the elders. Such as finances, solving disputes among members, and ministering to the sick. Leaving him little time to pray, study, and create sermons. His personal life, rest and time being a husband and father are sorely lacking.
OR The pastor presides over the congregation rather like a king. He doesn't want to give the control to the elders like the Bible instructs. Surely he can minister to the elders but he has to trust them to do their jobs and it doesn't happen.
In my view, both scenarios are incorrect.
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Either way, the pastor is doing too much, right? Whether by choice, or not by choice.
 
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