Have You Considered Home Church?

Mark Virkler's picture

The following is part of the final paper from Samuel Bowman as he completed the Christian Leadership University course "THE331 House Church." His enthusiasm is contagious. Enjoy!


Everything I thought about church has changed over the past twelve months and, God’s Simple Plan for His Church by Nate Krupp has been instrumental…For some fifty years, I sat in the pew, sensing that something was wrong, but I just couldn’t put my finger on it. I thought the whole problem was just me, that I just didn’t fit…Through Spirit-led circumstances I found Christian Leadership University where I found a course called House Church, also authored and proctored by Nate Krupp. Through Nate’s course, and a volume he recommended called Nexus, God was about to rock my world.

I was so excited when I got the course! I picked up Nate’s book the first night and began to read. Page after page spoke right to every question as we were beginning our house church. I distinctly remember finishing at about two o’clock in the morning. I laid the book down on my chest and looked up at the ceiling and I had the feeling that I had just been freed from the fowler’s snare. I felt like I had been rescued from a life of deception. I couldn’t believe I had been part of such an unbiblical system and I felt like I had been delivered from prison right at the hour of execution. I just kept thinking unbelievable! And, how could we have been so wrong all that time? How could we have read the Word all these years and missed God’s true plan for His church?

I told God how sorry I was for wasting so much time sitting in the pew, letting the professionals perform my responsibility for me. I praised Him for His Word and for revelation that was setting me free to do the very things I felt I had so often been past over for. I determined that my final twenty-five years would be spent using my Holy Spirit gifting to bring people to Christ and to teach them what church really is and how to have church with their own families, right in their own home.

Krupp’s book is an easy-to-read, straightforward manual chocked full of Scriptures on each on all the relevant issues…The very first thing Nate does is redefine Church from Scripture - as not a building, a place, a meeting you go to or a service. The Church is me and you. Nate goes to the original language several times in his book, but starts with the Greek word for church Ekklesia, simply meaning "called out ones." The church is anyone Jesus calls to Himself to become His body, part of who He is....

Nate’s book covers virtually every issue relative to what the Scripture says about church: women in leadership, defining what a church is and how it functions, cities as the scriptural boundary for defining local church, who is really a minister, the role of the Holy Spirit and practical considerations when meeting in the home and much more.

If we are going save our grandchildren we must bring real church back into the home!


Read Sam's entire final report for this course by clicking here.

Order the course "House Church" here. (Scroll down as courses are listed alphabetically.) 


What about you? Have you ever been part of a home church? What was your experience? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
 

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Anonymous's picture

oh boy! I felt like I was reading our life of the past year. My husband and I are in the middle of rearranging our lives after the Lord took us from our comfortable pews and began to work on us and in us! We sat in our seats, led worship and all that for 25 plus years and although I don't feel like it was a waste, it is an awesome, freeing feeling to know that now the Lord has opened our eyes to see what He wants us to do! My husband has said for many YEARS that we "DO" church wrong...but never could we actually put a name to that problem. I am also reading Nates book and have begun to try to figure out how to get in touch with him. I am wondering if you could help me with this or know who could? He lives in our home state, only a short few hours from our home and I would LOVE to see if we can arrange a meet with our "home church".

Thanks so much for posting! GOD IS MOVING!!!!

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Rivers of Grace DVD Package

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 1 Book | 1 LEARN Notebook | 1 DVD

You can be the parent God wants you to be: loving, encouraging, trusting and able to raise up your children in the way they should go, fulfilling their own unique destinies. Parenting was not intended to be a burden, and anyone who tells you differently has bought into a lie. You will learn to enjoy parenting as an exciting, joy-filled, divinely-ordained opportunity, not a wearying responsibility.

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Through the Bible 1: Pentateuch DVD Package

1 DVD Set by Dr. Andrew Hardy | 1 Book by Mark and Patti Virkler

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Through the Bible 6: Life of Christ DVD Package

4 DVDs by Dr. Andrew Hardy | 1 Book by Mark and Patti Virkler

Dr. Andrew Hardy takes you through the Life of Christ in 10 sessions. This package contains part six of our Through The Bible series, which offer you an in-depth overview of the entire Bible. You may choose to begin with the Life of Christ and work your way through the entire New Testament, and then follow this up by going through the Old Testament.

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Through the Bible Discounted DVD Package

Through the Bible Discounted DVD Package

1 Book | 8 DVD Sets | 1 Single DVD | 1 Single CD

This package gives you the tools to transform your study of the Scriptures into encounters with their Author Who will personally reveal what He wants to say to you through them each day! First is a CD which teaches you how to meditate on Scriptures so you receive revelation from the Holy Spirit as you prayerfully read the Word (Josh. 1:8; Eph. 1:17,18). You will discover how this is different from, and much deeper than, simple western study. Next is a Through the Bible workbook which guides you chapter-by-chapter through the entire Bible. Finally, we provide the cultural, historical and linguistic insights of Dr. Andrew Hardy, a British scholar in the eight DVD sets which are all part of this discounted package.

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Through the Bible New Testament DVD Package

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Why are there four Gospels describing Jesus' life? How are the three synoptic Gospels different from John? What does God want to say to me through the life of Jesus? Can I really imitate Christ and be like him? Yes, Jesus came to model the lifestyle God has empowered us to live!

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Through the Bible Old Testament DVD Package

5 DVD Sets by Dr. Andrew Hardy | 1 Book by Mark and Patti Virkler

Dr. Andrew Hardy takes you through the entire Old Testament in these five modules. This is a part of our Through the Bible series, which gives you an overview of the entire Bible. This package contains five DVD modules which span the Old Testament and includes the Through the Bible workbook

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2 books | 1 card | 1 DVD set

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Unleashing Healing Power Through Spirit-Born Emotions DVD Package

Book | 14 DVD sessions | CDs of 5 devotionals set to music

Experience Healing for Your Body, Soul, and Spirit through Kingdom Emotions!

In Christianity, emotions are often considered to be misleading and untrustworthy—a lingering part of our fallen nature that distract us from God’s truth. But our emotions were created by God, and though the enemy may seek to manipulate our hearts, Jesus sets us free! This practical teaching will empower you to see emotions as unique channels through which the Holy Spirit works to bring miraculous life-transformation, deliverance and healing.

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