About
About
Discipleship Focussed
Jesus was very discipleship orientated, and for good reason. He not only wanted his disciples to know of
God, but also to, know God. Growing in the knowledge of God is a good thing, but growing in intimacy and relationship with God brings out the nature of Jesus in us when knowledge by itself cannot. Knowledge without character is a false economy, that's why Jesus was always challenging his disciples to consider depth and quality of relationship with the Father.
Home Church recognises the spiritual value of small groups of Christians meeting in their homes who are committed to working things out with God and
one another.
Equip-Build-Mature
Whilst Jesus was with his disciples he was able to watch over them personally and teach them what they needed to know. When Jesus ascended, the disciple's work was just beginning but they still had a lot of growing to do. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to the Church to lead them into all truth and teach them how to apply it to their lives. Jesus also gave the Church a number of other gifts to help them grow and mature so they would not be led astray by wrong teaching and behaviour, Ephesians 4:11-16.
The Church today has the same Spirit, and the same gifts, to help equip it for the work it has to do, and to build itself up in love and faith, so that it will reach full maturity in Christ being able to defend itself against false doctrine.
Home Church encourages the growth and use of these gifts so each person has the potential to mature and grow in confidence in the Lord. Each Christian is part of the Body of Christ and each one gets to contribute and receive from God through one another as the Spirit leads in building up the body.
Builders v Inhabitants
There are many reasons why Home Church meets together in homes, not least because it lends itself to the kind of fellowship that is demonstrated in the New Testament. Koinonia, is the Greek word for fellowship and is used for much more than social gatherings. Koinonia is spoken of as being in a partnership, or in participation and sharing with one another. It's these activities, that when nurtured by the Holy Spirit, produce the heart attitude of a builder and not that of an inhabitant. A builder considers the quality of materials and workmanship he invests into a building. An inhabitant enjoys what has been built.
True fellowship comes out of relationship with God and one another. It's not our life together that makes the difference but our life in
Christ together. Home Church believes that putting quality time and energy into smaller groups is more effective when it comes to nurturing disciples.
