House2House E-letter

Hebrews tells us that Abraham looked for a city whose builder and maker is God.  Revelation talks about the church, the Bride coming down as a city from heaven to earth.  God has given all of us a hand in making this city.  As the words of a chorus we used to sing a lot in the early days of the British house church movement put it,

The promised land God gave us is right here at our feet.
So let us build the city ‘till heaven is complete.
The ground on which you’re standing only you can mould;
Unique in every touch you make, yet blending with the whole.
Chorus:
Your life and mine praising God, in perfect harmony.
So come dear Father, reveal in us, reveal Your majesty.

Once a year we have the House2House board and a few others who want to support what is going on through House2House come down to our home for a weekend retreat (actually, it is always an “advance.”)  The last two days have been awesome for the clear way in which the Lord has spoken to us, and confirmed both the general direction and specific responsibility of House2House to help provide tools and resources that can facilitate the laying of infrastructure (leadership/communication/etc.) for the even more rapidly expanding work of the Kingdom that we believe God has planned this generation.

One of the pictures through which the Lord spoke to us over these past 48 hours was that of laying the pipe-work/irrigation system, through which the water of His Spirit can flow.  What matters is the water.  But if there is no irrigation system, much of the water will get wasted.  It was pointed out in discussion that historically the United States has seen a major move of God that is transformational to society around every 60 to 70 years.  We are currently long overdue!  What if what is now happening in the church landscape is a part of God’s preparation for a sweeping move of God beyond anything any of us have seen in our lifetimes.  And our lifetimes have already seen such significant moves as the Charismatic and Jesus movements of the 60’s, church planting movements such as Vineyard and Calvary Chapels (and many other non-denominational type churches) through the 80’s, and then the burgeoning house church movements of this past decade.  These have all been impactful, but society as a whole has continued to be largely untouched by the Christian message.  What if God is preparing us all for something that can change society at a grass-roots level, literally house by house.

I will continue some of this larger scale thinking on infrastructure, and its vital role, in future e-letters.  In the limited space left in this e-letter, I want to point you to some more of the great resources that continue to come to my attention.

• www.firstfruit.org are a philanthropic group who, among other things, research global trends.  Go to this link to see their latest Global Trends Analysis and to think through the implications of this to what we see happening in simple/organic church movements. (Thanks to Kenny Moore for pointing out this great resource to us)
• Mike and Leslie Kim, formerly pastors in southern CA, and passionate followers of Jesus in this simple church journey, have an excellent blog posting looking at what God is up to in their lives, and why this has led to leaving classic “full-time” ministry.  Their journey, as described at this link, could be really helpful to many reading this e-letter.
• “A Recovering Pharisee,” hits pretty close to home!  If this also helps introduce you to the writing and thinking of the many authors who are quoted through Next-Wave e-zine, then I will have accomplished something worthwhile in this week’s e-letter.
• Our friends at Apex Community Church in Dayton, OH continue to create resources that they put out for all in the body of Christ to enjoy and use.  A recent short video on the difference between a small group and a home church is really helpful.  Enjoy!

If you haven’t yet registered the church/es you are a part of on the House2House map, please do so.  People all over the country use this “find a house-church” feature to help them when they travel or when they move to a new part of the country.  Right now around 300 churches are listed, but we would like to see that quickly go up to 3,000 and then in time to 30,000.  Don’t forget to list your church now so people can find you.

Tony and Felicity and the H2H team

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Recent Stories:

Each week H2H publishes a story/article about simple church and/or living out our life in the Kingdom. Recent stories include:

• THE god oF HISToRy (Part 1 of 2) by Rad Zdero
• The Concepts of the Church in the New Testament by Donald Stanley Meador
• 5 Step Strategy for Student Church Planting by Erik Fish
• The Way of the Fathers: God’s Isaiah 19 Highway by Sean Steckbeck and Marco Gmur

By Tony & Felicity Dale and George Barna

Today’s Western culture is indifferent to church and Christians. Yet the early church existed in far harsher conditions—and it thrived. Much like a new litter of rabbits, the infant faith quickly grew and spread. And the result was a world transformed.

In The Rabbit and the Elephant, Tony and Felicity Dale (Simply Church) and George Barna (Revolution) say that the same thing is happening today. As Christians, we are the church – whether we meet in office buildings, college dorm rooms, coffee shops, factories, or homes – and the Holy Spirit uses us to expand that church to the far reaches of the globe. By practicing “simple church,” we’ll find that a small gathering of friends loving Jesus together and reaching out to the community around them can help us to be the church, the way God intended.

The rabbit and the elephant. Something small and something big. Find out what lessons they hold for you, for the body of Christ, and for the future of church as we know it.

From Eternity to Here: Rediscovering the Ageless Purpose of God

By Frank Viola

Deep within God’s Word lies a wondrous story like no other. A drama that originated before time began. An epic saga that resonates with the heartbeat of God. A story that reveals nothing less than the meaning of life and God’s great mission in the earth. From Eternity to Here presents three remarkable stories spanning Genesis to Revelation. Each story traces a divine theme that is woven throughout Scripture. Seen together, they offer an extraordinary glimpse into God’s highest passion and grand mission. What you discover will forever change your view of life, the church, and our magnificent God.

Organic Leadership

by Neil Cole

What are the weeds that hinder the natural growth of godly leadership? Are programs, people, and money truly the signs of a successful church? Where can you find an unlimited source of leaders? How do you mentor others so that they multiply? In Organic Leadership, Neil Cole asks these questions and more, boldly challenging many of the ideas about leadership and church life that we all take for granted.

 

 

House2House is a donation supported ministry.

House2House
PO Box 229
Clayton, WA 99110-0229

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