Home churching

hairyheretic

I came across this article by accident, but I thought it might be of interest to some of you here:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1167737,00.html

Nevyn

Christian cell groups is not a new things tbh, I remember my own mother getting involved in a parish cell group going back 15 years ago.
The cell would meet in each others homes and do bible studay and ocassionally the parish priest would come to say mass and they would all still attend mass on a sunday with the rest of the parish.
The idea was to forum links with in the community and with each other to gather together to share the joys and troubles of trying to live a christain life and to get support from those in the cell.
It does make sense when parishes are so fragmentd and people don't take time to get to know thier neighbours.
" where ever two or three are gathered in my name"

Illuvatar

Or as Jesus put it, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I."

I completely agree. I don't care for church much, listening to another person talking about either what I already know instead of something I would like/need to know. I'd just get together with a few friends I wouldn't make it a huge thing then it's like "mini-churches" not house churches.

BrianCalgary

The early church used to meet in peoples homes. In North America, one of the models is a large church augmented by small home study groups where community can be developed and so you feel connected to your church.

Personally it isn't really working for me. Our church is @1100 over four services. I prefer a Sunday am community cause I am so busy with the kids during the week to meet for a study.

I know of a pastor in Ireland who responded when Bill Hybels said he could build the Irish parish to over 1000, said ."who said I wanted it that big?" He likes it at 200 max.

The smaller church provides a better closer knit community than does a large one. But in the USA, bigger is best.

Excelsior

I think the model in Ireland will be several (maybe many!) 200 person churches in every town. I can't imagine the megachurch being demagraphically supportable or culturally attractive in Ireland. But in America, it does work. Let's not beat them for being different.

robindch

> I can't imagine the megachurch being demagraphically supportable
> or culturally attractive in Ireland. But in America, it does work.

Can't imagine either that they'd ever become common in Ireland, mainly, I think, because cities here (in Europe in general) haven't turned into the dehumanizing car-only megalopolises common in the USA. When individual human contact breaks down to the extent that it has there, I think megachurches, just like enormous shopping malls, step in elegantly to fill the human need to see, and even perhaps meet, people from time to time. And of course, the megachurchs' takings are tax-free too!