WHAT IS A HOUSE CHURCH?

At Common Ground Northeast, the House Church context is one of the primary expressions of our church.

When people hear “church” they often think of a place or an event. Though participating in a corporate worship gathering is both biblical and beneficial, our ability to BE the church on Sunday is limited.

The Church of the Scriptures is a committed group of people seeking to glorify Jesus and live out his instructions in Matthew 28:18-20, to be and make disciples. We need to be together more than one gathering a week!

House churches are intended to be a “multiplying family on mission” usually comprised of 10-20 people who meet during the week in homes throughout the city.

They're intended to bring people together of diverse ages, ethnicities and backgrounds to join as a community for the purpose of spurring one another on to live out the Three Pillars of Faith:

• Devotion

• Community

• Mission

In this community we:

• worship God

• learn from the Scriptures through Bible studies

• lean into the guiding of the Holy Spirit

• discover and use our spiritual gifts

• serve one another and the world around us.

• live on mission.

We believe that having a consistent community for encouragement, discovery, prayer and laughter is an essential aspect of our spiritual journeys.

1. ESTABLISH:

First, we want all House Church participants to be galvanized in community through CGNE’s quarterly Discipleship Course first. This step is required to LAUNCH a brand new House Church with us but NOT for someone to enter into an existing HC (although we HIGHLY recommended everyone at CGNE takes it eventually).

2. EQUIP:

Once the group is established in community, the next step is to equip them with our House Church Launch Training. This is a one-day training (usually Saturdays 9-Noon) that helps structure the House Church around our There Pillars and into Roles and Rhythms that help make HC’s a thriving environment for all.

3. EMPOWER:

Last, after the group has been ESTABLISHED in community and EQUIPPED for ministry, we consider them as a “sent out“ group to do ministry together. However, we don’t leave them to fend for themselves. We EMPOWER them by providing ongoing care/communication, accountability, resources, and strategic training.