How Do You Not Get TOO Big??

When I first began to think about the 'house church' concept, I have to admit I was a bit skeptical. I loved the thought of an accountable, vulnerable, and intimate group centered around Jesus, but I couldn't understand how that could be sustained? I've always known that accountability and evangelism are often high values of house church models, but this led me to a large road block in my mind. I just couldn't get over how a house church wouldn't eventually become too large and lacking intimacy? I always thought that if a group of my closest friends and I truly held each other accountable to reaching the lost, our house church would double in a few short months and thus become exactly what we were trying to get away from??

That being said, I recently heard a church planter share here in South Africa some helpful thoughts with this in mind. In his house-church network many of the churches hold a value they call, "Multiply before you grow." The basic principle behind this value is to focus less on trying bring people to your already existing church, and instead look more towards teaching others how to have church with their closest community like you are. In other words, the goal changes from bringing people to church, to bringing church to them. What would this look like practically? For me personally, when I meet someone who is evidentially hungry and curious in their faith, I DO share with them about my own faith and even how church is played out in my life. If they continue to show interest, particularly in my church, I ask if they would ever consider me teaching them how to do exactly what my friends and I are doing each week to get to know Jesus better? If they say yes, I then go into a 'coaching' mode. I don't lead their group, I simply coach this person from the sidelines, helping them get a house church going with their closest community.

It's important to remember that this concept should NEVER be held religiously. The doors of your church should NEVER be closed, especially if the person you are talking with has no other community or friend group to do this with. It would then be wrong not to welcome them into your community. However, at the same time, you do not need to feel guilty to not advertise an invitation to your group. Jesus focused on 12 and seemed to keep it that number unappologetically. Remember, the heart of 'multiply before you grow' is that all would taste intimate Christ-centered community.