Q: Why do we meet in homes? A: Because it is:

I. The Practice of the Early New Testament (NT) Church

The primary and habitual form of meeting for the NT believers was in homes.  This practice is described many times in Scripture as well as in other historical accounts. While we believe this is a model to follow, and not a mandate for every church, what follows adds scriptural rationale for the early believers’ practice.

II. The Biblical Function of the NT Church Validates the Meeting’s Form (Form Follows Function)

The primary commands for the habitual meetings of the church, as well as her members’ duties one to another, naturally requires a setting where all attendees know each other. It is true that the NT only describes (versus commands) the early believers’ gathering in homes, but the NT does command the participation, organization, administration, multiplication, and relational attitudes and actions of the gathered church.  All those commands, and our obedience thereto, provide additional biblical rationale for meeting in homes.

The primary biblical purpose of the church gathering was for edification (building up one another) using the means of the bible, prayer, fellowship, and breaking of bread. The habit of gathering together in homes reduces extra-biblical roles and responsibilities that distract us from our simple devotion to Christ and His body. While this model does reduce the physical time and labor of all sorts of activity not prescribed by Christ in His word, the church and her members do not become lazy, but rather her labors are redirected to those that are more spiritually strenuous, all with the goal of ministering one to another out of love for Christ and His body. 

I. Stewardship

The primary recipients of the NT church’s financial generosity included itinerant laborers in the advance of the gospel, the poor (especially believers), those whom one desired to bless and show good, as well as local elder support. While not necessarily listed in terms of rank, it is of note that all recipients were people and not buildings or programs. While there will always be a measure of common, administrative expenses to facilitate the gatherings (e.g. Jesus’ own disciples common moneybag), meeting in houses naturally directs more resources to spreading the gospel and to needy saints near or far, who themselves are the living stones of a spiritual building.

II. Shepherding

The primary responsibility for the care of the sheep in the NT is delegated to pastors (or elders, as the term is used interchangeably).  This responsibility to shepherd the flock of God as outlined in the NT goes beyond that of an evangelist preaching to large crowds on any given day to one of knowledge, protection, and loving care for the sheep. Any pastor who takes this responsibility seriously could be overwhelmed at the thought of giving an account for two hundred, let alone two thousand or more. The sheep likewise should have ready access to their shepherd(s), having both the need and desire to not only hear from the shepherd whose voice they know, but to observe the life and model of the shepherd.  We believe gathering in houses more naturally regulates and facilitates the roles and responsibilities of the shepherd and the sheep. 

III. Scalability

Between Pentecost and 70 AD the church experienced the most phenomenal growth in its history, spreading from a mere handful of believers in Judea, all throughout the Mediterranean world—even as far as Ethiopia and Spain! Most scholars agree that all of this was accomplished using private homes as the primary meeting place. Buildings could never have kept up with this kind of grass-roots, multiplicative growth, nor could its growth ever be limited by regulatory restrictions on church building construction.  Perhaps God would be pleased to add to his church a number that would out-run the pace of building construction again.