Stories: What People Have to Say
A Young Family
“Home church has provided us with a support group in which caring, sharing, and praying play major roles. We have developed some meaningful friendships with other Christians, and the group has become like an extended family.”
A Single Mother
“As a divorced single mother of three, I have found it very healing to be a part of a church community where I am not invisible and can contribute to the life of the group… In my house church I am seen and accepted for who I am. No masks. No games. I am given the opportunity to walk in the gifts that God has given me… As a single parent, I find support in the house church I did not experience in the traditional church. My children have benefited from our mentors program.”
A Woman in Her Mid-Thirties
“Christ is ever-present in the quiet, caring prayers, the sharing of weekly experiences, a smile, or a ready joke. To forgo the meeting for even one week would be a far greater starvation than forgoing daily food.”
A Married Couple in Their Late Forties
“From our previous experience with small groups we came to realize how much Christian growth can take place in such a setting. However, these groups were often frustrated in their purpose—through both inexperience and the lack of priority given to them in the congregation… The house church to which we now belong is a top priority for its members, and this makes a considerable difference to the quality of our fellowship in it. We have come to experience, in a way we had not known before, three important aspects of church life. First, we have discovered the importance of just being with others as well as being committed to one another through prayerful concern and practical help in time of need… Second, we have found that the Holy Spirit acts in people’s lives when there is a well-developed atmosphere of love and acceptance. Third, we have learned afresh that each member is able to make a unique contribution to the whole. We have come to appreciate and care about one another in a way that would not otherwise be possible.”
A Single Woman in Her Mid-Twenties
What does being part of a home church mean? It is an environment of faith in which I am being opened, nurtured, challenged, supported. It is an occasion from which I go out to be more effective during the week as a result of the focus that the group offers. Home church is a place where I belong, where people are concerned for each other, and where I can be who I am without any façade.”