It isn’t easy to know where to start when telling a story of a move of God…we’re never sure exactly when we enter the picture.
Still, I’m convinced our story — of how God transformed our church body, The Well, from a conventional Southern Baptist church into a web of house churches — can help other churches and individuals. So, we openly lay before you our highs and lows, pitfalls and victories.
We don’t claim to be experts, just brothers and sisters in Christ who followed a move of God – one that sounded a little crazy, but that ultimately freed us to become better disciples of Jesus.
We hope our story allows a conversation – exploring together how to shed the burdens that keep us from actually being the church.
So, let’s get started!
The story of The Well—our church body now located in Orange County, California—actually began in 1952 when it was founded as First Southern Baptist of La Habra. For 50 years, the church experienced many ebbs and flows. While at one time regular attendance reached nearly 700 people, numbers dwindled to about 15 or 20 by late 2003.
But congregation size wasn’t even the biggest concern. In more recent years, pastors seemed to come and go as if there were a revolving door at the back of the sanctuary. The members even sold the church’s original building to pay rent for another property and to try to afford a pastoral salary. But no pastor stuck around for long.
Is your church in a similar situation? Are you asking “What’s next?” or “What went wrong?” Could God be moving your church in a new direction?
Please share your thoughts! Your participation is key, so be sure to check back next week for phase two of the journey.
I like your approach in this. I have a desire to move in a similar direction but am lacking courage and clarity. Keep the fresh thoughts coming. Maybe it’s a bit trite, but I like to say it’s not enought to GO to church, God is calling us to BE the church. Press on.
By: Tom Nofsinger on May 5, 2009
at 2:52 PM
TRY 2 (somehow the first one was completely “wiped” after it went flying into cyberspace, with an accompanying error message).
As I said, I think it’s great you’ve become a house church.
Not many traditional denominations (especially southern baptist) lend much credibility to that structure.
I’m not from the U.S., but having been here for 3 years, I find the usual measure of church validity here in America seems to be how entertaining the service can be.
I’ve often thought a good book title would be:
“That’s entertainment: The Church in America”…
…and I really don’t meant that IRreverantly (to God).
Rather, Christianity has declined from being RELATIONAL (to God and the rest of the Body) to just a novel show, sometimes packed with motivational finesse of one sort or another…
…BUT NOW GOD IS BRINGING IT BACK!!! Praise God!
We have a house church too… and we are looking forward to network with others of like mind, to have joint-discipleship/maturation, prayer and evangelism efforts.
GOD BLESS.
By: Emily on May 6, 2009
at 12:06 AM
May I mention one more thing?
It looks like you’ve “cycled” through many Pastors in a short period of time (as you mention).
In a ministerial association meeting today, we discussed how churches can best find Pastors that are a good “fit” for their congregations.
This one Pastor who happens to be Southern Baptist and helps in “transitioning” churches (ie. finding Pastors) said HE REQUIRES A TARGET CHURCH TO THINK & PRAY ABOUT WHAT THEIR F-U-T-U-R-E SHOULD BE LIKE, and to write it down as a church plan, and then to hire a Pastor that fits with that anticipated future looking out about 20 years.
Many churches tend to “look” for a Pastor who is “..not like this one…” or “…exactly like that one…”, but fail to keep the long term (20-yr goal) in mind, in view of the future God has designed for them (which only God can give them specific insight into).
THESE ARE JUST SOME THOUGHTS from today’s coincidence that I wanted to share.
GOD BLESS!
By: Emily on May 6, 2009
at 12:17 AM
Hello there!!
What’s happening to your local (Gods) Body is nothing I haven’t unfortunately herd before. The work of George Barna really shows what’s going on in North America (to a degree). I wasn’t raised (spiritually) in a typical church (building) I was born into a local House Church. But I have visited on many occasions a typical Church. And not all but many believers are suffering and craving for intimacy with GOD. What’s interesting though is the best was to experience intimacy with Jesus is through his BODY and its hard to connect with the body due to the structure of a typical Church. Most of the time we can’t connect with our brother and sisters. The body can’t edify itself in love. A helpful resource for me was the Frank Viola books Pagan Christianity and his website http://www.ptmin.org/.
That’s my 3 cents…
Len
By: Leonard on May 6, 2009
at 1:07 AM
Wow. I am so encouraged by this. What your church has done is incredible! So many structures hold us back from being the real church that Jesus called us to be. Programs, endless meetings, perpetual conferences and trainings, and on and on. How prophetically symbolic this is that you guys are willing to leave the structure that most churches hide in, and hide behind.
I am one of the many that have become so sick and tired of doing what we call church. I love Jesus, but I am beginning to hate what we have been calling church. How refreshing this is to watch people that love Jesus choosing to place themselves outside the walls that have separated us from those that need to see us living like Jesus in the real world.
God bless you, and your brave church! You go church!
By: glenda clark on May 7, 2009
at 3:18 PM
Glad to know we are not alone! You can see what we are doing at our main website http://housechurchesusa.com/ but it sounds real similar to your experience.
By: Bobby Hill on May 7, 2009
at 3:27 PM
Just heard about your blog the other day and checked it out. I am very interested in the ideas you’re talking about and will be anxious to hear the story as it comes in installments. I will be particularly curious about the nitty-gritty details, such as whether the different house churches ever get together all at once or not, what impact this move had on ministering to children and youth, etc. I imagine there are a lot people who would think it’s a neat idea to meet more simply, but wouldn’t know how to make it work in practice. So, hopefully lots of people will read your story and get some good ideas.
By: Ken on May 12, 2009
at 11:51 PM
Hi Ken ! I am pastoring a fellowship in Swellendam, South Africa. We have been losing numbers and the last few years to the point where we are only 15 adults and 4 children now. Amazingly our income is phenomenal [ where God guides he provides - Hudson Taylor]. I have been thinking a lot about going the house church way and using our paid off facility as a gathering for special occasions. I am unsure of the nuts and bolts of the transitioning, but know if this is from God He will guide us – using people who have blazed the trail before us !I would love to pick your brains ob how you did it ! Herman
By: Herman Grobler on May 15, 2009
at 1:17 PM
I was ordained in a Southern Baptist church. A few years ago God called me away from the “traditional” church. At first I believed it was to plant another “traditional” church, but God closed one door after another. The result was the beginning of a gathering of the church (the people of God) in my house. While I knew we weren’t the only ones meeting this way, your story is encouraging to me.
I believe (even as a pastor) I have grown more spiritually in this setting than ever before. The building of relationships takes time and effort, but the rewards are incredible. Gal. 1:10 says we are to bear one another’s burdens. What I realized was I didn’t even know what the burdens were of those around me until we began to make the effort to be in each other’s lives (and not just one hour a week, but continuously).
As far as children go, my kids ask some of the best questions and have some of the most simple (yet on target) answers.
I look forward to hearing more about your journey as we walk this path together!!
By: Dave on May 20, 2009
at 2:10 AM
I thought you all might be interested in some resource links that I’ve found on Church Planting Movements (CPM) that describe how this new approach has been *very* successful in overseas mission. I think our homeland mission is overdue for this. They outline specific guidelines that I think you’d all find useful.
http://delicious.com/tohagan/cpm
My real passion is Internet Evangelism:
http://delicious.com/tohagan/im
Blessings,
Tony
By: Tony OHagan on May 28, 2009
at 12:29 PM
I would like to speak to someone about this. I have been saying this and trying to figure out how to do this also. I am quite aware of the end times, the signs and Bible Prophecy and this is exactly what all Pastors should be doing. Praise God for His true Shepherds. I would love to speak to someone about some growing concerns.
God Bless
Pamala
By: pamala thomas on June 10, 2009
at 12:04 PM
[...] May 1st, 2009 I posted my second blog post titled “On the Move” where I began a series of posts about sharing The Well’s story. A man named Dave commented [...]
By: Top 10 Comments of 2009 « A House Church Blog on January 26, 2010
at 8:33 AM