These links are important for understanding how the church should function.

What is a Church

Radical Leadership

Elders

Twelve Steps

  1. Choose three or four people (or couples) to begin. They become the elders of the new church by default.

    They should be mature enough to be elders of a small church.
    One should be prophetic, one should be an evangelist, the rest should have shepherding gifts.
    They should also have the potential to work together.

  2. Submit to each other. That means:

    Praying for each other
    Agreeing to accept correction from the others in the group
    Testing major decisions with the rest of the group.
    Committing to sorting out issues honestly.

  3. Commit to supporting each other

    Support should be spiritual, emotion and material.
    Part of this would be sharing of material goods.

  4. Start praying together and seeking Gods will.

    The foundation must be prayer.

  5. Find the neighbourhood, where God wants the church to start.

    This is the most crucial decision.
    It should be in part of the city where there is no established church, so it is not a threat to them.
    It may be the house of a person who has just become a Christian and has contacts with their neighbours.
    It may be where one of the people is already living and has contacts in the neighbourhood.
    Ideally, the other members should move to within walking distance of that neighbourhood.

  6. Determine the focus of the church.

    There may be a couple of things.
    The focus will be partly determined by the interests or burdens of the of the eldership group.
    For example, pressing through to victory in healing, seeking justice, caring for the poor or the Kingdom of God.
    The church will need to be focussed, or its energies may be diffused.
    It will need an outward focus so that it does not become a "bless me" club.

  7. Agree on the guidelines under which the church will function.

    This will set boundaries on the way the church will function.
    Getting agreement on these boundaries will be very important and set the direction of the church.

  8. Start meeting together regularly for worship and fellowship.

    Meetings would be once or twice or week.
    One of the meetings may be on Sunday, but if that is a problem, meetings could be on weekdays.
    The aim would be a meeting led by the Spirit and learn to be led by the Holy Spirit.
    The meetings will focus on praying for people in the neighbourhood.

  9. Minister to the people of the neighbourhood.

    Find someone who is in financial difficulties and bless them materially.
    Find someone who is sick, and pray for their healing.
    The key is to find a way to crack open the neighbourhood.

  10. Let the Holy Spirit do to work.

    Wait and see what he will do.
    If he does nothing, get on a different bus.

  11. Disciple the people who join the church

    One of the elders would be assigned responsibility for each one.
    The elders would build relationships between the members.
    They should be built into a caring sharing community.

  12. Eventually, the church should be able to send some of the elders out to start a new church.

    Within a year, the church should have twenty or so members.
    If this has not happened, the leaders really need to pray seriously about what is wrong.
    Within a couple of years, some of the members should be ready to be elders.
    They would be recognised as elders in place of the original ones.
    Some of the original elders would be sent out to start a new church.

Practical Guidelines

This is an example of the type of guidelines that a church may adopt.

  1. Avoid publicity, so the Church can remain in obscurity as long as possible.

    The only people who need to know are those in the neighbourhood.
    Excessive attention will be a distraction.
    People should not be told that a new church is being started.
    If asked about what they are doing, they should just reply that they are just a group of Christians who are seeking a deeper life together.

  2. People should generally only be allowed to join if they are seekers or new Christians. There will be Christians from all over the city who want to join, but they will just be a nuisance.

    The church should not grow by drawing in Christians who are frustrated in their existing church, as they will just be a distraction.
    The primary focus of the church should be on growth through evangelism.

  3. The group should be easy to leave.

    People should not be held within the church by coercion or control.
    They should be free to leave at any time, if they no longer want to belong.
    The only restraint on members of the church should be the bond of love.

  4. Only new Christians should be allowed to join the Church.
    Focus on growth through evangelism.

    Avoid drawing frustrated Christians from other churches.
    Work hard to maintain relationships with other churches.
    Avoid conflict with pastors of existing churches.
    Prepare to bless them when hard times come.

  5. Christians should only be allowed to join if they live within walking distance of the meeting place.

    Many Christians will come saying that the Holy Spirit has been speaking to them about this for years.
    Most will be unwilling to make the sacrifice of moving to the new location.
    Offer to help them start something themselves where they live, but understand that they will be a distraction if they are allowed to join.

  6. A few Christians might be allowed to join, if they need to be discipled into the specific ministry of one of the elders.

    This would be limited to one (or at most two) per elder.
    Each of the elders should be replicating their ministry in the people they are discipling.

  7. Everyone must open their lives to the elders. That involves:

    Accepting their correction.
    Accepting their guidance.
    Being willing to learn.

  8. Do not try to organise a celebration

    Members can go elsewhere for celebrations.

  9. Aim to be radical.

    Focussed on action, not entertainment;
    Choosing simplicity, not materialism;
    Committed to sharing, not individualistic;
    Opposed to the world, but loving the lost;
    Zealous for the Kingdom of God.

If you think the following guidelines are too complicated, do not worry. You can ignore most of them and not come to grief. If you think they are too hard, I suggest that you try reading Neighbourhood Church for Dummies.

These links are important for understanding how the church should function.

What is a Church

Radical Leadership

Elders

Avoid Churched Christians

This book explains in detail how to start a new house church.

BEING CHURCH
Where we Live

If you are serious about starting something new for God, you should read this book.

Click here to find out more