On February 4, Jillian shared part 1 of this 2-part series on developing a house church model of special needs ministry. This post provides a blueprint for how other churches can adopt this model - Editor
I think we can all agree that the church may never go back to what we knew before the coronavirus hit our communities and our country. COVID-19 brought new norms, innovative ideas, and socially distanced church services. As churches began reopening, we re-entered with masks and social distancing. Many were longing to return, but could not for fear of losing their lives or the life of a loved one. Many churches have reported attendance rates anywhere from 10% - 30% at the beginning of 2021, and still many churches remain closed. So the question beckons, “Now what?”
In the summer of 2020, I began dispersing our special needs and disability ministry into smaller, more localized house churches in order to provide a safe alternative to the large gatherings. It has been a welcome change to the traditional model of church, and I pray that many churches will look to the future to do the same. 2020 taught us more than ever that the church is not a building: it is the people of God. So in the midst of a pandemic, how do we go about making sure that the church continues to function, when the building is not allowed to open and large gatherings are not allowed to happen?
I wanted to share the process that I used to establish house church in hopes that it will spark some ideas in other leaders, and help other churches prepare for our uncertain future.
Choosing the People
1. Determine which staff member/pastor will oversee and manage the house churches. Depending on the size of your church, there needs to be a person who is “responsible” for house churches, for the sake of liability. This pastor wouldn’t necessarily have to do any extra work, but would simply be the go-to person who can make decisions on behalf of the extended church.
2. Choose a handful of house church leaders. I recommend starting with five or less. These choices are critical. They should not be made without seeking the Lord in prayer. These people should be handpicked leaders who have proven themselves to be dedicated to reading scriptures and being devoted to prayer. They need to be people you know personally to be spiritually aligned with the Holy Spirit and the church. You are not looking for perfection, but you should have confidence that these leaders are seeking God's truth on a regular basis.
3. Choose a person who is willing to disciple these leaders. This could be a pastor, an elder, or a counselor. Develop a discipleship plan for the house church leaders. Whatever leaders’ discipleship looks like for your congregation, have a plan and implement it from the beginning.
4. Identify a person who can be the relational facilitator of the house leader group. This could be the same person who is discipling them. Look for highly relational qualities, someone who inspires others and can help people stay enthusiastic about leading. This person should be completely sold out on the house church vision, and someone who can continue casting the vision so leaders will not grow weary. Vision-casting is not a one-time event.
5. Identify a person who has high administrative ability. You will need someone who can maintain contact information, send out regular communications, and who has a love for spreadsheets!
Photo credit: Rosie Fraser on Unsplash.com.
Organizing the Information
6. Invest in a database or check your current database to determine if it has a proximity or map feature. Our church uses a system called Arena. If you are a smaller church, you can just use an excel spreadsheet and google maps.
7. If you have a database with a proximity feature, type in the address of your first house church and your criteria (3, 5, or 10-mile radius, etc.). Begin assigning people to the house church, and organize their information in the form of a spreadsheet. If your database allows some form of similar organization, organize it within the database itself.
8. If you do not have sophisticated database software, begin organizing addresses according to zip code or street names in one particular area.
9. Work with the house leader to determine the day and time that is the most convenient and appropriate for them to host each week. One of the great things about online services is that you can usually pull them up on YouTube to watch anytime during the week, so groups are not limited to the Sunday morning time slots.
10. Once the leaders have chosen a set day and time, and people have been assigned to their home, begin making phone calls to invite them to come over. Keep it simple. Keep it informal. It’s just like inviting family over to hang out for an hour. Don’t make it more than it needs to be - simplicity is the key.
The first couple of gatherings may be slightly awkward because it’s new and different. But the more people gather, the more they grow together. Push through the awkward first few gatherings and repeat the steps for the next house church.
I truly believe that house churches are the future of the body of Christ. As one of our house churches began to grow, God started showing me the opportunity it provides to be the body of Christ to one another. Our groups not only gathered to watch church services together, but they began providing and caring for one another.
One group had a flood in their home, and the people of their group helped them pack and move the contents of their home. Another family was in a bad car accident. Their group brought balloons and goodies for their daughters, provided transportation, and offered volunteer childcare while mom and dad recovered from injuries. One group had additional gatherings to pray over one of the house church members who was battling a skin condition.
Let’s be the body of Christ that is willing to get out of the pews and BE the church in this new era.
Guest blogger Jillian Palmiotto is the owner of Together We Care, a nonprofit located in Atlanta, GA that ministers to the disability community through providing inclusion training to churches, offering free resources to families impacted by disability, and helping adults with disabilities walk in their God-given purpose. Jillian holds a bachelor's and master's degree in education and is a licensed minister. Her background includes being an educator, pastor of the Unlimited Special Needs Ministry at Mount Paran Church, as well as being the founder of the Together Ministry Conference. You can find out more information about her nonprofit by visiting www.TogetherWeCareGA.org.
