Home meetings

[Ann]

What do you think of when you see the term home meeting or home fellowship?

[Charles]

When I was saved friends I met at a crusade invited me to a home meeting. I was welcome, good teaching, the music OK, and I grew so to me they are very OK. I know there can be abuses but there can be abuses anywhere big or small

[Bob Carabbio]

Originally Posted by Ann

What do you think of when you see the term home meeting or home fellowship?

Back in the '70s during the Charismatic outpouring, which ended in the late '70s and became the Charismatic "movement", there was a problem - i.e. that the "Institutional churches" didn't really know what to do with it, and GENERALLY saw it as a "Threat" to their "Precious Defining Doctrines", and "Established systems" (which it was, of course).

In a Organized Church operated "Home group" there's generally pretty tight CONTROLS in place which, of course effectively STIFLES real discussion, since you have to stick pretty close to the "Company line" to avoid getting tossed out.

In the '70s, however, home groups tended to be Independent of "Organized Church bodies", and free non-paradigmatic discussion was the rule, not the exception. My group was "United CHurch of Christ" folks for the most part, and we taught Biblical basics. My agenda would have been to get 'em all "pentecostal", but that was never God's Agenda - HE wanted 'em to be Biblically based (not a big thing in the UCC), and be able to hear HIS Voice, and discern between HIM and the "Angels of Light" that were all around.

We're a member (presently) of a "Home fellowship" that's part of the Crossroads AG church here in TExas, and for the most part it's comfortable, non-challenging, and the food's good, so not a total waste of time. As is the rule in the AG (which, as a denomination, is SERIOUSLY AFRAID of home groups) the "Pastor's sermon" is the topic (i.e. when he said this, what did it mean to you - bla, bla, bla.???) and so we do that for an hour, eat/fellowship for an hour, and go home.

I expect nothing, and am VERY rarely surprised.