Home Church: Preaching or Discussion?

When you visit home churches you’ll soon discover that they’re not bound to the traditional lecture-model. Some home churches replace the traditional lesson with various discussion formats, which is far more participatory and engaging, while others continue teaching traditional lessons. And some use a hybrid.

So how should home churches fulfill the ministry of the word?

1 Corinthians 12:12–18 (CSB) — 12 For just as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all given one Spirit to drink. 14 Indeed, the body is not one part but many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But as it is, God has arranged each one of the parts in the body just as he wanted.

The ministry of the word should be fulfilled according to the gifts that God has given to the body. Some are given a teaching gift that centers around facilitating questions, while others receive teaching gifts that center around explaining Scripture, pastoral insight, or prophetic unction. Any given house church should reflect the members God has added to their number.

I’m always skeptical of any answer that says “should” where the Bible doesn’t give commands. I prefer to speak in Paul’s language about what’s “beneficial” for the building up of the whole body. Some house churches are very small, and do not have many members who are gifted in teaching. Others are quite diverse. There’s no absolute answer because Scripture doesn’t prescribe any specific model. Instead, what we see are examples that show the teaching ministry giving and applying God’s word to their life. And that can look quite different from place to place.

God distributes various gifts throughout the body for the well-being of everyone. So, every local assembly should make every effort to support, encourage, and give room to every spiritual gift in their proper order.

So, whether you’re a small home church or a large one, your ministry should reflect the gifts of your members!