Does theology matter for home churches?
I’ve seen home churches go both ways. Some hyper-fixate on one theological niche or another, while others ignore theological depth in favor of the ideals of simplicity. But do home churches really need theological depth?
Ephesians 4:11–15 (CSB) — 11 And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. 14 Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. 15 But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ.
This passage does not answer our question directly, but it gives us the principles we can use to answer the question.
First, God has given us various ministries to equip and build up the Church in the unity of the faith in and knowledge of God’s Son. That’s a significant mission statement that tells us that one of the central purposes of the Church’s ministry is to equip and build up the Church’s unity of faith and knowledge. That’s a very theological statement. The witness of the apostles and prophets in Scripture is the foundation upon which the Church’s evangelists, teachers, and preachers build that sustains Christian unity.
Second, this unity is necessary to protect the body from being tossed and blown about by every wind of teaching. That means that not every thought about Scripture is equally valid. This is a mission-critical insight for an individualistic culture like ours, which wants to validate every personal opinion. The witness of the apostles and prophets in Scripture, and the ministry of the evangelists, pastors, and teachers today are not only meant to create unity, but also to protect the Church from the errors that will toss her about and make her become unstable.
Scripture reinforces these principles throughout: Hosea warns that God’s people are “destroyed for lack of knowledge,” which serves as a sobering reminder that neglecting knowledge of God’s word has real consequences, not only for individuals but also for whole communities. Paul calls believers to handle the word of truth carefully, and Peter expects them to be able to explain the hope they have in Christ. Jesus’ command to love God with all our minds shows us that renewed thinking is part of Christian formation, not merely an optional addition. The Bereans demonstrate the importance of testing what we are taught against Scripture, and Paul’s prayer for the Colossians connects growing in knowledge and understanding directly to a fruitful Christian life. Taken together, these passages show that theological knowledge is not an academic exercise added to Christian discipleship; knowing what is true about God, Scripture, and the Christian faith is part of how the Church grows, remains faithful, resists error, and bears fruit.
Theological depth matters in home churches because theology gives us the vocabulary to know who we are, the truth by which we are formed, and the faith that binds us to the broader Christian Church. A home church needs more than a shared desire to follow Jesus; it needs a shared understanding of the faith that gives shape to its worship, discipleship, community, and mission. Theological depth helps us know our identity as Christians, guards the formation of our lives from being shaped by every passing and possibly unstable idea, and gives us a common vocabulary by which we can recognize ourselves as part of something much larger than our own local gathering. Without that depth, a home church can easily become an isolated expression of Christianity, developing its own language and practices while gradually losing the vocabulary and faith that connect it to the historic and worldwide Church. Theology, rightly understood, therefore does not isolate a home church from the broader Christian family; it gives the home church the roots it needs to remain connected to the Christian tree.
I think these principles give us good reason to believe that even home churches need theological depth. But that says nothing about what that theological depth should look like, or how it should be practiced in the gathering. There’s a big leap from saying that home churches need theological depth, to saying that they all need 90-minute expositions every Sunday. We have said that every church should reflect the gifts God has given to their body; some home churches have gifts that could not thrive in that kind of environment. But that doesn’t mean that they don’t need theological depth. They simply need to understand what it means for them to have theological depth in their context.
That is why I have been providing home church resources that were created and used in the underground church. These resources can be adapted by home church leaders for use in their context. I will also be working on adapting them over time to different uses and situations. But the purpose is to use the spiritual gifts I have received from the Lord to serve others, who can take these things and use their spiritual gifts to strengthen their bodies with the grace that God has distributed throughout.
A Dedicated Faith 