Preparing for House Church

Preparing for a House Church meeting is essential to create a meaningful and engaging experience for everyone involved. This guide will walk you through 3 key points to ensure your HC time is focused and impactful.

1. The Mindset

When we are given the chance to lead, it’s normal to want to do well, impress others, and be seen as competent and respected. While this desire is natural, it’s not the right mindset for a House Church leader.

As a leader, your focus should not be on impressing your members, but on serving them.

This is the heart of Servant Leadership, as Jesus taught:

Matthew 20:28

Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

John 13:14-15

Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.

Serving, rather than impressing, frees you from the pressure to perform. Your motivation to serve should come from love and care for your members.

2. The House Church Vision

We often judge a House Church meeting by how much people participate. If there’s plenty of discussion and no awkward silences, it might seem like a successful meeting. But sometimes, even with lively conversation, it can feel like just a lot of talking without real impact. Good discussion isn’t the goal of House Church. Our purpose comes from our House Church vision statement:

House Church is a place where people can encounter God.

It’s not about having great conversations or even vulnerability, though those are good things. The main goal is for people to encounter God, and when they do, lives are transformed.

If the focus is on creating space for an encounter with God, then everything we do in HC needs to align with that vision. We should be able to answer the question: How does this lead to an encounter with God?

If it’s about an encounter with God, it changes how we plan and prepare for HC:

• Start preparing with prayer.

• Worship and prayer are chances to minister and interact with God.

• Pursue spiritual gifts, especially prophecy, to hear and experience Him.

• Discussions should aim to bring us closer to God through conviction, repentance, and surrender.

3: The Leader’s Mission

The mission statement of a House Church leader is simple:

House Church leaders are to disciple members so they can become leaders.

This requires intentional discipleship—otherwise it is difficult to maintain sustained growth. You can have a loving HC where people care for each other and love God, but if discipleship isn’t part of the culture, people’s growth tends to stagnate. Without discipleship, it’s hard to multiply because there aren’t enough leaders. Why? Because leadership development hasn’t been a focus. You can’t expect people to step into leadership if they haven’t been prepared. That’s why, from day one, you should already be thinking about who will replace you and how to get there.