I often hear from people frustrated because they can’t find or start a sustainable house church where they live.

As I talk with folks from around the country, here’s one of the main reasons (not the only reason, but certainly a big reason) I’ve seen for why house churches fail:

In one critical regard, they become just like the unbiblical institutional mono-churches they sought to leave.

A mono-church centers around one particularly gifted person’s vision and abilities, or focuses on one particular ministry or mission.

They are common these days, but can’t be found in the New Testament.

In fact, the New Testament never commands us to routinely gather for ministry by the “one” or around the “one” …

Or to focus on one primary ministry or mission.

Instead, we are commanded to mutually build up “one another” as we gather together so we can become mature disciples in the different callings God has for each of us …

Through ministry to each other using the many gifts and abilities He has distributed among us.

Unfortunately, that’s rare to find even among those trying to start a house church.

Here’s the thing, however, that many people fail to realize:

Unbiblical mono-churches can just as easily arise in a living room …

As in a big auditorium.

Larger institutional mono-churches nonetheless persist because most people generally are content with passive “Christianity” …

And having someone do church for them in an anonymous “sanctuary” suits them just fine.

Smaller house churches that start or drift back into mono-church mode, however, won’t survive, because people fed up with the institutional “church” want to actually relate and be the church – one with another …

Rather than just a mini version of some institutional mono-church like they left behind.

They may not be able to articulate it, but they will quickly sense that something’s wrong if your house church becomes yet another mono-church …

And will soon start drifting away.

After all, if you’re gonna become just another unbiblical mono-church, you might as well go back to the big auditorium “church” because they have the resources to do it better.

Let’s be honest:

When it comes to passive “Churchianity” and having others do church for you, institutional mono-churches will out compete mono house churches every time.

Understand this, and you’ll understand why many “house churches” quickly fail …

While others avoid that trap and actually succeed.

So don’t make the common mistake of trying to create or find a mono “house church” centered on your own God-given gifts, abilities and ministry motivations …

No matter how good or otherwise legitimate your own gifts, abilities and ministry motivations might be.

Instead, let your small, simple gatherings be places where you can minister to each other …

By learning to mutually build up one another in the diverse gifts, abilities and ministry motivations God has distributed among you.

Big difference!

Because when it’s all said and done, you can’t pour the new wine of church as the New Testament actually commands it, into the old wine skins of church as you previously knew it …

And expect it to turn out well.

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Ephesians 4:14-16:

Don’t fall prey to “human cunning… [but] grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”