Authentic church as commanded in the New Testament is simple and participatory …

But rare these days.

As Scripture repeatedly commands, we’re to gather for the primary purpose of mutually building up one another through ministry to each other using the diverse gifts God distributes between us …

With elders (plural) who emerge among us to watch over and humbly serve beside us.

Instead, however, “church” has become a building with spectator seating and a “senior pastor” who’s hired to monopolize our gatherings from a podium above us.

As for me, I think I’ll stick with the simplicity of church as the Bible actually defines it …

Rather than the self-serving, hierarchical, post-Biblical traditions of men. 

How about you?

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.

Over the last fifty years – going all the way back to my college days in the mid-1970s – God’s often used me to help relational participatory churches emerge.

Yet I can’t think of a single one of them that didn’t first start with discipleship.

Looking back, I guess that makes sense given that Jesus said He would build His church …

But we are to build disciples.

In contrast, I’ve seen many try to start a “church” first, but in my experience real discipleship seldom follows and things quickly begin falling apart. 

This has been a source of great frustration for many. 

Sitting among rows upon rows of spectator seating week after week …

Have nothing to do with church as the New Testament commands it.

So how do we help folks get out of this trap?

We need to boldly share our stories of relational participatory church as actually commanded in the New Testament, and what we’ve learned along theway …

To encourage others that they can indeed begin to be the church once again.

Otherwise, most people have no idea that it’s possible to leave spectator “church” behind …

And start gathering in living rooms and other places were life naturally happens, to minister one to another for the mutual building up of each other.

But how can you expect that to happen …

Unless we openly tell of our own journeys and experiences?

When someone’s salary is primarily about preaching sermons …

Is it any wonder that they make church primarily about them preaching sermons?

Yet where do you even find that in the New Testament?

You don’t.

Nope, not, nada …

Just ain’t there.

Why?

Because when we gather together, we are commanded to actively build up each other through ministry one to another …

Rather than passively listen to the one.

So why do we keep following the post-Biblical traditions of men …

Rather than the actual commands of God in Scripture?

What about mono-church, where our gatherings primarily revolve around ministry by one man …

Such as a so-called “Senior Pastor?”

You can’t find that anywhere in the New Testament (unless you count the warnings against Diotrephes, who wanted to be “preeminent” in his church) …

In fact, it explicitly violates the New Testament’s many commands about how we are to actually gather together – one to another – as the multi-gifted, multi-functional and multi-part Body of Christ.

For simple, participatory church to thrive, we need each other …

And our different God-given gifts, motivations and perceptions.

That’s because Christ, in His wisdom, does not want any one person, ability or ministry to dominate His church …

But distributes His many gifts among us instead.

Sure, institutional churches have great programs, services and staff. But have they produced mature disciples and a mature Body of Christ?

Isn’t this the nub of the matter?

No doubt, they can point to other measures of “success” – numbers, inspirational sermons, “decisions” made for Christ, feel good “worship” with great “worship” bands, buildings, etc.

But despite it all, are they actually making mature disciples and functioning as the mature Body of Christ?

Worship is not a “church service.”

There’s not a single such reference in the entire New Testament.

Nope, not, nada …

Just ain’t there.

Instead, we are to gather together to minister one to another for the mutual building up of each other out of the diverse gifts God distributes among us …

Just as God commands in the New Testament.

But that’s never called either “worship” or a “service” there.

And yes, we also are to congregationally sing praises to God in those gatherings, but again for the express purpose of mutually encouraging one another …

Which is the only reason given for singing together in the New Testament.

But neither is that ever called or referenced as “worship” there.

I’d rather gather together with a few in my living room and be the church, one with another …

Then sit in rowed seats with a thousand in some building called the “church” to watch a staged event.

There are numerous New Testament mandates which require that our gatherings as the church be participatory, with ministry one to another out of the diverse gifts God distributes among us.

Unfortunately, however, what we tend to have these days are “mono-churches” that are centered around the monopolizing monologue preaching by the “one” …

Or centered around one particular gift, vision or ministry emphasis.

Instead of mono-churches, here are just some of the New Testament’s many commands about how we are to gather and function together as the multi-part, multi-functional, multi-gifted Body of Christ …

For the mutual edification and building up of each other by one another.