This page was used between 2015 and 2023 to see if anyone in the Fort Worth, Texas area was interested in house church at our home or in other house churches in the DFW area. Almost nothing came of it and we’ve moved on from that aspiration. Apologies but, as of 2025, we are not opening our home to fellowship in this season or in any foreseeable future season. I still have ongoing interest in home-based fellowship but, for now, our cup overfloweth. We are also enjoying teaching and fellowship at Tyndale Bible Church of Hurst, Texas. But please feel free to contact me if you’d like to discuss any of this. I may have some other contacts in the DFW area who are enjoying home-based fellowships.
In public and “from house to house?”
Home based fellowship is important. According to the precedents in the New Testament (e.g., Acts 2:46, Acts 5:42, Acts 20:20, Romans 16:5, 1 Cor. 16:19, Col. 4:15, Philemon 1:2, etc.) we think it important for followers of Christ to meet not just in a large venue (like the outer temple courts of Jerusalem or the lecture hall of Tyrannus in Ephesus) but also meet in private homes–“breaking bread from house to house.” It is okay to meet in a large auditorium that seats a large audience to hear the Scriptures read and hear teaching and enjoy corporate worship of the Lord. But it was normative for the earliest followers of Christ to meet in private homes to enjoy food together (the agape feast) and to celebrate the Lord’s Supper at the Lord’s table.
The Lord’s Supper is for:
- remembering the Lord’s sacrifice of his body and blood for our redemption and for the ratification of the New Covenant (1 Cor. 11:24-25)
- proclaiming the Lord’s atoning death until his second coming to establish his kingdom on earth (1 Cor. 11:26)
- a “participation” in the body and blood of Christ, a partaking of the table of the Lord, participation with Christ, participation in the altar (1 Cor. 10:16)
How Simple is too Simple?
Many house churches that practice “simple church” put a low premium on doctrinal integrity. But the first church focused first and foremost on devoting themselves to the doctrine/teaching of the apostles. This was even more important than the fellowship of breaking bread and prayers. (Acts 2:46) Paul urged the earliest gentile churches to “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching [doctrine]. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Tim. 4:16). John explained that false teachers should not be received into our homes (2 John 1:10). We should have unity and no room for compromise in the essential doctrines, freedom in the non-essential doctrines, and charity in everything. There needs to be room for questions-and-answers, dialogue (not just monologue), and perhaps even some room for arguing. See my doctrinal statement here, if interested.
Gifts and Offices
The earliest churches had gifted, recognized people like teachers, and they had offices such as pastors/shepherds/elders/overseers, and deacons. Everyone may have a spiritual gift and everyone is encouraged to use it to strengthen the body. This still allows for simple church but if it is simpler than that, it may not qualify as a legitimate New Testament local church. Not all of the gifts that we read about in Acts and the Corinthian letters are active today. Some of the descriptions of the first-century church/churches are descriptive and not necessarily prescriptive.