| the
church at matthew's house
By Jason Evans - May 2002
I was tired of the church, as I knew it. It was an event, a building,
a program. I wanted to be the church; I wanted my un-churched
friends to be the church, not become churched. I wanted it to be
something I lived, rather than something I lived for. I heard of
crazy people that met together, ate meals, shared their resources
and studied the Scriptures together... in homes and coffee shops
of all places! It couldn't be that simple! You were supposed to
bring the sofas, the coffee (and the candles if you're real serious)
into the sanctuary, but not use them in their common setting! That
was ludicrous! It was two years ago that I thought that. Now, I'm
one of those crazy people.
My wife and I along with several other couples had a burden, I'm
not so sure it was a "vision” but it was definitely a burden.
We were certain that the church was simpler than what we had known
it to be. We wanted to be a part of something that encouraged spiritual
things to evolve in a natural way. We wanted to go where God was
rather than build a place for him to reside. We had a desire to
invite people into an experience that was informal, yet intentional
like the story of Levi throwing a party at his house with Jesus.
Not long after that we found ourselves becoming the church to each
other. It was a house church I suppose, but we weren't quite sure
what to call it.
On a usual Thursday night, we would meet at about 6:30 p.m., eating
dinner together, talking about our weeks, sharing high points and
low points and getting introduced to a couple of new people that
might have just stopped by. At one point, one evening, towards the
end of dinner one of the new girls opened up a little. She said
that she couldn't believe how welcome she felt. She had always been
so "turned off" to religion and had become very skeptical. But she
felt more comfortable and loved than she felt normally with her
closest friends. This night was already the high point of her week
and dinner wasn't even over yet!
And then one night it happened.
After dinner, all of us crammed into the family room to carry the
conversations further. At the end of a time of reflection, people
decided to wrap things up in prayer. And then it happened... without
any explanation, no instruction, nor a request, this new girl said,
"I don't know you God, but all I know is that I want more of you.
I need you to be part of my life, like these people. Jesus, please,
I want to know you..." As people kept praying there was this rush
of wonder and amazement as those Christians in the room began to
realize that one more had come into the Kingdom. To think, this
girl hadn't been given a Gospel message, she wasn't told how to
become a Christian... she just knew. This was a totally un-evangelical
salvation!
We had committed ourselves to no longer putting on a show and just
lift God up in our lives. Through that the Holy Spirit got all the
credit, we did nothing, He drew someone to the Savior without us
tripping things up along the way. Many more young adults were coming
and things began to quickly get tight around the dinner table and
in the family room. We soon started another church to relieve some
of the size limitations in the first group. We didn't know what
to do next; all we knew was that God was up to something.
Not long after that my wife and I began opening up our home to
the many young people involved in the local punk/hardcore scene
and started a church there. The night began with dinner together
and then each shared a few chapters of our personal stories. As
we talked the conversation moved into what each expected of a group
like this. What blew me away was that each of them was saying the
same thing. Learning to love God and other people in an authentic
way was what each of them wanted.
By the end of the night, this group of young people were bonded
together on a journey to learn what it meant to really love God,
love their friends, and provide a safe haven for them to come, hang
out, and talk about life. They decided that we would come together
every week to do this for each other and anyone else who came through
the door.
Less then 6 months after that church was born two young men within
that group have been called to shepherd that church. Less then a
week after we talked with those two young men, all of us were sitting
in our house, sharing life together, and the Spirit laid it on my
heart to challenge another young person to begin a house church.
Once again, we will help him lay the foundation and empower him
to guide a church. A few days later, at a concert, some of us were
talking to some old friends that live in the next county to the
east and they are catching the vision. We now have the opportunity
to help them start a movement of simple churches planted by normal
people.
Simple churches come together.
Monthly, we have gatherings where all of these simple churches
come together to share and celebrate God's work. I had the opportunity
to speak with a housewife that is incredibly excited about the church
meeting in her home. To my amazement she told me that the group
is getting ready to bust at the seams. Therefore, she felt God must
be getting ready to call some of them to go and start some new churches
where there will be more room for more people!
I sat with a friend to think about these various situations and
we could see up to 10 churches being born out of the hearts of people
committed to loving others and Jesus in a simpler, honest manner.
I don't think I've ever seen a multiplication process happen like
this before.
The question many are asking is, "is it really that simple?" In
fact, I think it is. Welders, daycare supervisors, housewives, electricians,
waitresses and others are gifted to care and guide small, simple
churches in there homes, apartments, coffee shops, tattoo parlors,
bars and diners across the country. They won't separate the saints
from the seekers. They will blur the lines between what we deem
secular and what we raise up as sacred. They are gifted to express
their creativity in new, unexpected ways and mediums, but not in
the walls of our homes and church buildings but out there, in the
real world. They are prone to make us uncomfortable and question
our methods, which is exactly what Jesus did. They are gifted to
teach us through rabbinical-like conversation, rather than monotone
dissertations. They are gifted to help us become selfless Christ-followers,
rather than selfish commercial-guzzlers. And most importantly they
are gifted to take the church into realms us "clergy-types" never
could. Who could ask for more? Can we humble ourselves to set aside
the complicated organizations for a simpler organism?
Can we humble ourselves to take our gifts, talents and abilities
to serve this movement? I believe that it will allow people to come
to Christ, flourish in their giftedness and be a part of revolution
across our country that we never expected! So... who's in? |
