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Family
This is the space where we live as an extended family. Where we connect, serve, listen, and love one another.Meals
Whether or not you have light refreshments, snacks, or a potluck when you come together as a House Church. We expect that you prioritize sharing in the Lord's Supper to ground your time together in the reality that Jesus has brought this family together by his body and blood.Worship
Make sure you do not meet without ministering to God through our worship. This can be done through reading the psalms, listening to spotify, or having a gifted individual lead the House Church in singing.Scripture
We are a community rooted in scripture. The Bible is central to the way we structure our lives and community. Make time to read the Bible, respond to God's word, and to allow discussion to build from that. This can be done through responding to the Sunday sermon, reading the Bible together, or going through a guided curriculum.Prayer
In order to intentionally welcome God’s presence in our group gatherings, we want to welcome Him into our conversations. Before every House Church take time to invite God to highlight how He wants to move in your family. Then when we are together, all we have to do is invite God to meet you, and your House Church in the many ways of engaging in prayer.
Regularly assess your House Church to see where their strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities to grow.Empower those in your House Church who feel particularly gifted in one of the pillars. You are not meant to do it all.Meet with your Overseer to get an outside perspective on the health of your House Church and what blindspots you may be carrying as the leader.
Encourage the individual/party to approach the person or persons who have caused offense.If it still isn't resolved, set up a meeting where you as the House Church Leader are present with the parties.If it still isn't resolved reach out to your Overseer or the House Church Pastor to help facilitate reconciliation.
Living the Way of JesusJoin a House ChurchGatherServeGive
Someone may hurt others' feelings.Jokes may cause offenseCouples may break upIndividuals date anotherUnwanted advice may be shared and not receivedJealousy of others' successes may rise upCompetitivenessAnnoyance with each otherFamily baggage leaks out into the House Church environmentMaintain awareness
Do you notice people in your House Church get uncomfortable or awkward around someone's behavior? Is this intentional or a cultural thing?Assume the best
We want to maintain an atmosphere that assumes the best of everyone's intentions. This helps keep things from being awkward or from people overreacting.When needed, step in
In the event that someone in your House Church makes others uncomfortable, creates an unsafe environment, or makes the priority of House Church other than Jesus, grab the person aside and bring their behavior to their attention.
During your Family Gathering you can invite men and women to break up into smaller groups of 3-5 for discussion and prayer.Give people homework to meet with others in the House Church for the purpose of being in a discipleship group. Maybe assign a few men and women to be the facilitators of the groups.
Regularly check in with those HC Leaders [In-person and/or over the phone]Ask health check questions to identify the health of the leaders and the House Church.Visit House Churches in person. Maintaining relationships with those part of the HC.They shepherd and care for the souls of those they oversee.
House Church OverseersHouse Church PastorPastors on staff
The right decision is made in needing to step backThe duration of the leave is clearYour House Church has empowered leadership to lead in your absence.
Visiting another House Church
You are more than welcome to visit another House Church to take notes. Talk to your Overseer our the House Church Pastor, and they can help connect you to other HC's.Stories
The stories we tell can expand our imaginations to what is possible. That is why whenever we gather as leaders we want to make sure we come ready to share all of what God is doing in our midst! This House Church blog also serves as a way to share these stories regularly.Trainings
Prioritize to attend whenever we have trainings. They are meant to help bring our leaders into refocus on what are the basics of House Church. This can also help bring clarity to the why's and how's of House Churches. They are usually structured like a family gathering to help model what House Church can feel like.
Always keep multiplication on the table and in peoples vision. This shouldn't surprise your House Church. It should be something that is anticipated and expected.Once multiplication is imminent (need and leaders identified). Bring your House Church into the eventual plan to multiply.Invite people to consider where they want to go. Encourage people to go with the new House Church in a way to honor and celebrate what is happening.Invite people to pray for the new House Church.Celebrate & Honor multiplication as best as you can.Plan a final date of your current House Church, where you will send those off. Make sure this last date is a huge celebration, go all out!Then a month prior to the multiplication day, stop the normal rhythms. Start enjoying one another as a family. Make the last month together feel special for everyone together.
FAQ
We have separated commonly asked questions about leading a House Church by theme and topic
ON FACILITATING HOUSE CHURCHES
A major role of a House Church Leader is to facilitate and host House Church week to week.
• FAMILY GATHERINGS
There are 5 rhythms to every Family Gathering: FAMILY, MEAL, WORSHIP, SCRIPTURE, PRAYER. These are the basic foundations of what the church is called to participate in together.
What should we do during family gatherings?
House Churches find themselves in a rhythm of meeting weekly for their family gatherings, regularly bringing Jesus to the lost and the lost to Jesus for their missional expressions, and being committed to each other in our daily ordinary lives.
The purpose of gathering together is to live as an extended family pursuing Jesus together. This time mirrors the early church by prioritizing 5 features:
How do we facilitate teaching?
"Teaching" can take a variety of forms in House Church. The main purpose is to read the Bible, engage with theology, and wrestle with how it gets lived out.
As a leader, you are empowered to discern what your House Church needs are in each season. Maybe your group needs help growing in prayer, then read a book on prayer and pray together. Maybe your group wants to learn how to read the Bible, so you lead them and train them in an Inductive Bible Study. Or maybe the Sunday sermon really resonates with the group, and they want to dive deeper.
There is no one right way to lead the teaching. I expect you as leaders and those you empower to lead to take the initiative and do what feels right.
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Resources
1. HC Curriculum
Our Curriculum is optional, but was intended to empower your House Church to go through a variety of topics together, all intended to shape the individual and collective in discipleship.
2. FAMILY GATHERING RHYTHMS
We have a PDF that gives further insight on how each part of the liturgy of House Church can flow. Use it as a guide for yourself and to help empower others to lead different aspects of House Church.
What is a realistic expectation of roles, responsibility, and time commitments for House Church Leaders week to week?
As a House Church Leader your role is to create an environment where strangers can turn into covenantal community. In this kind of community, there is vulnerability, accountability, and participation. Everyone gets to display their gifts. Mutual discipleship becomes part of the everyday ordinary life of everyone involved.
This won't happen by accident, but through intentional leadership. As a House Church leader, we don't expect you to lead all on your own, but to empower others to support you as you lead as a:
1. Forerunner:
House Church Leaders go first by leading themselves first and leading by example
2. Visionary:
House Church Leaders carry, communicate, and pursue the vision of the House Church and it’s fulfillment
3. Disciple-maker & Developer of Leaders:
House Church Leaders help people become like Jesus and develop leaders through relationships, coaching, and creating opportunities and empowerment
4. Facilitator:
House Church Leaders own planning and facilitating the House Church gathering, empowering others to assist them with that. In this space others
5. Spiritual Mother or Father:
House Church Leaders step beyond the organizational role of leading, into a familial covering and protection for those in their home. Partnering with God to raise up a family of disciples.
These commitments can be a regular commitment of 3-8 hours a week.
What to do if parts of House Church make others uncomfortable?
House Church in its pursuit of the four pillars of COMMUNITY, FORMATION, PRESENCE, and MISSION, will regularly make others uncomfortable.
The introvert will be challenged to live missionally. The evangelist of the group will be challenged to be mindful of the community piece of House Church.
As such, you cannot cater to everyone. The best we can do is be available to hear people's concerns and discomfort. Then out of humility bring it to the Lord. Maybe He may guide you to be more mindful where your House Church is at.
At the end of the day, you are a servant of God's people, so do not hold on too tightly of "your vision" of House Church. However, you are entrusted as a leader to lead those in your House Church in the four pillars.
How to handle people who is disruptive or distracting to the group?
Be intentional when you recognize that people bring distractions to House Church.
Often times people may not know that they are being distracting.
After a meeting. Ask to pull them aside and bring attention to their behavior. Do it in a loving way that that you appreciate their voice and
How do we help make House Church accessible for those with kids?
House Church is an extended family environment, so we want to make sure we make parents with kids of all ages feel like they are welcome.
Depending on your House Church situation, there are a variety of options:
A. Volunteers & Break-outs: House Church can add a cycling volunteering opportunity where kids have a place in the family gatherings and also have their own breakouts.
As leaders, take the extra step to purchase things to have on hand for kids to play with (coloring books, bubbles, or sidewalk chalk)
B. Childcare: The House Church can pitch in to cover childcare for parents who want to leave their children at home.
C. Incorporate Them: Find ways to let the kids like they too have a place to be themselves as part of the House Church environment. They can read scripture or open the time in prayer.
There are many more options to choose from in how you incorporate children as part of House Church. Ultimately, prioritize in making parents and kids feel loved and appreciated for taking part and being present.
How can we be intentional with kids in House Church (activities & engagement)?
There is no junior Holy Spirit, nor is there a kids table in the New Heavens and New Earth. We want to intentionally disciple our kids as a family, and we can do this in a variety of ways.
Our Kids Pastor, Alex Nomavuka, helped put together a wonderful resource to help your House Church discern to what degree you are able to have kids involved in House Church.
How do you prioritize/can you prioritize certain pillars in different seasons?
You, as a House Church Leader, are empowered to present and pursue the four pillars of COMMUNITY, FORMATION, PRESENCE, and MISSION. It is also your role as a leader to discern where the Lord may be asking you to prioritize your efforts.
As a House Church Team, we provide resources and training to help you feel confident in completing this task.
• ORDINARY LIFE
Encourage those in your House Church to meet with each other outside of House Church. Everyone agrees to support each other in their discipleship to Jesus. This does not rely solely on the House Church Leader. Each person can invite others over for dinner, for walks, for fun nights, and for hard life trials.
How to handle politically charged comments/members/climate?
I recommend pulling aside those who make much of politics during the family gatherings and making them aware that we want to keep Jesus at the center of House Church.
We are a family in House Church, which means we make space for the uncles and aunts who may stir the pot. However, we want to make sure we guide everyone towards unity in spirit.
That doesn't happen because everyone agrees, but through pointing everyone to mutual submission to our king Jesus.
How to handle gossip/drama/conflict?
Like the previous question, we will have family conflict and drama because House Church functions as an extended family.
In the event of conflict, we ask everyone to follow Jesus' instruction in reconciliation (Matthew 18:15-19):
*A special note on gossip. Throughout the Bible gossip is consistently condemned as a sin, and is seen as the source of disunity and discord in the church. If you are aware of any gossip in your midst, as the House Church Leader you need to confront the source and bring an end to it. Make sure that person repents by reconciling with those who they were spreading gossip of
What happens when we have the same people “bear burdens” with the group?
We desire to be like the early church, to have "no needs among us."
As a family, we can be quick to support those who bear burdens, either emotionally or financially.
While we must remain patient, and create space for those who are suffering. We want to be a church community that points people towards wholeness.
So whether pastoral care or financial care, we would encourage you to reach out to Garden to help you help those in your House Church.
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Resources
GARDEN CARE PAGE
Jesus always responded with deep compassion to all who came to Him. It is that same compassion that we partner with for the care of our community.
Whether you are experiencing an unexpected emergency, grieving the loss of a loved one, or seeking guidance with one of life’s many challenges, we have a variety of ways to come alongside you.
• MISSIONAL EXPRESSIONS
House Churches do not exist for themselves, but are set with a mission in mind. Mission is a ‘who’ that your House Church is called to not a what. A regular part ofyour House Church is going out on mission together.
Is House Church the end goal for attendance, or do we also attend Sundays?
House Churches are the primary environment for community at Garden Church, where we see discipleship get lived out.
These are mini-Garden Churches that meet in our neighborhoods. They are where God's presence is dwelling, lives are transformed into Christlikeness, we live in deep community, and we live on mission as a family.
Our deepest longing is that everyone who calls Garden "home," would be in a House Church.
Additionally, we long to see everyone who comes to a Garden House Church to join us on Sundays. There is a deep value to gather as the body of Christ whenever we can. It's not an either-or, but a both-and.
We do not have membership at Garden Church, but participation. For those who call the Garden home, we ask them to commit to 5 family rhythms:
This is an invitation for all those who are in a House Church as much as those who attend on Sundays.
How to balance both heart & head people to feel included?
The church is an extended family made up of brothers and sisters who all experience God differently.
During your time together as a family, your main priority is to make Jesus the one we worship, pray to, and study.
The beauty of House Church, that is different than any other gathering, is that everyone gets to play. As a leader, regularly make space to others to lead portions of the family gathering: communion, prayer, teaching, and worship.
Empowering the different personalities to lead will regularly allow your House Church to experience God through the head and the heart.
How do we include those on the fringes to buy-in?
Because of the extended family environment of House Church, many of us as leaders try to make everyone feel included and valued.
While that is admirable, it oftentimes can limit the growth of your group.
My encouragement is to set the course, empower those who get the vision, and to invite those on the fringes to join you.
ON COMMUNITY
United by faith in Christ, we live everyday life as the family of God where everyone can know one another and be known.
• BEING AN EXTENDED FAMILY
How do we handle the relational dynamics present in House Churches (people feeling awkward, unsafe, overlooked, misunderstood)?
House Churches are founded on the pillar of community, where people from all walks of life, united by faith in Jesus Christ can be family regardless of ethnicity, culture, age, life stage, social status, or gender.
In these spaces, we can have cultures and personal dynamics clash in a variety of ways.
The unique environment of House Church is beautiful but lends itself to the unique challenge of navigating unity in the midst of everyone's unique baggage.
We cannot go around policing everyone's behavior to try to fit our version of how they should be. We must make space for people to be who they are, but we must be aware of how somethings may cause issues for personal relationships or for the group as a whole.
The best way to make sure we prioritize safety and comfort is that we:
In the best case scenario, they are unaware of how they may be being perceived, and they become more mindful of their behavior, and the House Church benefits!
In the event that they don't respond well, remember, House Church is an extended family environment where we must prioritize the family over the individual. So if one person is causing issues for the group, we need to address it so that the entire House Church doesn't suffer.
Ultimately, it is helpful to have a family covenant that everyone can commit that helps set boundaries but also calls everyone to love one another intentionally. You can use our as a framework for your House Church.
What is the difference between being accommodating to people of different backgrounds and preferences and when to know that a new person might just not be the right fit for your group?
The church is an extended family made up of brothers and sisters who all experience God differently.
During your time together as a family, your main priority is to make Jesus the one we worship, pray to, and study.
The beauty of House Church, that is different than any other gathering, is that everyone gets to play. As a leader, regularly make space to others to lead portions of the family gathering: communion, prayer, teaching, and worship.
Empowering the different personalities to lead will regularly allow your House Church to experience God through the head and the heart.
We push towards unity in diversity by the Holy Spirit in everything we do!
However, we cannot force people to fit together, if someone wants to find a different House Church, invite them to do so. We want everyone to find where they belong, and sometimes, that means they can go on the journey to find one that works for them!
• GROWING MORE INTIMATELY
How do we grow the House Church, while growing deeper?
Just like any family environment that grows in number, we face the challenge of not being able to know one another as intimately.
We would encourage your House Church to break up into smaller groups to answer questions and check in with one another.
One option is to empower your House Church to meet with one another in smaller environments, what we call Discipleship Groups.
How to roll out and teach people to form discipleship groups?
One thing we do really well in church is protect any community we have. This is because we long for relationships, we value the connections we make, and we will keep anything from interrupting those relationships.
This is beautiful, but it often may become a block for House Churches from growing missionally. When we feel safe with others we feel like we can become more vulnerable with one another, and when that happens it becomes harder for strangers to enter into that space.
Give your House Church the vision as to why breaking up into smaller groups would be beneficial. Here are some options:
If you need any additional help and strategy, please don't hesitate to reach out to the House Church Pastor or an Overseer.
How do we do discipleship groups without feeling like a clique?
The depth we create in a discipleship group answers that deep longing for us to know one another and be known. Unfortunately, any group has a level of exclusivity. However, we can use discernment when talking about a discipleship group.
As these groups are around being vulnerable and transparent, there will be a level of intimacy and depth created between participants. That is okay, and we do not need to feel guilty for that.
We should make sure however that we make time to be with those who are outside of our discipleship groups, whether it is at a Family Gathering or by participating in a more inclusive outing with others.
Be intentional to not allow the discipleship groups to become your new center of gravity, allow House Churches to be.
How do we handle accountability and vulnerability within our House Church and Discipleship Group?
House Churches are the primary environment for discipleship at Garden Church. Authentic discipleship includes being accountable for living like Jesus and living honestly and vulnerably with each other.
To facilitate this, we encourage House Churches to break up into smaller groups to be able to create an environment for vulnerability.
One option is to empower your House Church to meet with one another in smaller environments, what we call Discipleship Groups
Whether you break up during your time as a House Church or people meet outside of the Family Gathering, creating a consistent space where you are with 2-3 other men or women who know you and are known by you helps mutually build people up towards Christ, because there is trust between everyone.
However, here are a few things to consider.
1. Consistency is key
Try to be consistent in your meetings, and invite those who are committing to House Church and the even more intimate Discipleship Groups in order to maintain a communal expectation that this is a priority. In doing so, there will be an ease of sharing vulnerably.
2. It's okay not to share everything
The purpose of vulnerability is to allow people to hold you accountable for growing in Christ. Especially as a leader, you often have to lead by example. However, that doesn't mean you don't use discernment when sharing with others.
If you have brothers and sisters that you already are walking with intentionally that are outside of your House Church, then by all means don't feel the need to make this space where you process the deepest things of life. But we want to make sure that our groups know that they can be vulnerable and honest, especially for those who do not have that.
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You get to guide people from oversharing while everyone is together, and you can invite those to take risks in the smaller groups. Ultimately, you, as the House Church leader, get to set the tone and model for our House Churches how to live a life without secrets.
ON FORMATION
Discipleship is the ongoing journey where God forms us, in relationship to Himself and in relationship to each other, into the image of Christ for the sake of those inside and outside the church.
How do we know/convey the Garden’s official stance on hot topic issues.
Garden Church's beliefs are publicly available on our website. Please visit our . You can point others to this page as well.
If you need any additional help understanding certain beliefs or how to explain them to your House Church, please contact Pastor Michael.
How to respond to “false doctrine,” with love and grace. If someone shares or processes to the group that is not aligned with Garden beliefs?
At Garden Church, we understand everyone is on their unique journey with Jesus and that over a lifetime, Jesus will be the one to draw them into a clearer vision of Him and the truth of who He is.
False doctrine is anything that falls outside of orthodox Christianity, defined by the Apostle's Creed and the Nicene Creed. Garden Church's falls under these parameters. Such beliefs include the diety and humanness of Christ, the Trinity, and the physical resurrection of Christ. Anything outside of these boundaries may be our personal beliefs or preferences.
In our House Churches, we must expect that:
A. People will believe different things
B. Not everyone will agree with Garden or each other.
As House Church Leaders, we encourage you to point people towards truth by speaking truth in your discussions, listening with wonder when others share, and then using discernment to bring alignment.
If someone shares false doctrine, you must correct the theology in front of the group. Then, grab them for a follow-up conversation to understand and raise them further.
Pastoral Note: We can often interpret someone processing something we may disagree with as a threat to our House Church. So our natural response is harsh rebuke or correction rather than further questions and wonder. You will see that creating a space where people can wrestle openly (while you affirm truth) will allow more space for the Holy Spirit to move in everyone's heart.
In our Garden Beliefs, we have strong boundaries of how we prioritize unity by the Spirit: We believe in unity among the essentials and liberty among non-essentials. We embrace diversity of opinions and theology, finding it more edifying and Christ-like to build bridges when it comes to peripheral doctrinal matters (i.e., eschatological interpretations, Calvinism/Arminianism, etc.) versus drawing lines of division. Because of this, our volunteers and leaders are comprised of diverse theological backgrounds and are exhorted to be respectful and inquiring toward one another in the spirit of Christian unity.(Ps. 133:1, Acts 15:1-21, Eph. 4:3, Phi. 2:2, 2 Cor. 13:11)
ON PRESENCE
God indwells, transforms, and empowers us by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in us both individually and corporately. So we wait on, seek after, and partner with God’s Spirit in everything we do.
What are some good guidelines in how to approach practicing the gifts of the Spirit? / make more space for the Holy Spirit?
There are a variety of tools and practices that empower you to facilitate God's presence in House Churches.
Garden offers Prayer Trainings regularly. House Church Handbooks have a few Exercises to try.
How to balance liturgy, respecting people’s time, and the move of the Spirit?
House Churches should prioritize making space for God's presence, and expect Him to meet us when we gather as the church.
When God does show up, we must stop business as usual. Don't rush to the next thing; pay attention to what He wants to do. If you feel Him during Communion, don't rush to worship. If you feel Him during worship, don't rush to the next thing.
We also must recognize that no House Church gathering can contain all that God will do in our lives.
Let us honor God and honor each other.
When the Lord is moving, and the time may be going over, it is okay to end the night or to even allow others to go home. Allow people to linger if they want to stay, but do not make it a requirement.
ON MISSION
The love of God was perfectly displayed through the life, death, and resurrection of King Jesus. We are intended to know the gospel, to live the gospel, and to share the gospel out of our love to God and for others.
How do we land on a “unified“ mission?
Finding a "unified" mission is hard when you include everyone in your House Church in that process. Especially, because everyone has different passions and different network of relationships.
Remember, your mission is a who not a what. When there is disunity in the mission, I would encourage you as the leaders of the House Church to land on a mission and go after it, inviting your House Church to join. Don't ask for permission.
If you, as House Church Leaders, have questions regarding mission reach out to the House Church Pastor () or your Overseers to help.
How do we stir members to be more missionally inclined?
House Churches are designed to bring Jesus to the lost and the lost to Jesus. To be a disciple is to be sent out on mission!
When trying to stir our House Churches towards mission, we must do a few things:
1. Bring focus to Jesus
Remind those in your House Church who Jesus is, how He has worked in their lives, and how He is wanting to reach those who don't know Him.
2. Be Intentional
Get together as a House Church regularly to pray for the "who" they are all called to. God's heart is for those who are lost, and like a good Father, He is pursuing those who don't know Him. We should be too.
Use this sheet as a guide on how to begin your missional journey.
3. Make a Plan
Once you land on a missional expression meet together as a House Church and plan how exactly you will live together on mission.
I don’t know how to decide who comes to/is invited to house church
Everyone is invited to House Church!
This is where abundant life and discipleship get to be experienced. We want everyone to be in a House Church. However, we know that there will always be a waitlist to join from Garden Church. Once a House Church has increased through sign ups, I encourage all leaders to limit how many people they accept from Garden, in order to make space for those who aren't part of Garden.
If your House Church is full, and cannot accept anyone from Garden or beyond, it may be time to consider multiplying.
Struggling to land on a “unified“ mission
Finding a "unified" mission is hard when you include everyone in your House Church in that process. Especially, because everyone has different passions and different network of relationships.
Remember, your mission is a who not a what. When there is disunity in the mission, I would encourage you as the leaders of the House Church to land on a mission and go after it, inviting your House Church to join. Don't ask for permission.
If you, as House Church Leaders, have questions regarding mission reach out to the House Church Pastor () or your Overseers to help.
What are ways to be missional as a group with various conflicting schedules?
House Churches are designed to bring Jesus to the lost and the lost to Jesus. To be a disciple is to be sent out on mission!
When trying to stir our House Churches towards mission, we must do a few things:
1. Bring Focus to Jesus
Remind those in your House Church who Jesus is, how He has worked in their lives, and how He is wanting to reach those who don't know Him.
2. Be Intentional
Get together as a House Church regularly to pray for the "who" they are all called to. God's heart is for those who are lost, and like a good Father, He is pursuing those who don't know Him. We should be too.
Use this sheet as a guide on how to begin your missional journey.
3. Make a Plan
Once you land on a missional expression, meet together as a House Church and plan how exactly you will live together on a mission.
Best Practice: Being missional is for those who don't know Jesus to encounter Him. So, however, you choose to go after the mission, set a date/time, and show up in prayer. Not everyone will be able to make the events, outreaches, or parties, but we know that Jesus will show up even if two or three are gathered. So show up hopeful, even if there are schedule conflicts.
ON EMPOWERING LEADERSHIP & MULTIPLICATION
The love of God was perfectly displayed through the life, death, and resurrection of King Jesus. We are intended to know the gospel, to live the gospel, and to share the gospel out of our love to God and for others.
What can HC Leaders expect of our Overseers? What can Overseers expect of HC Leaders?
Our House Church Overseers are here to support you and your House Churches.
Each Overseer is assigned to a House Church, and their responsibilities include:
Ultimately, they are here to support you and your House Church. We are not meant to lead alone, so make the most of those who have said yes to the responsibility of overseers.
What is available for us regarding pastoral/soul care?
You are covered spiritually by the leaders above you which include:
Our prayer is that you make the most of stewarding your soul by using the resources we offer to you all. When searching for help or care, always reach out to your Overseers or the House Church Pastor: michael@garden.church.
How do we discern if we need a sabbatical as House Church Leaders, or if we need to step away completely?
A House Church is as healthy as its leaders. Part of a House Churches lifecycle is growth, making disciples, empowering leadership, and multiplication.
We celebrate the stories of growth that come out of House Churches and we want to praise Jesus that He is at work in it all. Additionally, we recognize the weight and toll that takes place on House Church leaders in all of that.
House Churches are encouraged to find rhythms of rest and break around summer and the
holiday season to help everyone find short respites throughout each year.
Furthermore, it is even recognized that you as a leader may need to step back or away from leading for a season. If you are discerning that, invite your Overseers into this process.
We want to make sure that:
Again, please invite us into these processes, our team want to see you thrive as a disciple and to see your House Churches flourish.
How do you take care of yourself and your House Church?
Your priority as a House Church leader is to take care of your soul and your discipleship to Jesus.
The best gift you will give to your House Church is a fully transformed self. Jesus will use your health and growth as a model for healthy discipleship.
Our House Church team is here to help support and care for you and your House Church.
To learn more about taking care of your soul (and how that impacts taking care of everything else), consider reading:
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How do we learn how other House Churches facilitate their groups (family gatherings, house church rhythms, missional expressions)?
There is no one right way to lead a House Church. God will fill and use each leader and House Church uniquely when they are open and willing.
We recognize that learning from one another can also spur on a prophetic imagination for what God wants to do, There are a few ways that you can grasp insight and gleanings from others:
How to empower members to step into leadership positions?
Empowering others requires intentionality if it will be done well.
Identify other leaders, their gifting, and their capacity.
Develop them by investing extra time and resources to raise them up to be the person you know them to be.
Delegate tasks that you can observe. Empower others to take opportunities in leadership. Give them clear expectations of what you want and what authority they are carrying in these tasks.
Coach others in the tasks delegated. Give clear feedback on what was done well and what could use work.
Empower people in the gifts you recognize in them, and call them into being the kind of leader Jesus sees them to be.
How to handle people unhealthily desiring to be leaders for attention/clout?
One of the key charactersitics of a leader at Garden is humility. Meaning, a leader needs to teachable, approachable, and open to correction and is quick to serve and others oriented. They need to see themselves as defined by grace and nothing else.
If you are discerning someone wanting to step into leadership for anything other than serving, then an intentional conversation is needed naming what you are observing.
1. Obscure Tasks
You can give people obscure tasks such as setting up or staying to clean. This is a great way to see if someone will be willing to serve before being seen.
2. Offer Boundaries
Someone who is humble will receive any boundary or correction, and they should be given the opportunity to course correct.
If they change, then revisit the conversation with them! If not, then your clarity will be helpful in naming the boundary.
As a leader, you need to be very clear to what you are asking of people, and what you aren't, and why.
When do you know it’s time to multiply?
Multiplication should be the goal of all House Churches, especially if there is health.
There may be a few reasons to multiply:
PRACTICALLY: You might have run out of room, and there is a need to make space both for community & mission.
MATURITY: You have empowered leaders, discipleship is happening, and it just feels like the House Church has reached the 1-2 year mark and is ready to multiply.
SENDING: As you raise up leaders, there may be a call for a different missional expression, or maybe to reach a different neighborhood. If the opportunity arises, it may be right to empower those leaders to multiply and start a different House Church.
Regardless of the reason, multiplication can be hard, and be done in a way that honors the process and celebrates what Jesus is doing!
How do we multiply and handle its many tensions?
When we multiplying a House Church, you are partnering with God to raise up disciples, empowering new leaders, and making room for others. On the other, multiplication breaks up what we have come to know and love.
In order to navigate the many tensions, I recommend a few things:
If multiplication is seen as a celebratory act as a House Church, you will find it becoming a regular rhythm in the life of those who continue to be part of your House Church.
Questions & Feedback
Submit any questions or feedback that need to be answered here. Whether it is for your on on behalf of those in those in your House Church, please use the form here or, email: michael@garden.church
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