Introduction to House Church

Regional Rally Caracas Saturday 6/30/07
Notes for message presented by Gail Graves

Thank you for giving to the Lord. Thank you for serving the Lord. Thank you and you and you and you. Many of you have served the Lord for many years a great sacrifice. You have listened, obeyed, worked and prayed with tears. Consider Ps 126:5 ‘Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.’ I am here today to deliver a message from God. He has heard your prayers and is ready to multiply the Harvest. You have been faithful and you will reap with songs of joy.
Following the crusade there is the need for follow up….
New believers need help
Many will not know an evangelical…
Church life not automatic

Your church will grow if you are diligent in follow up.

The Harvest is overwhelming..20,000-30,000 professions of faith…help required

Need follow up teams that can contact 200 – 300 new believers in first 10 days

Need 100 follow up teams

Partnership teams will come to help you….big church…cel groups…HCs

3. Simple church planting teams will come to help start simple churches

House Church Phenomena sweeping around the world…don’t miss it.
China over 30k pof per day mostly HC
Burundi, Africa 14 HCs to 100 HCs in seven months
One middle east country…..3000 HCs in one year thru stadium crusades
Cuba……..HC on every block over the whole country
Intro to Simple church…how I discovered it…they multiply (see attached)
http://www.dawnministries.org/idahosimplechurchnetwork

HC networks…a family tree of churches……...how they function…….they multiply……many come to Christ

Gifted leaders…Ephesians 4:11… every gift is vital

If you want to help with HC see me today…..contact info

How do HCs help a conventional church:

1. Equip and send your best out…be a servant leader…..can not out give God.

2. These churches will reach many, many as they multiply. Suppose God would give us one half of the population here for Christ. What would your ministry look like? Would it be smaller?

3. Many new believers will be drawn to large congregations with great teachers and good programs.

4. Examples:

A. Saddleback Community Church equip members…..start many HCs…..largest SBC church in USA. Pastor Warren was not afraid to equip the saints and encourage them to start free house churches. They have more people meeting in house churches than in big church.
B. North Phoenix Baptist Church along with their association of churches started many small traditional congregations. Sent their best people and resources in same city and area. Many were reached ….many were attracted to great teaching and great programs…..went from 400 to 22,000 in 25? years.
C. One Middle East country many equipped to plant house churches and sent out by conventional churches. Over 3000 HCs started in 9 months. All churches that sent people out received many more than they sent out.

Conclusion: It is not enough to fill our church buildings. Our mandate is to change the world. You can never go wrong listening and obeying God. Embrace everything of God. Trust Him to prosper you and your church family as you give sacrificially to the Lord of the Harvest. Do not be afraid. He will provide. We must walk not by sight but by faith.

Invitation: Commit to: pray and listen…….obey….work……HC