The Size of a Home Church.
Home Churches seem to work best with about twelve people attending the meetings, but it is possible to have larger groups and function very well. This figure can go up to about twenty, at this stage the leader must make a serious effort to plant out a second or third home church as soon as possible. It is important to plant out – not split the group. Splitting destroys the group.
Using the 2 Timothy 2:2 principle of training and raising people into leadership is vital.
The Principle:
Paul trained Timothy
Timothy trained trustworthy people
The Trustworthy people trained others
The focus must not be on size or planting out, but:
• On training/equipping God`s people to do that which they were called to do
• to walking in relationships with those around you
• Once this focus is in place and working – the rest will fall into place.
If our focus is just on growing, size and planting out – then the whole function is on performance and not on discipleship, fellowship or relationship.
It was Jesus who chose twelve disciples with whom He ministered to in an in depth way. This seems to be the ideal amount of people that one can effectively minister to.
It must be remembered that one leader cannot care for too many people at one time. The leaders responsibility towards home church members doesnt end with the meeting, as he has to be available for help when they need him and he should even look them up out of his own initiative. Too many members will counteract what is intended with Home Churches.
As the HC grows, the leader should release more and more responsibilities to the co-leader, (or any emerging leadership) and prepare him to take over the care for some of the people assigned to him.
