House Churches

Posted by Glenn on 2006-08-01 at 03:09:30.

CURRENT COMMUNITIES -Dana Drive Community: Oxford -The "Ghetto" Community on Sycamore in Sycamore efficiency in Oxford DROP US AN EMAIL IF YOU'D BE INTERESTED IN HOSTING ONE WITH YOUR FRIENDS IN YOUR PLACE (OR WHEREVER)! What Is A House Church? House churches are simply the way we create and experience our community with God and one another. They are basically fully functioning churches of about 8-15 people that meet typically in homes (or wherever is functional) on a weekly basis. They reflect (not copy) the natural pattern of the emerging early church in the New Testament. They are made up of people sharing the whole of their lives with one another. What Does A House Church Do? To understand what a house church is and does is to see it and experience it over a period of time- hence, it is quite impossible to take the snapshot of one particular week and define it simply by what went on at that time. The fundamental point is the philosophical approach to what it means to worship. Worship is seen as a life-style, not an event we go to. A house church may typically share a meal together when they meet. Each person usually brings a covered dish. They may gravitate toward a time of a brief teaching, scripture reading and discussion at the table. There may be times of more focused and interactive worship times.....there may be times of reflection and silence.....there may be joyous music. People will come together and pray for each other both through good and bad times. Other weeks may see the house church as a whole out in the community doing a service project. In-depth discipleship cells may form and meet informally at other times during the week for accountability and deeper exploration into the scriptures for those who desire it. People in the house church may come together at other times to recreate and just hang out too. Each house church may also fund it's own missionary efforts. Guests are always welcome and will be shown the utmost in hospitality and given the seat at the "head of the table." How Does A House Church Grow? Built into the DNA of the house church is the code to intentionally develop the leaders, or better, the spiritual fathers and mothers who will go out and plant their own house churches. Within the house church is the freedom from bureaucratic manipulation....God simply raises up those whom he has gifted. Resources are shared and freed up that enable those to function as God intends. Simply put, the fruit of a believer is another believer.......so it goes, the fruit of a house church is another house church. How Do The House Churches Fit Into Veritas' Vision? We envision a decentralized network of cooperating house churches that will "pastor" a city or region. The house churches will be united under the overall vision of Veritas. Why House Churches? Our culture- especially among the various young adult sub-cultures- is extremely fragmented and disillusioned yet ironically clan-ish and fiercely loyal to peer groups. At the same time we are invariably non-committal when it comes to relational situations that require vulnerability, self-disclosure and trust. The problem stems from the fact that we just don't have a solid experiential understanding of what it means to be in a relationship such as a family. We are used to being hurt and are unfamiliar with true overtures of acceptance without agendas. Rather than cater to the progression of isolation, loneliness and destructive individualism, we believe the antidote to what ails our culture is the true expression of the Person of Christ in His people- the Church. The house church easily lends itself to addressing the true basic need we share..........to be connected with God and others.

Worship Gatherings

Posted by Glenn on 2006-08-01 at 03:10:30.

WORSHIP GATHERING CHANGES We have realized that as we continue to birth our house churches, the significance of a real worship celebration comes to the forefront (which is what our Gathering will be.....a celebration and coming together of our network). Here are some resulting changes that have been occurring with regard to our larger coporate gathering: 1. The Gathering For the current 2006 fall semester, we are still refiguring how often we need to have our larger gathering, if at all at least for the near future. Therefore,our need for a larger gathering is not as immediate. Keep posted here as to when our next local Gathering will be..... When we do meet for the larger gathering, we have usually started out with a meal shared together at 5pm and then we progress into a musical/reflective set of worship music and teaching.......location has been Leonard Theater, Peabody Hall on Miami's Western Campus in Oxford, Ohio, when we have met in that context. 2. Alternate Worship Locations.........there may be times when we do a Gathering at some other location. Check back here often for those events. 3. Local House Church Get-Togethers........some house churches within the network may choose at some point to get together at any time in between our corporate gathering. They will decide that on their own and info will be posted here. 4. Regional House Church Gatherings........we are also connected with a regional networking of different house church conglomerations (mainly in OH, KY and IN) and we will meet with these people from time to time in a big worship event as well. You can check here for info about the status of our worship Gatherings. Sometimes we may have to find alternate locations for our Gathering when the university is closed and this will be the place to get updates. Also, whenever we have spontaneous worship events that are in addition to the weekly Gathering, you can get the scoop here, too.

Cool Get-Togethers

Posted by Glenn on 2006-08-01 at 03:11:15.

CAVING ANYONE? Maybe a Fall/Winter caving trip so keep up to date here. Every now and then, Veritas provides some adventure recreation opportunities that are fun and community-building. Wild caving is one of these. (Below is general info on the trips......keep posted here for the next scheduled caving trip and other adventure rec trips). The caving trip will be open to any adventurous people who are physically able and willing to explore an easy, "wild" cave (one that is not developed commercially).....meaning we will get down and dirty with the cave. Veritas will provide the essential equipment for each caver (headlamp, protective helmet) as well as provide a pre-trip preparation meeting where we will discuss for the newbies what to expect when exploring a cave. There will be a minimum of easy equipment that each caver will be responsible for getting (such as protective gloves, sturdy boots, extra flashlight and batteries, lunch, carry-pack). Veritas caving trips will be geared toward community/leadership building skills amongst the participants and each trip will consist of about 9-10 persons. If you have been wild-caving before, you know how it easily lends itself to that. If you're new, you'll get the picture soon. The caving trip will combine a wealth of physical/spiritual fun, fellowship, exercise and personal challenge. Keep posted here for more details.

Community Service Outreaches

Posted by Glenn on 2006-08-01 at 03:13:47.

This was a summer 2005 cleanup project we completed for a widow north of Oxford. We have also served meals and assisted at the New Life Mission in Hamilton, Ohio; sponsored needy children and families in the Talawanda School District and assisted with Oxford's local food pantry. Veritas believes very strongly that we ought to serve people as Jesus did in the New Testament. We want people to see that God's love is still free AND that through our serving, the community will see his love for them. Anyone can get involved. All you have to have is a desire to do something kind for another person. Since Veritas is a brand new church, programming servant evangelism into our church DNA is the right thing to do. We never want to get away from serving someone else in the name of Christ- no matter what it takes. Meeting locations will be announced alongside the event. Keep posted here for more info on our outreach efforts to come.

Leadership Structure

Posted by Glenn on 2006-08-01 at 03:15:56.

Since our intention is to be instrumental in developing a simple church movement in Oxford, our leadership structure has "flattened" out- meaning, the central pastors/leaders are facilitators to the house churches and the house churches themselves develop/disciple its own leadership that will perpetuate the overall reproductive vision of the house church. This is typically a mentoring team made up of an elder-type leader and 1-2 others. Each house church leader team comes together once a month for an overall community leadership team to pray, envision and strategize together.

Prayer Needs

Posted by Glenn on 2006-08-01 at 03:22:52.

OUR NEW SEMINARIANS: Eric and Christi Osterday have just landed in Louisville where Christi is embarking on her seminary career. She and her husband Eric are the first from Veritas to go to seminary and we were honored to be their sending community. They are seeking to be involved in church planting in some way (Christi specifically in music ministry). Pray that God would continue to draw them toward his greater will as he reveals it to them; pray for physical/spiritual/emotional sustenance in the adjustment period. LEADERSHIP: Pray that God would raise up and bring to us the leadership we need to carry his vision here in Oxford. CHURCHES: Veritas has two home church communities about a year old since it's launch in October 2002. There are numerous discipleship, worship and other types of impromptu gatherings that various members are a part of or are spearheading. br> GOD-THINGS: Pray that God do what we are powerless to do………like drawing people unto himself and creating a spiritual hunger that he wants to satisfy through the ministry of Veritas………well, like everything! Pray for the wounded and the hurting so that God could use us as his instruments to lead the “captives” to freedom in Christ. Pray against the enemy so that his attempts to conquer, destroy and steal what God wants to do in us and through us in this region would not be thwarted. Pray for our protection and discernment as we are on the front lines against the kingdom of darkness. br> RESOURCES: We need people and money. God's got all of that, we know. We just get antsy about it sometimes. Help us as we ask God for his goodness to pour out. IF YOU HAVE ANY PRAYER NEEDS, PLEASE EMAIL GLENN: Glenn OR JASON: Jason