Key Elements:

Shared Meal

Sharing a meal together is the basis of Home Church. The meal reflects the family basis of church and the accepting nature of eating together. To gather and eat together reflects sharing everyday life together and sharing the love of God together. The meal is the Lord’s Supper and it must be conducted in a way that honours Him in how we treat his body. The fellowship shared reflects the unity of the body and the feast looks forward to the Messianic banquet when Jesus returns!! Using Bread and Wine during the meal provides a focus on Jesus’ life and death. The ‘remembering’ calls us to respond once again to it, defining who we are individually and corporately in Him and deciding to carry on following Him in our lives. Each time, a different member of the group should take responsibility for leading the meal and the ‘remembering’ and providing the focus for that supper [a brainstorm of the aspects that the Lord’s Supper could mean for us is a great activity!]. Practical actions are often the best and help to include the children! As much as possible keep the symbols [bread and wine] as part of the meal, but obviously they can be used occasionally for the focus of a separate time of corporate worship.
Foundations: Create Community; Live Lives of Worship

Welcome

During the gathering efforts should be made by each one to include every person. Every member should be looking to deepen relationships with other members and express love to them. Following Jesus example means looking to one another, their interests and helping them to get involved. It also means everyone taking opportunities to play their part. The practical nature of the meeting provides many opportunities for this [making drinks, cooking, washing up etc] as well as service expressed outside the meetings. Various methods can be employed to aid the deepening of relationships such as Ice Breakers, “Life in the Day of …”, team games and social events. It is absolutely crucial that any guests or new members to the group are included and made to feel welcome. Every member is responsible for this.
Foundations: Create Community; Include in Openness & Invitation

Worship

As we live our lives in obedient response to the Lord, we are worshipping in everything we do! The gathering together of this worship in the gathering can be expressed a number of ways. Singing is obviously the most familiar way of worshipping. Make use of various musical gifts in the church and let people try stuff out!! If no musical ability is available try CD’s or something else! There are many other creative ways of worshiping: group meditation on a scripture (Lectio Divina), painting, writing etc – if it is responding to God and who He is then it is worship. Even work can be worship – one group read Genesis 1 together and then spent time together working in someone’s garden, reflecting on how all our activity can be worship when done in response to God. A key aspect of corporate worship is the use of Spiritual gifts and an atmosphere should be created that encourages their use for the building up of the body. Some creative ideas for worship times can be found later on. The two key aspects are instigating worship by provoking reminders for us to respond to and creating an environment that fosters that response.
Foundations: Live Lives of Worship; Make Disciples; Reach in Love

Spiritual Formation

Spiritual formation is about allowing our lives to be shaped into the image of Christ. This transformation process occurs through the work of the Spirit in our lives. The bible takes a primary role in this journey as it is shared and understood in the light of the Church community and our lives. Our posture of being a learner/disciple allows us to be shaped by each other and the circumstances of life as we reflect on them in the light of Scripture, in the Spirit. There are many ways of walking this journey together. In looking at God’s Word together advantage should be made of the Church’s size by including some level of discussion and questioning. A particular emphasis should also be given to the practical aspects: “What does this mean for me tomorrow”. Other aspects include practicing Spiritual disciplines; praying for and with each other; accountability; learning ways of seeing God in the everyday. Don’t forget: the aim is to see the Spirit’s transforming power at work in our lives.
Foundations: Make Disciples; Live Lives of Worship; Reproduce

Mission

The church has a group responsibility to encourage and support friendships outside the group and to help those to experience the Kingdom life in the group. The group should take regular opportunities to pray for these friends and to plan and enjoy activities together where others can be included. Maybe watch a film or read a book [etc] and discuss it afterwards [with or without friends!] in the light of the Gospel. Take time to discuss various support needs and possibilities for each friend. Look to include others in the life of the group and to reach in love to those we are aware of that the Home Church could help.
Foundations: Reach in Love; Include in Openness & Invitation; Reproduce; Make Disciples

Fun

Playing games together, going out together, watching the football or a film together, DIY’ing or gardening together, helping and supporting one another practically are all key, valid and important activities. Doing things together and spending time together, deepens relationships and forms the group. These are not to be valued lower than ‘spiritual’ things – it is all ‘spiritual’ and is required for healthy lives, community life and mission!
Foundations: Create Community; Live Lives of Worship; Reach in Love