I am reading this book by Frank Viola. In the previous book he makes a good case for the non Christian origin of such institutions as the order of the service, the sermon, the costume the preacher might wear, the pews, the pulpit, etc. Anyway in this book he writes of once starting a house church. And he speaks to these 25 people for a year and a half (in which he speaks in "Apostolic speaking" which sounds a lot like a sermon) and then he lets them go and have thier first meeting. He decides to hide behind a couch so that they won't be intimidated. A lady sings a song and everyone joins in. The singing is acapella. A guy sings a song and everyone joins in. Some proclaim short exhorations v based on the lyrics of the song. There is no song leader present. All were participating in offering praises to God freely and spontaneously.After they sat down a woman stands up and relays how she found Christ as the living water during the week. She read a few verses out of John 4. After she was through a man stood up and relayed about the Lord as living water from a passage in Revelation 22. Then everyone in the room stood up and relayed their spiritual experience of the Lord Jesus Christ. Some shared poems, others shared from Scripture, others offered prayers.All of this is without a leader no human was facilitating. They had prepared by breaking into pairs during the week..He also admits that he's been to some meetings that were horrible but this one was a good example of what he thinks is the ideal meeting.

Are you referring to Viola's new book, "Reimagining Church"? If so, I've read it also and found it very insightful. I've been a part of a house church for several years and have experienced meetings quite like the one you've described. It's beautiful to see the Lord Himself direct the meeting and flow through the individual members of the Body.

I think when Viola refers to the apostolic teaching, he is speaking of working with a new church plant to help them learn how to function together under the headship of Christ. It's certainly not an opportunity to deliver a sermon series. :)

Great how can the average person, not connected, find one? It dose sound good. In a on line post he talks about the need for those gifted to prepare to start a church then for someone gifted to actually start a church to start one. He speaks of a Bible study as something different.

For any interested I got a web site address:


www.housechurchresource.org