As a pastor, I find myself in places other than Northstar. I will be visiting the sick in the hospitals or at home. Sometimes I will find myself in someone’s home and on occasion there will be some family members or friends that do not go to church. The “I don’t believe you have to go to church to be a Christian” debate comes up periodically.

That seems to be a popular concept these days. Home churching is gaining popularity in the same way home schooling is an alternative to classic schools. (By home churching I do not mean a church that starts or meets in someone’s home. I am referring to the growing number of people who love Christ and live by Christian principals, but want to go it alone outside the walls of the institutional church).

I think home schooling works well. For me personally, there are many advantages to homeschooling (We chose to home school our children). Then there are the benefits of more time with the kids, personalized education, working at your own pace, more control over outside influences, stronger family bonds, and flexibility. It works well in many cases.

Does home churching offer the same benefits over a church? Can it work just as well?

In an attempt to answer that question, let me remind you of what the church is. As we talked about in the Revolution series, the word “church,” is translated from a word that means an assembly of people. More than just that, it means, an assembly of people with a common starting place. The word is ekklesia, and that common starting place is Jesus Christ. So the “church” is not the building or buildings. It is the different kinds of people, coming together to further the kingdom of Jesus Christ.

Let me also answer a question some of you may be asking right now. Is it possible to be saved without going to church? Yes. Is it possible to believe that Jesus is who He said He was and believe that Jesus died for the forgiveness of your sins and rose again, conquering death? You can believe all those things and be a Christian without going to church.

But, then you have to ask the next logical question. Is it possible to respond in worship, effectively, and to submit your life to Him by being discipled without being a part of a community of His believers? Is it possible to receive all the gifts God wants to give you and use them to serve for His glory without being part of a community of His believers? Our response to what God has done for us is highly personal. I get that and what’s more there is something profound about that. However, there is something deeply valuable, and I believe critically important about learning to respond to God together.

1 Corinthians 14:26 says: “What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.” Notice the phrase… “When you come together…” The Apostle Paul assumes the church will come together. This verse doesn’t make much sense sitting home alone.

Then there is the Acts 2 Church we talked about a few weeks ago in the Revolution series. “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” – Acts 2: 42-47.

Part 3 – A Christian Lone Ranger needs a group of Tontos