In the first century, many Christians gathered in houses rather than meeting in buildings. Several of Paul’s letters addressed believers who hosted church houses and offered encouragement for them and their members. We don’t know how many people belonged to each church house or the number of churches Paul visited and had influence over. However, we know these believers were influential and powerful witnesses for Christ based on how Paul commended their faith and work.
Examples of Church Houses in the Bible
Paul specifically addresses a few church houses in his letters. Three of the most prominent ones were…
- Priscilla and Aquila’s church house
“Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Likewise greet the church that is in their house.”—Romans 16:3-5
- Nymphas’ church house
“Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas and the church that is in his house.”—Colossians 4:15
- Philemon’s church house
“Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer, to the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house.”—Philemon 1:1-3
In each instance where Paul addresses a church house, we can hear how much he cares for those believers. We don’t know much about these people or their relationship with Paul, but we can see how he desired them to grow in godliness. These church houses seemed to be thriving groups consisting of devoted believers.
What Do Church Houses Look Like Today?
The examples of faithful believers in Paul’s letters offer a format for how modern-day church houses can operate. A church house is not a more biblical way for believers to gather than in church buildings. It’s a different way of gathering with believers to worship God and hear His Word preached.
At Abundant Life, we view church houses as a part of our global community. Our church houses follow a specific format when they meet on Sundays. Drawing from the examples above, we have identified three essential components of church houses:
- Worship
- Community
- Spiritual growth
Church houses can allow people exploring their faith to meet with believers, hear the gospel, and ask questions in a less intimidating environment. The Cox family has recently experienced this with one member of their Church House who started attending at the beginning of 2024.
Allee Cox and Maddy Morrison: A Story of Life Change in a Church House
We sat down with Allee Cox, a member of the Cox Church House in Pleasant Hill, Missouri, to hear how she led her friend Maddy to Jesus.
Where did your friendship start?
“I met Maddy in 2021 during our freshman year of college. We played the same position on the softball team at JCCC, so we were always paired together and always talking. Since I lived in Pleasant Hill and had a long commute to school, Maddy invited me to stay at her apartment so I didn’t have to drive as far. I often stayed there several times a week, and we developed a close bond. Through our conversations, I discovered that Maddy knew of God, but she had never placed her faith in Jesus.”
What prompted you to invite her to church?
Fast forward a few years to 2023…I had transferred to another college and was in the process of planning a wedding. Maddy was in an unhealthy relationship with a guy, but she didn’t realize how unhealthy it was until she attended my wedding. At my wedding, she heard the officiant share a message about what a healthy marriage should look like. She decided she wanted the kind of relationship the officiant described, so she broke up with her boyfriend and started exploring what it would look like to start a relationship with Jesus.
In November, she reached out to me and said, “Allee, you always had so much joy, and I know it is because you know Jesus. I want what you have.” Maddy asked me to start reading the Bible with her, and we began meeting regularly to read the Bible, answer her questions, and grow in our faith together. Eventually, I invited Maddy to visit my family’s Church House, and Maddy started regularly attending in January 2024.
What were Maddy’s thoughts after coming to the Church House for the first time?
The first thing Maddy told me after church was that she never thought the church would be like that. She thought you would just go and listen to a message and that it would be boring. However, she was hanging onto every word that Pastor Phil said during the sermon. She felt welcome, seen, known, and loved by everyone in the Church House. She continued attending regularly on Sundays and visited the Lee’s Summit campus during the Leadership Summit in February.
Maddy and I both noticed how the atmosphere at an Abundant Life church house differs from that at an Abundant Life campus or other small church. At the Church House, everyone knows you are there, and there is an increased sense of intimacy and belonging among the members.
What growth have you seen in her life since then?
Since November, I’ve seen Jesus transform Maddy’s life. She went from not knowing about eternal life or salvation to telling everyone about it. I think a lot of this change is because of the community she’s found in the Abundant Life Church House.
Maddy and I started attending the Regeneration ministry at Abundant Life together in March. In April, Maddy got baptized in the pond in the backyard of our Church House. Maddy wouldn’t normally get in a pond, but she wanted to get baptized where God was calling her. She understands what it’s like to have a family and testifies to her special bond with other believers who are also on fire for Christ.
Baptizing people in the backyard transports me back to what it was like when Jesus was on earth. You’re in nature, surrounded by God’s creation and all the people who have watched you grow in your faith in Christ. You get to publicly declare your decision with those people and celebrate what Jesus has done in your life.
How has inviting Maddy to church and mentoring her grown your faith?
My faith is stronger after teaching Maddy to read the Bible, inviting her to the Church House, and watching her put her faith in Jesus. Seeing Maddy grow the way she’s grown has been inspiring because she will scream the truth about Jesus’ love from the rooftops. She is so on fire for Jesus, even as a baby believer. Even if someone asks her a question that she doesn’t know, she will find the answer.
What is a Sunday morning experience like in an Abundant Life Church House?
“Everyone in the Church House circles up after the sermon and shares their thoughts. People ask questions about the sermon and talk about what was confusing to them. We all sit and answer questions so you can leave understanding what you’ve been taught.
Sometimes, I find it hard to sit in the main auditorium of a campus building because sometimes the message doesn’t make sense to me. However, sitting, asking questions, and digesting the message with the people in my Church House helps me process and understand the sermon better. I feel like I walk away with a better understanding of the message, and I think other people feel the same way.
Ready to Start Your Own Church House?
Allee and Maddy both believe that every story that is told is going to bring someone to faith. Their testimony is a powerful example of the life change that can happen when one person shares their faith with another person. As they grow in their faith, they have a wonderful community of dedicated believers who will encourage them, just like the believers in the early church houses.
Do you feel compelled to join a church house or lead a new one? We want to equip you with the tools and guidance to gather for church anywhere with Abundant Life. Download a copy of our FREE Church House Guide and connect with our online team to get started!
