Monthly Fellowship Dinners
J. Murphy Smith GYM
The JMS Gym kitchen and exterior renovation has almost been completed and we are excited to be resuming our monthly fellowship dinners soon! We are having a kitchen shower to kick things off. You can also donate money to the church and mark it Kitchen fund.
The JMS Gym kitchen and exterior renovation has almost been completed and we are excited to be resuming our monthly fellowship dinners soon! We are having a kitchen shower to kick things off. You can also donate money to the church and mark it Kitchen fund.
Here is how House Churches work: Groups of around 10-25 people meet monthly from October to May for good food and faith-full conversation. Some House Churches are hosted in different homes each month and some meet in the same place -- at the church (in the Session House or in the Fellowship Café), or at a restaurant or local gathering place. House Churches meet for around an hour and a half to two hours. There are currently 14 House Churches (and there is always the possibility of new house churches forming). They meet on different weeks of the month, different days of the week, and at different times during the day.
If you would be interested in joining an existing house church (or maybe trying a different house church to meet new people), please contact Maren. Don’t miss out on this opportunity for a delightful time, where new friends are made and existing friendships are deepened!
If you would be interested in joining an existing house church (or maybe trying a different house church to meet new people), please contact Maren. Don’t miss out on this opportunity for a delightful time, where new friends are made and existing friendships are deepened!
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2019-2020 HOUSE CHURCH HANDBOOK
THE PURPOSE OF HOUSE CHURCH:
The purpose of the House Church program to "build up the body"- to build a sense of community and belonging among our adult members. This program is not under the “Education Commission” but the “Fellowship Commission.” Thus, House Church is not primarily a “learning time” or a Bible Study time. Yet we want there to be some meaningful content to House Church. We want what we do at House Church to help people interact and begin to know one another. The warmth and joy of being together is to be promoted at all times.
THE STRUCTURE OF HOUSE CHURCH:
On the appointed night of each month the House Churches meet at a previously determined home of a member of the respective House Churches, or restaurant, or meeting space in the church. For those house churches who do potluck, each person in the House Church brings a food dish (previously assigned) and these dishes form the meal that takes place followed by the program fashioned from the materials provided (or of their choosing). The meetings should open and close with prayer.
THE FOOD ASSIGNMENTS FOR HOUSE CHURCH:
Food assignments vary with each House Church. Do that which suits your House Church best. (Your group may wish to select a “secretary” for the group who will send out emails or reminder cards a week prior to the upcoming meeting - reminding the members of the group of the date, time, and what food they planned to bring). Typically the monthly hosts are to provide plates, napkins, cups, eating utensils, and beverages.
SUGGESTIONS FOR LEADING GROUP DISCUSSIONS:
Keep the discussions moving along – but do not be afraid of short silences. Some people react immediately, thinking out loud. Others need time to think things through before speaking. You do not have to follow the material provided if it does not suit your group. If your group bogs down, move on until you find something that generates interest. You are under no obligation to ask every question or use every program. By all means, have fun, get to know one another, and do whatever suits your group the best.
SERVE TOGETHER:
Your House Church group may wish to take on a service project outside of the usual evening gatherings. We encourage you to do so. If you need help with a project idea, contact Maren Sonstegard-Spray or a member of the Outreach Commission. House churches can also serve together in other ways to facilitate fellowship opportunities in the church. House churches are encouraged volunteer together to help with the Fellowship Café for a month or provide desserts for Fellowship meals. Please contact the chair of the Fellowship Commission to learn more about these ways to serve.
WHITE ELEPHANT OPTION:
You may choose to hold a White Elephant gift exchange at your December or January gathering. Each person brings a wrapped gift. Set all the gifts in the middle of the room. Create numbered cards for the exact number of people who have brought gifts. As the leader, go around and let people draw one of the numbered cards from a hat. The person with #1 gets to go first. After that person selects one of the gifts and opens it, then #2 has a choice. He/she may select another gift from the pile of unopened gifts or to take the gift person #1 selected. If he/she takes the gift from #1, then #1 can go and select another from the pile. Then person #3 can take one from the pile or from either of the first two. If #3 takes person #2's gift, #2 can then go to the pile or take the gift from #1… the swapping can go on and on - and always produces lots of laughter.
PROGRAM MATERIALS:
Since each house church is different, here are a couple different options for the program portion of each month’s gathering:
Track 1: No program at all. Enjoy each other’s company. Have a relaxed time of conversation. House church is one of those increasingly rare times to sit with friends old and new, to learn about one another and develop spiritual friendships and to connect more deeply to the body of Christ.
Track 2: Spiritual Conversations
How is your spiritual life?
Where have you seen God at work in your life?
How have you felt God’s presence in your life?
Where are you seeking guidance from the Lord?
What did you receive from God this week?
What of God have you passed on to others?
Can also include group Lectio Divina on a Gospel reading.
Track 3: Use selected readings as a devotional or foundation for conversation (Maren will provide you with copies of the book or of selected chapters):
Option 1: The Gift of Years by Joan Chittister – short chapters reflect on many aspects of aging, the purposes and concerns, the struggles and surprises, the potential and the joys. These are the capstone years, the time in which a whole new life is in the making. The gift of these years is not merely being alive, it is the gift of becoming more fully alive than ever.
Option 2: Biblical Literacy: The Essential Stories Everyone Needs to Know by Timothy Beal – includes brief introductions and short selections from different parts of the Bible.
Option 3: The Great Poems of the Bible by James Kugel – selections of poems from the Bible followed by discussion about the conditions surrounding each poem, offering readers wonderful insight to better understand the poems.
Option 4: A Renewed Spirituality: Finding Fresh Paths at Midlife by Lynne Baab – Lynne Baab introduces time-tested patterns of spiritual discipline, showing how they may help us combat spiritual restlessness and ennui, helping us find fresh paths for the years ahead.
Track 4: Choose Your Own Adventure!
Members of the house church can take turns providing a short devotional of their own choosing. A house church could pick a book or curriculum with topics they find interesting.
2019-2020 House Churches
Handbook Available for download
Handbook Available for download
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