Establishing the Basics
Choose the right house for your church. While you may assume your home will be the place for your home church, this is not always the best idea. A home church should ideally be based in an area without any established churches nearby or where nearby churches are bigger and less intimate. Many people prefer smaller services, which is why they may seek out home churches. You should also pick an area that would be easy for potential members to reach, such as a home found in a central location in a city or town. Networking with other people with similar religious beliefs is important when starting a home church. This way, if your home is not appropriate for a home church, you can try finding someone else to volunteer.
Examine your motivations for starting a home church. You want to make sure you're starting a home church for the right reasons. A home church should be a collaborative environment where likeminded people come together to worship. Home churches are usually started if there are few established churches in an area or if existing churches are not meeting the needs of many people. The following reasons are valid reasons to start a home church: If existing churches have turned many people away, it may be necessary to start a home church. If churches in your area are very large, many people prefer the intimacy provided by a home church. If there are many people in your existing church who dislike the way doctrine is taught, you may find a home church can help.
Seek guidance from local spiritual leaders. No one can start a home church without guidance. Existing spiritual leaders in your community are there to help. Reach out to spiritual leaders in your area whose beliefs are roughly in line with yours. Let them know you're planning on starting a home church and ask for support and suggestions. Look for established believers in your area that are known for their religious services. For example, if you're starting a Christian home church, talk to someone who runs a Christian-based charity and ask them for guidance. If you do seek guidance within an existing church, make it clear you're not trying to challenge or upend that church. Explain that your motivations are simply to create a smaller, more intimate setting that is unlikely to replace an existing church.
Choose three or four main leaders. Home churches usually benefit from having a backbone of leaders. Just like elders or vestry in an established church, gather a group of three to four individuals to serve as leaders. Leaders can be family members, members of your existing church, or spiritual leaders in your community. Depending on the precise plan for your church, leaders can have different roles. For example, if you intend to have sermons, choose someone who is articulate and well-versed in your religion's doctrine to give sermons.
Gathering Members
Start off with studying religious doctrine at home. Many home churches begin by studying religious doctrine with likeminded church goers. Studying doctrine can be a good way to gauge whether your congregation works well together. Study doctrine from your religion when you first start meeting with potential members of your home church to establish spiritual beliefs as an organization. Most religious doctrine is subject to a variety of interpretations. Studying doctrine together can help you get a feel for your church's spiritual beliefs and values. Find common beliefs to draw from as you form a church. Schedule a regular meeting time for low-key readings and discussions. Do not appoint a lot of leaders or establish a budget. Let everyone get comfortable with one another first.
Seek sponsorship from an existing church. Existing churches may want to help out a home church. Home churches are not necessarily seen as a threat or a challenge to existing religious institutions. Established churches will be understanding if a home church exists because certain people have trouble attending regular church services for a variety of reasons. Consider approaching a church for sponsorship. Choose a church that you respect and whose beliefs align with your own. Part of the benefit of a sponsoring church is that you have a higher authority to draw judgment from. In a home church, strong personalities can take over and guide your church in unwanted directions. A sponsoring church can help your congregation stay grounded. Schedule a time to visit with the leader of the church you choose. Have a sit down meeting and explain your reasons for wanting to start a home church. Tell them you want a sponsoring church to guide you in your early days of leadership.
Think about the people you want to reach. As you start to gather members, think about why you started a home church to begin with. Draw in people with similar beliefs from your religious community. At first, many people may come and go from your home church out of curiosity. Learn to figure out which people fit in with your church's goals and values and reach out to them specifically to grow your congregation. For example, say you started a home church because the existing church in your area is difficult for many to reach. Look for people who frequently miss services due to difficulties with their commute. These people's needs would be met through your home church. Choose sincere believers who have a genuine need for a home church. Many people like the idea of a home church because it seems fun and trendy. Make sure your members want to be part of a home church because you're providing them a specific spiritual experience.
Start with a small group. A home church does not need to start off with a huge congregation. In fact, most home churches start with only a few loyal members. Try starting out with a casual gathering of friends and family members who share your basic religious beliefs. From there, let the church grow organically as word spreads.
Keep the size manageable. Many home churches are designed to provide the intimacy larger churches lack. It's important to keep the size of your home church manageable, especially if you're using a smaller home for your church. Honestly assess how many people can fit into your home church considering the space you have and the needs of your members. For example, maybe you and your congregation are only comfortable with groups of around 10 to 20 people. Once you have roughly 10 to 20 regular churchgoers, it's okay to taper off seeking new members. Most home churches have small congregations. If you have a lot of members, more than one home church may crop up in the area. Do not think of this as a challenge or threat to your church. Remind yourself people prefer home churches due to the intimacy, and if you're at capacity there may be a need for more home churches in your area.
Having Regular Meetings and Services
Meet at least once a week. Regular meetings are key to keep a home church going strong. Find a weekly meeting time that works for everyone. The advantage of a home church is that you do not have to meet on traditional worship days, especially if some members are unavailable on those days. If the time works for everyone, there is no reason a home church cannot meet on, say, a Tuesday night. In the early days of your church, you may have to play around with time a little before finding the right time for services.
Read and discuss doctrine. Try reading a section of religious doctrine each week. Afterwards, have a brief discussion about what the piece means and how to incorporate its lessons into your life. Part of the appeal of a home church is the increased intimacy. Therefore, allow everyone to participate equally in the discussion. It can be helpful to have someone particularly knowledgable of your religion's doctrine lead the lecture. For example, say someone who majored in religious studies in college is part of your church. Have them lead the discussion.
Pray for one another. To foster a sense of community, reserve part of your services for praying for one another. The method you choose to do this is up to you and your congregation. Some people prefer silent prayer while others would prefer to have someone lead them in a general prayer for one another. Talk it over with your congregation to find a method of praying for each other that works. You can also say a general prayer for those around you that are in need. You can, for example, close with an invitation for people to pray silently for those in need in their lives.
Consider traditional and creative worship elements. A home church provides a lot of flexibility for members. You do not have to stick to traditional forms of worship. Talk to members of your church and think about any traditional and non-traditional elements you want to include. Things like confession, the recitation of certain prayers, or singing particular songs may be part of your religious traditions. Talk to your members about what traditional worship elements work for your home church. You do not have to stick strictly to the traditional, however. Ask your members what creative forms of worship interest them. Some people may want to experiment with things like meditation, religious dance, or other less conventional forms of worship.
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