“... They were taking their meals together with gladness.” (ACTS 2:46). Our Shared Meal (Please! Don't call it a "pot luck!”) is much more than merely a social activity. It is an offering we bring to God that is then shared with one another in Jesus name. It is what the Bible calls a “Love Feast,” a time to make new friends and begin sharing our lives with one another.
We intend to spend our Shared Meal and fellowship times in “age-integrated” activities. This is when we can learn how to discuss a profound sermon with children.
"Walking With The Wise” at Home & at Church Gatherings
“Those who walk with the wise become wise, but a companion of fools will suffer harm” (Prov. 13:20). Parents are responsible to know where their children are and who they are with at all times. In the Neighborhood House-to-House Church, the Public Gatherings in Parks and in the Monthly Celebration, participate as a family team. This will not always easy, but it is both good and wise. Avoid drifting away into age-segregated groups. “The companion of fools” can “suffer harm” even at church. So, welcome all ages into your activities. Don’t be boring. Keep things interesting and exciting. Rejoice!
Why Do We Do This?
Many Christian families today are losing their children to an increasingly secular world. This is partly due to the fact that we have allowed children to be separated into age-peer-groups. Age-segregated schools and church programs keep children from “walking with the wise” (i.e. older siblings, parents, and grandparents). When God breaks in and does something awesome, our kids are often not there to see it because they were sent into the basement to watch a movie together.
This is why we choose not to offer a Sunday School or a Children's Church program. We want our children to be here when the truth hits its mark and the Spirit moves. If we do offer a nursery, it will only be a temporary support for new families who need it until they can learn how to include their children in the service.
We put our efforts into equipping parents to include their children in their own lives, in the church, and at home. We let the children sing the same songs as their parents, hear the same sermons, and feel the same awe as God moves among us. We let them eat with us and discuss with us their own insights into God’s Word. We can all benefit from being together.
As a visitor, if your children are restless at first, don’t be alarmed. That is normal. We are different. Help them understand that their own spiritual lives are important to God. Train them up to enjoy being included in your life. Coach them in worship at home during family times, then bring them to church with you to join in. Use a copy of our Sermon Art booklet to draw illustrations for each sermon if you like. Use our Changing Room as needed (to change attitudes as well as diapers). If in the process you miss any part of the service, just go online to listen to it at home.
Our attempt to be an age-integrated church is not an easy path. It is hard work in an age-segregated culture. But it is well worth the effort. By shifting responsibility for children back to their parents, we not only get better, more godly children, we also get better, more godly parents. That’s God’s Way.
What Difference Does It Make?
The extended time we spend together, just once or twice each week, in a Neighborhood Church nearby where we actually live, accomplishes 2 important things: First, it allows all our members to really connect with one another. We cannot begin to function in full accord as one body if we don’t even know one another. This reformed approach breaks through the shallowness of “Hi, how are you?” Church fellowship and allows us to really love one another.
Second, it leaves ample time during the remainder of each week for us to actually put the glory of Christ’s kingdom on display. Rather than multiply church services, we multiply churches and encourage all our member households to practice what we preach as a wonderful way of life. So, practice biblical hospitality toward one another. Stop just entertaining people and start including them in your real life. Include fellow church members in whatever you have to do. Shopping? Yard work? Cooking? Cleaning? Yes! But just be sure to talk and pray together while you do. Let the watching world see how we love one another.