The Meeting House Home Church Training

A Place to Belong
The first thing we want people to experience in Home Church is a sense that they belong. Home Church should be a community where people feel known—where someone knows their name and notices when they’re not there. It should also be a place where people are needed—where they know that their unique gifts and abilities contribute to the life of the community.

A Place to Grow
Home Church is also a place to grow spiritually. It is a place where together we study the teachings of Jesus and of Scripture and seek to apply them to our lives. And it is a place where we can question together, learn together, and challenge and encourage each other as we grow in our love for God and for people.

A Place to Love
Finally, Home Church is a place where we reach out beyond ourselves and beyond the group in love for others. This includes meeting needs within the group, as well as becoming involved in compassion work in our local communities and around the world. Home Churches don’t just exist for themselves. They exist as centres of mission where we are mobilized to serve others in practical ways.

1. Facilitate meaningful prayer times

• Provide a safe environment and opportunity for people to share important things happening in their lives – create a family atmosphere
• Encourage appropriate sharing (not too much intimate sharing too soon – be patient with establishing trust and avoid making cautious people feel “on the outside” from those who may be more comfortable with self-disclosure)
• Balance time for catching up and sharing with time for prayer. On the other hand, be open to sharing as a form of prayer itself (God hears us always!)
• Preserve opportunity for ALL to share and discourage ongoing monopolies of group time
• Encourage shorter, simple prayers so that people newer to praying won’t feel intimidated
• Consider identifying who will close, just to assist people with knowing “when we’re done”
• Be open to meet with people outside of group time to support with care and prayer; encourage group members to care for each other outside of the group as well

2. Work with your elder and leadership team(s)

• Observe general time lines, as set by the leadership team, or elder
• Refer larger needs to your elder, as required, with permission from person
• Consider including items from monthly prayer updates and other prayer requests as passed on to you from your elder or lead pastor
• Connect with Tom Bell (tom@themeetinghouse.ca) as needed for prayer resources and support

3. Be open to God answering prayers through our group(s)!

• As needs surface, consider whether your group might be able to help
• With permission, consider posting expressed needs within PT emails
• With permission, consider sharing needs with the larger group or broader prayer network
• Return to needs expressed within the group and update each other

1. Oversee yearly spiritual growth and direction of group and individuals
• Periodic/ongoing review of HC goals and group and individual progress
• Main large group facilitator – prepare and lead
• In tandem with Lead pastor, assist with any discipline issues

2. Attend elder/HC meetings
• Shepherding meetings (2 per year, in Oakville)
• local HC leader meetings (as called by Lead Pastor)
• one-on-one meetings (as requested by Lead Pastor)

3. Provide point leadership to your HC leadership team
• setting goals, reviewing progress, trouble-shooting, quality control
• calling meetings, setting agendas, informing Lead pastor of the same
• identifying potential leaders and helping provide opportunity for their leadership development

4. Regular review of HC participant experience and pastoral care
• Monitor welcome and follow-up experience of newcomers
• Assist with reviewing/maintaining quality of HC and its segments
• generally help expressed group member needs to be addressed
• implement follow-up process for those who have been away for several weeks