All around the world the gospel is spreading and, in many cases, spreading rapidly. Perhaps we should humble ourselves and learn to do things they way they are doing things. Check out these articles:

Protestant Christianity has been one of the fastest-growing religions in China in recent years, rising from having just three million adherents in the 1980s to as many as an estimated 100 million this year.

The number of Christians in Communist China is growing so steadily that it by 2030 it could have more churchgoers than America

In the twentieth century, Christianity in Africa exploded from an estimated population of eight or nine million in 1900 (8 to 9%) to some 335 million in 2000 (45%), marking a shift in the “center of gravity of Christianity” from the West to Latin America, parts of Asia and Africa.

The Church is growing slowest in Europe and North America. The good news is that the Church is still growing in Europe and North America. The Church is growing dramatically in the rest of the world. The Church has seen dramatic and explosive growth in Asia, Africa and South America. The growth of the African Church in particular is jaw-dropping.

What are they doing around the world that we are not doing? What do we need to learn and emulate? Two words:

House churches

Now, let me be clear about two things. These are not, “I have a bad attitude; I don’t like my pastor; I don’t like the music; I am grumpy; I can’t find a church that suits me so I am leaving and starting a house church.” I doubt God ever blesses an attitude like that.

Also, I am not suggesting that we bet the farm, quit doing everything we are doing now and all start house churches. Here is what I am suggesting.

In light of the explosive global growth of the worldwide church through house churches, maybe it is time that we dabble and experiment with house churches and see if God is in it. Maybe it is time we pray. Maybe it is time we do a little Bible study on what the Word says about house churches. Maybe it is time to read Chan’s book Letters to the Church or Chris Galanos’ book From Megachurch to Multiplication: A Church’s Journey Toward Movement.

I doubt “regular churches” (non-house churches) are going away any time soon. And I, for one, enjoy a good worship service in a regular church. But, maybe it is time we start something new in addition to what we are doing now. TV didn’t make radio go away.

What do you think? Is there a future for House Churches in America? I’d be curious about your thoughts

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