One of the things you do not find in the Book of Acts is the reliance on church buildings. Yet in almost every Christian circle and denomination, there is an emphasis upon building the church, not that “the body of Christ may be built up”
but rather the building of an actual structure that we refer to commonly as the church. There is a great benefit at times in having a building where the Lord’s people can meet in and use for the ministry of the Gospel. Yet, when we look at the Book of Acts, we find no visible record that the Church built buildings. Though they met in some physical locations such as Solomon’s Colonnade and the hall of Tyrannus for even two years.
Yet, this was not the common practice of how saints met across the rest of God’s Churches. Even when looking carefully in Church history there is no evidence of a large building being used until 300 AD when pagan temples were being converted into churches under the reign of Constantine.
“For the first two centuries, the Church met in small groups in the homes of its members, apart from special gatherings in public lecture halls or market places, where people could come together in much larger numbers. Significantly these two centuries mark the most powerful and vigorous advance of the Church, which perhaps has never been equaled. The lack of church buildings was no hindrance to the rapid expansion of the Church; instead, in comparison to the situation after A.D., it seemed a positive help.”
“The Church is never a place, but always a people; never a fold but always a Flock; never a sacred building but always a believing Assembly. The Church is you who pray, not where you pray. A structure of brick or marble can no more be the church than your clothes of serge or satin can be you.”
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Gospel Fellowships ( - )
“Christianity was birthed in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and will only continue as we have this empowering from above. God is always looking for the willing vessels that will trust Him afresh for the impossible.” from: Principles for the gathering of Believers under the Headship of Jesus Christ.Since 2012, a growing group of believers in North America started to warn of coming persecution to western countries. This message was shared in a variety of ways. One of the responses to this was to compile a book taking principles from underground Churches around the world of how they thrived under pressure and persecution. The volume, Principles for the Gathering of Believers, had in a short time over 50,000 downloads in ebook format and much interest was shown. Some new house churches started through this and other existing groups were encouraged.