I’ve been talking about oikos in our previous newsletters. If you haven’t been reading them then you may not understand what I am talking about or what we will be doing. But please keep reading.
This Sunday we’re changing things up! In an effort to implement the “oikos” strategy, we will not be having our Brennecke beach service or Depoe zoom church. Instead, each family will hold their own time of worship… just for this Sunday (7/25). Then next week Sunday (8/1), we will all gather for a big celebration service on the beach.
Oikos is a household gathering. The early church and many churches today in foreign (persecuted) countries are meeting in small household gatherings. This was and still is the most practical way to do church. From time to time, KHCN will implement these “Oikos Sundays” to get back to our roots; to create a worship environment that is simple, raw and organic. It’s back to the basics. No light shows, liturgy, bands or hype, just the Holy Spirit’s fire igniting each of us to experience something new. The goal of KHCN is and has always been to create church community in homes; micro-communities in homes where “two or three are gathered in His name,” sharing God’s love and His word, singing and sharing praises with one another. This gets every person active, leading and participating rather than simply spectating.
Remember what happened during the pandemic? The global church became paralyzed! Church as we knew it was closed for business. People did not know how to worship God on their own. For us, with no buildings to begin with, it was business as usual. Picture living in a persecuted nation. What would happen if our religious freedom was all of a sudden taken away? What would happen if our pastors or leaders were taken? Would our church remain, or would it die off? The pastor and leaders in the church are not the head. Jesus is. You don’t need me, and you don’t need buildings or bands, all you need is the Spirit of God leading your steps to worship Him up-close, undistracted and unrestrained. That’s what Oikos Sunday is all about.
You don’t need a leader/shepherd for this. Every household already has a leader/shepherd. The head of the household (which in biblical standards is the father/husband) will be the leader. Like in Bible times, when a husband was saved, the entire household was saved. The husband has a strong influence on those living in that sphere. If a household has no father or husband, then the mother will lead the household. Men, this is a call for you to lead your household and not only your family but your neighbors, friends and extended family, all who are open to hearing about Jesus within your circle of influence.
A person living alone can invite a friend or contact someone they know in the church and invite them. Or a group may invite the person they know who lives alone in the church. It’s about looking after one another while creating community (oikos). Yes, you could simply go to a church service at one of the churches down the road, but where’s the fun in that? Again, we are prone to just kick back and be entertained. And this is not a “get out of church for free” pass. The model I am suggesting carries an expectation on your part but also makes everyone leaders and able to share and experience all the goodness of God on an extremely personal level. Take some time to plan, prepare and invite people. Be sure not to forget those in the church.
Have fun with this and allow God to do something new and amazing. Then as we gather next week, we will share all the great things He showed us.
This Sunday we’re changing things up! In an effort to implement the “oikos” strategy, we will not be having our Brennecke beach service or Depoe zoom church. Instead, each family will hold their own time of worship… just for this Sunday (7/25). Then next week Sunday (8/1), we will all gather for a big celebration service on the beach.
Oikos is a household gathering. The early church and many churches today in foreign (persecuted) countries are meeting in small household gatherings. This was and still is the most practical way to do church. From time to time, KHCN will implement these “Oikos Sundays” to get back to our roots; to create a worship environment that is simple, raw and organic. It’s back to the basics. No light shows, liturgy, bands or hype, just the Holy Spirit’s fire igniting each of us to experience something new. The goal of KHCN is and has always been to create church community in homes; micro-communities in homes where “two or three are gathered in His name,” sharing God’s love and His word, singing and sharing praises with one another. This gets every person active, leading and participating rather than simply spectating.
Remember what happened during the pandemic? The global church became paralyzed! Church as we knew it was closed for business. People did not know how to worship God on their own. For us, with no buildings to begin with, it was business as usual. Picture living in a persecuted nation. What would happen if our religious freedom was all of a sudden taken away? What would happen if our pastors or leaders were taken? Would our church remain, or would it die off? The pastor and leaders in the church are not the head. Jesus is. You don’t need me, and you don’t need buildings or bands, all you need is the Spirit of God leading your steps to worship Him up-close, undistracted and unrestrained. That’s what Oikos Sunday is all about.
You don’t need a leader/shepherd for this. Every household already has a leader/shepherd. The head of the household (which in biblical standards is the father/husband) will be the leader. Like in Bible times, when a husband was saved, the entire household was saved. The husband has a strong influence on those living in that sphere. If a household has no father or husband, then the mother will lead the household. Men, this is a call for you to lead your household and not only your family but your neighbors, friends and extended family, all who are open to hearing about Jesus within your circle of influence.
A person living alone can invite a friend or contact someone they know in the church and invite them. Or a group may invite the person they know who lives alone in the church. It’s about looking after one another while creating community (oikos). Yes, you could simply go to a church service at one of the churches down the road, but where’s the fun in that? Again, we are prone to just kick back and be entertained. And this is not a “get out of church for free” pass. The model I am suggesting carries an expectation on your part but also makes everyone leaders and able to share and experience all the goodness of God on an extremely personal level. Take some time to plan, prepare and invite people. Be sure not to forget those in the church.
Have fun with this and allow God to do something new and amazing. Then as we gather next week, we will share all the great things He showed us.
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