Every fall we like to take some time to highlight our vibrant House Church ministry which is available to anyone interested in meeting together with other Jesus followers in smaller, more intimate settings.
We call our small groups “House Churches” to help reflect that at Westheights we feel that meeting together in houses is an important part of church life. It follows what we find in the early church in the book of Acts in the Bible – that believers would gather weekly at the temple but also meet together in houses in smaller groups.
We have House Church groups meeting on literally every day of the week. Groups vary in size from 5 to 15 participants and they usually meet for about two hours every week for a time of sharing, and study or discussion, and prayer. Many House Churches also get involved in serving others, and have social times including potlucks or games.
House Churches are safe spaces where you can explore faith and ask tough questions, but they also are spaces where community is naturally built as you spend time together in relationship. Personally, I really appreciate having a group of people who I know are praying for me on a regular basis and my faith has been encouraged by seeing how God is at work in other people’s lives.
Of our nine House Churches, we have three that are specifically for women, and one is for Young Adults. But our Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evening House Churches are, as we say, open to all ages and stages of life, and that is also true of our Saturday morning group which meets more specifically as a book club.
We recognize that not everyone can make it out to House Church but we like to remind people from time to time just what is available if you’d like to consider trying it out. And it’s important for you to know that you can visit groups for a season or topic, or even one time, if you just want to get your feet wet. You don’t need to make a long-term commitment and you can explore more than one until you find one that seems a good fit for you.
To find more information about our House Churches you can pick up a brochure at the welcome desk at the church or visit www.housechurch.westheights.org for up-to-date details about each of our groups.