How to Start a Church in Your Home

Well, this is a good one because a lot of people who are called into ministry, especially people who are called to start a church, may actually start from their home. You may not have the money to rent a hall, and that’s okay. If you have a sitting room, you can start from there.

But there are some things you need to understand because a lot of people make mistakes when they start a church in their home.

The first thing is, you need to know the vision and the mission of the church you are starting. What exactly has God put in your heart? What kind of church are you trying to build? What do you want the people to become? You need to have that understanding from the beginning.

And please, give the church a name. Don’t say, “We are just starting from the house, so we don’t need a name yet.” No. You are starting small, but you have to think big. You may be meeting in your sitting room today, but you should already know what you are building towards.

Then, if you are married, this is very important… talk to your spouse.

Don’t just wake up and say, “God has told me to start a church, so from next Sunday people will be coming to the house.” No. Sit down with your husband. Sit down with your wife. Talk about it. Make sure both of you understand what this is going to mean for the family.

Because when you start bringing people into your home every week, your home is going to change. Your privacy is going to change. The way your family uses the house is going to change.

And if you have children living with you, talk to them too. Don’t just say, “They are children, they don’t understand.” Explain what is happening. Let them know that people will be coming into the house, where they will sit, what areas they can use and what areas are private.

Because people are people. If you don’t set boundaries from the beginning, somebody may come into your house today and before you know it, he’s walking into your kitchen like it’s his own house. You understand?

So you have to create boundaries.

And when you are having the service, use the appropriate part of the house. If it’s your sitting room, use the sitting room. Don’t turn your bedroom into a church auditorium. Your bedroom is still your private space.

The sitting room should also be clean and properly arranged. It doesn’t have to look like a big church. Nobody is expecting you to have a pulpit, stage and everything. Just make the place neat. Make it comfortable. Make it smell nice. Let somebody walk in and feel welcomed.

And spiritually too, pray before people start coming.

You are opening your home to people you may not know very well. People are coming with different backgrounds, different experiences, different problems and different things they are dealing with. So pray over your home. Pray for your family. Pray for the people coming. Commit the meeting to God.

But don’t become suspicious of everybody because you are trying to be spiritual. You need wisdom. Pray, discern, and still treat people properly.

Then, have a specific day and time for the meeting.

Please, don’t say because it’s your house, you can just continue the service for as long as you want. You said the service will finish by 1pm, and before you know it, it’s 3pm, 4pm… and everybody is still there.

No. You have a family. People have their own lives too. If you say the meeting starts at 10 and ends at 12, try to keep to it. If there is a special reason to extend, that’s different. But don’t make lateness and unnecessarily long services a normal thing simply because you are meeting at home.

And the people coming need to understand that this is somebody’s home.

It’s not a church building where every room is open to everybody. You are using your home for the work of ministry, but it is still your home. People should know where they are allowed to go. They shouldn’t just enter the kitchen, bedroom or other private areas without permission.

This thing requires wisdom.

Because sometimes we are so excited about what God wants to do through the ministry that we forget that there are people living in that house too. Your wife is there. Your husband is there. Your children are there. And you need to protect the peace of that family.

So yes, start the church in your home if that’s where you are starting from. There is nothing wrong with starting small.

But don’t just start the service. Start with understanding.

Know the vision. Know the mission. Get your family involved in the conversation. Set boundaries. Keep your home clean and welcoming. Pray over the gathering. Have a clear time for the meeting. And don’t allow the excitement of starting a church to make you forget that you are still managing a home.

You are starting small, but think big.

And as the church grows, you will know when it is time to move beyond the sitting room.