# House Church Directory > House Church Discussion List ## Posts - [About Us](https://home-church.org/2026/09/07/about-us/) - [Unoffendable](https://home-church.org/2026/02/26/unoffendable/): Unoffendable: How Just One Change Can Make All of Life Better (updated with two new chapters) Paperback – January 10, 2023 by Brant Hansen (Author) House Church is about relationships. It isn’t about judging everyone who does church differently than we do. That is actually what we are trying to cleanse ourselves of, that pharisaical […] - [Rediscovering Church as Networks](https://home-church.org/2026/02/26/rediscovering-church-as-networks/): Rediscovering Church as Networks The Ongoing Story of Non-Denominational Charismatic Churches Dr Richard J Roberts (Finnian Press 2026) The Non-Denominational Charismatic Churches – also known as New Charismatic Churches (NCCs) – represent a global phenomenon comprising millions of believers who seek to prioritize “life first and system second”. Their primary structure is built on voluntary […] - [Church Refugees](https://home-church.org/2026/02/22/church-refugees/): Church Refugees: Sociologists reveal why people are DONE with church but not their faith Paperback – June 1, 2015by Josh Packard Ph.D (Author), Ashleigh Hope (Author), Group Publishing (Author) Available on Amazon Read a Sample Review by Bill Wagner, Author of The House Church Life, a reflection of how Parkland House lived out their faith […] - [The House Church Life](https://home-church.org/2026/02/22/the-house-church-life/): The House Church Life: Life Together, Lived and Learned Paperback – February 14, 2026 by Bill Wagner (Author) What if church was less about where you go—and more about how you live? The House Church Life: Life Together, Lived and Learned offers a warm, honest look inside a house church that gathered without a building, […] - [How to Use Your Home to Impact Your Neighborhood](https://home-church.org/2026/02/14/how-to-use-your-home-to-impact-your-neighborhood/): This is a radical video on how hospitality can radically alter your neighborhood using your own home. - [THE INFLUENCE OF GREEK IDEAS AND USAGES UPON THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH](https://home-church.org/2026/02/13/the-influence-of-greek-ideas-and-usages-upon-the-christian-church/): THE INFLUENCE OF GREEK IDEAS AND USAGES UPON THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH: THE HIBBERT LECTURES, 1888 Paperback – December 2, 2023by Dr. Edwin Hatch (Author) Have you ever contrasted the Sermon on the Mount with the Nicean Creed? Why are they such different documents? What happened in 400 years. The first deals with behavior and the […] - [Relationships on the Run](https://home-church.org/2026/02/12/relationships-on-the-run/): Relationships on the Run: How to Grow Authentic Connections and Lasting Intimacy in a Hurried Culture Paperback – February 7, 2026by Stephanie Bennett (Author), Quentin Schultze (Preface), Wayne Jacobsen (Foreword) Stressful. Overwhelming. Too much. If these words describe the tone of your everyday life, it’s time for a change. Amidst a fast-paced world we need […] - [House Churches: Back to the Blueprint](https://home-church.org/2026/02/12/house-churches-back-to-the-blueprint/): House Churches: Back to the Blueprint Paperback – August 28, 2019by Linda Jones (Author) According to Matthew 6:10, the calling of the house church is to be an expression of the Kingdom of God on earth. This book provides guidance about getting together with others so that all of you can grow in your relationships […] - [Associations, Synagogues, and Congregations](https://home-church.org/2026/02/11/associations-synagogues-and-congregations/): Associations, Synagogues, and Congregations: Claiming a Place in Ancient Mediterranean Society Paperback– January 1, 2003 by Philip Harland (Author) This is a classic, well researched treatment of the connection between the early church and the associations and synagogues of the time. It is an especially timely read to address the controversy and those who push […] - [A Meal with Jesus](https://home-church.org/2026/02/04/a-meal-with-jesus/): A Meal with Jesus: Discovering Grace, Community, and Mission around the Table (Re: Lit Books) Paperback – April 7, 2011by Tim Chester (Author) Eating meals together is an incredibly spiritual activity. In the days that Jesus walked the earth, homes were set up in Israel quite differently than out modern suburbs. Large homes were actually […] - [The Gospel Comes with a House Key](https://home-church.org/2026/01/29/the-gospel-comes-with-a-house-key/): The Gospel Comes with a House Key: Practicing Radically Ordinary Hospitality in Our Post-Christian World by Rosaria Butterfield If you can get over an “us verses them mentality” and have the humility to realize God can teach you through any one of his vessels, you might discover that this Presbyterian minister’s wife has some incredible […] - [Facebook Group Topics](https://home-church.org/2026/01/27/facebook-group-topics/): A list Links of Popular Topics in the Facebook Group Meals in House Church Singles - [Paul's Idea of Community](https://home-church.org/2026/01/26/pauls-idea-of-community/): Paul’s Idea of Community: Spirit and Culture in Early House Churches by Robert J. Banks January 21,2020 This highly readable investigation of the early church explores the revolutionary nature, dynamics, and effects of the earliest Christian communities. It introduces readers to the cultural setting of the house churches of biblical times, examines the apostle Paul’s […] - [The Bridal Banquet: Holy Communion for House Churches and Small Groups](https://home-church.org/2026/01/21/the-bridal-banquet-holy-communion-for-house-churches-and-small-groups/): by Robert Schmidt Meals were an important part of Jesus’ ministry. He ate with prostitutes and sinners. He told the story of a dinner where the poor and homeless received a special invitation. When the prodigal son came home, his return was celebrated with feasting. Jesus even made sure there was enough wine for a […] - [Training](https://home-church.org/2026/01/18/training/): Home Church Resources is an online learning community for those interested in starting, growing and multiplying home churches. The community consists of people considering starting a home church and those who have already started home churches gathering online to encourage, pray and learn. The ministry provides a series of online courses, dozens of tools and […] - [Rediscovering the New Testament Church](https://home-church.org/2025/12/31/rediscovering-the-new-testament-church/): by Anthony Jacomb-Hood The vast majority of Western Christians assume that church as we know it is somehow patterned after New Testament norms, with our services, our pastors and priests and our Sunday morning sermons. “Rediscovering The New Testament Church” gently challenges that assumption, meticulously uncovering the New Testament description of what God calls the […] - [The Other Half of Church: Christian Community, Brain Science, and Overcoming Spiritual Stagnation](https://home-church.org/2025/12/27/the-other-half-of-church-christian-community-brain-science-and-overcoming-spiritual-stagnation/): Could brain science be the key to spiritual formation? Why does true Christian transformation seem fleeting? And why does church often feel lonely, Christian community shallow, and leaders untrustworthy? For many Christians, the delight of encountering Christ eventually dwindles—and disappointment sets in. Is lasting joy possible? These are some of the questions Michel Hendricks has […] - [In the house church movement, what do you do with "tithes and offerings"?](https://home-church.org/2025/12/25/in-the-house-church-movement-what-do-you-do-with-tithes-and-offerings/): https://www.facebook.com/groups/136853737786/permalink/10162870973042787 Summary of the above Facebook discussion, giving the different perspectives and giving pros and cons of each perspective. Main Differences in the Facebook Thread The thread discusses financial giving (tithes and offerings) in house churches, contrasting it with traditional institutional churches. The core debate revolves around whether tithing (typically 10% mandatory giving) is biblically […] - [From Jewish Roots to a Gentile World: How the Early Church Transformed Its Identity](https://home-church.org/2025/12/22/from-jewish-roots-to-a-gentile-world-how-the-early-church-transformed-its-identity/): One of the most striking features of the earliest Christian communities is that all their members were Jewish. This was no accident: Christianity began within the context of first-century Judaism, and its earliest leaders understood it this way. Jesus drew deeply on Jewish metaphors to describe himself and the people of God—the vine in John 15, […] - [The Christmas Story (or Stories?)](https://home-church.org/2025/12/16/the-christmas-story-or-stories/): The Christmas story that we celebrate every year borrows pieces from Matthew and Luke and puts them together In a manner that is somewhat haphazard. We can give our Bibles some leeway in this because the incarnation took place 30 years before there was a community of disciples to write everything down. In fact, the […] - [Reviews](https://home-church.org/2025/12/14/reviews/): People are finding each other: Please leave a comment about your experience with the directory and this website - [Directory Instructions](https://home-church.org/2025/12/13/directory-instructions/): The House Church Directory is a place to look for groups near you, to list your own group or to list yourself as looking for a group. Our House Church Directory is the oldest and largest on the internet. It is a group effort by the House Church Discussion List and House Church Central. Both […] - [Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://home-church.org/2025/12/09/life-together-by-dietrich-bonhoeffer/): Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906 – 1945) is one of the best-known Christians of the last century. He was executed in a concentration camp shortly before the end of the Second World War. Bonhoeffer was a Lutheran pastor who became the head of an illegal underground seminary to train leaders for the Confessing Church – a movement […] - [The Messianic Secret](https://home-church.org/2025/12/08/the-messianic-secret/): When studyiing in any of the synoptic gospels, Jesus follows many healing miraces with a demand for secrecy. This is especially true in Mark, where this feature occurs so frequently that some have identified it as a key theme in that book. Mark is often regarded as the earliest gospel and Matthew and Luke probably […] - [Cell Vision: A Book Review](https://home-church.org/2025/10/31/cell-vision-a-book-review/): I was eager to read this book because it champions small, home churches. His use of the word “cell” is unfortunate, however, since that word has usually referred to small groups attached to a large, institutional church, which is certainly not what Belk had in mind. While there is good reason to be suspicious of […] - [One Plants, Another Waters, and Then...?](https://home-church.org/2025/10/28/one-plants-another-waters-and-then/): by James Rohrer Dr. Rohrer is Editor in Chief, Sage JPC and HME, University Research Reviewer, Walden University. This essay is motivated by the observation that Christian small assemblies are formed, sometimes grow into networks, then seemingly evaporate in just a few years. Some plant, others water, and then what? Is God bringing an increase? Or […] - [A House Church vs. Modern Church Parable](https://home-church.org/2025/10/28/a-house-church-vs-modern-church-parable/): by John Lepera The Parable of the Mower Turned Go Cart A man once purchased a lawn mower which he used for many successful years. Eventually he removed the engine and wheels and converted them into a go cart for his son, who used the go cart many more years before selling it. Over the […] - [About the Children](https://home-church.org/2025/10/28/about-the-children/): Introduction How many times have you had a friend or colleague tell you that they once were church goers but gave it up years ago? If you are like me, the number is beyond counting. I suggest these folks never really had an adult conversion where they experieniced the living Jesus in an powerful and […] - [Spiritual Gifts](https://home-church.org/2025/10/27/spiritual-gifts/): Spiritual gifts are among the least understood subjects among believers, yet are one of the most important parts of church life. Paul’s writings are the main source of instruction regarding the gifts, and areprobably the best place to start is in 1 Corinthians Chapters 12 through 14. That these chapters be considered as a whole […] - [Ordination](https://home-church.org/2025/10/27/ordination/): Does It Have Any Place in the Houses Church? The purpose of ordinations is to ensure that candidates for leadership positions in the church meet the expectations of the church calling them. Those include experience and theological training, and if the role includes preaching, the presentation of a sample sermon. Usually there is also an […] - [The Chiasm](https://home-church.org/2025/10/26/the-chiasm/): One of the hidden beauties withiin the Bible is the chiasm, which is a poetic structure that can be found in both the New and Old Testaments. The word comes from the shape of he Greeek letter chi, which resembles the western “X.” The left half of the chi, which resembles the mathematical symbol >, […] - [Authority in the Church](https://home-church.org/2025/10/26/authority-in-the-church/): When persecution against the House Churches eased early early in the 4th century under Constantine, Christians found ways to form larger assemblies, encouraged, no doubt, by Constantine’s aggressive church-building programs. It is not surprising that these larger assemblies formed hierarchies. This very human tendency is so common that one has to wonder why Moses needed […] - [The Romans 8:28 Puzzle](https://home-church.org/2025/10/25/the-romans-828-puzzle/): Romans 8:28 has been translated many ways. This article invites you, the reader, to participate in putting the puzzle together. The puzzle pieces are those in the figure that have boxes above. (We need not look at the last half of the verse as it does not vary substantially from bible to bible.) So how […] - [Hijacking the Church](https://home-church.org/2025/10/24/an-institutional-church-take-over/): The first to hijack Christianity was the Emperor Constantine, who used Christianity to unite the Roman Empire under his control. Carrying the Chi Rho symbol, the first two letters of “Christ” in Greek, his soldiers prevailed against Maxentiius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge of 312 AD. Constantine invited the “bishops” of the day […] - [Separation of Church and State](https://home-church.org/2025/10/24/separation-of-church-and-state/): While house church theology and the American political left may disagree on a long list of issues, they are in lock step on the question of the separation of church and state–but for completely different reasons. One might look at separation in a number of ways. We Christians are told that we must separate from […] - [Home Church Confessions](https://home-church.org/2025/10/24/home-church-confessionss/): One can’t understand the history of the home church without understanding the confessions that they wrote to guide their lives. A great many of these have survived, each containing a detailed statement of faith that almost always references the Bible to justify each statement. Confessions differ from creeds in purpose and format. Creeds are a […] - [The Living Room](https://home-church.org/2025/10/24/the-living-room/): So wrote Danish philosopher/theologian Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) even before he started his series of essays against the Institutionial Church of his day that came to be called his “Attack on Christindom.”. Excerpts from some of those essays appear below. Regarding Establishment Christianity The human race in the course of time has taken the liberty of softening […] - [To Bind, to Loose](https://home-church.org/2025/10/24/to-bind-to-loose/): If you’ve studied Matthew’s gospel long enough, you will have encountered the words “bind””and “loose.” You may have wondered what was meant. In fact, it was not until relatively recently that scholars have found its origin is from rabbinical writings to indicate whether a behavior will be prohibited (bound) or permitted (loosed). Since Matthew’s is […] - [Thank you for all the info!!](https://home-church.org/2025/10/23/thank-you-for-all-the-info/): Hello! I recently added a listing (New Covenant Fellowship) and have found your site to be very helpful. I teach at a Christian School (Knight’s Christian Academy, kcafl.org) and have shared the site with some of my colleagues. Thank you for all the info!! SDG,Rob P - [Evangelism](https://home-church.org/2025/10/23/evangelism/): EVANGELISM AND OUTREACH  ======================== Subject: Why not the Yellow Pages? From: AB HCDLers: For years, we have been saying things like: “How can we get networked, how  can people find us, when we don’t have a building on the corner and we’re not in the Yellow Pages?” I had a “Jack-Sims-esque” thought the other  day […] - [Sermon on the Mount vs. Modern Culture](https://home-church.org/2025/10/23/sermon-on-the-mount-vs-modern-culture/): There are some red letter verses in the Bible that can’t be properly interpreted without knowing a little bit about the culture of the first century. As a result, these three verses have entered our language to mean almost the opposite of what Jesus was teaching. . Verse in Matthew Chapter 5 Modern Use What […] - [What to do with the children](https://home-church.org/2025/10/19/what-to-do-with-the-children/): I have seen over the last couple of weeks/days some questions pertaining to the children and “how to” incorporate them into the house church setting.Questions to ask yourselves.What is a house church?Who is the house church for?When a child joined the family, was it born into the life of the family, or was the family […] - [Age Integrated Fellowship](https://home-church.org/2025/10/18/age-integrated-fellowship/): When our kids were young, the group we met with had other families with young children as well. We also homeschooled, which may explain why we did what we did. We tried to have times when the times of discussion were able to integrate the kids. This was not just a case of dumbing things […] - [House Church Pitfalls #2](https://home-church.org/2025/10/18/house-church-pitfalls-2/): The Ding / Dong Effect Dialogue vs Monologue The Pendulum of Church Practices: Balancing Dialogue and Monologue The classic “ding-dong” sound of a bell results from its swing between two extremes. This imagery reflects major movements in church history. When the Church recognizes errors in its practices, it often reacts by swinging to the opposite […] - [House Church Pitfalls #1](https://home-church.org/2025/10/17/house-church-pitfalls-1/): Recovering from Institutional Church Hurts Many House Churches have members who have been hurt by their experiences in the Institutional Church. In some cases, the group is started by folks that are reacting to those unpleasant situations. They invested years in their Church, had many friends and relationships. But it ended badly. There was possibly […] - [House Church and the Will of God](https://home-church.org/2025/09/23/hello-world/): What do you think has the highest priority in the Church? Learning and obeying the will of God? Or being entertained with music and preaching? Let’s say that a group of Christians, whether large or small, needs to make a decision. The House Church’s gathered people have direct access to the Lord, who, we are […] - [Words: Church, Ekklesia - Archives](https://home-church.org/2025/08/18/words-church-ekklesia-archives/): We have often debated this topic. Here are links to those discussions so you can review them. We prefer these type of debates to be in our House Church Topics Group 8/17/2025 9/12/2025 5/6/2025 - [Team](https://home-church.org/2025/07/13/team/): Andy Hogue B Arnold Stein Do you want to join the team? Contact Us We can use: Editors for: Discussion Topics Summation1 Cor 2:16 “We have the mind of Christ”Collectively, we together have precious insights and wisdom that is in the comments and posts in this discussion group. However these threads eventually get lost in […] - [Websites](https://home-church.org/2025/07/12/websites/): Other Sites Related to Home Church I happen to detest web pages that are nothing but links to other web pages. They make it look like the site is freeloading off of other people’s hard work creating useful information. If everyone just pointed to other people’s sites, the World-Wide Web would be an empty web […] - [Recommended Blogs](https://home-church.org/2025/07/12/recommended-blogs/): Bet-Midrash North Phoenix House Church Notes From the Bridge - [Preaching](https://home-church.org/2025/07/12/preaching/): this thread begins by discussing preaching but moves on to address the gifts as a whole putting both preaching and the rest of the gifts into a balanced perspective. Subject: Preaching — by admin in Archives This thread begins by discussing preaching but moves on to address the gifts as a whole putting both preaching and […] - [Why Do People Home Church?](https://home-church.org/2025/07/12/why-do-people-home-church/): by David M. Hebden 1997 The reasons that people “home church” are as diverse as the people who make up the gatherings. This is not an exhaustive explanation and will no doubt evolve as time goes on. These thoughts originated from responses to this question on HCDL. Some of us simply came to the conclusion […] - [How to find a House Church](https://home-church.org/2025/07/12/how-to-find-a-house-church/): How to Find a House Church People often ask where house churches are near by them. We have a very simple to use listing for you to list yourself if you are looking for a house church or if you have a house church. No log in or account set up is required. HCDL House […] - [About Us - HCDL](https://home-church.org/2025/07/12/about-us-hcdl/): Link to our Facebook Group The House Church Discussion List (HCDL) was established in 1995 to network with and encourage folks whose vision is: * To nurture community in face-to-face bodies of love, friendship and shared life; * To practice the priesthood of all believers; * To practice participatory, non-authoritarian, non-heirarchical styles of leadership, worship, […] ## Pages - [cc092063](https://home-church.org/cc092063/): Depravity or Sin? Letters to The Christian Century by Vernard Eller September 20, 1963 SIR: I am weary to death, weary of the trend so conspicuous of late in the Century, in motive, in Christianity and Crisis, in all sophisticated religious journals–the trend to cast the mantle of the Christian pastor upon worldly literati such as Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, J. D. Salinger and William Golding. The major display you recently gave (Oct. 2, 1962) to William Mueller’s review of Lord of the Flies is what has prompted my protest, though my unhappiness has to do not so much with Mueller as with the genus as a […] - [cc101762](https://home-church.org/cc101762/): Brothers in Ebullience? Letters to The Christian Century by Vernard Eller October 17, 1962 This letter is subtitled “Answering Donald Cunningham’s Protest re Browning-Kierkegaard.” Those who love Browning, Pippa, and Kierkegaard will have no trouble placing it in context.Ed. “BROWNING: An English Kierkegaard,” by M. Whitcomb Hess (May 2, 1962), to me is a revelation; I had long a devotee of both authors but had failed to consider them in juxtaposition. Now I have delved further, and I can say only that Mrs. Hess did not go far enough. There are many more–and more specific–points of affinity than she calls to […] - [The Language of Canaan and the Grammar of Feminism](https://home-church.org/the-language-of-canaan-and-the-grammar-of-feminism/): The Vernard Eller Collection The Language of Canaan and the Grammar of Feminism by Vernard Eller Table of Contents To Kenneth Hamilton upon his retirement from the University of Winnipegwith deep personal appreciation.Although my book and his Words of the Word are in no way the same book, they are in the same ballpark.Soli Deo Gloria Foreword The Teachers and the Taught Temperature Levels Water Level Top-Level Man I’ll Level With You The Eve of Adam (rather than The Dawn of Man) God’s Gender and Ours The End of the Matter Afterword Forword This book is bound to ruffle some feathers. […] - [Christian Anarchy XI](https://home-church.org/christian-anarchy-xi/): by Vernard Eller The Vernard Eller Collection Justice, Freedoom, And Grace: The Fruits of Anarchy Justice, Freedom, Grace–these three–and, biblically, the greatest of these is Grace. Necessarily is this the case because, biblically, both Justice and Freedom are actually gifts (or creations) of God’s Grace. And thus, though our arky-faith theologies of liberation are so very strong on Justice and Freedom, even in this they are biblically flawed, for the fact that they do not have (and cannot admit) the reality of Grace to serve as source and context. Biblically, “justice” is the end result of God’s making things right according to his […] - [Christian Anarchy X](https://home-church.org/christian-anarchy-x/): by Vernard Eller The Vernard Eller Collection On Ways More Than One of Skinning Cats or Accomplishing Otrher Good Ends I think I understand why so many Christians find some sort of arky faith to be absolutely essential to their creed. The logic, heard on every side, runs thus: If the good people (we Christians, of course) don’t organize (as holy power blocs) to bestow (read: “impose”) our goodness upon the world, no improvement will ever take place and society will simply continue its slide into hell. The argument assumes there is only one possible way social good can happen. It […] - [Christian Anarchy IX](https://home-church.org/christian-anarchy-ix/): by Vernard Eller The Vernard Eller Collection The Modus Operandi of History:Arky and Anarchy Corresponding to our basic concepts of “arky faith” and “Christian Anarchy” are two completely different understandings of how human history is directed and the economy by which it transpires. In particular, we will now address the matter of society’s moral progress and ethical achievement: How do we expect that “the good” shall become the character of social reality?–this whether, at the moment, we are thinking of that “good” in terms of world peace, justice, social equity, the elimination of poverty, racial harmony, family life, or whatever. In […] - [Christian Anarchy VIII](https://home-church.org/christian-anarchy-viii/): by Vernard Eller The Vernard Eller Collection Christian Anarchy and Civil Disobedience Although the authorities in this book were chosen for what they could tell us about Christian Anarchy, they have gone regularly to the Scriptures that address the issue of tax payment. We have collected a number of expert opinions but will now turn to a biblical-theological analysis of our own. From this biblical base, then, we can broaden the focus to a consideration of civil disobedience in general–of which, clearly, tax-withholding is but one (though perhaps the prototypical) example. Now, at each point where Scripture advises against the withholding […] - [Christian Anarchy VII](https://home-church.org/christian-anarchy-vii/): Anarchic Theology and Arky Politics The Vernard Eller Collection In his book on Karl Barth, George Hunsinger set out Barth’s basic premise thus: ‘Only if the two [theology and politics] are not confused–with each retaining its own integrity–can either have anything to say. Theology must not be politicized, nor politics theologicized.” Certainly we found Barth himself confirming and carefully observing this principle. Ellul makes the point just as strongly in reference to his own career and authorship: Here was my approximate intellectual path from 1940 to 1959: Could I bring all of history, all of human invention into a Christian perspective? In other […] - [Christian Anarchy VI](https://home-church.org/christian-anarchy-vi/): by Vernard Eller The Vernard Eller Collection Dietrich Bonhoffer In our first chapter I named both Karl Barth and Dietrich Bonhoeffer as more-or-less followers of the Blumhardts who, consequently, were themselves more-or-less anarchist. With Karl Barth, of course, I was dead wrong–there was no “more or less” about his anarchism. However, with Bonhoeffer, I was right. Nevertheless, he does have some things to say on the subject that merit attention. My trouble with Bonhoeffer on Christian Anarchy is the same I have felt with him on radical discipleship: he is almost persuaded but can’t get himself fully consistent. The first three parts of […] - [The Simple Life](https://home-church.org/the-simple-life/): The Vernard Eller Collection The Simple Life by Vernard Eller Table of Contents In memory of one whose labyrinthine life,by the grace of God, did come to besimply put:SØREN KIERKEGAARD       If It’s the Simple Life, Why Does it Have to Be so Complicated? I. ACCORDING TO JESUS AND COMPANY  The First and the Rest As You Were In but not Of II: ACCORDING TO KIERKEGAARD Simply Put Parables The Lighted Carriage and the Star-lit Night Late for Church The Anxious Lily and the Helpful Bird The Wild Dove and the Tame The Fireworks and the Stars It’s the Life Insights From […] - [The Outward Bound](https://home-church.org/the-outward-bound/): The Vernard Eller Collection The Outward Bound by Vernard Eller Table of Contents Introit: The Attack and the Attacker So now to him who by the power at work within us is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. This book can and undoubtedly will be read as an attack upon Christendom. Unfortunately, that title already has been taken. But apart from the incidental consideration that the author of this book is not named Søren Kierkegaard, the difference […] - [Proclaim Good Tidings](https://home-church.org/proclaim-good-tidings/): The Vernard Eller Collection Proclaim Good Tidings Evangelism for the Faith Community by Vernard Eller Table of Contents Foreword Number me among the admirers of Vernard Eller. I suspect their number is only a little less than legion. Like myself they read with relish whatever he writes–stylistically idiosyncratic, often slightly acerbic, but always biblically informed. A thought-provoking spokesperson for evangelicalism of an Anabaptist orientation, he has an ability which Jesus commended: out of the treasury of God’s truth he brings things that are both old and new, refurbishing hackneyed doctrines and finding in centuries-old theology insights that are contemporary. Though I […] - [Christian Anarchy Part VI](https://home-church.org/christian-anarchy-part-vi/): The Vernard Eller Collection Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Almost Persuaded In our first chapter I named both Karl Barth and Dietrich Bonhoeffer as more-or-less followers of the Blumhardts who, consequently, were themselves more-or-less anarchist. With Karl Barth, of course, I was dead wrong–there was no “more or less” about his anarchism. However, with Bonhoeffer, I was right. Nevertheless, he does have some things to say on the subject that merit attention. My trouble with Bonhoeffer on Christian Anarchy is the same I have felt with him on radical discipleship: he is almost persuaded but can’t get himself fully consistent. The first three parts of his Nachfolge is […] - [The Sex Manual for Puritans](https://home-church.org/the-sex-manual-for-puritans-i/): The Vernard Eller Collection The Sex Manual for Puritans by Vernard Eller Chapter One(or Four, depending upon how you count Forewords) Everything You Always Assumed You Knew About Sex* *And So Didn’t Bother to Ask t is true that this chapter heading bears a certain superficial resemblance to the title of the popular book by Dr. David Reuben (M.D., as you might guess). That could be sheer coincidence. Well, it could be! Yes, he did write his book first, but you can’t prove that I didn’t think of mine first. Actually, there is a big difference between his book and mine. His book is one […] - [The Sex Manual for Puritans](https://home-church.org/the-sex-manual-for-puritans/): The Sex Manual for Puritans by Vernard Eller The Vernard Eller Collection Table of Contents (1) FOREWORD by Dr. Richard ArmourAuthor of A Short History of Sex and many other funny books Dr. Vernard Eller is no sex maniac. He is not even very sexy, although this is something you can never be sure about. He is probably just about normal, whatever that is. From the books you read about sex, being normal isn’t normal these days. And being abnormal isn’t as abnormal as it once was. Being normal may, in fact, be the most unusual thing about Dr. Eller. He isn’t a […] - [The Beloved Disciple IIB](https://home-church.org/the-beloved-disciple-iib/): On Giving the Beloved Disciple His Say The Vernard Eller CollectionSTUDY TWO: The Beloved Disciple: His Thought A. The Fourth Gospel Prologue (John 1:1-18) Whether or not the Prologue is built over an earlier Hymn to the Logos—this strikes me as an entirely incidental question. However, I do think I see what the writer is up to—whether he is reworking a previously existent text or not. I propose that he is working his way along a spectrum from one pole to the other, from LOGOS (the Word) in verse 1 to FLESH in verse 14—“Logos” and “Flesh” being indeed polar opposites. […] - [The Beloved Disciple IB](https://home-church.org/the-beloved-disciple-ib/): The Vernard Eller Collection STUDY TWO: The Beloved Disciple: His Thought As we turn now to spot and then explore what may be the central insight of the Fourth Gospel, nothing demands that we identify the Beloved Disciple as Lazarus. Feel very free to either accept or reject this idea. However, it will be helpful to continue thinking of that Beloved Disciple as a Jewish rabbi scholar with much more education and sophistication than is represented by the Galilean Twelve. It will quickly become apparent that the frame of reference for this study is what we earlier designated as the Fourth Gospel’s “divine communication” […] - [The Beloved Disciple VA](https://home-church.org/the-beloved-disciple-va/): The Name of the Beloved Disciple The Vernard Eller CollectionSTUDY ONE: The Beloved Disciple’s Name and Story The preceding discussion was meant to establish the great unlikelihood that the Beloved Disciple could be John-Z. Yet perhaps even more significant is the fact that the Fourth Gospel itself contains not the slightest hint that John-Z is its man. If all we had was the Fourth Gospel, “John-Z” (whose name we couldn’t even know) would be nothing but a wild guess—with either “Andrew,” “Philip,” “Thomas,” or even “Nathanael” having better chances of being right. However, if we take the approach that the Fourth […] - [The Beloved Disciple IVA](https://home-church.org/the-beloved-disciple-iva/): The Creation of the Fourth Gospel The Vernard Eller CollectionSTUDY ONE: The Beloved Disciple’s Name and Story A. The Source and the Writer Does our analysis enable us to say anything about who the Beloved Disciple was or how his book came to be written? I think it is safe to say that, although the Beloved Disciple is claimed as the Source of the book, that does not necessarily (nor even likely) mean that he is its actual Writer. The eyewitness testimony about the Crucifixion (Jn. 19:35) reads, “He who saw this has testified so that you may also believe. His testimony is true”—not “I saw it, and my testimony […] - [The Beloved Disciple IIIA](https://home-church.org/the-beloved-discipe-iiia/):  The Galilean Twelve of the Synoptics and the Beloved Disciple of the Fourth Gospel The Vernard Eller CollectionSTUDY ONE: The Beloved Disciple’s Name and Story Our detailed analysis of the four Gospels has rather clearly exposed a difference—a tension if not an actual “conflict”—between the Markan-based tradition of a Peter-centered Galilean Twelve on the one hand, and the Fourth Gospel tradition of a Jerusalem-based Beloved Disciple on the other. It must be said that the tension is all one-sided in that the Synoptics don’t even recognize the existence of the other tradition. And that would seem to be the very heart of […] - [The Beloved Disciple IIA](https://home-church.org/the-beloved-disciple-iia/): Jesus’s Disciples A Competitive Anlysis The Vernard Eller CollectionSTUDY ONE: The Beloved Disciple’s Name and Story A. The Gospel according to Mark We now begin our study proper by analyzing Mark’s Gospel to discover just how he treats the Galilean Twelve and the individual disciples who make up that group. The Pauline letters and Acts make it clear that the young man John Mark was a personal acquaintance of the Apostle Peter and might well have gotten most of his information directly from him. Also, Mark wrote his Gospel as much as twenty years ahead of the other Gospel writers. At […] - [The Beloved Disciple 1A](https://home-church.org/the-beloved-disciple-1a/): The Vernard Eller CollectionSTUDY ONE: The Beloved Disciple’s Name and Story Opening the Case A. The Problem Before we can even begin to treat the Fourth Gospel (let alone the identity of the Beloved Disciple), we need to get a good bit of practice in handling simply the raw data that could come from any of the Gospels. Thus, a major hope for this study is that it might give the laity who have had but slight contact with biblical scholarship at least something of a feel for what Bible scholars are supposed to be about and how they do what they are […] - [The Beloved Disciple](https://home-church.org/the-beloved-disciple/): The Vernard Eller Collecrtion The Beloved Disciple by Vernard Eller Table of Contents STUDY ONE: The Beloved Disciple: His Name and His Story Preface STUDY TWO: The Beloved Disciple: His Thought Preface There is no way the matter could have been kept secret, yet very few people know that the Gospel we call “of John” neither names nor gives any action to the “John” whom the Gospel presumably is “of.” The one and only verse coming anywhere close is Jn. 21:2, which lists the seven followers of Jesus who were present at his resurrection appearance on the seashore, and includes “the sons […] - [Christian Anarchy Part V](https://home-church.org/christian-anarchy-part-v/): Karl Barth: A Theology of Christian Anarchy The Vernard Eller Collection In an earlier chapter, you may recall, in which I listed those thinkers who, to my mind, constitute the modern tradition of Christian Anarchy, I centered upon Blumhardt and named Barth and Bonhoeffer as more-or-less followers who consequently were themselves more or less anarchical. Being only more or less sure of myself, I was that tentative so as not to invite anyone to call me out and challenge me to prove that Barth was a Christian anarchist. Recall, then, that the very idea of “Christian Anarchy” had been triggered by Bernie Ramm’s […] - [Christian Anarchy Part IV](https://home-church.org/christian-anarchy-part-iv/): On Selective Sin and Righteousness The Vernard Eller Collection Regarding this chapter, I owe the Holy Spirit (or whoever inspired it) an apology. I got it in the wrong book. This chapter (in somewhat different form) appeared in my previous book, Towering Babble, from Brethren Press (from which kind permissions have been obtained). Granted, it almost didn’t make it there. The idea came late, after the rest of the manuscript was already in process at the publisher. It was my mistake to think it was given me for the book already marked finis when actually it is all about Christian Anarchy. However, the Spirit didn’t […] - [Christian Anarchy Part III](https://home-church.org/christian-anarchy-part-iii/): The Vernard Eller Collection Churchly Arkydom: It’s Unreal! Would it be correct to say that, given his status as Creator and Lord, God’s definition of reality (of what is real and what is unreal) is truer than ours? Could we say, even, that it is not for us to decide whether God is for real but for him to decide whether we are? Therefore, having discovered that God is Primal Anarchist, the first and best around, it should come as no surprise that his is a most anarchical view of the human scene, one not at all inclined to deal with humanity […] - [Christian Anarchy Part II](https://home-church.org/christian-anarchy-part2/): The Vernard Eller Collection II. In This Corner: Arky Faith In Chapter One we established the concept of Christian Anarchy. In this chapter we win turn to its opposite, what I call “Arky Faith.” Arky faith is that enthusiastic human self-confidence which is convinced that Christian piety can generate the holy causes, programs, and ideologies that will effect the social reformation of society. Differing only as to which actually are the holy causes, arky faith characterizes the Christian Right just as much as it does the Christian Left. In either case, the true believer has no doubt at all as to which arkys are […] - [Christian Anarchy: Part I](https://home-church.org/cheristian-anarchy1/): The Vernard Eller Collection I. Christian Anarchy–The Very Idea! Why don’t we really get radical for once? Yes, I know it wasn’t easy to get the word radical understood as an adjective appropriate to discipleship. And yes, it was even harder to get revolution and revolutionary so understood. But do you think it a bit more than the traffic can bear for me now to push on to anarchy? Do you see me going from bad to worse? Not so. I stand prepared to show that to go from revolution to anarchy is to go from wrong to right, from misunderstanding […] - [Christian Anarchy](https://home-church.org/christian-anarchy/): The Vernard Eller Collection Christian Anarchy Jesus’ Primacy over the Powers by Vernard Eller Table of Contents appreciation ofJACQUES ELLULwho has led me not only into Christian Anarchybut into much more of God’s truth as well.Merci, mon ami! Preface I hope you find this book “important.” But whether you do or not, it is very important to me. More than thirty years into my writing career, I finally have my answer to the question “Who am I?” From the outset, of course, I have been aware that my thought has been formed by the Anabaptist/Brethren tradition of my own church background–and that, it […] - [The Vernard Eller Collection](https://home-church.org/the-vernard-eller-collection/): We are very pleased to offer several of the writings of the late Vernard Eller (1927-2007) on the Home Church web site. Dr. Eller was a member of the Church of the Brethren, one of the many traditions descended from the Protestant Radical Reformation that is the seat of house church theology. Dr. Eller published over twenty books, many articles in scholarly journals, and was a frequent guest preacher or teacher in pulpits and lecture halls all over the country. He was an expert on Kierkegaard, and has spoken especially frequently on such topics as radical discipleship and the Christian life. Dr. […] - [allwrong1](https://home-church.org/allwrong1/): The Vernard Eller Collection Could the Church Have It all Wrong? by Vernard Eller Table of Contents To those professors emeriti (by virtue of merit) MARKUS BARTH and ARTHUR COCHRANE who were on this trail long before I was but who invited me along as a peer I. Historical Recital or Sacramental Mystery A. Formative Beginnings B. Fixing the Traditions C. The Temple of the Psalms and the Prophets D. Destroyers of the Temple: from Babylonians to Romans E. An Overall Assessment F. How Christianity Relates G. Christian History’s Incredible Twist II. A New Testament Without Sacramentalism A. The Synoptic Gospels B. The Revelation C. Hebrews D. The […] - [Doctrine of the Simple Life](https://home-church.org/house-church-theology/doctrine-of-the-simple-life/): The call of God to the human is a call of love that demands a response–and there can be no doubt that the most important response is an answering love. The prologue to the Ten Commandments speak of God’s love and our answering love (Ex. 20: 6). Early Christians were expected to say Deut. 6:4-5 three times a day–and, in Mk. 12:29, Jesus took Deut. 6:5 as “the most important” commandment: You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. The doctrine of the simple life is nothing more than an […] - [Doctrine of Election](https://home-church.org/house-church-theology/doctrine-of-election/): The New Testament has fourteen references to “election” or “God’s elect.” Obviously, those passages refer to those who have salvation in Christ, so no doctrine of election is really needed. But thinkers like John Calvin were not at all content with such a simple explanation. Committed to the strong church-state system that had been in place for over 1000 years, and knowing that some (if not most) of their fellow countrymen were unregenerate, they faced a theological dilemma: Not surprisingly, they chose the second. To do otherwise would be to return Christianity to the minority faith of the powerless that it was before […] - [Doctrine of God](https://home-church.org/house-church-theology/doctrine-of-god/): The doctrine of God is one that barely survived its passage into the Western world because of the great difference in worldview between the Hebrew-thinking witnesses who wrote the New Testament and the Greek-thinking readers in such cities as Alexandria that received the gospel. The Hebrew-thinking writers who walked with Jesus, for example, the following list of facts were not only accurate, but they were logical and compatible: When this testimony filtered over to the Greek-thinking Christians–people who’s worldview had been steeped in the ideas of Plato–the New Testament seemed to present a mass of contradictions. The only way the four […] - [Doctrines of Creation-Eschaton](https://home-church.org/house-church-theology/doctrines-of-creation-eschaton/): The doctrines of Creation, Providence, Miracles, Prayer, and Eschatology, all share a common element and are therefore best considered together. That is, they are all concerned with the manner in which God deals with the Creation in created time. The figure below illustrates the relationship between the doctrines. Note that God is eternal–above history–both with respect to the past and the future. History, on the other hand, has a distinct beginning (Creation) and a distinct end (the Eschaton). God is the lord of history, and interacts with the Creation as needed in order that his goals for the Creation are met. Those interactions are divided among […] - [Doctrine of Revelation](https://home-church.org/house-church-theology/doctrine-of-revelation/): While treated here as the third, among Protestants this doctrine has traditionally been the first. Both John Calvin and Karl Barth began their theologies with the question of how one comes into knowledge of God. The (Presbyterian) Westminster Confession of Faith (1646) and the Second [Baptist] London Confession of 1677 began with Scripture. It is an important doctrine because Jn. 17:3 says that it through knowing God and Jesus Christ that one obtains eternal life. ‘There is a difference between knowing God and knowing about God. The passage in John deals with the former–knowing in an experiential, relational way. That was the understanding of “knowing” […] - [Doctrine of Baptism](https://home-church.org/house-church-theology/doctrine-of-baptism/): Why Baptize? Most Christians will answer this question in one of two ways: Both of these are correct statements, but neither is the right answer to the question. Baptism is the rite of initiation into the church. In the New Testament, baptism and conversion were so closely associated that one infers the other. When Jesus said to baptize he was not saying that because of his own baptism, which was a special, Messianic baptism that was done “to fulfill all righteousness” (Mt. 3:15). Rather, he was saying that people were to be brought into the church–a process that was synonymous with baptism. […] - [House Church Theology](https://home-church.org/house-church-theology/): The Home Church? It hasn’t changed. But what happened to the Institutional Church? see Home vs. Institution NEW Home Church Theology Classroom on YouTube Why Theology? Can’t we just read our bibles? Paul told the Philippians to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” That can only mean that we each have a responsibility to develop a right understanding of our triune God. While a simple faith is sufficient for salvation, those desiring a deeper understanding of God’s written word need theology to avoid the trap of being misled by a few proof texts offered by an adversary that can […] - [Doctrine of Church](https://home-church.org/house-church-theology/doctrine-of-church/): Can one be a Christian and never go to church? Of course, we need to define “going to church.” The Scriptures are clear that attendance for the wrong reasons does not please God (Ps. 50, Amos 5:21-24, etc.). Many say they avoid church because they worship God alone, “in their own way.” Well, we certainly are not required to worship in the identical manner–besides, there is no one way described in the Bible anyway. But one can’t really be a Christian alone. Christianity is corporate from its very roots. It is absolutely essential for God’s children to learn to work and play together in the […] - [Sign In](https://home-church.org/sign-in/) - [Dashboard](https://home-church.org/dashboard/) - [Author Profile](https://home-church.org/author-profile/) - [Single Tag](https://home-church.org/single-tag/) - [Single Location](https://home-church.org/single-location/) - [Single Category](https://home-church.org/single-category/) - [House Church Directory - All Listings](https://home-church.org/all-listings/): Free Directory of House Churches. FIND a house church. LIST your house church. List yourself as looking for a House Church. Simple to use. No Log-In Required. New Listings Add Listing Directory Instructions - [Add Listing](https://home-church.org/add-listing/): Please read our About Us Page to determine if your group belongs in our directory. - [Search Results](https://home-church.org/search-result/) - [Search Directory](https://home-church.org/search-home/) - [Subscribe](https://home-church.org/subscribe/): Keep up to date on new content on our website. - [Contact Us](https://home-church.org/contactus/) - [Privacy Policy](https://home-church.org/privacy-policy/): Effective Date: [Insert Date, e.g., September 6, 2026] Website: https://indigo-shark-594032.hostingersite.com (“Site”) Organization: Home Church (“we,” “us,” or “our”) 1. Introduction Welcome to Home Church. We value your trust and are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you visit home-church.org, how we use and protect it, and your choices regarding your data. By accessing or using our website, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. 2. Information We Collect We only collect information that is necessary to connect with you, support our ministry, and improve your […] - [Sample Page](https://home-church.org/sample-page/): This is an example page. It’s different from a blog post because it will stay in one place and will show up in your site navigation (in most themes). Most people start with an About page that introduces them to potential site visitors. It might say something like this: Hi there! I’m a bike messenger by day, aspiring actor by night, and this is my website. I live in Los Angeles, have a great dog named Jack, and I like piña coladas. (And gettin’ caught in the rain.) …or something like this: The XYZ Doohickey Company was founded in 1971, and […] - [Maintenance](https://home-church.org/maintenance/): Sorry, website is undergoing server maintenance. We are doing some maintenance on our website to improve your experience.It should not be long, please check out our Facebook page until we’re back up. - [Team](https://home-church.org/team/): Our Team We have a small team of dedicated volunteer believers working on this website. Do you want to join the team? Contact Us 1 Cor 2:16 “We have the mind of Christ” We can use the following help: Editors for Discussion Topics SummationCollectively, we together have precious insights and wisdom that is in the comments […] - [About Us](https://home-church.org/about-us/): The House Church Discussion List (HCDL) was established in 1995 to network with and encourage folks whose vision is: The revitalized art gallery is set to redefine cultural landscape. The founders of this list hold the conviction that regardless of gender, race, or age, all Christians should have the complete and equal opportunity to fully […] - [Terms of Use](https://home-church.org/terms-of-use/): Effective Date: [Insert Date, e.g., September 6, 2026] Website: https://indigo-shark-594032.hostingersite.com (“Site”, “Directory”, or “Platform”) Project: Home Church Directory (“we,” “us,” or “our”) 1. Introduction & Acceptance of Terms Welcome to home-church.org. This website is an unofficial, volunteer-run, non-profit community directory designed to help Christian believers connect, find, and share local home churches, house meetings, and […] - [House Church Directory Listings (PNew)](https://home-church.org/listnew/): New Listings Add Listing Directory Instructions - [Sign in - Sign Up](https://home-church.org/sign-in-sign-up/) - [Impact Your Neighborhood](https://home-church.org/impact-your-neighborhood/) - [cc073168](https://home-church.org/cc073168/): The Vernard Eller Collection The Ethic of Promise Ethical Thinking in the Eschatological Modeby Vernard Eller If the Theology of Promise (or what some people may still insist on calling “the Theology of Hope” is ever to make anything of itself, sooner or later will need to develop a department of ethics. What follows are […] - [Resources](https://home-church.org/resources/): Archives Church History Websites Books Giving Children Pitfalls - [Worship](https://home-church.org/worship/) - [New Listings](https://home-church.org/new-listings/) - [Giving](https://home-church.org/giving/) - [Church History](https://home-church.org/church-history/) - [Book Reviews](https://home-church.org/book-reviews-2/) - [atonement](https://home-church.org/atonement/): The Cross, the Empty Tomb  Paul wrote in  the book of Romans, that “… if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9) The cross and resurrection are the central events of our faith. Most of […] - [House Church](https://home-church.org/house-church/): When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” In Luke 18:8b, Jesus asks the above question. The question sounds rhetorical, but there is no clear implied answer. It is sandwiched between two parables concerning prayer but does not seem to be about prayer. And to complicate the short half-verse even more, […] - [Bible Study](https://home-church.org/bible-study/): Some Helps for group bible studies: The Importance of Group Study We like to think of the Bible as having stability and accuracy. We can point to the thousands of ancient witnesses to its integrity and depend on it “for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,so that everyone who belongs to […] - [House Church Central Classic](https://home-church.org/house-church-central-classic/): Welcome to the new home of House Church Central. HCCentral Classic HCCentral.com has joined forces with home-church.org: Introduction God has blessed you with a special kind of Christian fellowship that many have not even tasted. Mt. 18:20 promises that the Lord Jesus himself sits among you as you gather together in his name. You have […] - [Theology](https://home-church.org/theology/) - [blumhardt2](https://home-church.org/blumheardt/blumhardt2/): The Vernard Eller Collection Thy Kingdom Come: A Blumhardt Reader (Continued) Vernard Eller, Editor T. Danger of Degeneracy Areas in which Blumhardt’s thought might become distorted among his followers. — V.E. 1 Being Quiet or Quietrism? The hope derived from the light of the Holy Spirit also has its reverse side, namely, that we come alive […] - [Darby](https://home-church.org/darby/): Seven Age Dispensationalism To say that the appearance of the Scofield Reference Bible in 1909 caused a dramatic change in evangelical Christianity would be an understatement. Many have studied its footnotes with great care, almost giving them an authority equal to the biblical text itself. Anyone who dares raise any question about its teachings is immediately called […] - [blumhardt1](https://home-church.org/blumheardt/blumhardt1/): The Vernard Eller Collection Thy Kingdom Come: A Blumhardt Reader (Continued) Vernard Eller, Editor N. The Fall of Christendom 1. From the Spirit to the Letter What can we do that the life of God might be in us? What stands in the way? A current mode of biblical scholarship. These scholars have murdered the […] - [blumheardt](https://home-church.org/blumheardt/): The Vernard Eller Collection Thy Kingdom Come: A Blumhardt Reader Vernard Eller, Editor Table of Contents Preface The subject of my doctoral study was Søren Kierkegaard, the nineteenth-century Danish thinker. In the course of that research I came across Emil Brunner’s testimony to the effect that the best predecessors of Neo-Orthodoxy were “two great figures […] - [hc Theo history](https://home-church.org/hc-theo-history/): History of House Church Theology House Church Theology has a long historical thread. That is, certain writers over the centuries have built upon the contributions of those who lived in prior generations. This page presents a shortened list of contributors–but in listing these persons it is not the intent of this short essay to necessarily […] - [film28](https://home-church.org/films/film28/): The Village Return toMovie Menu Touchstone Pictures. Directed by M. Night Shyamalan. William Hurt, Joaquin Phoenix, Adrien Brody, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sigourney Weaver, and Brendan Gleeson. Music by James Newton Howard. As we view the film, we are led to believe that we are witnessing an early-American village that has “circled the wagons” to keep […] - [film27](https://home-church.org/films/film27/): Unplanned Return toMovie Menu Screenplay: Gary Solomon, Chuck Konzelman. Produced by Chris Jones, Joe Knopp, Daryl Lefever, Cary Solomon, Chuck Konzelman. Directed by Cary Solommon and Chuck Konzelman. Released by Pure Flix. The movie “Unplanned” closely follows the book of the same title from which it is derived, and presents the true story of the […] - [film26](https://home-church.org/films/film26/): Signs Return toMovie Menu Touchstone Pictures, directed by M. Night Shyamalan. Features Mel Gibson, Cherry Jones, and Joaquin Phoenix. Music by James Newton Howard. Set in rural Pennsylvania, a farmer discovers a “crop circle” in his field — only the first of a number of strange “signs” that point to a coming extra-terrestrial invasion. Many […] - [film25](https://home-church.org/films/film25/): Shadowlands Return toMovie Menu Price Entertainment, Spelling Films International. Screenplay by William Nicholson based on his stageplay. Produced by William Attenborough and Brian Eastman. Directed by Richard Attenborough. This account of the meeting and subsequent marriage between C. S. Lewis (Anthony Hopkins) and Joy Gresham (Debra Winger) is, at one level, a love story. As […] - [film24](https://home-church.org/films/film24/): Seven (1995) Return toMovie Menu New Line Cinema. Produced by Arnold Kopelson and Phyllis Carlyle. Writtecn by Andrew Kevin Walker. Directed by David Fincher. This is a dark, clever, and suspenseful film showing two extremes on how the abundant sin manifest in society might be dealt with. One extreme is to flee from it, and […] - [film23](https://home-church.org/films/film23/): Run Lola Run Return toMovie Menu Sony Pictures Classics, Bavaria Film International, X-Filme Creative Pool. Produced by Stefan Arndt. Written and directed by Tom Tykwer. (In German with English sub-titles). Chaos Theory, a fairly recent observation of the scientific community is the fact that minute differences in “initial conditions” can completely change the outcome of […] - [film22](https://home-church.org/films/film22/): River Runs Through It Return toMovie Menu Columbia Pictures. Produced by Patrick Markey and Robert Redford. Directed by Robert Redford. Screenplay by Richard Friedenberg after a Norman Maclean’s autobiographical novella. “Eventually, all things merge into one, and the river runs through it.” So says the concluding, title narrative that stresses the importance of the river […] - [film21](https://home-church.org/films/film21/): Phone Booth Return toMovie Menu Twentieth Century Fox, a Joel Schumacher film.Rated R. 2002. Warning — this Rated R film has all the profanity and situations that one might expect in some of the worst New York City neighborhoods. It pits a young man named Stu (Colin Farrell) against an enemy that he only knows […] - [film20](https://home-church.org/films/film20/): Pay It Forward Return toMovie Menu Warner Brothers in association with bel-Air Entertainment and Tapestry Films. Produced by Steven Reuther, Peter Abrams, and Robert L. Levy. Directed by Mimi Leder. Screenplay by Leslie Dixon after a novel by Catherine Ryan Hyde. Have you ever wanted a DVD for your library that you can pull out […] - [film19](https://home-church.org/films/film19/): Passengers (2008) Return toMovie Menu TriStar Pictures film directed by Rodrigo Garcia, screenplay by Ronnie Christensen This concerns the 2008 “Passengers” movie — not the 2016 movie that is set on an elegant space ship and has 5000 hibernating passengers on their way on a century-long journey to a new planet. The passengers in this […] - [film18](https://home-church.org/films/film18/): The Matrix Return toMovie Menu Warner Brothers, Village Roadshow Pictures, Groucho II Film Partnership, Silver Pictures. Produced by Joel Silver. Written and directed by The Wachowski Brothers. It is 1999 and people are coming and going exactly as we expect them to do in a modern city like Sidney, where this movie was filmed. They […] - [film17](https://home-church.org/films/film17/): Magnolia Return toMovie Menu New Line Cinema, Joanne Sellar/Ghoulardi Film Company. Produced by Joanne Sellar. Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Warning. The film begins wiith a pretty vulgar “seminar” that might prompt some viewers to walk out. If you can survive these few minutes, you will probably be glad you stayed. This is […] - [film16](https://home-church.org/films/film16/): Life Before her Eyes Return toMovie Menu Magnolia Pictures and 2929 Productions, produced by Chase Bailey, Mike Upton, Couper Samuelson, and Ian McGloin. Directed by Vadim Perelman, music by James Horner. Rated R. Sadly, few will consider viewing this movie once they understand that it is centered around a school shooting incident. But it is […] - [film15](https://home-church.org/films/film15/): Liberty Heights Return toMovie Menu Warner Brothers, Baltimore/Spring Creek Pictures. Produced by Barry Levinson and Paula Weinstein. Written and directed by Barry Levinson. This is the fourth of Levinson’s “Baltimore” films, documenting the advent of integration laws in 1954 Baltimore, Maryland. In short, the kids have a far easier time adjusting to integration than do […] - [film14](https://home-church.org/films/film14/): Les Miserables Return toMovie Menu Universal films and Working Title directed by Tom Hooper. Les Miserables is truly a Christian movie, but this version suffers from the usual Hollywood treatment of musical theatre by substituting good voices with movie stars who can barely sing. Those who enjoy the music would be better served by the […] - [film13](https://home-church.org/films/film13/): Ice Storm Return toMovie Menu Fox Searchlight Pictures, Good Machine Productions. Produced by Ted Hope, James Schamaus, and Ang Lee. Written by James Schamaus. Directed by Ang Lee. The destruction caused by an ice storm is a gradual process, as water coats the limbs of trees and freezes, gradually adding weight until they fracture and […] - [film12](https://home-church.org/films/film12/): Henry Poole Is Here Return toMovie Menu Overture Films and Lakeshore Entertainment a Mark Pellington Film A delightfully entertaining PG film about miracles. Is a flawed stucco job on the side of Henry’s house a dispenser of miracles or not? One neighbor (a hilarious role played by Adriana Barraza) is sure the answer is yes, […] - [film11](https://home-church.org/films/film11/): Hacksaw Ridge Return toMovie Menu A film directed by Mel Gibson and released in the USA by Lionsgate. Directed by Mel Gibson, starring Andrew Garvield et a A biographical depiction of the life of Desmond Doss, a Seventh Day Adventist conscientious objector who overcame tremendous resistance from the military establishment in his effort to become […] - [film10](https://home-church.org/films/film10/): Groundhog Day Return toMovie Menu Columbia Pictures, Trevor Albert Production, Harold Ramis Film Some movies deserve annual viewing, and this Bill Murray comedy belongs in that category. When to view it? On every February 2, of course! The co-writer and director of Groundhog Day, the late Harold Ramis, reports on the commentary track of the […] - [film9](https://home-church.org/films/film9/): Ghost Return toMovie Menu Paramount Pictures and Howard W. Koch Productions. Produced by Lisa Weinstein. Written by Bruce Joel Rubin. Directed by Jerry Zucker. This Academy Award winner (1990, best screenplay) has plenty going for it. It’s a mystery, it’s a love story, and (thanks to Whoopi Goldberg) it is a comedy. One thing it […] - [film8](https://home-church.org/films/film8/): Fireproof Return toMovie Menu Affirm Films, Provident Films and Carmel Entertainment, a Kendrick Brothers production This is probably the best of the productions of the Albany Georgia’s Provident Church movie makers. I don’t normally deal with purposefully Christian films because the non-believing society in which we all live is not likely to have watched them. […] - [film7](https://home-church.org/films/film7/): Family Man Return to Movie Menu Universal Pictures, Beacon Pictures. Produced by Marc Abraham, Zvi Howard Rosenman, Tony Ludwig, and Alan Riche. Written by David Diamond and David weissman. Directed by Brett Ratner. The Family Man has only one sentence of theology–bad theology at that–but presents an upbeat “simple life” theme that more than compensates. […] - [film6](https://home-church.org/films/film6/): The End of the Affair Return toMovie Menu Columbia Pictures. Produced by Stephen Woolley and Neil Jordan. Novel by Graham Green, screenplay by Neil Jordan. Directed by Neil Jordan. The beginning words of this film, pounded into a typewriter by an angry Maurice Bendrix (Ralph Fiennes), are “This is a diary of hate.” Who is […] - [film5](https://home-church.org/films/film5/): Deterrence Return toMovie Menu Paramount Classics, TF1 International, Battleplan Productions. Produced by Marc Frydman and James Spies. Written and directed by Rod Lurie. This is a movie that has some beautiful theology. Rob Lurie loves making political thrillers. And he’s good at it. Unfortunately, Deterrence spent only a week in the local theater in our area, and […] - [film4](https://home-church.org/films/film4/): City of Angels Return toMovie Menu Paramount Pictures and Icon Productions. Produced by Mace Neufeld, directed by Chuck Russell. Visual effects supervised by Joel Hynek. Screenplay by Tom Rickman, Clifford Green, and Ellen Green from a novel by Cathy Cash Spellman. This film is surely one of the strongest affirmations of God’s gift of human […] - [film3](https://home-church.org/films/film3/): Changing Lanes Return toMovie Menu Warner Brothers, Regency Enterprises, and Atlas Entertainment. Produced by Dawn Steel and Charles Roven. Directed by Brad Silberling. This is billed as a “suspense thriller,” but it is really one of the most remarkable cinematic studies of ethics to appear on the screen in years. The stories of the two […] - [film2](https://home-church.org/films/film2/): Bless the Child Return toMovie Menu Paramount Pictures and Icon Productions. Produced by Mace Neufeld, directed by Chuck Russell. Visual effects supervised by Joel Hynek. Screenplay by Tom Rickman, Clifford Green, and Ellen Green from a novel by Cathy Cash Spellman. This film was marketed as a horror movie with elaborate special effects, and the […] - [film1](https://home-church.org/films/film1/): Babette’s Feast Return to Movie Menu A film by Gabriel Axel. MGM Entertainment. Featuring Stephane Audran Here is a film about a small Danish house church fellowship that has been dealing with the death of its leader in a harsh, coastal environment. We meet each of the church members and soon discover that all is […] - [films](https://home-church.org/films/): Movie Time Theological Reflections on the Movie Scene by Herb Drake If I had a list of my favorite films, only a few of the films listed here would be on it–some, in fact, would be way down on my “favorites” list. But these films stood out because I believe they have themes or content that merit discussion […] - [kierkegaard4](https://home-church.org/kierkegaard4/): Kierkegaard and Radical Discipleship:A New Perspective by Vernard Eller (continued) PART II: THE DUNKERS AND THE DANE VIII. Christ as Savior and Pattern Jesus Christ was the foremost reality of S.K.’s faith and religious thought. Many scholars–at least among those of theological persuasion–have appreciated something of the centrality of that orientation; all too few have […] - [kierkegaard3](https://home-church.org/kierkegaard3/): Kierkegaard and Radical Discipleship:A New Perspective by Vernard Eller (continued) PART II: THE DUNKERS AND THE DANE VI. The Churh Well Lost Thus far we have examined S.K.’s position regarding secular sociality, both the World Negative which his faith impelled him to reject and the World Positive which his faith equally impelled him to accept, […] - [kierkegaard2](https://home-church.org/kierkegaard2/): Kierkegaard and Radical Discipleship:A New Perspective by Vernard Eller (continued) PART II: THE DUNKERS AND THE DANE III. The Problem of Sociality Nobody wants to be this strenuous thing:an individual; it demands an effort.But everywhere services are readily offered throughthe phony substitute: a few! Let us get togetherand be a gathering, then we can probably […] - [kierkegaard1](https://home-church.org/kierkegaard1/): The Vernard Eller Collection Kierkegaard and Radical Discipleship:A New Perspective by Vernard Eller (continued) PART II: THE DUNKERS AND THE DANE I. The Decisive Christian Category “The individual”–that is the decisive Christian category, and it will be decisive for the future of Christianity.1 “Den Enkelte” (“the individual”–in contrastto “the public”) [is] a thought in which […] - [kierkegaard0](https://home-church.org/kierkegaard0/): The Vernard Eller Collection Kierkegaard and Radical Discipleship:A New Perspective by Vernard Eller Table of Contents To my two sons, Sander Mack Eller and Enten Eller. Part I: THE PERSPECTIVE Part II: THE DUNKERS AND THE DANE Part III: THE OPENING CONCLUSION Preface This book comes as the product of a rather long development. It […] - [Genesis](https://home-church.org/genesis/): Introduction Christians and Jews are not the only ones who love Genesis. It is widely regarded in the literary world as an excellent example of ancient literature even among those who do not study it for its “religious” content. Christians study Genesis not as a relic of a dead society, but as a part of […] - [Book Reviews](https://home-church.org/book-reviews/) - [eakins](https://home-church.org/eakins/): Archaeology and the Bible By Dr. J. Kenneth Eakins Joel Kenneth Eakins was a professor of archaeology and Old Testament studies at Golden Gate Baptist Seminary in Mill Valley, California, from 1970 to 1993 PART ONE I blend some of my own words with those of Professor Keith Schoville of the University of Wisconsin (author of Biblical […] - [Feedback](https://home-church.org/feedback/) - [birkey3](https://home-church.org/birkey3/): The House Church: A Missiological Model by Del Birkey This article focuses on the house churches of the New Testament and their unique socio-physical structure. Since all the churches of the New Testament were communities small enough to meet in somebody’s private home, certain theological and sociological ramifications arise out of this stark reality. From […] - [Gallagher](https://home-church.org/gallagher-2/): To What Extent Does the Constitution Preotect Religious House Meetings from Governrment Regulaltion? A Legal Analysis by Sean J. Gallagher Usage Note: You may freely reproduce and distribute this work provided that that no changes are made, no revenues are collected beyond the nominal cost of media, and credit is given to the author and […] - [Books](https://home-church.org/books/): Books for the Home Church Library The books listed below are highly recommended for the house church library. Even though many are out of print, pre=owned copies are often available on Amazon, eBay, and other book sellers. Please let us know of other books that you find useful. BOOKS ON HOME CHURCH                 The Church Comes Home by […] - [What to do with the Children](https://home-church.org/what-to-do-with-the-children/) - [pearl](https://home-church.org/pearl/): The Vernard Eller Collection Pearl of Christian Counsel for the Brokenhearted by Vernard Eller PEARL is an anonymous 14th-century poem, itself a gem both of literary art and spiritual devotion. Written in middle English, this monograph includes Eller’s translation and commentary. Counsel for those experiencing loss. To My Pearlsmy grandmother, Jessie Pearl;my aunt, Emily Pearl;my […] - [House Church Pitfalls](https://home-church.org/house-church-pitfalls/) - [eu2](https://home-church.org/putting-it-in-the-words-of-c-s-lewis/): The Vernard Eller Collection Putting It in the Words of C. S. Lewis by Vernard Eller Anyone who has followed my work at all knows that the heart of my concern lies in what I see happening in the life of the church (the Church of the Brethren in particular but the larger church as […] - [eu1](https://home-church.org/eu1/): The Vernard Eller Collection TECHNIQUE or KINDLY LIGHT? by Vernard Eller Two very different ways of proceeding are indicated by our two phrases, “technique” on the one hand and “kindly light” on the other. And as the church makes its way through the world, it 1S imperative that we give deliberate thought and attention as […] - [ea8](https://home-church.org/ea8/): The Vernard Eller Collection Humanity’s Referendum on GOD by Vernard Eller By Vote of the Constituents It strikes me as imperative that the human race (or at least the religionists involved) come to a firm decision as to whether: It obviously can’t be both ways at once. This is a true “either/or” which has to be decided […] - [referandum](https://home-church.org/1998-2/): The Vernard Eller Collection Humanity’s Referendum on GOD By Vote of the Constituents by Vernard Eller It strikes me as imperative that the human race (or at least the religionists involved) come to a firm decision as to whether: It obviously can’t be both ways at once. This is a true “either/or” which has to be decided […] - [ea7](https://home-church.org/ea7/): The Vernard Eller Collection On [Contemporary] Worship by Vernard Eller WORSHIP, of which Jesus says, “God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” (Jn. 4:23) But which is the worship in truth? Is it the Contemporary-styled song and dance of which God says, “I hate, I despise your festivals, […] - [ea6](https://home-church.org/ea6/): The Vernard Eller Collection On the Risks and Dangers of WORSHIP by Vernard Eller WORSHIP (in all its different forms, and with all its different appurtenances) is a very big thing in the church-life of our day. That, of course, would seem to be all to the good; yet I am convinced that the matter […] - [ea5](https://home-church.org/ea5/): The Vernard Eller Collection So You See Yourself as a Prophet? An Amos or a Jonah? by Vernard Eller With some regularity today’s social activists of the Christian Left appeal to the Old Testament prophets as precedent for their confrontational protest-witness against the powers. I here want to suggest that we will be in better […] - [ea4](https://home-church.org/ea4/): The Vernard Eller Collection Covenantal Sex and Marriage A biblical approach to marriage, fornication, divorce, adultery by Vernard Eller When confronting the tide of “Christian” divorces and remarriages, evangelicals have responded with a number of interesting books and magazine interviews. Yet I find myself increasingly restive about the line of approach these tend to take […] - [ea3](https://home-church.org/ea3/): The Vernard Eller Collection Jesus and the Farmworkers by Vernard Eller This won’t be what you are thinking it is. You are not herewith invited to be a spectator, or auditor, as I discourse about what I see to be the relevance of Jesus’ teachings for the present situation of the United Farmworkers (Cesar Chavez […] - [ea2](https://home-church.org/ea2/): The Vernard Eller Collection Why the First Commandment Must Be First Mark 12:28-34 by Vernard Eller When reckoning a passage in Mark’s gospel with the title “Why the First Commandment Must be First,” I see that the first thing I must do is specify that we are talking about Jesus’ Two Commandments rather than Moses’ […] - [ea1](https://home-church.org/ea1/): The Vernard Eller Collection Peace: Not As the World Gives by Vernard Eller “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives….” With these words of Jn. 14:27, it strikes me that Jesus is making a rather clear demarcation between two different orders […] - [rev5](https://home-church.org/rev5/): The Vernard Eller Collection The Most Revealing Book of the Bible (continued) by Vernard Eller 4:1-14 IX. The Apportioning of Mankind 20:4-15 To this point, John has been very careful and thorough regarding every event he has described; indeed, there may not be one he has not repeated a number of times in the effort to give […] - [rev4](https://home-church.org/rev4/): The Vernard Eller Collection The Most Revealing Book of the Bible (continued) by Vernard Eller 4:1-14 VI. The End-Time in Freehand Sketch 12:20 John now is ready to go through an end-time account for the third time; but in this instance he chooses to discard his pattern of the seven-series and do it freehand We […] - [rev3](https://home-church.org/rev3/): The Vernard Eller Collection The Most Revealing Book of the Bible (continued) by Vernard Eller III. The Control of History in the End-Time 4:1-14 As we move into this scene in the throne room of God, be very aware that John’s motive in writing and ours in reading is not simply the satisfaction of curiosity […] - [rev2](https://home-church.org/rev2/): The Vernard Eller Collection The Most Revealing Book of the Bible (continued) by Vernard Eller II. The Revealer’s Letters to Seven Actual Churches 2:1-3:22 Christ the Revealer dictates to John a letter for each of the churches. They are filled with specific details with which the original readers would have been completely familiar and with […] - [rev1](https://home-church.org/rev1/): The Vernard Eller Collection The Most Revealing Book of the Bible by Vernard Eller “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, Made Known to John” Table of Contents Revealing What? A technical and authoritative exegesis of the book of Revelation this is not. Our purpose is more to amble through it as a book to be read […] - [allwrong5](https://home-church.org/allwrong5/): The vernard Eller Collection Could the Church Have It all Wrong? (continued) by Vernard Eller V. The Covenant of the Body Broken Here starts our focused and detailed treatment of the Lord’s Supper. The method will be different from what we just used with baptism. There we located all the NT references we could find—and […] - [allwrong4](https://home-church.org/allwrong4/): The Vernard Eller Collection Could the Church Have It all Wrong (continued) by Vernard Eller IV. I Baptize You Our three chapters thus far have continually spoken to (and had implications regarding) the Lord’s Supper. Baptism, for its part, has received pretty short shrift. This is not owing to any prejudice of mine against baptism. […] - [allwrong3](https://home-church.org/allwrong3/): The Vernard Eller Collection Could the Church Have It all Wrong? (Continued) by Vernard Eller III. The Centrality of Covenant We have been narrowing the field in our effort to establish that the New Testament interpretation of the Lord’s Supper (in particular) has come to us not out of any sort of sacramental tradition but […] - [allwrong2](https://home-church.org/allwrong2/): The Vernard Eller Collection Could the Church Have It all Wrong (continued) by Vernard Eller Table of Contents II. A New Testament Without Sacramentalism The foregoing chapter established the basic distinction between the sacramental understanding of worship and recital. The chapter following will develop the overall content of biblical recital. Yet this present chapter must be dedicated […] - [cc112972](https://home-church.org/cc112972/): Letters to The Christian Century by Vernard Eller How Jacques Ellul Reads the Bible Keeping the balance between the forest and trees by Vernard Eller November 29, 1972 Voices in our midst are calling for some sort of new biblical hermeneutic. Most insistent among them, perhaps, are those of Brevard S. Childs (Biblical Theology in Crisis) and […] - [cc031170](https://home-church.org/cc031170/): Letters to The Christian Century by Vernard Eller Sex Power and the Revolution Observe a fallacy: That sexual permissiveness can be compatible with real social revolution by Vernard Eller March 11, 1970 We live in the midst of thoroughgoing social revolution. (As you see, I like to open my articles with a strikingly original statement […] - [cc100869](https://home-church.org/cc100869/): Letters to The Christian Century by Vernard Eller Who Are These Blumhardt Characters Anyhow? by Vernard Eller October 8, 1969 The editorial concerning the 50th anniversary of the death of Christoph Blumhardt that appeared in the July 30 Century was a nice little squib. However, the sentence to the effect that Blumhardt “inspire[s] cultic response […] - [cc121868](https://home-church.org/cc121868/): Letters to The Christian Century by Vernard Eller Christmas and Luke’s Theology of Hope It is for us, as for the people of the third Gospel, to look beyond the stable toward the Kingdom of God by Vernard Eller December 18, 1968 I was head over heels in the theology of hope (That theology The Christian […] - [cc041068](https://home-church.org/cc041068-2/): Letters to The Christian Century by Vernard Eller The Ethic of Promise Ethical Thinking in the Eschatological Mode April 10, 1968 If the Theology of Promise (or what some people may still insist on calling “the Theology of Hope” is ever to make anything of itself, sooner or later will need to develop a department […] - [cc041068](https://home-church.org/cc041068/): Letters to The Christian Century by Vernard Eller Theology of Promise vs. Theology of Hope by Vernard Eller April 10, 1968 While this letter makes reference to a number of prior articles in The Christian Century,  the astute reader will nevertheless be blessed by the contrasts Dr. Eller makes between a human and a God-centered theology. […] - [cc122767](https://home-church.org/cc122767/): Letters to The Christian Century by Vernard Eller The ‘MAD’ Morality An Exposé by Vernnard Eller December 27, 1967 The Caesars of contextual ethics have told us that morality, like all gall, is divided into three parts: Obviously there is something wrong with this typology. It is clear that the ethical theory regnant in respectable […] - [cc110167](https://home-church.org/cc110167/): The Vernard Eller Collection Protestant Radicalism Identification of the Phenomenon as Eschatological Witness in the World by Vernard Eller November 1, 1967 In this article, Dr. Eller traces the “believer’s church” theology articulated on this site (and referred to as “house church theology”) back to its historial roots in pietism. He aligns that theology with eschatology–not […] - [cc052467](https://home-church.org/cc05246/): The Nude Morality or “But, Fellows, We Don’t Live in Eden Any More!” by Vernard Eller Letters to The Christian Century by Vernard Eller September 20, 1963 Recognition is due the fact that the fight for the new morality is being largely carried on by one particularly dedicated band of film critics–such Dave Pomeroy (Internationo1 Council of […] - [cc121466](https://home-church.org/cc121466/): Letters to The Christian Century by Vernard Eller A Theology of Nonresistance Man’s ultimate liberty cannot be defended by war; indeed, the very act of going to war marks its loss. by Vernard Eller December 14, 1966 I propose to set before you a theology of nonresistance. Let me insist at once that a theology […] - [cc042866](https://home-church.org/cc042866/): Letters to The Christian Century by Vernard Eller COCU: Self-Defeating? Can this merger achieve its own most central objectives? And could a merged church forward the continuing effort of the body of Christ to become more truly evangelical, catholic, reformed? by Vernard Eller April 28, 1966 The Consultation On Church Union (COCU), also known as the “Blake/Pike” […] - [ccbapt](https://home-church.org/ccbapt/): Baptism and Rebaptism–a Controversy Letters to The Christian Century by Vernard Eller August 18, 1965 and November 10, 1965 These two letters to The Christian Century are part of a continuing dialog that was sparked by the decision of President Lyndon Johnson’s daughter Luci to join the Roman Catholic church. Luci had been baptized as in infant […] ## Optional - [Agent (MCP protocol)](websites-agents.hostinger.com/home-church.org/mcp) [comment]: # (Generated by Hostinger Tools Plugin)