438. Chiang Rai House Church is Multiplying
Chiang Rai House church (HC) is multiplying next Sunday. (10/12) The new shepherd who will be appointed is Jeesu Sohn. This is the third multiplication of our HC since our second one, which occurred on 5/28, 2023. It took about 6 years for the last multiplication to happen. We are glad this one has taken only about 2 years. I encourage the house churches that are predominantly composed of singles to prioritize multiplying quickly until their numbers normalize to 6-8. I don’t say this to pressure shepherds to multiply just so we can have more house churches. House Church ministry is a marathon, and we serve believing that God sees our faithfulness, not results, to reward us. We appreciate all shepherds and spouses who serve faithfully and patiently. Having said that, here is why I say house churches with mostly singles can definitely work toward multiplying quickly.
The first reason is that we have a continuous influx of new graduating students from the youth ministry into the house church. It is a good problem to have, but if we don’t consider multiplication, numbers can increase quickly, and it can create an insider-friendly culture as youth know many of the members already. We are all for intergenerational friendships, but house churches are primarily focused on “horizontal” evangelism, reaching our non-Christian friends. (When YHC is for “vertical” evangelism, viewing our youth as VIPs) Maintaining a small group of 6-8 is vital for us to create an atmosphere conducive to inviting VIPs, rather than turning the house church into a mere fellowship gathering.
Secondly, serving many members every week eventually gets tiring. Cooking for a large group can be overwhelming, even for seasoned shepherd couples, let alone single shepherds. Once the number is about 4-6, it becomes much more manageable to cook. Additionally, it becomes challenging for shepherds to spend quality one-on-one time with their members if the number is too large. It is more beneficial for members to spend more time with their shepherds than to meet other members for spiritual growth.
Some may feel that they are not yet qualified to step out as shepherds. But just as Jesus raised his disciples, we believe in “learning on the job” as the discipleship method. Therefore, those who are registered, baptized members who have completed Living Life, can step up as shepherds (Deputy shepherd). Once they have completed all five essential Life Bible studies, they become full shepherds. (All current shepherds are deputy shepherds) So, start dreaming about becoming a shepherd one day. God always equips and provides for those who are willing to serve in His ministry.
