• Directories
    • Business Directory
    • Church Directory
    • Organization Directory
  • Advertise
  • Donate
  • Help
  • Log In
MENUMENU
  • Learning
        • Leader’s Edge
          • Author Interviews
          • Book Summaries
        • Book Reviews
          • Book Look
          • EMQ Book Reviews
        • Publications
          • Anthology
          • Evangelical Missions Quarterly (EMQ)
          • Missiographics
        • Podcasts
          • The Mission MattersNew
          • Missio Nexus
          • People First HR
          • Members Only Feed
        • Blogs
          • Global Issues Updates
          • Member Highlights
          • Mission Advisors
        • Topics
          • COVID-19 ResourcesNew
          • Diaspora Missions
          • Mobilization
          • Muslim Missions
          • Support Raising
        • Media Library
          • Conferences
          • Global Issue Updates
          • On Mission
          • Thought Leader Briefings
          • Webinars
          • Workshop
          • View All
  • Programs
    • Accreditation
    • Alliance for Benefits
    • Bible CertificateNew
    • Church Missions Coaching
    • Cohorts
    • Cybersecurity
    • ImproveNew
    • Mission Jobs
    • RightNow Media
    • The Mission App
    • Women’s Development
  • Events
          • Calendar
          • In-Person Events
          • Virtual Events
          • Event Recordings
          • Awards
        • Upcoming Events

          • Webinar: Through the Wall
            Thu Jan 28 2021, 02:00pm EST
          • Your Best Kingdom Workers Are Hidden in Plain Sight
            Thu Feb 11 2021, 09:00am EST
          • Three Easy Ways to Drive Innovation
            Thu Feb 11 2021, 02:00pm EST
        • View All Events
  • Research
          • Missiographics
          • Mission Handbook
          • Research Reports
        • Popular Research
          • Compensation Reports
          • COVID-19 ResourcesNew
          • Field Attrition Report
          • View All Reports
        • Contribute
          • Current Research Projects
          • Submit Data for Mission Handbook
          • Volunteer
  • About Us
        • Who We Are
          • Our Contribution
          • Meet the Team
          • Board Members
          • History (1917–present)
        • Our Beliefs
          • Statement of Faith
          • Community Standards
        • Awards
        • Partner with Us
          • Advertise
          • Donate
          • Sponsorships
          • Volunteer
        • Help
          • Contact Us
          • Advertising Specs
          • Branding Guidelines
  • Join
        • Learn
        • Learn what you cannot learn anywhere else.

        • Meet
        • Meet people you otherwise won’t meet.

        • Engage
        • Engage in a community like none other.

          • Benefits
          • Benefits for Churches
          • Pricing

Sponsored Content

Upcoming Events

  • Webinar: Through the Wall
    Thu Jan 28 2021, 02:00pm EST
  • Your Best Kingdom Workers Are Hidden in Plain Sight
    Thu Feb 11 2021, 09:00am EST
  • Three Easy Ways to Drive Innovation
    Thu Feb 11 2021, 02:00pm EST
  • Three Steps to Kickstart Your Fund Development Program
    Tue Feb 16 2021, 03:00pm EST
  • Webinar: Innovating Theological Education: How BibleMesh can Prepare your Staff for Ministry
    Thu Feb 25 2021, 02:00pm EST

View all events »

Topics

author interview Canada CEO Church Church Missions Church Mission Team Church Planting Coaching Conference Proceedings COVID-19 Cross Cultural Skills Diaspora Evangelism Focus Future Globally Engaged Churches Islam Justin Long Leadership Management Missiology Missionaries Mission Finance and Administration MLC2019 MLC2020 Mobilization muslim Muslim Diaspora Networks Partnership Personal Productivity Podcast Presenter Research Security Short-Term Missions Spirituality support raising Training Trends Unengaged Unreached unreached people groups Weekly Roundup Women

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

The Global House Church Movement

Posted on January 1, 2005 by January 1, 2005

by Rad Zdero

This concise and highly readable book brings another perspective to the growing phenomenon of house churches.

William Carey Library, P.O. Box 40129, Pasadena, CA 91114, 2004, 141 pages, $12.99.

—Reviewed by J. D. Payne, assistant professor of church planting and evangelism, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky.

This concise and highly readable book brings another perspective to the growing phenomenon of house churches. Zdero, who earned his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Queens’ University in Kingston, Canada, has been involved in cell and house church planting for many years and is the co-founder of House Church Canada.

The book begins by laying the vision for house churches. The second chapter discusses the author’s journey into the world of house churches. Chapters three and four address biblical and historical support for house churches. Chapter five consists of a discussion of ten declarations to call the Church to renewal, reform, and obedience to Christ. Chapters six and seven discuss practical and strategic issues regarding house church planting and movements. The book concludes with chapter eight and several appendices.

The thesis of this work is to call the Church to the house church expression for both life and global mission. Zdero believes the form and function of church is prescribed in the Scriptures as illustrated by the Apostolic pattern of house churches.

There are several strengths of this work. First, readers are challenged to become more biblical in their ecclesiology. Though some would disagree with his interpretations, Zdero does attempt to allow the Scriptures to support his convictions, and challenges us to discard many of our cultural understandings of the church that detract from a healthy ecclesiology and mission. Second, though some within the house church movement have abandoned evangelism, Zdero emphasizes this vital component of church life. Third, Zdero has done an excellent job attempting to balance the theoretical and the practical issues of house church life in a concise, easy-to-read fashion. Fourth, though Zdero is emphatic that the house church structure is a biblical prescription, he does state that his desire is “not to tear down anything that God is doing in and through the traditional church” (132).

Zdero’s hermeneutic is not always convincing. At times, he sees prescriptive elements of house church life in certain verses of Scripture that could easily be interpreted as solely descriptive elements of first century church life. Second, though Zdero describes house church life and movements in China, India, Cuba, Africa, Europe, North and South America, these descriptions are usually for illustrative purposes only. Little space is devoted to a discussion of a “global house church movement.”

This is an excellent work that will challenge and inspire readers. Church planters, strategy coordinators, mission strategists and missiologists will greatly benefit from this resource regardless of their geographical location.

…

Copyright © 2005 Evangelism and Missions Information Service (EMIS). All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced or copied in any form without written permission from EMIS.

GoToOlder PostNewer PostAll PostsBook ReviewsEMQSectionVolume 41 - Issue 1

Comments are closed.

Subscribe to Our Mailing List

Keep up to date with our community.

Menu

  • Join
  • Directories
  • Events
  • Donate

About

  • Who We Are
  • Statement of Faith
  • Awards
  • Resources

Help

  • Contact Us
  • Terms
  • Cookies Policy

Connect

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Google+

PO Box 398
Wheaton, IL 60187-0398

Phone: 770.457.6677
678.392.4577

© Missio Nexus.
All Rights Reserved.

Membership website powered by MembershipWorks