Why do Christians get all dressed up on Sunday, then go to a building, sit in rows, and listen to one professional person give a monologue sermon? Why do we have Sunday schools, nurseries, children’s churches, and youth services? Why do churches spend so much money on elaborate buildings and even call their building the house of God? Why will church leaders forsake the Bible, and do almost anything to fill their buildings? Why do we baptize an infant or say a sinner’s prayer and call that salvation? Why do we eat a little cracker and drink a tiny cup of juice and call that the Lord’s Supper.
The above paragraph is from a book my friend Teryl Hebert wrote called Biblical Church. The model of church changed over time and it is important to find out why and how. This is a great starter book for those interested in building relationships outside the corporate church. I have listed other resources on the subject.
Biblical Church by Teryl Hebert
Bringing the Teachings of Jesus and Biblical Community Into Your Home
Must read, free download available.
Pagan Christianity by Frank Viola and George Barna
One of the best researched and written books exploring the roots of our church practices. It’s a must read, see blog here.
Reimagining Church by Frank Viola
Masterful followup to Pagan Christianity (above) it’s also a must read. I have so much underlined in this book it’s hard to pick a favorite but here are two to consider. Excerpt on Rediscovery –Excerpt on Counting the Cost
The House Church Book by Wolfgang Simson
Rediscover the Dynamic, Organic, Relational, Viral Community Jesus Started
So many gems in this book, must read. There is a chapter about the differences between House Church and Cell Church and supporting scripture for House Church. See blog here.
58 to 0 – How Christ Leads Through The One Anothers by Jon Zens
One of my favorite books by Jon Zens, this book has some meat on it’s bones. You can read an excerpt here. You can check out all of Jon’s book by going to his website www.jonzens.com.
The Problem of Wineskins by Howard A. Snyder
Excellent book if you can find it (1975). Loaded with valuable insights and ideal for people who are contemplating a move away from the institutional church. Read an excerpt here.
God’s Spiritual House by T. Austin-Sparks
Great book and recommended. Please see the blog post to get a glimpse of the depth of this work. I purchased this book but I believe his work is made available for free, click here.
Don’t Be Called Leaders by Jon Zens
Jon Zens books are usually around 100 pages or less, they are easy to read and comprehend and they are filled with great thoughts and quotes from others. This is Jon’s latest book (2023) and is highly recommended. Read an excerpt here.
Community 101 by Gilbert Bilezikian
An essential meaty work explaining the importance of community, what true servant leadership is and the role of women in ministry. This really opened my eyes. Read an excerpt here.
The Normal Christian Life by Watchman Nee
This classic book by Watchman Nee is a must read. I have included two excerpts here about being broken and pouring out ourselves for Christ. Read them here.
The Pastor Has No Clothes by Jon Zens
This gem is from Jon Zens and discusses the role of the pastor and the clergy/liaty relationship and how this unbiblical practice has altered the way we engage with one another. Jon has been sharing truth since 1965. I would recommend you go to his website and check out his other resources. You can read an excerpt here.
How to Do Biblical “Church” WITHOUT a Church! by Kevin Geoffrey
This is a great new (2023) series by Kevin Geoffrey find out more here.
The Community Life of God by Milt Rodriguez
Reading this book was really enlightening. I highly recommend picking up multiple copies and reading through it as a group. The website listed in the book isn’t linked and his email doesn’t work. There is one website that talks about organic church, click here. I’m going to list a few excerpts here. Part 1 – An Individualistic Mindset. Part 2 – What Does God Eat? Part 3 – Conforming to His Image.
Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
A classic exploration of Christian community. Written in 1954, the language and concepts may seem a bit outdated, but the wisdom inside still packs a powerful punch. Highly recommended, you can read an excerpt here.
A Natural New Testament by Frank Daniels
A friend sent me a link to A Natural New Testament translated by Frank Daniels and originally released in 1995. For those of us who know that many words like church, pastor, bishop, deacon and others have been mistranslated this may be a good version to consider. You can read an excerpt here. The link to the on-line version can be found here. Click on the link and scroll down.
Relational Revolution by White, Daniels and Smith
5 Shifts for ReDiscovering Church as Heart-to-Heart Connection
Really great book, I recommend it. I used excerpts from a chapter in this book called “Maturing Spiritual Parents” for group study. How do we create homes of peace in our House Churches. See blog here for an excerpt.
Jesus is Family by Jon Zens
This is a great book and only about 100 pages. I recommend all of Jon’s books. Check out a short excerpt here.
Simple House Church Revolution by Roger Thoman
This is a great book and only about 60 pages. Click here for a free download. Check out a short excerpt here.
Finding Church by Wayne Jacobsen
Wayne feels like a loving guide who’s been there before and is trying to help navigate our journey to find true church. You can tell he has scars from past experiences but there’s no sense of bitterness in his words. This is a great travel guide and I would highly recommend this book if you want to have a truly enjoyable time on your journey. Read an excerpt here.
Jesus Unveiled by Keith Giles
I really liked this book. Keith is open and honest about his experiences with organic life. He gives real practical advice. Read an excerpt here.
Secrets of the Early Church by Andrew Strom
Concise, easy to read and understand. This would make a great study guide for those starting a House Church. Read an excerpt here.
The House Church by Del Birkey
Well researched treatise on House Church. It reads like a text book so be forewarned. You can read an excerpt here, it’s critical to understand and implement in our lives.
House Church Essentials by John C. Fenn
Power packed book that gives scriptural and practical help when starting a new house church or getting involved with an existing house church. Real examples of good and bad practices are included. Recommended reading, this book is available on Amazon. Read an excerpt here.
House Church: Embracing Authentic Community by Vanessa Hensel
This book is short and sweet just like the cover photo. It contains some nice insights on doing life together. Read an excerpt here.
The God-Evaders by Clyde Reid
Yes the church is dysfunctional, but is it on purpose? Read an excerpt here.
Gospel Houses by Art Thomas
Great resource for creating and sustaining House Church. Packed with practical and real life scenarios of doing life together that will help your House Church grow and become effective. After reading this I found myself refreshed and fired up to go out and make disciples. Read an excerpt here.
A Church Building Every 1/2 Mile by Jon Zens
Short (120 pages) and easy to read. This book has three sections. The first section explores the dysfunctionality of the current church/pastor system. The second is a letter of response to former Governor Jesse Ventura. The third section discusses four tragic shifts of the church. Read an excerpt here.
Going to the Root by Christian Smith
An older book but it’s still very relevant and contains great information and wisdom. The first excerpt is called Freedom is Overrated, read it here. The second is called Don’t Tell Me, Show Me, read it here.
The Global House Movement by Rad Zdero Ph.D.
Early Christians “minimized the complexity of their forms in order to maximize the effectiveness of their functions”. Around 140 pages, this is another great book emphasizing the positives of House Church. Read an excerpt here.
Finding Organic Church by Frank Viola
What a great book filled with practical guidelines on how to start and sustain an Organic Church! This is in depth study of how churches were started and guided by the early apostles and why it’s necessary today to have apostles/itinerant workers laying the foundation and giving guidance for healthy church development. Read an excerpt here.
the Naked Church by Wayne Jacobsen
Another great book by Wayne Jacobsen. Great insight and wisdom from a former institutional church pastor. You can read two excerpts here. The first talks about covering and accountability, click here. The second talks about the Clergy/Laity relationship, click here. The book is available for purchase but can be downloaded free here.
Return of the First Church the Word & Spirit in Balance by John C. Fenn
Great book and recommended. This is John’s story of how he found God moving outside the church structure that he had known, loved and been a part of his whole life. At almost 290 pages it reads like a text book for those who really want to go deep about the transformative power of House Church. Read an excerpt here.
So You Don’t Want To Go To Church Anymore by Wayne Jacobsen and Dave Coleman
Great narrative style book, read an excerpt here. Available for purchase or free download in six languages. Click here for more information.
Jesus, Disciple, Mission, Church by Chris J. Jefferies
Small, 50 page, study guide well suited for small groups. Read an excerpt here. Available for free, download it here.
The Way Church Was Meant To Be by Terry Stanley
Please don’t judge a book by its cover. The outside odd looking text might throw you off but the inside is full of gems. Really enjoyed this book and it felt more like a conversation with a friend over coffee than a text book. You can also read it for free here, but I recommend purchasing the book. I posted a few paragraphs here. You can also hear his testimony in Unsung Heroes.
The Anatomy of a Hybrid by Leonard Verduin
If you’re a history buff or just want to understand how the church drifted so far from the teachings of Christ, this book is for you. Extremely detailed, read an excerpt here. I highly recommend this book.
Going to Church in the First Century by Robert Banks
This short fifty page narrative by author Robert Banks is quite engaging. This story is told by a fictional character called Publius Valerius Amicius Rufus who is invited to a Christian gathering for the first time. Read an excerpt here.
One Body in Christ by Kokichi Kurosaki
This is a beautiful and concise work from Kokichi Kurosaki (1886-1970). It’s interesting to hear his perspective of western religion’s departure from one loving community to the sectarian institution it has become. You can read this, and other works free, from the website awildernessvoice.com. Click here for an excerpt.
The Vast New Covenant Transition by George Davis and Michael Clark
Authors George Davis and Michael Clark have a chapter in this book called Not Forsaking the Assembly, a phrase from Hebrews 10 which has been used disparagingly toward those who remove themselves from corporate church. They turn the meaning upside down. Click here for an excerpt. You can read this, and other works free, from the website awildernessvoice.com.
Stick Your Neck Out by Travis Kolder
An Invitation and Guide to House Church Planting
This is a good book that encourages people to start a house church. Read an excerpt here.
Getting Started by Felicity Dale
This is a good guide that gives basics on how to start a home fellowship. Read about it here.
Community or Commune? by Robert J. Banks
This is a well researched study exploring the cultural settings surrounding Paul and the early church. It’s a deep dive so get out your steak knives. Check out an excerpt about sharing possessions and another one about Paul’s idea on exercising authority.
Pastors – Let My People Go by Glen Newman
Reading this reminded me of Isaiah 1:18 where it says “Come now, let us reason together”. Read an excerpt here. Available on Amazon.
Will the Real Heretics Please Stand Up by David W. Bercot
A New Look at Today’s Evangelical Church in the Light of Early Christianity
Great book and highly recommended.
Letters to the Church by Francis Chan
If God Had His Way, What Would Our Churches Look Like?
My blog inspired by the book, click here.
The Great Ecclesiastical Conspiracy by George Davis and Michael Clark
This work by George Davis and Michael Clark is very informative, easy to read and well worth the time. It is only about 100 pages and can be downloaded free at awildernessvoice.com. How and why did words like church, apostle, deacon, bishop, priest, pastor, obey, submit and many others enter our vocabulary and distort the very essence of Christianity? Click here for an excerpt.
Church Intensive, Francis Chan
Rethinking Church Biblically
Free online discussion, just need to sign up here.
Simply Church by Tony and Felicity Dale
Good book and recommended. Read an excerpt here about the importance of relationships.
The Church Comes Home by Robert & Julia Banks
Power packed book and highly recommended. So many gems, you can read one here.
Viral Jesus by Ross Rhode
How do we get back to being a viral community. Read an excerpt here.
The Poverty of Affluence by Paul L. Wachtel
My good friend Jon Zens read this book and pulled out some great excerpts about the need for community life. Read some here.
Houses That Change The World by Wolfgang Simson
The Return of the House Churches
This book is an older and more expanded version of Wolfgang Simson’s book listed above. It’s a great book but I would suggest reading his more recent work.
The Coming Divine Reset of the Body of Christ by Lloyd Gardner
It’s great to review newer material (2023) and read about the importance of relationships. You can get a taste of this book by clicking here.
unchurching by Richard Jacobson
Richard had some great points but the overall flow of the book seemed a bit disjointed. You can read an excerpt here entitled Raising Veal. This is also another powerful excerpt entitled Measuring Success. Click here to read.
Insurgence by Frank Viola
Another great work by Frank Viola. This book does not speak directly to organic fellowship, but it’s hard not to include it in my list of influential books. Read a segment here.
Christ Alone by Jon Zens
Edited by Jon Zens, Searching Together is a journal published quarterly by Quoir. This issue from 2015 contains thoughts from Jon Zens, Dennis J. Mulkey and T. Austin-Sparks. Read a segment here.
Nexus by Rad Zdero
Edited by Rad Zdero, this monster is about 515 pages. It has multiple contributors and is thoughtful and well written. I read most of it but skimmed over the parts that were dated. Published in 2007, it had high hopes for the future of the house church movement. Read an excerpt here.
God’s Simple Plan For His Church by Nate Krupp
Short and easy to read. This book gives practical insight into doing relational church. Read an excerpt here.
Reaching Out by Henri Nouwen
Nouwen is a deep thinker and I appreciate his wisdom. This book isn’t about organic church but he has some great thoughts about Community. You can read it here.
When the Church Was a Family by Joseph H. Hellerman
This book is not directly about House Church but I still would highly recommend reading it. It explains how early Christians interacted with each other and presents insights from early Church fathers and also from pagans. In depth study at 230 pages, this is not a weekend read, get ready to take notes and be transformed. Click here to see #1 related blog Click here to see #2 related blog
The Church in the House by Robert Fitts
Written in 2001, I’m not recommending this book. I guess I’m a purist, I don’t play well with institutional church.
The House Church by John Lemmom
This House Church ebook is free and has some good insights and free downloadable media. There are some inspiring thoughts regarding women in House Church. Some of his points I don’t fully support, check it out for yourself here.
Organic Church by Neil Cole
This book is very heavy into church planting and church growth done in an organic way. It seems like the current definition of Organic Church does not line up with the authors view of what Organic Church is. Written in 2005 with lots of exciting examples, it would be interesting to see an updated history of where these churches are now.
The Forgotten Ways by Alan Hirsch
What can I say, I couldn’t finish this book and I wouldn’t recommend it. Alan is definitely extremely intelligent, no question, but true genius to me is the ability to take complicated ideas and make them easy to understand for us regular folk. That is the genius of scripture. This is not a book for regular folk.
Beneath the Graffiti by C J Penn
If you’re interested in reading my review click here. I’m not recommending this book.
A Church of House Churches by Jason Shepperd
If you’re interested in hearing more about this book click here. The book is about 100 pages and reads like a defense of Corporate Gatherings. I’m not recommending this book.
Emerging Churches by Eddie Gibbs and Ryan K. Bolger
This reads like a text book with plenty of research. It was written in 2005 and I think, currently, that a lot of the emerging churches have since submerged. There’s not a lot about House Church in this book. I’m not recommending this book.
New Testament Church Dynamics by Stephen E. Atkerson
The author lays out the premise to do Biblical Church with many great quotes from spiritual leaders. He believes that a proper Biblical Church would consist of around 70 to no more than 150 people. He’s based this on the typical rich person’s villa back in early church history. He believes anything smaller is sub-biblical because there’s no way the Holy Spirit can gift qualified leaders. His logic is problematic. Not recommended.
How Nearly Anyone Can Start A Microchurch by Ralph Moore
Plant a Church Without Leaving Your Job
This is a free download from Exponential, which I’m not recommending. I don’t like the word Microchurch, Biblical Church is a whole different animal not just a smaller version. The author doesn’t seem to understand this.
How We Do House Church edited by Dale Partridge
The Biblical Doctrines and Convictions of Reformation Fellowship
I didn’t finish reading this. The Reformation Fellowship is an organization that formally trains leaders/pastors and requires membership for their attendees. It’s an interesting concept and I hope it works for them but it seems too much like organized religion for me to recommend this book. Published in 2020.
House Churches Now & Then by Gary Gabrielson
Please don’t squint, the cover picture is pixelated. I guess this book was self published and at 8 1/2 by 11 and weird type spacing this book is hard to read. I am definitely not recommending this book. I read the first few chapters and felt like I was being psychoanalyzed and then I skipped to the conclusion. I still can’t figure out what point the author was trying to make.
Ekklesia by Ed Silvoso
Rediscovering God’s Instrument for Global Transformation
I consider myself to have above average intelligence, I hope that’s true but who knows. When I start reading a book and I can’t really figure out the point, things don’t gel and I start nodding off, I wonder if it’s me or the book. In this case I think it’s the book, I just don’t get it. I think I was fooled by the title. I wouldn’t recommend this.
Where Do We Go From Here? by Ralph W. Neighbour, Jr.
I must say I was disappointed reading this book. I had never heard of the author before and his life story and his experiences were quite exciting to read about. He started breaking from the traditional church model around 1965 and over time developed a model of cell church. This version was published in 2000. The problem is that his system of cell church is overly complicated, extensive and seems impossible to implement especially in the west. The second part of this 400 page book is filled with the “how to’s”, yes about 200 pages of detailed instructions, and there are more books after that. Currently (2024) at age 95, I’m not sure if Ralph still believes in this system and I’m not sure if anyone is still following this system.
The Cell Church by Larry Stockstill
This is an older book and to be honest, I didn’t finish it. It attempts to give guidance on integrating an organic cell church into an inorganic church structure. It didn’t pass the test of time. Larry Stockstill is now part of a MegaChurch which his son oversees. I include it here because it does make some interesting points about the importance of small groups.
From Church to Bride by Mark Ferguson
This book was my first purchase in 2024 and is about 50 pages (condensed version). I purchased it on Amazon and the first page read “this book is not for sale in any country. It is given freely…” Unfortunately the book is filled with terrible punctuation and grammar errors and overall I would not recommend this.