Steamtown house church

        House Church is very important at Steamtown. It's the place we build significant relationships into our lives - and where we learn to "work out" our Christianity in practical ways. We are so convinced that they're vital to our spiritual health that we've built our entire ministry around them!  

WHAT IS A HOUSE CHURCH?

        House churches are made up of 10-16 people who meet weekly for an evening of planned sharing, study, prayer, and in some groups, worship.  They last for about an hour and a half, and end with light refreshments.  A trained leader and host team leads each group. There are no expectations for perfection—just real people doing life together!

WHERE & WHEN DO THEY MEET?

        Steamtown's house churches meet all over the city on various nights throughout the week so there's probably one near you. This fall we have 8 groups meeting throughout the Scranton area. House churches meet in cycles with specific start and end dates. Each cycle lasts from 10 to 14 weeks. This gives people a chance to keep the commitment manageable and allows people to change groups if they'd like to be part of a particular study. Of course, you can always join multiple groups too.

WHAT WILL GROUPS DO EACH WEEK?

        House churches cover all sorts of topics related to the Christian life. Some house churches further unpack the Sunday message, others study the book of the Bible, and still others deal with specific issues and topics. House churches are designed to meet your needs, no matter where you are.

        Of course, the study is only one part of a house church.  Time is also set aside for sharing and conversational prayer (and in some groups, worship).  Also, each group gets together at least once a quarter for a social event to build stronger relationships, and there will be two weeks for a missional activity to be involved in some form of outreach or service project, meeting needs in our community.

        We learn how to care for one another in practical ways - especially during times of sickness, disaster, and special needs.  This might involve any number of things, from offering financial support, to providing meals after surgery, to helping someone with their daughter's wedding!

WHAT DOES IT COST?

        Few things in life are free, and house church no exception!  The cost of being in a House Church is the cost of commitment.  Since your house church is your immediate church community, we ask participants to attend faithfully and be ready to share and grow.

        For some, joining a house church will also require some financial sacrifice - the cost of childcare.  While some families share a sitter, or swap child care with another family, most end up paying for their own baby sitter.  We realize this adds up.  (Most of our leaders have kids too!)  But, we also believe it's one of the best investments you can make in your child's future. There's nothing more important to your child's spiritual growth than to see you as a parent growing and making spiritual commitments a top priority.

HOW DO I SIGN UP?

        To join a group, look for the sign –up sheets at the information tables.  Look for a Group that will accommodate your schedule.  It's that simple. After signing up your host couple will contact you with more information about the first meeting and potluck. 

IMPORTANT SIGN-UP TIPS:

1. Look over the sign up sheets and try and speak to the Leader or Host couple.
2. Trust the Sign-up Form.  It's the most up-to-date!
3. You may notice that several of the groups may be full. In most cases, these groups are continuing from last House Church period – and were so successful that everyone is returning this period!
4. When selecting a group, we strongly recommend you choose a group based on its leader-host team, rather than its location. Over the years we've found that groups do best when members share a common station-in-life and other interests with their leaders, hosts, and other group members.  In the end you'll find it's worth the drive!
5. When you sign up, please let us confirm your group selection. 

ONE FINAL THING.

        As always, each period's groups will be filled on a "first-come, first-served" basis and space is limited. Once a roster is full, that group will closed.  So, don't put off your decision too long.  If you're new to Steamtown and have other questions or need some extra help finding the right group, please call Scott Durcharme, our House Church coordinator @ 561-2244.   We'll be happy to help you!