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St. Paul, Minn.

December 9, 2010 9:00 AM

Home church: Fellowship in the living room

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Home church group — Cambridge, Minnesota, has two formal home church groups. This one, known as the Blue Fish Group, meets in the living room of member Bob Roby on Saturday, December 4, 2010. A typical home church "service" consists of music, prayer, theological discussions and a shared meal.
MPR Photo/Nikki Tundel

In the age of megachurches, a growing number of Christians are looking for a more intimate way to connect with God and each other. Enter the home church movement.

In the home church model, there is no ordained pastor. There are no sermons. There's no formal choir. Instead, small groups of the faithful meet in private homes, hoping to take the reigns of their own religious development.

The Bible offers examples of ancient home church networks. In societies where Christians were persecuted, home churches flourished. For many modern-day followers, home church is a way to follow more closely in the footsteps of Jesus, who is believed to have embraced a non-hierarchical approach to spiritual leadership.

Cambridge, Minnesota, a community of 5000, boasts a tight-knit home church network. Reporter Nikki Tundel met up with its members for a firsthand look at their favored form of fellowship.

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Helping each other grow spiritually — For many of the network's members, home church is about helping each other grow spiritually. "I'm not trying to disparage anybody," says Fancey Lorsung. "But I think pastors have been up on a pedestal for too long, It's much more effective to be real with people. I would say the most important thing is that people are connecting, not who is standing in the pulpit. We can all help each other get closer to God."
MPR Photo/Nikki Tundel

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Home church group — Cambridge, Minnesota, has two formal home church groups. This one, known as the Blue Fish Group, meets in the living room of member Bob Roby on Saturday, December 4, 2010. A typical home church "service" consists of music, prayer, theological discussions and a shared meal.
MPR Photo/Nikki Tundel

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Bob Roby, host of weekly home church gathering — On this Saturday evening, Bob Roby was the host for his group's weekly home church gathering. He says he'd "choose a handful of Christians in my living room over hundreds of Christians in a big church. It's much more intimate." Plus, "it costs a lot of money to keep something like a megachurch going. Financially, home church makes a lot more sense."
MPR Photo/Nikki Tundel

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