Decentralized, Diverse Discipleship Communities | 2025 National Disciple Making Forum (Jason Shepperd)

Track Session 2: Decentralized, Diverse Discipleship Communities

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While most churches’ group structures operate as homogeneous friend groups, the Early Church gathered in diverse, cross-generational communities operating as a spiritual family. Discover the need to return to this fullest expression of the church in House Churches.

Revisiting Ecclesiology: House Churches and the DNA of True Biblical Communities

In this insightful episode, Jason Shepherd, founder of Church Project, shares his journey of starting a church 15 years ago with a vision of creating authentic biblical communities. Without a designated church name, the project focuses on rediscovering Christ's original intent for the church. Shepherd discusses the key elements of ecclesiological DNA (EDNA), emphasizing distributed pastoral leadership, decentralized structures, and diverse discipleship communities. He explores the historical and biblical foundation of house churches, citing scripture to argue for their continued relevance. Shepherd also provides practical insights into the formation, growth, and management of house churches, and how they engage with benevolent activities and student ministries. This episode challenges conventional church models, advocating for smaller, mission-focused, relationally-rich communities.

Key Takeaways 
00:00 Introduction and Speaker Background
01:52 Understanding Ecclesiology
03:15 The Concept of House Church
05:24 House Church in Practice
07:23 House Church Multiplication
12:08 Small Groups vs. House Churches
23:58 Qualities of a New Testament House Church
28:43 Q&A Session
32:41 Evaluating the Health of Your House Church
34:32 The Importance of Hospitality
35:47 Developing House Church Pastors
37:14 Scheduling and Meeting Logistics
39:56 Balancing Growth and Intimacy
48:12 Handling Kids in House Church
56:12 Financial Practices and Benevolence
58:49 Connecting Newcomers to House Churches
01:00:27 Final Q&A and Closing Remarks

 

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