House Assembly

House Assembly: Why We Are Building the Way We Are

Before we ever moved to Strasbourg, the Lord gave us a framework—what I like to call our ministry assignment. If you have read the vision statement on our website, you will be familiar with the five pillars of our ministry plan. If not, you can find them under “Vision” on our website.

I have said many times that we arrived in Strasbourg with this blueprint, but without clarity on how to implement what the Lord was telling us to do. In our uncertainty—and to be honest, out of fear—we joined a local denominational group when we arrived. Our hearts were sincere. We wanted to meet others in this region who love Jesus. Yet joining a local assembly was not what the Lord asked of us, and we had to repent. It brought unnecessary heartache because we stepped into something He never called us to build.

Jesus Called Us to Build

Item #4 in our ministry plan reads:

4. Establish geographical hubs where we can meet, learn, train, and fellowship. (Strengthen what remains.)

In 2021, I didn’t know what a “hub” was, let alone how to establish one. Over the past four years, the Lord has made it clear that a hub cannot exist without a weekly gathering of the saints. This realization forced us to confront something we resisted for years: the call to begin a house church.

We spent over three years praying, trying to obey the assignment without taking the step Jesus was asking us to take. We led Bible studies, prayer gatherings, retreats, and trainings—but we were circling around the weekly gathering. Then, a little over a year ago, the Lord began to clarify things through prayer and prophetic confirmation: we were to build a house church in order to establish a true geographical presence.

Why We Didn’t Rush Into It

The weekly “church service” is one of the most dysfunctional areas of the western church. Because of that, it would have been dangerous to rush ahead and define the gathering too soon. Many patterns we call “normal church” are not biblical at all—they are cultural, denominational, corporation-style, and pagan in origin. Jesus does not want us to imitate what He is currently calling His people out from.

We felt a holy fear about imposing our own structure. Instead, Jesus made something very clear:

Start With Family

We see many ministers sacrifice their families on the altar of ministry. But the first assignment God gives a mother and father is the discipleship of their children. It is a grave error to outsource spiritual formation to the state or to a denomination. Seth Dahl says it well:

“The Kingdom doesn’t skip your house—It starts there.”

So, the reformation God wants to begin in this region starts at home. For the past year and a half, our weekly gathering has been with our own family: worshipping, taking communion, praying, ministering to one another. Our boys have grown spiritually at a pace we have never seen in any church we have been part of. And our conviction is now stronger than ever:

If it works for our family, it will work for the family of God.

We have allowed the Holy Spirit to define our gatherings. We have not rushed to invite others or “grow a ministry” without Spirit-breathed structure. Jesus Himself has set the tone.

Eventually, refusing to define a gathering becomes disobedience. So now, as the Lord gives definition, it is time to speak, build, and invite.

We Are Going Public

We believe the time has come to graft others into the weekly gathering. But because most people are used to “how church works,” it is important to understand what we are inviting you into. This is not casual attendance. This is covenant. It’s not a new method, trend, or brand of church. We are not inviting you into something new—we are inviting you into Jesus.

It feels new only because much of the church abandoned true corporate intimacy long ago. Many have made Jesus Lord of their personal life, but He wants to be Lord of His Church again.

This is not condemnation. It is an invitation—into the radical, biblical, relational way of Jesus.

What the Weekly Gathering Looks Like

We don’t gather around formulas. We gather around a Person.

But the Holy Spirit has made a few things clear.

What Do Not Do

We will not have a designated preacher during Sunday gatherings.
This is not because we are “against preaching,” but because the Lord has shown us that North America must return to the biblical model where the Body functions together, rather than watching a speaker at the front.

What We Prioritize

The Lord’s Supper will be central each week.
Communion is not an accessory—it is the centre. His body and blood are what make us one (1 Corinthians 11:26).

There will be no passive pew-sitting.
We engage with one another, listen to the Holy Spirit, and share as He leads. It’s not mandatory to speak, but the expectation of the ecclesia is participation. We are all the Church.

We will teach through relationship not lecturing. There is a need for teaching on what the Holy Spirit is unfolding, however, it would be counter to what God is doing to continue teaching in the form of an academic exercise without relational integration into our lives. Teaching during our Sunday assembly is done with a focus on relational intergartion.

The Five Pillars of Our Weekly Gathering

These five practices must happen regularly for the maturity of the saints:

Worship
True worship in Spirit and in truth—whether or not we have a worship leader.

Scripture
Not lectures about Scripture, but Spirit-led reading, discussion, and understanding as a Body.

Ministry
We minister to one another as priests and kings (Revelation 1:6), practicing spiritual gifts, healing, deliverance, encouragement, and prophetic ministry—together.

Prayer
Not on the side, not as an opener, but flowing constantly throughout everything. His house shall be called a House of Prayer. (Matthew 21:13, Isaiah 56:7)

Communion (Life Together)
We engage in the highs and lows of life. Baptisms, dedications, meals, weddings, funerals—everything is shared in covenant relationship.

If you sense the Lord calling you into this, we welcome you to pray, count the cost, and consider whether Jesus is inviting you into this reformation of His Church.

This is His Church.
We are His people.
And Jesus is washing His Bride clean. (Ephesians 5:27)

NOTE:

If you are not from Strasbourg and area and/or want to learn more, contact us for a more in-depth synopsis of what a House Assembly looks like.

We are also open to mentoring and teaching more on the steps forward in stewarding reformation and establishing house assemblies.