The dominance of doctrine...

Doctrinal teaching and Bible studies dominate so many small group and home church meetings. This excludes those who are intellectually less advantaged, those who think through images and associations rather than deduction and inference and those who have valid experiences (eg parables and stories, intuitions... dreams and visions) to share. Where emotion and imagination are given little place in a group, there will only be a minimum of communication - and therefore of community with one another and with God.

- Robert Banks, The Church Comes Home 83

Masks...

Many local churches have become so big that people can remain anonymous, becoming spectators rather than real participants. We have consciously sought to avoid the masks which people put on in that environment - the masks of security, niceness and personal piety.

- Robert Banks, The Church Comes Home, p. 94

why house church?

Non-hierarchical - everyone takes ownership of the group.
Participatory - the meetings help you engage rather than be passive.
Relational - we know each other personally, encourage and help eachother.
Varied - we bring different gifts and styles to the meeting. The meeting is flexible enough to change to suit different needs and circumstances.
Approachable - church is in the place you feel most at home.
Eating together - church is gathered around a meal.
Simplicity - it is easy to grow, and to change.
Local - forming community, and bringing God into everyday life, is easier with people who live close to eachother.

These are a few we can think of. Can you think of anything else? Leave us a comment!