The Barna Group has identified a growth in the number of non-denominational house churches across the United States, noting that such churches are seemingly more satisfying to those who attend than conventional churches.
Overall, people attending a house church were significantly more satisfied with the leadership of the church, the faith commitment of the people involved in their gathering, the level of community and personal connections they experience and the spiritual depth they experience compared to traditional church institutions, the group found.
The study, released Jan. 8, said 80 percent of house churches meet every week, with the most common meeting days being Wednesday and Sunday. The typical house church gathering lasts for about two hours, according to the study, and the format often varies from meeting to meeting.
Some activities associated with house church gatherings include prayer, Bible readings, community service, sharing personal needs or experiences, and taking part in a meal.
The Barna Group found that most house churches are family-oriented, and the average size of a house church is 20 people. The types of people being drawn to the rapidly growing movement include older, devout Christians seeking a more intense spiritual experience and young adults who are interested in faith but want to escape outdated structures and institutions.
“Americans are emotionally open to belonging to a house church, and surprisingly few have any real objections to others joining such a community of faith,” George Barna said. “But the main deterrent to house church growth is that most people are spiritually complacent; they are not looking to upgrade their spiritual experience. Compared to conventional church attendees, house church adherents are much more likely to say that they have experienced faith-driven transformation, to prioritize their relationship with God, and to desire a more fulfilling community of faith.
“Those who attend a conventional church are generally content to show up and accept whatever their church has on the agenda; they place the responsibility for their spiritual growth on the shoulders of the church,” Barna added. “We found that most conventional churchgoers have no desire to help improve their congregation’s ministry, nor do they feel a need to increase their personal spiritual responsibility.”