The early churches met in homes, but they were more than just a group of people or family members meeting together for worship. To be a true church in the biblical sense, a church needs a group of leaders to teach, lead, and minister to the flock. This is clear from even a casual reading of the pastoral epistles (1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus). It is also clear from Acts, especially Acts 20.

Sometimes people attempt to define a church as “where two or three are gathered together” in the name of Christ, but that does not fit with all the biblical data. Today, there are many small house church congreations. The primary issue is that of have sound biblical leadership that will carefully teach the Bible. Read Paul’s admonition to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6, for instance. See also the Acts 6 for the priority the apostles placed on this focus.

It is important that we meet together with other Christians for fellowship, Bible study, prayer, and ministry to one another. This can occur in informal Bible studies, but it should also occur in a more formal congregational atmosphere with those to lead that God has raised up as pastor/elders (see Ephesians 4:11ff; 1 Peter 5:1f; and Hebrews 13:7 and 17 for the importance of this issue). The author of Hebrews told his audience, “…and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.”