8. House Faith Commitment

Open Bible

Anvil and many hammers What does it mean to be part of the House of Faith? Go around the group and request each person to introduce themselves. The house may give a different question each time if they wish to do this over several weeks. For example, "Tell us about your family" or "Tell us about your faith journey." This segment contains questions that will include new members when the house grows. Regular attendance is expected and vital to developing a sense of community. House faith commitment means more than just a covenant but building ownership of the Household itself. Household faith commitment will need to extend to the type of resources, meeting format, including prayer, study, and community building. It will include an estimate of the amount of time needed for each element. You need to agree also about the preparation the leader and the house members will make outside of the meeting time.✞

Indicator for Faith

Research by ComRes carried out for the Church of England reveals the ages at which children and young people come to (and leave) faith. When practicing Christians are asked at what age they came to faith, the results showed 40% before 5, 16% 5-10, and 20% 11-18. Another question asks respondents who previously used to be a member of a religious group (not just Christian) "At what age did you stop considering yourself to be a member of this religious group?" The results show 4% between 5 and 10, 34% between 11 and 18, 21% between 19 and 24. The fact that 76% of Christians say that they came to faith under 18 indicates the importance of focusing on how children and young people grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ to be firmly rooted in the Christian community.

Report Conclusions

The conclusions of this study show
1. Inclusion Young people want to be part of the whole church family rather than always being artificially separated. An intergenerational approach is vital in the growth of faith.
2. Equality Young people say they want to be treated as equal members of the Church, participating in its life and leadership.
3. Leadership Youth leaders (whether volunteers or employed) make a vital contribution to building bridges between the generations.
4. Space Young people need room to explore their faith and life without fear of being judged. The house faith covenant is established and agreed upon by the group when they meet together. The reason we are meeting and what we hope to get out of this group is then apparent. The written covenant lists the leader's name, the host, and the other house members. They set out the meeting frequency and what they will study when they meet. They will also agree on how they will worship. They decide the starting time and length of each house meeting and the beginning and completion date for their covenant. There are many advantages to having a House Faith Covenant.✞

Reshaping Vision

Children Playing Together A Covenant establishes the house as a kind of family unit rather than just another group. It is best to meet regularly every week, but some may want to build in breaks for the house, for example, over summer and Christmas breaks if that is the majority of the house faith group's wish. The covenant allows for reshaping the house's vision and purpose as it grows and matures together. An excellent way to begin discussing the house covenant is to encourage members to talk about what they hope to get out of the group. The first time the group is together, they may need to agree on some guidelines about the teaching materials, the sharing time, and the type of worship they will use.✞

Clear Attainable Goals

List the goals of the house of faith. They should be clear, attainable, and include specific items required. Ask such questions as, "What are we going to study?" One of our aims should be to get to know one another well and to share our experiences. Ask how this will happen. Does it take place during the sharing time? We will grow to trust and support one another by building friendships, by praying and worshipping together. By sharing our mutual beliefs and personal faith stories, we will develop as a strong house of faith group.✞

House Covenant Times

Four Lipsticks Group Consensus The House of Faith group will decide by group consensus on household covenant times together. House covenant times spell out what is to happen in each of the group meetings. The leader implements what the group has decided. The covenant times will help the group identify itself and its purpose, and it will help hold individuals accountable to the group. Jeffrey Arnold writes in "The Big Book on Small Groups," "Remember, as you prepare the covenant, that group consensus is essential. You cannot negotiate this by majority rule."✞

Listen and Hear

Building a covenant is not merely about getting everybody to agree about what the house will study. At the heart of a covenant is the willingness to listen to each other and hear what everyone in the house wants from gathering together. In many cases, as the House members share their hopes, they will not only be listening to one another, but they will understand why these covenant times are essential.✞

Time Flies Clock

Group consensus is vital, and we need to persist in doing this correctly. Most Houses will take a fair amount of time to put together a covenant. The time you invest in building a covenant might be the best time you have together as a House and will be essential to the life and overall success of the House of Faith.✞

Four Objectives

There are four objectives for the House of Faith.✞

To get acquainted with one another.
To share experiences, especially concerning our faith journeys together.
To trust and support each other.
To pray and worship together.

Study Worship Prayer

Are you agreed to read one Christian study book and focus on the house covenant time?
How much of the house covenant time will you spend in worship? Which worship option will you use and when?
It is essential to decide about specific time frames for the different elements for social, study, and prayer time.

Social Time

The house covenant time leads to a commitment to study and share in fellowship with the other house of faith members. Include social time in your planning. Some Houses can share a meal from time to time or once a month. Every House meeting should include light refreshments. Childcare is also essential. Will the house pay for a sitter, or will individuals take turns in looking after the children? The house will need to make these arrangements in advance. We want to be child-friendly, but we also want to stay focused on what we are doing. Will the children be present for part or the whole of the House meeting, if at all? Confidentiality is also vital if honesty and frankness are to be encouraged. The covenant should be in writing, with each person agreeing to it and having a copy to take home. It is the group's decision whether or not to sign it. The house should renew its covenants every two years when the house's agreed-upon division into two parts occurs. The house should look back on its experiences, review its progress, and look forward to anticipating new growth.✞

^Top Page

Next

Previous