AGAPE SIMPLE CHURCH HOUSE FELLOWSHIP – WHEN WE MEET
Agape Simple Church embraces a straightforward biblical model: Jesus → You for personal accountability, and at a group level, Jesus → You → One-to-Another. While elders are part of the church, the roles of receiving, ministering, and sharing in the Lord are not limited to them. The life of Jesus can be manifested equally through all church members.
INDIVIDUALS: Jesus, the King who holds the highest spiritual authority, invites us all to come to Him directly, bypassing any hierarchical structure, as seen in Matthew 11:28-30 and John 6:37 NKJV. We have complete access to the supreme leader and can approach Him with boldness and confidence. The relationship chain is straightforward: Jesus → You. No layers. No human hierarchy is required for heavenly access.
CORPORATE/GROUP: Jesus not only removed any hierarchical structure in our relationship with God but also eliminated any sense of hierarchy in our relationships with fellow believers, as mentioned in Matthew 23:8-12, NKJV. What Jesus says about leadership among believers contrasts with traditional church leadership practices. He states that we are all on the same level. Thus, we have embraced the Jesus → You → One-to-Another approach to accountability. He is to be our sole teacher, pastor, and priest. Brothers and sisters who are stronger in faith should not be called leaders or masters and should not be viewed as holding a hierarchical position. Just as there is no hierarchy in accessing God individually, there is also no hierarchy among fellow Christians. None. See our Christ-centred structure below.
As individuals come to know God more intimately and are guided by their elder peers, they are encouraged to share the benefits of this relationship within the community. Everyone is taught to love, serve, minister, and teach one another, sharing in the Lord as each has received a gift: “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” I Peter 4:11 NKJV. Agape Simple Church believes that the New Testament offers a compelling approach that is not forceful but instead uses words such as: appeal, exhort, beg, urge, warn, beseech, and admonish – Romans 12:1, Philemon 1:8, Hebrews 3:13, Titus 2:15, Philippians 4:2, Romans 16:17, I Thessalonians 4:1, Ephesians 4:1, Galatians 5:19-21.
Agape Simple Church is accountable to Jesus Christ for this local church and is not connected to any church denominations or organizations. Jesus did not sacrifice himself for denominations or organizations but for the church. What unites us is being one body and one church under Jesus Christ, and our identity and membership are solely with Jesus Christ. However, we do have wonderful partnerships with many like-minded Bible-believing churches, and we are grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with them.
Agape Simple Church House Fellowship on Format/Program
Our House Fellowship follows an open format, avoiding a rigid order of worship due to our dynamic meeting style. While we distribute a program at the start, we remain open to the Holy Spirit's guidance. The program serves as a guide but is not strictly adhered to. Everyone is encouraged to actively participate, share, and minister Jesus to others, creating a fully participatory experience. We welcome and support those with special spiritual gifts for building and edifying the Church. We also value the wisdom of experienced members (elders) who share and model their life in Jesus for community edification and care. As mentioned, our house church lacks a functional hierarchy. There is no division between "laity" and "clergy" at Agape Simple Church, and traditional leadership roles are decentralized. Duncan and Rhonda see themselves as equals with everyone, as all are before the Lord and welcome to share and express Him during meetings. Our house church fosters an environment where the expressive gifts of the Spirit are encouraged and shared. Using these gifts to reveal the Lord's mind for His Church focuses on benefiting and edifying the community. We depend on the Holy Spirit's guidance for order and activities during our gatherings. We believe God has placed His Spirit in all believers to guide, empower, and influence our lives individually and as a group. We strive to give Jesus control over the meeting dynamics by pursuing corporate sharing directed by the Holy Spirit's promptings. Please refer to our church’s biblically based simple structure, which includes elders, deacons, and leaders focused on loving God, loving others, and making disciples.
Agape Simple Church House Fellowship on Men and Women Roles
We hold that from the outset, God's plan for men and women was for them to equally and uniquely govern His creation, collaborating to achieve His purposes and honor His name (Genesis 1:26-28). This concept is upheld in the New Testament, which highlights the elevated status of believing men and women as joint heirs of Christ's grace and co-recipients of the Holy Spirit's gifts, meant for serving the church and contributing to the fulfillment of the Great Commission. Consequently, all believing men and women are called to Christlike maturity and meaningful kingdom leadership. We also maintain that God has designated certain roles within the church for mature, believing men, specifically the role of elder and the function of teaching/preaching during the church's gatherings for worship. Our stance aligns most closely with a "Complementarian" interpretation of scripture, where men and women have different but complementary roles in the church and home.
What does this mean at Agape Simple Church:-
1. The Bible is considered God's Word and serves as our authoritative guide for all topics it addresses, including the roles of men and women in ministry (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21).
2. We ensure not to establish "man-made laws" or boundaries that exceed scriptural guidance (Matthew 15:8-9; Colossians 2:20-21).
3. Both men and women are equally created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27), receive salvation under the same conditions (John 3:16), and are regarded as equals within the church (Galatians 3:28-29).
4. The genders are not interchangeable; each has distinct roles and responsibilities assigned by God (Genesis 1:27; 2:18, 23-25; Ephesians 5:21-33).
5. All believers are encouraged to engage in prayer, worship, and fellowship within our church (Acts 2:42-47). Women should not be separated from or excluded from worship services. Notably, in the early church, women were permitted to participate publicly in church worship services as indicated in 1 Corinthians 11:5.
6. The Spirit endows all believers, both male and female, with gifts, and they are expected to use these spiritual gifts to build up other believers (Romans 12:4-8; 16:1-7; 1 Corinthians 12). In the early church, this included women praying and prophesying in the gathered church (1 Corinthians 11:1-16; possibly Acts 21:9) and women assisting in teaching men individually (Acts 18:26).
7. Agape Simple Church honors the role of eldership and deaconship for mature, believing men (1 Corinthians 11:3; Titus 1:6; 1 Timothy 3:2). Refer also to Acts 20:28-31; 1 Corinthians 14:29-38; Titus 1:9; 1 Peter 5:1-4. See this explained in the diagram below fully based on 1 Timothy 3:1-13.
8. In our fellowship, the responsibility of teaching and preaching lies with gifted men under the guidance of the elders (1 Timothy 2:12). Bible study is conducted 3-4 times a month, allowing participation from everyone present.
9. At Agape Simple Church, anyone who serves, leads, or teaches, regardless of gender, should do so with a humble spirit focused on church unity and edification, avoiding self-promotion (Philippians 2:3-4; 1 Peter 5:5-6).
Four Reminders
1. God has endowed both men and women with the ability to comprehend and teach His Word, to care for members of God's family, to organize, and to lead. The only biblical question concerns the context in which these gifts should be utilized. God and His church greatly value the talents and energy of qualified women, but not in the capacity of teaching or leadership over the entire congregation.
2. Simply being a man does not make one eligible for leadership in God’s church. Although we believe the Scriptures indicate that men should lead in the church, gender alone is not a qualification. The character qualifications outlined in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 suggest that many or most men in the church are not yet ready for leadership roles.
3. The Bible advocates for male leadership only within the home and the church. It does not mandate male leadership in areas such as politics, business, academia, or the community. God has distinct purposes for both the family and the church that transcend practical or efficient considerations.
4. The roles and responsibilities assigned to men in the family and the church are not due to men being inherently more spiritual or gifted. Once again, God has specific purposes for the family and the church that extend beyond pragmatism or efficiency.
Examples of Women in Ministry in Scripture
Here are some compelling glimpses of women in ministry in the Bible the hierarchical camp needs to consider:
1. Paul was happy to be assisted by a female deacon. Romans 16:1-2:“I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant (diakonos; i.e. deacon) of the church in Cenchrea, 2 that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also.” (NKJV; parentheses added) Phoebe was a woman who Paul refers to here as a deacon (diakonos; servant). Apparently, she had delegated authority to carry out the vision and mission of Paul, her pastor. She wasn’t operating as an authority over the people. But the church in Rome was exhorted to respect the authority of the pastor who commissioned her. Question: What would that look like in your ministry?
2. Philip’s daughters prophesied. Acts 21:9-“Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.” 1 Corinthians 14:3 tells us that prophesy is speaking “edification, exhortation, and comfort to men.” Question: Did God violate 1 Timothy 2:11-13 when He gave these women prophetic words for God’s people? Or does our application of passages like 1 Timothy 2:11-13 need to be questioned in light of verses like Acts 21:9?
3. Paul acknowledged that women prayed and prophesied in the gatherings of the Corinthian church, and he didn’t rebuke them. 1 Corinthians 11:5-“But every woman who prays or prophesies…” The context of 1 Corinthians 11 is the communion dinner. Of all the things people debate about in this passage, what is clear is that women were praying and prophesying in the Corinthian congregation.
4. Paul commanded Titus (another pastor) to facilitate opportunities for the older women to teach younger women about biblical womanhood. Titus 2:3-5: “the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behaviour, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— 4 that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.”
5. Priscilla helped her husband explain God’s truth to a young, ambitious church-planter who had some funky doctrine. Acts 18:26-“ So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.”
Agape Simple Church House Fellowship on Giving, Tithing, and Stewardship
The Bible extensively discusses the relationship between Christians and their finances, with over 2,000 verses addressing the topic. It frequently links our financial habits to our commitment and relationship with the Lord.
What is Giving? Giving is defined as "to make a present of." Financial giving is one way to assist others. The early church supported each other and invested in God's work through giving. Unfortunately, the concept of giving has become misunderstood today, yet it remains closely tied to our identity.
Giving is an act of Worship. Giving serves as a spiritual sacrifice and a demonstration of love and gratitude, acknowledging that everything we have is from God (1 Chronicles 29:14). Some claim, "I can't afford to give!" but in truth, we can't afford not to. David insisted on giving to the Lord only what cost him something (2 Samuel 24:24). Whatever we give to God, what remains will always support us better than if we hadn't given at all.
Giving is a test of our Faithfulness. Our giving reflects our spirituality and value system. Jesus stated, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21). God doesn't need our resources; instead, He wants us to focus on Him rather than on money and possessions.
Biblical Principles of Giving. Although the Apostle Paul didn't overly emphasize giving, he acknowledged its importance. In 1 Corinthians 16:1-12, specific guidelines for giving are outlined: it is a universal practice for believers (v. 1); it should be done weekly (v. 2); it is a personal act (v. 2); and we should be prepared to do it (v. 2). As we give, God will meet our needs and bless us (2 Corinthians 9:6-10).
Motives for Giving. God promises blessings if we have the right attitude toward giving (Luke 6:38; Proverbs 3:9-10). However, some give with improper motives, such as trying to manipulate God, relieve guilt, increase self-worth, gain recognition, obtain power, or secure tax benefits. The Bible advises us to "let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7). Our giving should express love to God, please Him, store treasures in heaven, and help spread the message of Jesus Christ.
The principle of Stewardship. A steward manages the affairs and property of someone else. Stewardship means recognizing that everything we have belongs to God. Being a good steward involves managing our resources wisely to glorify God.
The principles of Tithing. In the Old Testament, God's people were required to give 10 percent of their income, including flocks, herds, or crops, known as a tithe. Besides the tithe, offerings were required for temple maintenance and priests' salaries. In Israel, tithing was not voluntary but a form of taxation. Is tithing relevant today? Dr. J. B. Gambrell noted: "It is unthinkable from the standpoint of the cross that anyone would give less under grace than the Jews gave under law." God promises those who give to His work that He will "open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it" (Malachi 3:10-11).
If you desire to give to Agape Simple Church, please remember we are not a charity, all donations/support ARE NOT tax-deductible. Please keep this in mind when supporting our church. Please go to the Contact us page.
