How does a house church differ from a traditional small group or Bible study?

When we talk to people about house churches and what they look and feel like, a common and understandable connection people make is that it sounds a lot like a traditional small group, or even a Bible study. This initially makes sense because there is significant overlap. But there is one key difference worth understanding when it comes to what a house church is and how it compares to a typical small group or Bible study.

Some Commonalities

First, let's explore those overlaps. All of these groups are typically smaller than a traditional centralized church gathering. This is actually the reason so many conventional churches create small groups (and even Bible studies) in the first place: to create spaces with greater relational intimacy and room for discussion. It makes sense!

Also, they often meet in homes or similar informal spaces. This is so much the case that many conventional churches refer to their small groups as "home groups." We've even seen some churches start calling small groups "house churches."

Here lies the confusion, though. Are we talking about the same thing? We don't think so, at least not in most cases. Here is why:

Main Distinction

The main difference between a decentralized house church and a small group or Bible study within a more centralized church concern autonomy and authority. It's an issue of empowerment.

Before we explore these differences further, we want to be clear on one point: we honor the many believers who faithfully gather in small groups and Bible studies within traditional churches. God is often at work in these groups, and countless lives have been transformed through them, including some of our own. Our question isn't about God's presence or blessing, but about the structure itself: does it fully reflect the authority Christ gave to his gathered people?

Even if a small group looks almost identical to a house church, its existence is typically contingent upon the oversight of a larger institution. These groups also often need to seek approval from the leadership of that institution for varying degrees of activities.

Two Examples of Barriers

For example, what if a small group or a Bible study leads someone to the Lord? Can they go ahead and baptize that person on their own? Or, what if they feel prompted by the Lord after reading about the last supper to celebrate the Lord's supper (communion) in obedience to Jesus' commands in that passage? Can they go ahead and do so without their church's approval and not suffer consequences?

In both of these scenarios, the answer is too often no. There may be exceptions here and there, but based on our experience and observations, small groups are not authorized to perform certain functions on their own without approval from centralized authorities such as pastors, elders, boards, committees, or denominational leadership. Sometimes they are even denied the authorization to do these things. We understand that the question of baptism is complex across church traditions. Many churches require baptismal preparation, pastoral involvement, or public witness for theological reasons (not just control).

The frustrating thing here, though, is that Jesus (the one who says he has all authority) commands his disciples to make disciples by baptizing them. He also commands his followers to take, eat, and drink in remembrance of him. Yet, small groups and Bible studies are often hindered in their ability to obey these commands without first getting approval from a middle-tier authority, or they may face consequences ranging from informal correction to formal discipline for doing so on their own.

Yet in Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus declares that all authority in heaven and on earth belongs to him. He then immediately commands his disciples to baptize. This begs the question: Did Jesus give authority directly to all followers to obey this command, or did he desire us to implement an intermediate approval structure?

What a House Church Is

Meanwhile, a house church is an autonomous church. If the group leads someone to the Lord, they baptize that person themselves. And they can go ahead and celebrate the Lord's supper together whenever they gather. This doesn't mean the church doesn't have some leadership structure outside itself, such as elders or a broader network of accountability. But the house church doesn't need to seek anyone else's approval to fully obey all that is commanded of the church in the New Testament.

This empowerment means house churches can respond immediately to the Spirit's leading—whether that's caring for someone in crisis, adjusting the topics of study to address emerging needs, or multiplying into new gatherings without going through an institutional approval process.

Other Examples of Limitations

Baptism and the Lord's supper are just two of the clearest examples. Typically, though, there are other limitations. Consider that many small groups are required (or strongly encouraged) to discuss the sermon from Sunday or to follow a book or video study that all the other groups are using, rather than choosing their own content.

Many small groups also do not assemble themselves, with people choosing which group to be part of. Instead, their church leadership usually coordinates who belongs to what group, and often churches, either informally or formally, restrict group membership to their own church members. In other words, there might not be much room for gathering in small groups (and sometimes in Bible studies) with brothers and sisters who are not proper members of the same church.

Concluding Thoughts on Empowerment

We could provide examples of many other dynamics like this. But the larger point is this: the main difference is that a house church is typically an autonomous gathering fully authorized to obey the things Jesus commanded without seeking anyone else's approval or appointment. Meanwhile, typically speaking, traditional small groups and Bible studies lack the autonomy to exercise their biblically mandated authority as members of the body of Christ.

Yes, small groups and Bible studies happily share features with house churches like size, location, and even intimacy—those things matter. But the main difference is about empowerment. This isn't a claim to independence from other believers or from biblical accountability. Instead, it's a recognition that when Christ's people gather in his name, he is present (Matthew 18:20), even if that group is small. His authority flows through them to carry out his commands without requiring approval from structures he never established.

If you appreciate this post, we encourage you to share it with someone else who might benefit from it. You can also read similar posts on similar topics here and here. And we encourage you to consider joining one of our upcoming coaching cohorts to learn more about how you can start gathering with others in simple ways.