HOUSES THAT CHANGE THE WORLD
Wolfgang Simson
316 pages
Paternoster Publishing (March 6, 2001)

Houses That Change the World is an argument for house churches as basic ecclesiology. Through an investigation of the nature, structure, and functioning of house churches, Simson intends to make a case for the structural reformation of the church to house church.

Thesis: The house church is God's intended ecclesial structure and is the most efficient and effective means of fulfilling the command to go make disciples of all nations.

Chapters 1-2 argue that house church design is basic, yet throughout history it has been opposed. Chapters 3-5 describe house church as family-centered, neighborhood-based, organic, and natural. Chapters 6-11 contend that planting and developing house churches requires that apostles and prophets behave as such.

The "Suggested Materials" section is small (2 pgs), though helpful. An index, bibliography, and footnotes would increase the usefulness of this text.

NOTE: As with the books by Robert Banks (here and here), Simson's book seems to allow the argument to cloud rather than explicate biblical data. There seems to be an agenda.

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