About the Services

About the Services

  First, it should be emphasized that Church for Homebounds (CFH) is intended for people who are truly unable to get out and attend a church of their choice.  CFH does not seek to be a replacement for attendance for people who are able attend church.

  So –

  If you are able to attend a church in your vicinity,

AND

  If you are able to find a good church that is scripturally and doctrinally sound,

then, by all means, to be observing true Christianity, you should be attending a local church.

  Church for Homebounds is an ambitious project, with many far-reaching possibilities for people who, for whatever reason, are unable to attend a local church.

  Just as with traditional worship services, there are different components to worship.  One of those components is praise.  Another is to hear the Word of God, with the object of bringing people to a better understanding of, and closer relationship with God.

  What about the component of what we all know as fellowship?  Obviously, just watching a service will not produce fellowship.  In fact, when you think about it, the same thing could almost be said even if the person viewing the service happened to be in a church building!  True biblical fellowship is a complex subject in itself.

  Still, CFH hopes to achieve just such true biblical fellowship in an innovative way.  Live Bible Study/small groups/Sunday School sessions are made available by using a videoconferencing software platform, which, in the past, has been Skype, but will probably be switched over to Zoom.  With this, participants can see and talk with each other, engage in two-way dialogue and even get to know and pray with and for one another.

  One outstanding feature of the Church for Homebounds project is that it provides a means for achieving corporate worship and fellowship without being limited or restricted to any particular place.  Let me show you what I mean:

  Many people get much satisfaction from viewing locally broadcasted services from churches in their own particular vicinities.  Indeed, there have been certain times in my life when I have done that myself.  However, there are always some shortfalls to doing that.  One of those shortfalls – probably the main one – is that even though you view the services, you nevertheless still remain an outsider.  Some people who are homebound are blessed to be members of a local church which extends care to its members who are shut-ins.

  But not all homebound people have such a blessing.  For them, no local church is reaching out to them, no one is extending any care or ministry whatsoever.  And yet the homebound person desperately wants – and even needs – to be a part of a church and to be spending time in worship on the Lord’s day.

  Additionally, when it comes to viewing a church service online or on TV, one is not limited to viewing only the broadcasts from a church in his own vicinity.  On any Sunday, people can watch the services live as they are taking place in many parts of the country, because many churches now live-stream their worship services.  Even the ones that are not live usually make archives available.  Most of the time, they make only the sermons available, but in a few cases, the full services can be viewed.

  Nevertheless, whatever local church a person chooses to watch, there will be references from time to time to that particular locality.  The result is that once again, the viewer comes face to face with the reality that he is an outsider.  He is not really a part of that church.

  CFH solves that problem.  The live sessions via Skype (or Zoom) are just as applicable and appropriate for a person in one part of the country as in another – or even for a person in an entirely different country altogether!

  Plus, with the live Small Group/Bible Study sessions, people aren’t left all alone as outsiders.  They can share a smile, live and in real time, with a real, living, breathing person.  It might be “virtual fellowship,” but it’s better than “no fellowship” – way better!

  There are so many more possibilities.  I hope you’ll give Church for Homebounds a try.