The following story is from Floyd McClung’s book, “Starting a House Church.” It illustrates all of the basic principles of starting and multiplying simple churches: going, praying, reaching a person of peace, empowering that person to disciple others and to start simple/house churches…
A U.S. businessman named William was making $350,000 a year but was bored. To alleviate his boredom, Bill decided to go and serve the poor in the Indian sub-continent. During a time of prayer, Bill felt the Lord saying that he should invest his time in discipling a young man who was a paraplegic. After a couple of years spend in training him, Bill encouraged this young man to start a church for his friends, many of who were also in wheelchairs. These were people who nobody wanted—the outcasts (one of the lowest castes in Hindu society), the lepers, the homeless, and the disabled.
Bill, meanwhile, started businesses to employ the “unemployable,” giving life skills and training to people who otherwise had nothing going for them. I (Floyd) attended their church, called Beautiful Gate, recently and witnessed 200 people crammed into a small room for a celebration involving seven of their house churches around Kathmandu. All the elders were sitting in front, and all were wheelchair-bound. During the worship time, I saw people with missing fingers raising their hands. Others had missing noses and ears—all due to leprosy. Despite their affliction, the joy of the Lord was there and the people were worshiping Him with all their hearts. It was an absolutely moving and gorgeous scene to witness.”
Bill provides coaching and spiritual oversight from behind the scenes. He told me, “We pray everyday, go to the poor, I disciple people and pour my life into them, we encourage them to gather in small home groups, and as soon as we can, we multiply.”
