Welcome to the Believers Underground Network
On this site you will find useful and informative information
about the biblical concept of the church. Surprisingly, it is far from what most
christians have experienced the church to be.
We have organised the materials here into two main categories. Information about the house church concept itself and how it compares to the institutional church; and a collection of edifying (and currently unsorted!) articles that would benefit house church groups and individuals alike.
The goal of the Believers Underground Network is to locate and bring together the members of the Body of Christ and to help provide the tools and encouragement toward bearing much fruit.
If you believe the Lord has put it on your heart to support this ministry, we would be very grateful for your assistance. Please send any donations to The Believers Underground Network, P.O. Box 8972, Riccarton, Christchurch, New Zealand.
If you have any article submissions, comments or questions please write to the above address or email bun@orcon.net.nz
We are gathering a database of people who are interested in house church. If you would like to be a part of a house church, please register your interest to bun@orcon.net.nz and we will put you in contact with others in your area who are like minded.
We have organised the materials here into two main categories. Information about the house church concept itself and how it compares to the institutional church; and a collection of edifying (and currently unsorted!) articles that would benefit house church groups and individuals alike.
The goal of the Believers Underground Network is to locate and bring together the members of the Body of Christ and to help provide the tools and encouragement toward bearing much fruit.
If you believe the Lord has put it on your heart to support this ministry, we would be very grateful for your assistance. Please send any donations to The Believers Underground Network, P.O. Box 8972, Riccarton, Christchurch, New Zealand.
If you have any article submissions, comments or questions please write to the above address or email bun@orcon.net.nz
We are gathering a database of people who are interested in house church. If you would like to be a part of a house church, please register your interest to bun@orcon.net.nz and we will put you in contact with others in your area who are like minded.
Information about the house church concept
Eric Svendsen
Why Meet in Homes?An article which guides you through the new testament highlighting the church in the home.
Wolfgang Simson
Houses That Change The World (PDF, 730KB)Chapter summary:
• A vision too good to be true?
• Fifteen Theses towards a Re-Incarnation of Church
• Bridging the church gap
• Housechurches in History Rediscovery
• The nature of housechurches What they are, what they do, and how they function
• The Five-Fold Ministry God’s resources and structure for multiplying housechurches
• Housechurch or cellchurch?
• Thirteen reasons why housechurches are the natural solution
• Developing a persecution-proof structure
• How to develop a persecution proof spirit
• Fathering the next Generation Who will do all the work?
• Models of Church Multiplication How to plant churches
Robert Fitts
The Church in the House: A Return to Simplicity (PDF, 181KB)Covers the following topics:
• The Case for House Churches
• Mission Statement
• The House Church in the New Testament
• What is a Church?
• What is House Church?
• Church membership
• Saturation church planting
• The wheel & the vine
• Unity
• What do you do in a house church
• How to start a house church
Neal Griffin
Churchanity - More on ChurchanityHow the church of today is NOT what God intended.
How to Start a House Church
Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3If God is calling you into a house church, or to start a house church, this book is for you. May you be clearly led by the Lord and used mightily for His purposes in this day.
Why Meet in Homes?An article which guides you through the new testament highlighting the church in the home.
Wolfgang Simson
Houses That Change The World (PDF, 730KB)Chapter summary:
• A vision too good to be true?
• Fifteen Theses towards a Re-Incarnation of Church
• Bridging the church gap
• Housechurches in History Rediscovery
• The nature of housechurches What they are, what they do, and how they function
• The Five-Fold Ministry God’s resources and structure for multiplying housechurches
• Housechurch or cellchurch?
• Thirteen reasons why housechurches are the natural solution
• Developing a persecution-proof structure
• How to develop a persecution proof spirit
• Fathering the next Generation Who will do all the work?
• Models of Church Multiplication How to plant churches
Robert Fitts
The Church in the House: A Return to Simplicity (PDF, 181KB)Covers the following topics:
• The Case for House Churches
• Mission Statement
• The House Church in the New Testament
• What is a Church?
• What is House Church?
• Church membership
• Saturation church planting
• The wheel & the vine
• Unity
• What do you do in a house church
• How to start a house church
Neal Griffin
Churchanity - More on ChurchanityHow the church of today is NOT what God intended.
How to Start a House Church
Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3If God is calling you into a house church, or to start a house church, this book is for you. May you be clearly led by the Lord and used mightily for His purposes in this day.
Articles
Bernard of Clairvaux
On Loving God
Why we should love God and the measure of that love.
David Brainerd
Journal Part 1 (131KB) - Part 2 (135KB)
David Brainerd. 1718 -1747. Protestant missionary, born in Haddam, Connecticut, USA. An emotional, sickly child, he achieved a religious conversion after much anguish in 1739. He was expelled from Yale in 1742 for making derogatory remarks about a tutor, but he obtained a license to preach and ministered to Indian tribes in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Poor health forced him from the field in early 1747, and he died shortly thereafter. Jonathan Edwards published an account of Brainerd's life in 1749.
Thomas Brooks
Love the Lord Jesus Christ!
An analysis of what it means to love the Lord your God.
Brother Lawrence
Practicing the Presence of God
Good when He gives, supremely good; Nor less when He denies: Afflictions, from His sovereign hand, Are blessings in disguise.
Jeremiah Burroughs
The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment (490KB)
This article describes Christian contentment, the mystery of contentment, how Christ teaches contentment, the excellence of contentment, the murmuring spirit, aggravations of a murmuring spirit, the excuses of discontentment, and how to attain contentment.
John Flavel
Christ Altogether Lovely
Jesus Christ - Who he is. - What he is. - What he is like.
Christ the Desire of All Nations
That the desires of God's elect in all kingdoms, and among all people of the earth, are, and shall be drawn out after and fixed upon, the Lord Jesus Christ.
On Keeping the Heart (201KB)
The heart of man is his worst part before it is regenerated, and the best afterward; it is the seat of principles, and the fountain of actions. The eye of God is, and the eye of the Christian ought to be principally fixed upon it.
Madame Guyon
The Way of God & Of the State of Union
The different transitions in relationship with God (conversion, will, passivity and sacrifice, faith, death, resurrection, life with God, and transformation).
The Method of Prayer (127KB)
This little treatise, conceived in great simplicity, was not originally intended for publication. It was written for a few individuals, who were desirous of loving God with all their heart. Many, however, because of the profit they received in reading the manuscript, wished to obtain copies, and, on this account alone, it was committed to the press.
Pere La Combe
Spiritual Maxims from a friend of Madame Jeanne Guyon
D.L. Moody
Christ All In All
Read Colossians 3:11. CHRIST is all in all to every one who has truly found Him.
The Secret Power (171KB)
One man may have "zeal without knowledge," while another may have knowledge without zeal. If I could have only the one, I believe I should choose the first; but, with an open Bible, no one need be without knowledge of God's will and purpose; and the object of this book is to help others to know the source of true power, that both their zeal and their knowledge may be of increased service in the Master's work.
Prevailing Prayer: What Hinders It? (192KB)
A look at the ten contributing factors to prayer (prayers of the bible, adoration, confession, restitution, thanksgiving, forgiveness, unity, faith, petition, submission, and answered prayers).
Andrew Murray
The Deeper Christian Life (141KB)
The first and chief need of our Christian life is, fellowship with God.
Samuel Rutherford
A Collection of his Letters (264KB)
Charles Spurgeon
The Letters of Charles Spurgeon (375KB)
Letters by Charles Spurgeon collected by his son
Encounters with Jesus Christ (213KB)
"For me to live is Christ." Philippians 1:21
Fragrant Spices from the Mountains of Myrrh
Christ has a high esteem for his Church. He does not blindly admire her faults, or even conceal them from himself. He is acquainted with her sin, in all its heinousness of guilt, and desert of punishment. That sin he does not shun to reprove. His own words are, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten." (Revelation 3:19.)
J.O. Sanders
The Divine Art of Soul Winning (PDF, 208KB)
This book covers:
• A Concern for Souls
• The Fitness of the Worker
• The Place of Prayer in Soul-Winning
• Do's and Don'ts for the Soul-Winner
• An Old Testament Illustration and a New Testament Example
• Opportunity, Approach, and Diagnosis
• How to Deal with Various Classes
• How to Deal with Various Classes (continued)
• Working Among False Cults
• Miscellaneous Suggestions
T. Austin Sparks
Faith's Persistency
Two of the major elements in the spiritual life and experience of God's people are the seemingly slow and hidden ways of God and the demand for persistent faith in His servants.
Faith Unto Enlargement through Adversity (PDF, 256KB)
A short book by Austin Sparks on faith.
• Faith Unto Enlargement Through Adversity
• The Key Of Faith
• The Key Of Faith (Concluded)
• Faith In Relation To Life
• In Relation To God's Principle
• Light Through Death And Resurrection
• The Shining Of The Light
The Lord's Attitude To His Children in AdversityAdversity amongst the people of God is recognised and accepted-that is, it is taken for granted. It is unnecessary to say that, amongst the people of God, adversity is a fact.
Thomas Watson
The Art of Divine Contentment (241KB)
An Exposition of Philippians 4. 11: "I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content."
Mystic Union between Christ and the Saints
In this Song of Songs we see the love of Christ and his church running towards each other in a full torrent. The text contains three general parts: 1. A symbol of affection: "My beloved." 2. A term of appropriation: "is mine." 3. A holy resignation: "I am his."
George Whitefield
The Knowledge of Jesus Christ - The Best Knowledge
In the following discourse, I shall, FIRST, Explain what is meant by "not knowing any thing, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." SECONDLY, Give some reasons why every Christian should determine not to know any thing else. And THIRDLY, Conclude with a general exhortation to put this determination into practice.
On Loving God
Why we should love God and the measure of that love.
David Brainerd
Journal Part 1 (131KB) - Part 2 (135KB)
David Brainerd. 1718 -1747. Protestant missionary, born in Haddam, Connecticut, USA. An emotional, sickly child, he achieved a religious conversion after much anguish in 1739. He was expelled from Yale in 1742 for making derogatory remarks about a tutor, but he obtained a license to preach and ministered to Indian tribes in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Poor health forced him from the field in early 1747, and he died shortly thereafter. Jonathan Edwards published an account of Brainerd's life in 1749.
Thomas Brooks
Love the Lord Jesus Christ!
An analysis of what it means to love the Lord your God.
Brother Lawrence
Practicing the Presence of God
Good when He gives, supremely good; Nor less when He denies: Afflictions, from His sovereign hand, Are blessings in disguise.
Jeremiah Burroughs
The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment (490KB)
This article describes Christian contentment, the mystery of contentment, how Christ teaches contentment, the excellence of contentment, the murmuring spirit, aggravations of a murmuring spirit, the excuses of discontentment, and how to attain contentment.
John Flavel
Christ Altogether Lovely
Jesus Christ - Who he is. - What he is. - What he is like.
Christ the Desire of All Nations
That the desires of God's elect in all kingdoms, and among all people of the earth, are, and shall be drawn out after and fixed upon, the Lord Jesus Christ.
On Keeping the Heart (201KB)
The heart of man is his worst part before it is regenerated, and the best afterward; it is the seat of principles, and the fountain of actions. The eye of God is, and the eye of the Christian ought to be principally fixed upon it.
Madame Guyon
The Way of God & Of the State of Union
The different transitions in relationship with God (conversion, will, passivity and sacrifice, faith, death, resurrection, life with God, and transformation).
The Method of Prayer (127KB)
This little treatise, conceived in great simplicity, was not originally intended for publication. It was written for a few individuals, who were desirous of loving God with all their heart. Many, however, because of the profit they received in reading the manuscript, wished to obtain copies, and, on this account alone, it was committed to the press.
Pere La Combe
Spiritual Maxims from a friend of Madame Jeanne Guyon
D.L. Moody
Christ All In All
Read Colossians 3:11. CHRIST is all in all to every one who has truly found Him.
The Secret Power (171KB)
One man may have "zeal without knowledge," while another may have knowledge without zeal. If I could have only the one, I believe I should choose the first; but, with an open Bible, no one need be without knowledge of God's will and purpose; and the object of this book is to help others to know the source of true power, that both their zeal and their knowledge may be of increased service in the Master's work.
Prevailing Prayer: What Hinders It? (192KB)
A look at the ten contributing factors to prayer (prayers of the bible, adoration, confession, restitution, thanksgiving, forgiveness, unity, faith, petition, submission, and answered prayers).
Andrew Murray
The Deeper Christian Life (141KB)
The first and chief need of our Christian life is, fellowship with God.
Samuel Rutherford
A Collection of his Letters (264KB)
Charles Spurgeon
The Letters of Charles Spurgeon (375KB)
Letters by Charles Spurgeon collected by his son
Encounters with Jesus Christ (213KB)
"For me to live is Christ." Philippians 1:21
Fragrant Spices from the Mountains of Myrrh
Christ has a high esteem for his Church. He does not blindly admire her faults, or even conceal them from himself. He is acquainted with her sin, in all its heinousness of guilt, and desert of punishment. That sin he does not shun to reprove. His own words are, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten." (Revelation 3:19.)
J.O. Sanders
The Divine Art of Soul Winning (PDF, 208KB)
This book covers:
• A Concern for Souls
• The Fitness of the Worker
• The Place of Prayer in Soul-Winning
• Do's and Don'ts for the Soul-Winner
• An Old Testament Illustration and a New Testament Example
• Opportunity, Approach, and Diagnosis
• How to Deal with Various Classes
• How to Deal with Various Classes (continued)
• Working Among False Cults
• Miscellaneous Suggestions
T. Austin Sparks
Faith's Persistency
Two of the major elements in the spiritual life and experience of God's people are the seemingly slow and hidden ways of God and the demand for persistent faith in His servants.
Faith Unto Enlargement through Adversity (PDF, 256KB)
A short book by Austin Sparks on faith.
• Faith Unto Enlargement Through Adversity
• The Key Of Faith
• The Key Of Faith (Concluded)
• Faith In Relation To Life
• In Relation To God's Principle
• Light Through Death And Resurrection
• The Shining Of The Light
The Lord's Attitude To His Children in AdversityAdversity amongst the people of God is recognised and accepted-that is, it is taken for granted. It is unnecessary to say that, amongst the people of God, adversity is a fact.
Thomas Watson
The Art of Divine Contentment (241KB)
An Exposition of Philippians 4. 11: "I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content."
Mystic Union between Christ and the Saints
In this Song of Songs we see the love of Christ and his church running towards each other in a full torrent. The text contains three general parts: 1. A symbol of affection: "My beloved." 2. A term of appropriation: "is mine." 3. A holy resignation: "I am his."
George Whitefield
The Knowledge of Jesus Christ - The Best Knowledge
In the following discourse, I shall, FIRST, Explain what is meant by "not knowing any thing, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." SECONDLY, Give some reasons why every Christian should determine not to know any thing else. And THIRDLY, Conclude with a general exhortation to put this determination into practice.
Posts
