Church PLANT Manual

50 • Church PLANT Manual

A household usually contained four generations, including men, married women, unmarried daughters, slaves of both sexes, persons without citizenship, and ‘sojourners,’ or resident foreign workers.

~ Hans Walter Wolff. Anthology of the Old Testament.

The gospel in our NT narratives is described as coming through and to the various people in the household where they resided, (cf. Mark 5:19; Luke 19:9; John 4:53; John 1;41-45, etc.). Cornelius’ example is a prime case, Acts 10-11. 1. The dimensions of our natural, human relational webs a. Common kinship relationships (immediate, extended, and adopted families) b. Common friendships (friends, neighbors, special interests) c. Common associates (work relationships, special interests, recreation, ethnic or cultural alliances, national allegiances) 2. Why oikos (household) evangelism via relational webs is effective a. Oikos evangelism is biblical – Jesus and apostles ministered in this fashion.

b. Oikos is our most natural and least threatening network of existing relationships (no cold calling, or the truest form of lifestyle and friendship evangelism).