Frequently Asked Questions

The questions below are organized into sections so you can explore what matters most to you.

Is AVODA House for me?

  • Yes.

    Anyone may explore AVODA House. However, participation requires alignment with our rhythms and values.

  • AVODA House is often a strong fit for:

    • People seeking spiritual depth and intentional seasons of rest

    • Those weary of shallow or program driven church models

    • Individuals willing to live differently and be flexible —not just attend an event

    • Believers who desire deeper healing, formation, and maturity

    • Those who want to grow in personal relationship with God, not dependency on personalities

    • People who long to carry their faith into everyday life —their home, workplace, and society


    It may feel less aligned for those who are:

    • Very new to the faith and still exploring foundations

    • Looking for a casual or anonymous church environment

    • Prefer familiar and highly predictable church settings

    • Expecting ministries divided by age group instead of family integrated discipleship

    • Seeking events, conferences, or high activity church models

    • Prefer environments where leadership carries most of the responsibility for spiritual growth

  • Yes.

    Your first visits to an AVODA home gathering are simply a time to experience and discern whether this is where you feel called. Many people visit 2-3 times before deciding whether AVODA will become their home church.

    For the Discipleship Academy, the Orientation Cycle provides 8 weeks for prayer and reflection before making a commitment.

  • AVODA House is not easily categorized.

    • Unlike many home church networks, we emphasize patient, long term formation through gentle discipleship and seasonal rhythms.

    • Unlike many discipleship movements, we integrate theology with real life systems and civic understanding.

    • Unlike civic ministries, spiritual formation comes first.

    • Unlike institutional churches, we are not program driven or building centered —we are home based, relational, and family integrated by design.

Participation & Belonging

  • Participation can be online, local, or both.

    • AVODA Home Churches gather locally in private homes, with rhythms that vary by location and season.

    • The AVODA House Discipleship Academy meets online and is open to anyone who completes Orientation.

    To begin:

    • Submit an interest form for Home Church

    • Enroll in the next Orientation Cycle for the Academy

    Joining AVODA House is not membership —it is a commitment to discipleship. There is no cost to participate.

  • Yes, though live participation is important.

    The Discipleship Academy meets Wednesdays at 8:00pm Eastern Time (U.S.), and sessions are not designed for asynchronous participation.

  • This depends on how you are participating:

    • Discipleship Academy participants: Yes. We encourage honoring your local church and leadership.

    • Those who have made AVODA House their home church: AVODA House becomes your primary spiritual community.

    • AVODA leaders: We ask leaders to remain rooted within the house they serve.

What Gatherings Are Like

  • Both.

    AVODA House expressions exist in multiple regions, but gatherings remain intentionally small and home-based. We do not aim to build large campuses or institutional structures.

    We believe growth should be led by the Holy Spirit, not forced. Our focus is intimacy, faithfulness, and healthy spiritual households.

  • In person gatherings are intentionally intimate.

    Most home gatherings include one to three families, depending on the location and season. “Where two or three are gathered, there I am.” — Matthew 18:20

  • The primary teaching language is English, though we serve many bilingual and Spanish-speaking communities.

  • Casual and comfortable. AVODA House gatherings are hosted in homes, and we value authenticity over formality.

  • Yes —children are welcome. AVODA House is family integrated.

    Children, parents, singles, and elders grow together as one spiritual family.

  • We do not offer a separate children’s program.

    Instead, we practice family integrated discipleship. Our gatherings reflect real life —sometimes joyful, sometimes a little messy—where all ages are welcomed and formed together.

    We honor parents as primary disciplers and trust the Holy Spirit to lead each household.

  • Not exactly.

    Many people experience meaningful connection in church small groups, and those can be valuable spaces for fellowship and growth. However, AVODA House is not a small group connected to a larger institutional church.

    AVODA House functions as a primary spiritual household, not a supplement to another church structure. Many participants are spread across the U.S. and beyond, and gatherings are centered on shared life rather than programming.

    Unlike small groups that typically support a larger church model, AVODA House emphasizes everyday formation and spiritual family life rooted in the patterns of the early church—emphasizing everyday discipleship, shared rhythms, and relational formation rather than attendance-based participation.

  • No.

    AVODA House is intentionally home-based. Our vision is to build people and form healthy spiritual households rather than institutional structures. We believe the early Church model of gathering in homes remains deeply relevant today.

Format & Accessibility

  • Home gatherings are not livestreamed or recorded.

    They are meant to remain intimate and relational. Occasionally, a local house may share a private online link with guests who were unable to attend in person, but this is not standard practice.

  • The Academy is designed as a live formation environment, not a broadcast.

    Sessions are typically not recorded or shared publicly. Participation begins with completing the orientation process, after which individuals can choose whether to continue into the live rhythm of the Academy.

    In rare cases, a session may be recorded for internal use, but this is not the norm.

  • Yes.

    Because AVODA gathers in homes and small environments, accessibility is relational and adaptive. Each house adjusts to the people God brings.

    Home Gatherings

    • Smaller environments (easier navigation)

    • Relational settings where no one navigates alone

    • Lower sensory stimulation than large auditoriums

    • Flexible seating and slower pacing

    For Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing Individuals

    • Face-to-face circles

    • One speaker at a time

    • Captioned teachings when available

    • Houses can adapt communication styles as needed

    For Blind or Low-Vision Individuals

    • Audio-first teaching model

    • Oral reflections available instead of written forms

    • Verbal Scripture readings and slower pacing

    Academy Accessibility

    • Gentle, formation based model

    • Audio first learning rhythm

    • Flexible participation styles when needed

    Our goal is simple: environments where people are known, supported, and never navigating alone.

Leadership & Care

  • AVODA House is led by a board and spiritually mature leaders who provide accountability, discernment, and care.

    We value plurality in leadership and seek to avoid personality-driven ministry models. In addition to internal leadership, our board remains relationally connected with trusted pastors and ministry leaders across the United States as part of our commitment to spiritual health and accountability.

  • Yes.

    We believe men and women are equally created, called, and empowered by God to serve in His Kingdom. Through the Holy Spirit, God appoints and equips both women and men to lead, teach, and minister according to His purpose.

  • We follow the process of Matthew 18.

    Our desire is to handle conflict with humility, direct communication, and reconciliation whenever possible.

    We encourage honest conversations, pastoral care, and biblical processes that protect both truth and relationship.

Theology & Beliefs

  • We are non-denominational and committed to the full gospel.

    You can read our full statement on the Articles of faith page.

  • Yes.

    We believe the Holy Spirit is active today and that true freedom is found in Jesus Christ. We hold a continuationist view and believe the ministry of Jesus still brings healing and restoration to every part of a person’s life.

    We pray for physical, emotional, and spiritual healing, and when needed, we walk with people into freedom through repentance, renunciation, prayer, and ongoing discipleship. When deliverance ministry occurs, it is approached gently, with love, maturity, and pastoral care.

    We also honor the biblical expression of spiritual gifts, including prophecy. We seek to listen for God’s voice with humility, steward spiritual gifts within accountable relationships, and test all things against Scripture.

  • We encourage all participants to review our Articles of faith page.

    AVODA House is rooted in the authority of Scripture, honoring both the Old and New Testaments. While participants may come from diverse backgrounds, we aim for unity around core convictions and a shared pursuit of truth.

Serving & Growth

  • We don’t have ministries in the traditional sense. Instead, we have areas of care.

    As people are formed and begin to recognize their giftings, they may be invited to serve within an area of care such as healing, marriage, mercy, legal literacy, or vocational guidance. These roles are relational and responsive, not weekly program commitments.

    Serving in AVODA House flows from formation, not obligation. As God reveals your calling, there may be opportunities to walk alongside others in specific seasons of need.

    To learn more about how care is expressed within AVODA House, explore our areas of care here.

  • No.

    We value formation before function. Many people begin by simply receiving, healing, and growing before stepping into areas of service or responsibility.

  • AVODA House is relational and intentional.

    The culture of AVODA House is covenantal rather than casual, shaped by shared discipleship and spiritual maturity.

  • Yes.

    AVODA House is built around a gentle but intentional pace.

    We believe deep roots form over time, and we make room for steady, faithful growth rather than urgency or pressure.

  • Yes, for those who are called and formed over time.

    Some may be released to host an AVODA Home Church gathering, while others may be trained and ordained as ministers of the gospel. We do not rush leadership —recognition and ordination come prayerfully and as the Lord leads.

  • From time to time, we may offer structured courses, training, or intensives. Some of these may include certificates of completion. These are simply part of discipleship and do not carry credentials or spiritual authority within AVODA House.

    We do not offer degrees or formal accreditation, and there is no enrollment pathway for ordination.

    In some cases, individuals may be ordained as ministers, but ordination in AVODA House emerges through long-term formation, relationship, and discernment as the Holy Spirit forms fruit in a person’s life.

    We value spiritual fruit, character, and calling above titles or credentials.

    To better understand how formation unfolds within AVODA House, you can learn more about our Discipleship Academy here.

Giving & Financial Stewardship

  • No.

    There is no cost to participate in home churches, the Academy, or leadership formation.

    We believe discipleship should remain accessible, while welcoming joyful and voluntary giving as an expression of worship.

  • Yes.

    We are fully donation based and do not charge for gatherings or discipleship. If AVODA House has blessed you and you feel led to give, we receive it with gratitude and stewardship.

    As a registered nonprofit, donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. To learn more, visit our donation page.

  • All funds are overseen by our board of directors and stewarded with integrity.

    While we don’t operate large facilities or traditional overhead, we do carry operational and legal costs that allow the ministry to remain healthy and compliant.

    Funds are also quietly distributed as needs arise through our areas of care, helping support individuals and families in real, practical ways.

    You can learn more about our areas of care here.

Pastoral Heart

  • You are welcome here.

    We recognize that many people carry wounds from life or past church experiences.

    Where appropriate, we walk alongside individuals through prayer, pastoral care, and, when needed, deliverance —always in a gentle and loving way.

    To learn more about how we support people through pastoral care and healing, please visit our CARE page.

  • Yes.

    AVODA House follows a seasonal rhythm of gathering, formation, and rest. Each year, we intentionally slow down during the winter months to honor a season of rest, family life, reflection, and spiritual realignment.

    We believe rest is not inactivity —it is obedience.

  • Absolutely.

    Our Discipleship Academy includes space for questions during live sessions and Q&A discussions.

    We also welcome thoughtful questions in relational settings, including one-on-one discipleship.

    We believe sincere questions are part of healthy spiritual growth.

Formation begins when we choose to slow down

Listen, and allow God to shape us over time.

EXPLORE THE ACADEMY