A movement of House Churches in West Michigan focused on moving forward in unity, love, and truth; all for the glory of God Almighty.

The Outpost Church

The Early Church got it right!

And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. - Acts 2:42-47 ESV

We are focused on returning to the community so central to the early church growth in Acts. While we love and need our corporate churches, we are saddened that for many believers the church has been turned into a weekly event instead of a way of life. The early church called Christianity ‘The Way’, as they were committed to living together in love as a way of life.

At The Outpost Church we are committed to growing together, breaking bread together, worshiping together, and serving together. They key to the Christian walk comes in the word ‘together.’ Our church model stems from this, and from the early Christian practices. We are committed to meeting in small groups - or Outposts if you will - as our regular worship to facilitate Christ-centered community.

This is our model

Coroprate Worship

As to not neglect the larger church, we commit to meeting up once a month for corporate worship to celebrate and worship the Lord as the larger church community. This event includes our incorporated house churches, but is not limited only to groups under The Outpost Church. We believe in one ministry, Christ’s ministry, and rejoice in promoting and connecting with all Christians and ministries - even those we are not affiliated with.

For more information regarding these gatherings, visit our Monthly Gatherings page. If you have any specific questions, want to connect with or start a house church with us, or are interested in partnering with us as another ministry, please connect with us on our contact page. We’d love to connect with you!

Regular Worship

Planting

“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” - Romans 10:14

We believe the first step towards a genuine relationship with Christ comes from God planting a seed of faith in the heart of a person. From this seed God can sprout a tree full of beautiful fruit, nourished and established in His words, with roots that run deep.

As a church we understand God has given us care over these newly planted seeds, and aim to provide a space for genuine spiritual growth. It is our responsibility after a seed is planted in a person to invite them into a space of Christ centered fellowship.

Our Model

Cultivating

We believe the foundational element in a Christian’s life should be their relationship with Jesus.

We trust the writer’s words spoken in Hebrews 6:1, that we should “leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.”

Here at The Outpost Church, we exist as a network of house churches (or outposts) that meets together for church every Sunday. We do call ourselves a church; but a part of the church. Thus, we do not apply the typical church principles; rather, our focus is on the relationships built through Christ - that church is a people, not a place.

Growing

And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken. - Ecclesiastes 4:12

For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother. - Matthew 12:50

A life with Christ offers a unique and amazing opportunity. We are adopted into Christ’s family (Gal 4:5), and thus gain a worldwide family of brothers and sisters. Within The Outpost Church we strive to live into this fellowship by creating an environment of commitment and community through out calling. We believe in the calling to live life together as the church, always growing in maturity of faith.

Scattering

”For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.” - Romans 3:22-25

We understand without Jesus man is on a collision course with Hell. Our heart breaks at this reality, but we hope in what Paul says in Romans. We are justified through Christ, and are received by faith. But we are not to keep this to ourselves; rather, we believe it is the Church’s responsibility to share this good news, a mission we were founded on and strongly hold to. We do not stop at the doors of our Outposts. No, we seek to chase down the lost and “Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter” (Prov 24:11).

Vision Statement

Our Vision

Our ultimate vision is to bring glory to God through every aspect of our mission and lives. Our vision is to grow church cells in local houses as outposts of Christ’s kingdom here on Earth in West Michigan. 

We believe we are in the midst of a great spiritual battle, yet not one that is undecided. The cosmic battle between Satan and God is more ridiculously lopsided than a gnat attacking the foundations of the earth, and in this hilarity the outcome has always been decided. Even the demonic understands this (Matthew 8:29), and thus they have a plan formulated around this. There is no defeating or ‘hurting’ God in the physical or spiritual. Yet, Satan can pierce God’s heart if he is successful in turning His greatest creation against Him (Hosea 1-3). Thus, the plan for the demonic is to bring the masses to Hell.

The war plan for the Christian, then, is to wage war on the gates of Hell. We are the new ‘watchmen on the wall’ who are called to “Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter” (Proverbs 24:11). We are not meant to be a people who stand idly by while God’s name is blasphemed and God’s creation is sliding to destruction.


Our Mission

Our mission is to glorify God through all that we do in this ministry. Our focus is growing local outposts of believers with the purpose of discipling and equipping for ministry; whether vocational or congruent.

We believe we are in the midst of a great spiritual battle, yet not one that is undecided. The cosmic battle between Satan and God is more hilariously lopsided than a gnat attacking the foundations of the earth, and in this hilarity the outcome has always been decided. Even the demonic understands this (Matthew 8:29), and thus they have a plan formulated around this. There is no defeating or ‘hurting’ God in the physical or spiritual. Yet, Satan can pierce God’s heart if he is successful in turning His greatest creation against Him (Hosea 1-3). Thus, the plan for the demonic is to bring the masses to Hell.

The call for the Christian, then, is to wage war on the gates of Hell. We are the new ‘watchmen on the wall’ (Ezekiel 33:7-9, Isaiah 62:6-7) who are called to “Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter” (Proverbs 24:11). We are not meant to be a people who stand idly by while God’s name is blasphemed and God’s creation is sliding to destruction.

Our Values

As a church we hold primarily and fundamentally to the Apostolic Creed, ceasing connection with further established denominational creeds or confessions as to “avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless” (Titus 3:9 ESV). We are attempting to create a true Inter-denominational church, one focused on unity within disagreement and which abhors the idea of needless schism and separation. 

We agree with Christ when He declares “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 31:35 ESV) and yearn eagerly with Paul when he appeals “by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10 ESV). In this yearning we are attempting to create an environment of unity where disagreement is not seen as unacceptable but normal and growth-inducing.

If we cannot work through disagreement within the church, how can we assume we will be effective in communicating the truth of Christ amidst exterior (secular) disagreement?

FAQs

  • We currently have a house church in Zeeland, and one in Grand Rapids. With the start of this next school year (2025-2026), we are planning to plant an additional two House Churches in Holland and one in Allendale.

    Interested in starting your own outpost? Please fill out the form on our contact page and we will connect you with the leadership for your local area. We are excited to see what the Lord will do through your ministry!

  • We function as one church with many different campuses. Our house churches (or outposts) are typically focused around a meal, thus following the Acts idea of the church breaking bread together. As to not neglect the larger corporate church worship, we set aside the last Sunday of every month to meet together as a gathering of believers.

    This gathering helps remind us while we are growing close relationships with a smaller group of people than a traditional church, we are still a part of the full body of Christ. This gathering is organized as a traditional church service, with worship and a sermon, and is located at Community Reformed Church in Zeeland, Mi.

  • We are absolutely thrilled to hear this question, as we genuinely believe the growth that will stem from this decision in your life will be monumental!

    On the top of this website, click on the contact page. From their, fill in your information and we will be getting back to you within two days. We typically would connect you with the closest local house church; however, we completely understand if you have a specific one on your mind to join. Simply note that in your message to us and we would be happy to connect you with the outpost elder!

  • Absolutely!

    We make it our mission not to pull away from any other ministries, as there is truly only one ministry - Christ’s ministry. All organizations we call ministries are simply a part of this larger cell. In that, we are motivated to building connections with local churches, ministries, and small groups with the purposes of sharing the Gospel together.

    We are not in competition with each other, and are devoted to pouring into all ministries Christ has created. Whether you would like to join our prayer team, support us financially, start your own outpost, come alongside us in a ministry partnership, or any other idea Christ has brought to mind, please reach out to us through our contact page. We would love to hear what you have to say!