As God builds his church, sometimes he does it in a home, a park or a pizzeria, said LIndsay Cofield, director of multi-housing/organic churches for the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Cofield assists and mobilizes the birth, growth and development of organic churches across the state, he said.

He described an organic church as one detached from the conventional concept of a traditional church. Organic churches typically exhibit a much more informal setting and meet in homes, apartments, recreation centers and other locations.

Cofield said just as Christians point to verses like John 3:16 to grasp the essence and meaning of salvation, organic churches do the same with the definition of a church.

Organic churches often provide a place for “overlooked people” – those who may not attend a larger institution but would be more open to participating in an organic church setting, Cofield said.

Cofield said since an organic church is generally smaller, it is more relational and community-based.

“Oftentimes, we go to larger churches just to fade into the background, and people can go to church, and not go to Church,” she said. “The Church — capital C — is meant to be about intertwining with people and being in community.”

This summer, the Hortons branched out to open their home to people who may not have found the larger institution church yet. Amanda called it a “God thing,” because the response to their invitation was overwhelming.

To represent a true church, Cofield said, people have to love God, love others and be passionate about making disciples. He listed five functions every church should have: fellowship, ministry, worship, evangelism and discipleship. Even in the larger institution churches, everything comes out of those five functions, he said