Conclusion A church is a family. All of these descriptions point to the relationships we have to God and to one another. A family is people relating to one another. Church relationships, good and bad, overwhelm the NT reader if he looks for them. The good church nurtures and builds those relationships and does not substitute an endless parade of activities for them.
People desire healthy relationships more than anything else.
However, house church members must be prepared to get close, very close. Think of it as porcupines snuggling up to get warm in the winter. The closer they get, the more quills they feel. When they draw back, they get cold. The house church model best resembles a family because it meets where people live.