CCS News

CCS December 2006 Newsletter

Cell church in post-Christian culture (part 2)

• Christmas specials : For this month, you can order the entire 5-book training series for $32.95 (retail-$49.75) or each individual book for $7.95 (retail-$9.95). Order now.
• This month we are selling CD with PowerPoint and Teaching notes for $10.95 (retail-$17.95). The CD offers complete teaching notes in WORD and PDF format for each equipping book (Live, Encounter, Grow, Share, and Lead) and approximately 60 PowerPoint slides for each book. Order now.
• For this Christmas season, we also offer three booksat $8.95 :Cell Church Solutions (retail-$14.95) Appointment with the King (retail-$10.95) and Spirit-filled Small Group (retail-$12.99).
• On January 19-21, 2007, I will do a cell seminar at New River Alliance Church in New River, Connecticut. If you’re interested in attending, contact John H. Nichols at john@newriverchurch.org
• I would encourage you to attend a 5-day in-depth cell/celebration course I’m giving in Nyack, New York on April 30-May 04, 2007. This is an official course of Alliance Theological Seminary, but you can audit the entire course for $300.00. We’ve also arranged special hotel prices for people like you—and hey, you even get a free book from me! By taking this course, you would get the entire cell package (all I know). If you’re interested, contact: Heather Rosenberg or Jennifer Balk, but also let me know also, so I can give you a pre-course assignment.
• CCS offers coaching both in English and Spanish. Check out our website about coaching opportunities.
• Our next CCS board meeting will be February 22-23, 2007 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

While churches in the western world marvel at the incredible growth overseas, the immediate question is, Will the same thing work here?North America is simply a different animal, and those ministering in North America understand the unique cultural differences. As I travel back and forth between cultures, I have to continually ask myself two questions: 1. What are cell church principles that cross cultural boundaries? 2. What are the adjustments that need to be made in the western world? In the last newsletter I addressed two principles that cross cultural boundaries (infrastructure growth and giving away community). In this issue I’ll address two key adjustments to make cell church relevant in secular, western cultures.

First adjustment: the need for simplicity . Wolfgang Simson in his book, Houses that Changed the World, rightfully critiqued the cell church movement worldwide as being far too complicated. He refers to Yonggi Cho envy among cell church pastors. So often pastors want to have the church size of Yonggi Cho, and they feel like failures unless their church reaches gigantic proportions. I have to admit that I’ve compounded this problem by writing books on some of these huge cell churches in order to untangle their intricacies. Many of the cell churches I studied had chains of cell leadership that extended so far down that it complicated the reproduction process. Part of the reason for complexity is that many of these huge cell churches are found in hierarchical cultures in which such layers of authority are perfectly acceptable. This is not true in western cultures. Those in the western world live in a more decentralized society in which leadership takes place on a more flattened, peer level. Information is available to everyone, and everyone is invited to climb the ladder to the top.

I was recently talking to the staff of one cell church in the U.S. One of the leaders asked me what should happen as his network of cells reached the third generation of multiplication and how he would raise up the new network pastor. I answered his inquiry as best as I could, but then I just stopped for a moment and realized the church had become far too complicated. I exhorted the staff to think seriously about planting a new church.

Some of the larger cell church structures are very complex, like Dion Robert’s 200,000 mega cell church in Ivory Coast, West Africa. In many cultures around the world, hierarchical leadership is normal. The western world has a far more flattened style of leadership.

Truly there is a fine line between a simple church and a fuzzy one. I believe in stripping the church to its bare essentials. NT house churches were simple, clear, and easily reproducible. But it was still a local church that had God-ordained leadership. I’m very concerned that we don’t redefine the church in such a way that the local church becomes meaningless. Some are talking about the wave of the future being personalized church—making your own church experience. I disagree wholeheartedly.

Second Adjustment: The Need for Church Planting: The second area is the need for church planting. I’ve noticed that some worldwide cell churches have wanted to consolidate power under one roof. Instead of releasing people for ministry, certain cell church pastors have wanted to retain all people under themselves. My personal conviction is that exceedingly few cell churches will ever grow to mega cell church status and that church planting should be a far higher priority than expanding one church.

New church planting should be part of the DNA of every cell church. Since the heart and soul of the cell church is reproduction, a cell church should not stop at cell multiplication. New church planters should also be encouraged to go forth and plant cell churches .

I really like David Garrison’s emphasis of church planting movements. It’s interesting to me that in Garrison’s book, Church Planting Movements, he often intermingles house church and cell church language, as if he were talking about the same thing. I like how he does this because in reality, if the focus is on rapid church planting, our own distinctions are not nearly as important. Rather, It’s all about fulfilling the great commission.

I’ve arrived at the conclusion that reproduction is at the very essence and heart of the cell church movement. This reproduction first comes at the level of cell leadership, but it must also move into the realm of church planting. I see some hopeful signs in certain cell churches throughout the U.S. but I believe it needs to happen more.

People ask me, Joel, why are you so interested in cell groups. I tell them that I’m not interested in cell groups. I’m excited about what they produce. Cells are leader breeders as Eddie Gibbs used to say. They are the perfect environment to produce new leaders. Yet, it must move to the realm of church planting and beyond if cell ministry is going to see its full potential. A person who has led a cell, multiplied it, and coached the daughter-cell leader(s) has completed the core basics of cell church planting. Such a person is a prime candidate for future church planting—anywhere in the world.

Undoubtedly, this same person will seek out biblical education and grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Fruitfulness on the cell level builds confidence for future church planting and allows the candidate to then make it happen.

In May 2002 I spoke to denominational executives who were highly influenced by the house church movement. They resisted the idea of the mega church because of the mega problems associated with this phenomenon: mega buildings, mega land space, and bureaucratic nightmare of mega proportions.

I encouraged these leaders not to reject large cell churches altogether. “After all,” I told them, “if God calls a pastor who can lead a cell church to mega church status as a flagship church, such a church could have a powerful influence.” I don’t think such churches should be the norm. The vast majority of cell church pastors will have smaller, more nimble churches that focus on church planting.

Cell church planting doesn’t have to be a complicated process. A church might grow to five cells and decide to plant another church.

Cell church is not a quick-fix solution. If anything, it’s a radical call to discipleship, evangelism, and multiplication. Yet the cell church strategy can also bring new life and hope to Christ’s church. Adjustments must be made, however, to make this happen. Many have tried to copy David Yonggi Cho and have met disastrous results. Others have preached that cell church is the only way and rejected all other forms of Christ’s church. Still others are so focused on their own model and building their own kingdom that it borders on heresy. As we understand that balance and understanding is needed to apply cell church principles in the west, I’m convinced that the cell church movement can help purify the church in the west and even help the church go to the next level of church growth.