Last week, we as a family had our first advent before Christmas. We read Matthew 1:23, where the Scripture says, "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"-which means, "God with us." As we unpacked the meaning of the phrase "God with us," we were amazed to remember that God's son, Jesus, grew in Mary's womb like any normal baby, being fully human. 

Yet, unlike other babies, Jesus was sent on a very special mission to die for the sins of the world. Jesus was God's sent one. Christmas, in fact, is all about God sending His Son to this lost world, so that we could be saved. And just as the Father sent Jesus into the world, He also sends us into the world.  Jesus Himself said, "As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world" (John 17:18).

Cell ministry is all about sending--not keeping. Jesus trained and discipled people in order to send them. Sadly, we often disciple people in order to keep them. Notice that the word send is lodged within Christ's prayer for harvest workers. Jesus says, "Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field" (Matthew 9:38).

Cell ministry is never an end in itself. Unless cell members are challenged and trained to be workers, small groups easily stagnate and die. Ben Wong says, "Sending should be the basic DNA of the church. . . A person's growth has a progression - from following leaders - to becoming a leader."

Celyce and I will start a new Life group in our neighborhood in January. We felt it was the natural next step from our last Life group. What is the next step for you in cell ministry? For some, it means joining a cell group? For others, it's participating in the next cell plant, as leader or part of a sending team. For others, it's entering the equipping track in preparation to be sent.

This Christmas, let us remember that God sent us His Son, Jesus Christ. Let us now allow Jesus to send us as lights to a dark, dying world. 

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