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CCS March 2006 Newsletter |
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Since the cell is the crown jewel of the cell church, I encourage pastors and leaders to carefully define it. The most common definition of a cell (and the one I follow) is this: a group of three to fifteen people that meets weekly outside the church building for the purpose of evangelism, community, and discipleship with the goal of multiplication.
More recently, however, churches have promoted men, women, and youth cells. Bethany World Prayer Center has found that men, for example, practice greater transparency when meeting with other men in cell groups. Another exciting type of homogeneity—and mostly untapped—is homogenous groups for recovering alcoholics, drug users, etc. I’m not referring to traditional recovery groups that meet for a short time and then break up. I’m referring to clearly defined cell groups! These cell groups just happen to focus on a particular group of needy people.
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“Dustin said ‘Yes’ so I put a chair in the middle of the room and Dustin gave his heart to Jesus in a powerful way. When that time was finished Kenny said to his girlfriend, ‘Tiffany, do you want to get saved too?’ and she said ‘Yes’ so we all were so excited and put a chair in the middle of the room and she also confessed Christ as her Savior. In the next few weeks two or three others came to the Lord and others began to rededicate themselves to the Lord. Soon after the salvation and rededication experiences happened they wanted to be baptized in water. We met for teaching, and in two separate baptism services 8 were baptized.” Pastor Mike continues, “One couple who found Jesus in the cell group and were baptized confessed in one of the cell meetings that they were living together and needed help because they were now under conviction. So over the next several weeks I gave them marriage counseling and performed the ceremony.” Pastor Mike has seen twenty-two people baptized from AA and NA programs and has planted three new groups among these people. Many are now attending Big Bear Christian Center. I asked Mike to write an article on his experience and you can access it here. I don’t think we’ve unwrapped the potential of homogenous groups in the cell movement. Remember that people in groups like AA and NA are already accustomed to meeting together and already transparently share what’s happening in their lives. And isn’t this what the cell group is all about? I’ve becoming increasingly convinced that these groups are a ripe target for cell outreach and discipleship through cell church ministry. |
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