CCS November 2005 Newsletter

I just returned from a two-week trip to Indonesia (Cell Church Mission Conference) and the Philippines. Knowing this would be an international experience, I brought Philip Jenkin’s book The New Christendom: the Coming of Global Christianity to read. Jenkins statistically points out that in twenty years, two-thirds of all Christians will live in Africa, Latin America, or Asia. He says, “If we are to live in a world where only one Christian in five is a non-Hispanic White, then the views of that small minority are ever less likely to claim mainstream status (p. 108). I felt like one of those white minority ministers in the sea of an exciting Asian movement—and a movement in which cell church ministry is leading the way!

While in Indonesia I spent time at the famous Abba Love Church in Jakarta. I had heard about this church’s impact on Indonesia, but it was special to visit the central church and offices. In actuality, Abba Love meets in 20 locations throughout Jakarta. They’ve chosen to decentralize in the face of increasing Muslim hostility. Yet this cell church has continued to grow to its current 1,100 cells, 14,000 in celebration (50 services in 20 locations), and 1900 baptized in 2005 alone. The church started in 1979 when a college student was filled with the Spirit and began to witness to his friends. Eddie Leo, one of those early team members, is now the lead pastor.

At the conference I talked a lot with my good friend Harold Weitz, pastor of Little Falls Christian Centre in South Africa. I spoke at Harold’s church in 1999, and it was one of the most electrifying experiences of my life. Since then, the church has planted twenty-five cell churches, doubled in both cell and celebration (now approximately 6,000), and has started a dynamic prayer ministry that is fanning the flames of revival throughout South Africa (there are 170 separate prayer meetings each week in this church!).

I then flew to the Philippines for two cell seminars—one in Manila and one in Laguna. The Laguna seminar was hosted by a humble man of God named Boni Arzadon. Pastor Boni was on staff with the Navigators until he decided to start his own ministry in 1978 called Lakas-Angkan Ministries (the strength of the nation/clan). Although patterned after the Navigators, Boni made the decision to prepare his disciples to plant cell churches using an adapted G12 model. This ministry reaches students while in the university but then continues the discipleship process through cell church planting. They’ve planted thirty cell churches and have some 5,000 people attending the weekly cell groups. Lakas-Angkan is one of those exciting indigenous works that Jesus has birthed.

On Sunday I preached in the Doulos Church in Manila, a G-12 style cell church. This exploding cell church is led by Pastor Oriel Ballano, a dynamic cell church networker, who also coaches 200 pastors in cell ministry. After my message, dozens gave their hearts to Jesus and then received first-class follow-up through the church’s meticulous cell follow-up ministry (within 48 hours they are discipled by friends and cell members).

I went away from the Philippines impressed by the unity among the pastors and their desire to help each other reap the harvest. I also came away excited about how God is using cell church ministry to fine-tune His church worldwide.

CCS News

• I’m now an official missionary with Cell Church Solutions. The CCS board approved plans for me to raise support from cell churches to replace the CMA denominational support. I continue to write, coach, and do cell seminars.
• My new book The Spirit Filled Small Group: Leading Your Group to Experience the Spiritual Gifts (Chosen Books) has sold well in the first two months. Pray that God would use this book to help leaders to utilize the gifts of the Spirit in their cell groups.
• Next CCS board meeting is on February 23-24, 2006 in Myrtle Beach, SC. All Suggestions to improve CCS are greatly appreciated and will be discussed.
• CCS offers coaching for those planting cell churches or transitioning from a traditional church to cell church ministry.