A couple weeks ago, I presented a two-day  seminar at "The Church of the New Testament" in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico.  I went away feeling that they taught me more than I taught them. Pastor Emilio started this church in a home five years ago. God showed him the need to reach out naturally to the people in Vega Baja through home cell group evangelism. In five years the church has grown to 24 cells and 275 people.

As I interviewed the leaders and supervisors, almost all of them were at one time divorced, using drugs, or caught in a deep Satanic web. Yet, someone in a cell cared for them, befriended them, and eventually invited them to the cell.  After receiving Jesus, they were discipled in the cell group. "Cell life" became second nature because they were born again speaking the "cell language."

I realized afresh that cells penetrate society through friends, family, and loved ones.  Effective cell members focus on their web relationships at work, home, and recreational activities. Those who know us, in other words, will accept an invitation to attend a cell meeting more readily than strangers.

If you're a cell leader reading this newsletter, encourage cell members to love and pray for friends, relatives, coworkers, classmates and neighbors. David Yonggi Cho writes: "I have found the only definite way to increase church membership is through personal contact, and personal soul winning. If you know the person, it is better. Since you are personally touching your neighbors, through the cell system, it is far easier to win them to the church." (Church Growth Manual, 7, p. 19)

Some cell members find it more An effective way to open hearts and attract non-Christians is through social meetings, such as  picnics, barbeques, sports events, or retreats. These are examples of non-threatening, non-church environments where non-believers are comfortable.

I knew one cell leader who gathered his group at a ranch house on major holidays, or for a sporting event during the week. Cell members invited friends and family to these fun times, and many eventually joined the cell group. To maintain the intimacy in the group and to continue reaching out, this cell gave birth to another cell, and the multiplication process continued.

Have you found relational evangelism effective? Share your story. I'd love to hear your COMMENTS. 


Joel Comiskey