What is the essence of cell ministry? Many have asked this question. I believe leadership development is the essence (core) of the cell church. Put another way, making disciples who make disciples is what cell church ministry is all about. My book Leadership Explosion covers in-depth this important topic. Cell groups are leader breeders. The principal goal of the cell group is not attendance. Developing disciples who produce other disciples is the major theme. The reproduction or multiplication of the cell is the natural result of making disciples who are facilitating their own cell groups.
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Jesus, the great disciplemaker
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Discipleship Training
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Cell churches have training tracks that help make disciples who make disciples. One question throughout the years has been, “what is the best way to teach the equipping process? One on one? As a group?
In Ecuador, a more group oriented culture, we found that training people in a group setting was far more effective. Ecuadorians preferred learning with other people. But others insist that the one-on-one approach is far more effective.
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Those who live in Southern California—and throughout the western world—are very individualistic. We’ve discovered that they are very interested in learning in a one-on-one setting. We’ve invited many people, for example, to our cells and celebration but the response has been minimal. Individuals seem hesitant to show up in a group setting.
Lately God has been showing us that we can’t expect people to simply come. We must go to them. Instead of just “witnessing to them,” we at Wellspring have been attempting to get these unchurched people into our training track. We’ve told them that we wanted to prepare them to become disciples of Jesus. As they become disciples, they understand their need to join a cell group to live out the life of a disciple. This means that at least the first lesson of the training process must cover salvation (and ours does).
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One on one discipleship |
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Live!
Experience Christ's Life
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Encounter! Receive Christ's Freedom
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Grow!
Deepen Your Relationship with Christ
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Share!
Make Christ Real to Others
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Lead!
Guide a Small Group to Experience Christ
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Joel Comiskey ’s training track (CCS Publishing, due in Sep. 2006) |
The first two people with whom I tried this approach in early January were Jay and Manuel. I decided not to invite them to the cell first. I told them, rather, that I wanted to help them become disciples of Jesus. They both jumped at the opportunity. Since the first session in our training track is about the security of salvation, both Manuel and Jay accepted Jesus. I’m now on lesson four with Jay and still trying to complete lesson two with Manuel (he moved to Oregon for a job the week after he received Jesus but insists that he wants to continue with me when he’s in the area). Justin, my associate at Wellspring, now has three unchurched people he’s been discipling through our training track. Each is in the process of becoming Christ’s disciple and will eventually need to join the cell group to help complete this process.
As I’ve been preparing the above training material, I’ve reread Navigator’s training and Campus Crusade for Christ’s material. I’ve been struck with how much these materials emphasize both the need for one-on-one discipleship and small group ministry. And Ralph Neighbour, of course, has always championed the initial one-on-one discipleship in his training materials. Over the years, I’ve also come across great cell churches who are convinced that one-on-one discipleship is the key in effectively equipping believers to become disciples (e.g., Igreja de Paz, a rapidly growing cell church planting movement in Northern Brazil).
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Remember that the essence of the cell is to make disciples who make disciples. Cells are the vehicle to do this, but cell members must be equipped through a clear training process. How is your training track going? How many people are in the training process and have completed all of the levels?
We must get beyond attendance in the cell and celebration service and focus on the goal of making disciples who make disciples. One-on-one is a great way to make this happen—especially in individualistic cultures. |
