LCBF Training course C222
There are six basic questions to answer about the Small Group Ministries!
Why? How? Who? What? Where? and When?
Let’s look at them:
Why?
The Concept!
It is very important that you understand the direction the world-wide Church is being led by the Holy Spirit. The leadership of spiritually minded churches around the world have come to a common vision, and it is this: the future growth and ministry of the church is for us to no longer just say “COME”, but now we are urged to “GO.” We must bring the Church to the very “grass roots” of our communities.
Small Groups & Ministry Groups ~ “Cells” of the Body of Christ
Scattered across the region where your local church ministers, there will be many Small Groups [SG], like the “cells” of a body, meeting on a weekly or bi-weekly schedule, for the specific purpose of personal ministry to the family and individual. Each Small Group will function under the direction of the local church Small Group Leadership. These Small Groups will multiply when they reach the size of 12 to 15 people, and create a new SG Cell.
There will be specialized Ministry Groups [MG], such as music groups, dance teams, drama teams, prayer teams, etc., in the corporate church family. The Ministry Groups not only minister to their particular group, but also minister to the whole local church corporate body. These Ministry Groups will generally function the same as the Small Groups, but will not necessarily create new Cell groups when they reach a certain size.
Just like in a physical body, the Body of Christ will grow and be fed on the CELL level. The three key words that will best describe the work of each Small Group, is:
FELLOWSHIP
MINISTRY
GROWTH
Together, we can accomplish wonderful things for the Kingdom of Jesus Christ if we understand these three key words in relation to Small Group Ministries.
If we are ever going to reach our great cities for Christ, we must change our thinking and our methods, but not
our message!
Traditional Church Orientation vs. Cell Church Orientation
A traditional church is designed towards programs, activities and gatherings, such as youth services, music programs, Sunday school, and such, with the overall message being...
COME!
Come to church! Come to Jesus! Come to what we are doing!
We know that it is not possible to get everyone to come to your local church! You don’t have room! Talk about a parking problem! Yet we know that Jesus Christ has given us a Great Commission. We must “Get In the Grain!”
Instead of the traditional “COME”
We know that God also wants the church to...
GO
Go into each community...
Go preach, teach, baptize...
Go establish lighthouses in the darkness...
Go with the GIFTS of the Spirit to minister
to the lost in your city!
•Instead of being BUILDING CENTERED,
we must now be COMMUNITY CENTERED.
• Instead of being EDUCATION CENTERED,
we must be MINISTRY CENTERED.
•Instead of building PROGRAMS, ACTIVITIES and MEETINGS, we must build RELATIONSHIPS.
The new focus is to build SERVANT-LEADERS from the congregation to serve as UNDERSHEPHERDS. The new focus is to train EACH MEMBER to be a minister, a soul-winner, a disciple maker.
Bible Basis:
The idea of regrouping church life around the home has had advocates down through the centuries. From the birth of the Christian movement, as recorded by Luke, the first believers met “day by day,” not only “in the Temple,” but the gathering of the whole congregation met “in their homes, eating with glad and humble hearts, praising God and enjoying the good will of the people.”
[Acts 2:46-47; Acts 20:6-11; Acts 20:20; Hebrews 10:23-25]
HOMES USED FOR CHRISTIAN MEETINGS:
•Jason’s house at Thessalonica was used for this purpose.
•Titus Justus’ house, situated provocatively opposite the synagogue (with which Paul had broken association) at Corinth was a place of meeting.
•Philip’s house at Caesarea seems to have been a place where visiting seafarers like Paul and his company as well as wandering charismatics like Agabus were made welcome.
•Lydia’s house at Philippi was both a place of meeting and a place of hospitality for Paul.
•Aquila and Priscilla seemed to maintain a church in their home wherever they lived, in Corinth or in Rome.
•The Jailer’s house at Philippi was used as an evangelistic center after his dramatic conversion.
•Paul baptized Stephanas’ household in person and Paul apparently used his home “for the service of the saints.”
•The upper room of a house owned by the mother of John Mark in Jerusalem was the earliest known meeting place of the church.
Look up each Scripture reference below. If the verse relates the church meetings in a large gathering, print LARGE next to the reference. If the verse indicates that the church meeting was in a home, print SMALL next to it. When the verse refers to both the large and small gatherings, so indicate:
Acts 1:12-14_____________________
Acts 2:1-2_____________________
Acts 2:46-47_____________________
Acts 5:12_____________________
Acts 5:42_____________________
Acts 6:1-2_____________________
Acts 8:3_____________________
Acts 12:11-12_____________________
Acts 14:26-28_____________________
Acts 15:30-32_____________________
Acts 16:40_____________________
Acts 17:5_____________________
Acts 18:4-11_____________________
Acts 20:6-11_____________________
Acts 20:20_____________________
Romans 16:3-5_____________________
Romans 16:15_____________________
1 Corinthians 16:19_____________________
Philippians 4:22_____________________
Philemon 1:2_____________________
Hebrews 10:23-25_____________________
The Cell Church Concept
Is Working Throughout
The Whole World!
It not only is a GOOD idea, it must be God’s idea!
•South Korea - David Yonggi Cho’s ministry is known throughout the world. From the five people he started with in 1969, the church has brown to over ¾ million people today!
•Singapore - Lawrence Khong, pastor of Faith Community Baptist Church grew from about 700 to 4500 in four years through the Cell concept.
•Thailand - Kriengsak Chareonwongsak, pastor of Hope of Bangkok Church, grew from five in 1981 to over 6000 twelve years later, plus over 100 other churches throughout Thailand.
•Abidjan, Ivory Coast - Dion Robert, pastor, began with 683 people, established the Cell Church concept, and grew to 60,000 in ten years.
•Johannesburg, South Africa - Ray McCauley began with 13 in 1979, to 17000 in 1992.
•Argentina - has a cell church of 120,000 and another of 80,000.
•Bogata, Colombia - Pastor and Mrs. Caesar Castallanos are pastors of a 60,000 member church, all built through Small Group / Cell ministry. This church has over 10,000 cells!
•Your City - You serve the same God. What will you trust Him for?
God is not the problem!
The PLAN of Salvation is not the problem!
The METHOD of Cell Ministry is not the problem!
How about our faith - who will believe and work with us?
Disciple Making!
The Ministry of Multiplying
“…Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them…
and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
(Matthew 28:18-20)
“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses
entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.”
(2 Timothy 2:2)
“It is better to put ten men to work than to do the work of ten men.”
In the field of finance, which would be better: to receive a salary of ten thousand dollars a week for a full year, or a penny a day that is doubled each day for one month? A penny a day that is doubled appears to be very cheap wages. Wages of a penny the first day, two cents the second day, four cents the third day… that doesn’t seem like much, until you understand that after the 31st day, this salary would equal over $21,000,000 dollars! Not a bad salary!
This is the way the Kingdom of God spread like wildfire in the first century. Radical discipleship reproduced itself, and caused the seed that was planted by Jesus into twelve men to spread over the entire known world in less than 30 years! (See Colossians 1:6 and Matthew 13:31-33).
The Lord has never been interested in mere addition. He has always been interested in multiplication. Seed always reproduces by multiplication, not simply addition. The Word of God is the “Good Seed” which is planted in the hearts of people. New plants produce new plants. This is the principle of the Small Group Ministry of the River! YOUR SMALL GROUP MUST PLAN ON MULTIPLYING! This puts you in harmony with God’s creative plan!
What would happen if a hundred people from your congregation caught this vision? You could be Ten Thousand strong in less than five years! We are in the DISCIPLE-MAKING business! Get on with it!
Biblical Goals for Small Groups
Neal F. McBride, in his interesting book “How To Lead Small Groups,” presents four powerful, Biblical goals for small groups. Here is the essence what he had to say:
“All types of groups in the church share four basic goals that are foundational to our corporate, over-arching purpose of glorifying God (1 Corinthians 10:31).
1.Foster biblical love (John 13:35; 1 Corinthians 13:13; Galatians 5:13; Ephesians 5:2; 1 John 4:7, 11, 21). God is love. This divine characteristic should also be true of those who claim to be in Christ. Remember that biblical love is demonstrated love!
2.Promote fellowship (koinonia) and unity (Acts 4:32; Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 12:12, 25; Ephesians 4:3, 5, 13; 1 John 1:3, 6-7). Unity should characterize the fellowship or communion of a community of believers. God is one; likewise, we should be one.
3.Build the Body (Romans 14:19; Ephesians 2:19-22; Eph. 4:11-16; Colossians 1:10-12, 28; 2:6-7). Whether it is evangelism or discipleship of believers, the goal is to present all people mature (complete) in Christ.
4.Nurture spiritual gifts (Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11). Ministry is a shared task - a task for which we are all responsible. Each of us needs to find a suitable expression to exercise his or her spiritual gifts.
Actually, all of the activities provided by your congregation should contribute to some degree to attaining these goals. Nevertheless, of all the legitimate ministry contexts a church can offer, small groups provide one of the most practical and ready platforms to successfully nurture these vital goals. If your Small Group (regardless of the type) isn’t advancing these essentials, a serious re-evaluation is in order!
Benefits of the
Small Group Ministry
Pastoral Care: Not only do Small Group cells provide for mutual ministry among their members, they also insure that each person will receive adequate pastoral care. Each group is lead by a leader who has been approved and trained by the Pastor and his Small Group Leadership Team in the areas of pastoral care.
Discipleship and Leadership: God made man to desire fellowship. Small Group cells provide opportunity for each person to be properly disciplined. Over a period of time, people will be raised to positions of leadership within the Cell, so that they, in turn, may disciple others, fulfilling the Apostle Paul’s admonition to Timothy. 1 Timothy 2:2 “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”
Evangelism & Growth: Small Group cells can be powerful tools for evangelism. Each of us meet many unsaved people who would not attend church on Sunday, but might come to a fellowship group in someone’s house. These meetings are not just for “socializing,” but also for ministry, evangelism, growth, and for development.
Leadership: Each Small Group will have a leader and an assistant. It is important to develop these leaders to share the Pastor’s vision, and become submitted and in unity with the Pastor and the other leaders of your church. Without this kind of loyalty and unity, cells can become divisive, causing problems for the church and the pastor.
The Oil (Holy Spirit) flows from the head to the body, as illustrated in Psalm 133. Christ is the head of His Church, and He works through delegated authority. When the leaders of the church are in right relationship with each other, and are dwelling in unity, great blessings flow to the whole body.
Those who wish to have authority as leaders of Small Group cells, must first be submitted to authority. If they wish to make disciples, they must first become disciples. They must have a servant’s heart and attitude, even as Jesus did.
The larger your local church congregation becomes, the more important close fellowship in the church will become. The success of the Pastor’s ministry is not based upon how many people come to your church on Sunday morning, how much money the church has, or how many sermons he preaches. The success of his ministry is measured in what happens to his people. Are they strong in the Lord? Are they praying? Are they reaching the lost as a personal conviction? This is the whole purpose of Small Groups!
We are quickly running out of time!
Just what on earth
are we doing,
for heaven’s sake?
How?
The Philosophy!
Now that we have established the concept of Small Group ministries as not only Biblical, but also the direction in which the Holy Spirit is leading the worldwide church today, we must now look at the PHILOSOPHY that will make this ministry effective.
The philosophy is found in three words - FELLOWSHIP ~ MINISTRY ~ GROWTH. You should see these three words often in materials produced by your Small Group ministries. Let’s look at what is involved in these three words.
Fellowship:
There is a principle of soul winning that also applies to the ministry in a Small Group Cell. That principle is this: Before you can win someone to the Lord, you must first win him or her to yourself! If they don’t have any confidence in YOU, how do you expect them to have confidence in what you say about God? When they discover that YOU illustrate in your life what you are telling them about Jesus, they are much more likely to follow Him, too.
Let’s apply this to ministering in a Small Group. In order to minister to the innermost, hidden, and secret heart of an individual - where the real battles take place - all of the outer barriers and protective defenses must be willingly removed by the person involved. This doesn’t happen quickly or easily. This requires a process, and often a considerable amount of time. It is this process that we now address.
As has been often repeated in this publication, as well as in Small Group Leadership Training, the three words that describe our overall effort are: Fellowship, Ministry and Growth, in that order. Therefore, we can not effectively minister, until fellowship has been developed.
Fellowship is not just getting together, and being friendly. Fellowship that is productive requires moving from being mere acquaintances to entering into a friendship mode, then into a “family” mode, that ultimately develops relationship. This process takes time and effort. Likely more work will be done outside of the cell meeting to accomplish this level of trust. The people in your small group cell need to see you as part of their extended family, as someone they can completely trust, someone who is part of their life in good times and tough times.
Only when this level of trust - relationship - is developed, can the cell actually begin to minister to the deep spiritual needs of the individual. Of course, this process of fellowship must start with friendship. Become real friends together. Get to know each other. Get close! Obviously you can’t get “close” in a large group. “Relationship” requires a small group setting, and by earnestly seeking the Lord’s help, you can develop the right climate for Spiritual Growth. You can actually begin to “feed the sheep” of His pasture. Let’s get started building relationship!
The Laying On Of Hands
Hebrews 6:1-2 describes the various Principles of the Doctrine of Christ. We have stepped from Repentance from Dead Works to Faith Towards God, and then to the Doctrine of Baptisms. We are now moving to the fourth and final Principle just before the rapture - The Principle of the Laying On Of Hands. This is a PERSONAL MINISTRY – a close, touching, relationship type of Principle. In order to “lay on hands,” a personal touch is required, and a ‘coming together.’ That’s what is happening in Small Groups!
My Brother’s Keeper
Cain asked God, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” God’s answer throughout the scripture is YES! We must be responsible and accountable to one another. Each cell leader will be introducing a plan whereby each person in the cell has a time of accountability to another person in the cell. We must do this to nurture and develop a sense of Relationship in the cell. We need to take care of one another, as well as fellowship with one another. Let us be ONE body! (More about this later in the Manuel!)
Ministry:
There are three basic aspects to the Small Group Philosophy word “Ministry”
•ministry to the Lord,
•ministry to the Believer, and
•ministry to the World.
Perhaps we can call it UPREACH, INREACH, and OUTREACH! Let’s look at each of these:
1. UPREACH ~ Ministry to the Lord:
This is an essential to Spiritual Ministry - MINISTRY FIRST TO THE LORD. This is a Scriptural concept.
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20
Jesus will come to us, but, according to Rev. 3:20, we are required to do the following four things first:
1. Hear His voice;
2. Open the door;
3. Let Him come in;
4. Let HIM sup first....
THEN, and only then, are we allowed to sup with Him.
HEAR HIS VOICE: Helping each member of the Small Group to learn to HEAR the Voice of the Lord is a primary goal of each cell. Helping them become sensitive to His Voice, learning to hear “what the Spirit is saying unto the Church,” and being able to identify what is and what is not the Voice of the Lord.
OPENING THE DOOR to Him means each person learning to commune with Him, to listen as well as to speak, learning to “write down the Words He brings to you” as He speaks to your heart. Helping people to clear out the “junk” in their hearts and minds, and “prepare the way of the Lord.”
LET HIM COME IN: Helping each person learn how to move into His presence, and let Him move into your spirit. Surrender, not struggle! He will not force Himself on you. You must learn how to let Him in!
LET HIM SUP WITH YOU: Learning how to “put on the table” the things that will “bless the Lord, Oh my soul.” What is it that will bless the Lord? What are the things that cause Jesus to be blessed and satisfied?
Then, Jesus said that we could sup with Him. “Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:23).
UPREACH involves learning how to worship Him. Learning how to not only sing songs ABOUT Him, but also learning to sing songs TO Him. Changing the direction of our worship - from horizontal to vertical. Much of what we do as worshippers is the exchange of praise expressions between believers. This is good, and should continue. But UPREACH is learning how to express worship TO JESUS CHRIST.
UPREACH involves learning how to GIVE unto the Lord. Instead of giving to a project, or merely giving in an offering, or giving alms, UPREACH is learning how, in our spirit, to make each offering one that is laid at HIS feet - giving for no other reason than that we love Him, and doing what we do “as unto the Lord.”
2. INREACH ~ Ministry to the Believer:
We must learn how to minister to one another. One of the foundation stones of Small Group ministries is the ONE-ANOTHER principle of the Bible.
The Bible’s 10 Commandment For Small Groups
Much of the New Testament, if not the majority, deals with the attitudes and actions God would have characterize the members of His household, the community of believers. Although only a brief taste of the standards that should govern the household of God, the following list of “one-another” verses [from the New American Standard Bible] provides a 10-Commandment framework on which to build your small group ministry:
Here are a few to “look up in the Book!”
John 13:14 Acts 7:26 Romans 2:1 Rom. 12:5 Romans 12:10 Rom. 12:15 (two!) Rom. 12:16 Rom. 13:8 Romans 14:13 Rom. 14:19 (two!) Rom. 15:5 Rom. 15:7 Rom. 15:14 Rom. 6:16 Galatians 5:13 Gal. 5:15 Gal. 5:26 (two!) Gal. 6:2 Ephesians 4:2 (four!) Eph. 4:25 Eph. 4:32 (three!) Eph. 5:21 Philippians 2:3 Colossians 3:9 Col. 3:12,13 (three!) Col. 3:16 (four!) 1 Corinthians 4:6 1 Cor. 12:25; 1 Cor. 16:20 2 Corinthians 13:12 1 Thessalonians 3:12 1 Thess. 4:9; 1 Thess. 4:18 1 Thess. 5:11; Titus 3:3 (two!) Hebrews 10:24 Heb. 10:25 James 4:11 James 4:12 James 5:9 James 5:16 (two!) 1 Peter 1:22 1 Peter 3:8 (three!) 1 Peter 4:9 1 Peter 4:10 1 Peter 5:5 1 Peter 5:14 1 John 1:7 1 John 3:11,23 1 John 4:7,11,12 2 John 5
These scripture texts can be the basis of sound doctrine teaching for your group meetings. Make them your goal in developing Christian conduct and relationship. God’s Word is good, and will not return void. Use it faithfully.
3. OUTREACH ~ Ministry to the World - Those Outside The Church.
It is critical to each Cell Member, that they know how to lead someone to Jesus Christ. Each Cell must teach the principles of Soul-winning and Discipleship. If everyone knew how to use the simple A-B-C’s of the Gospel, we would make a giant leap forward in evangelism.
Coming To Christ As Simple
As “A-B-C”
Every member of every Cell needs to know the basic steps of bringing someone to Jesus Christ. This task can no longer be left up to the pastors, nor can we just assume that the people in need will find this information out for themselves. It is God’s plan that someone TELL them how to be saved. It is God’s plan that “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17). So... do you know the basis ABC’s of the Gospel?
A - “All have sinned, and come short of the Glory of God” - Romans 3:23. The first step in coming to Jesus Christ demands that the person recognize that they are a sinner, in need of a savior. If they don’t think they need God, they will never open their hearts to Him. Only when they realize they are lost can they ever be found!
B - “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” - John 1:29. Once a person realizes they are a sinner, the next step is to introduce them to Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who is able and willing to take away the sin that has become so obvious in that person’s heart and mind. Now you have offered HOPE into the life of the sinner. Too many times “soul-winners” are expert at pointing out sin, but failures at pointing out Jesus! In fact, it should be just the other way around. People already are usually well aware of their sins, their emptiness, their failure! We need to be excel at showing them the Saviour! Now is the time to say, “Here’s the One who can make the difference in your life! Behold the Lamb of God!”
C - “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” - Isaiah 1:18. The message in this verse is three-fold. First they need to COME NOW! Don’t put it off any more - NOW is the time to come to Jesus. Seek the Lord while He may be found and call upon Him while He is near (Isaiah 55:6). Next, they need to understand that this is reasonable, it is the only thing that makes sense! Think about it - heaven or hell, rags of sin or a robe of righteousness, no peace or know peace! And finally, the message in this verse is that Jesus can and will change your night to day, change the sin to salvation, change the scarlet blot on your soul to become clean and forgiven!
To all Small Group Leader/Servants: Everyone in your group needs to at least know the ABC’s of the Gospel. They need, each one, to know how to bring this simple message of reconciliation to a person needing the Saviour. Equip them with this basic tool! First, of course, make sure each one of them has experienced this themselves.
Special Focus ~ Discipleship
The special focus and emphasis for all of the Small Group cells that we want to bring about in the coming year will be probably the most important investment we can make to those in our care. The focus? Discipleship!
We want each year to be a YEAR OF EQUIPPING for each cell member by making available critical tools important in the Discipleship process. Christian bookstores have a host of materials on the subject of discipleship.
You’ve talked and talked about it. Now it is time to DO IT! Special training seminars should be provided for each leader. This will give you a measurable process of discipleship training at your local church. It’s exciting! It’s proven! It works!
Special Evangelism:
Each Cell needs to learn how to evangelize its own community. Create S.W.A.T. teams. (SWAT is an acronym for SPIRITUAL WARFARE ATTACK TEAM). Learning how to deal with the spiritual battles that will come about when a Cell begins to become evangelistic, and learning how to defeat the devil - all vital to spiritual growth and maturity.
Growth:
Growth is a Scriptural mandate! Look up these Bible verses:
2 Corinthians 9:10; Ephesians 4:15; 1 Thessalonians 3:12; Hebrews 6:1;
2 Peter 3:18 1 Peter 2:2; 2 Peter 1:5;
There are three areas
in which each Small Group
must see GROWTH!
I. Spiritual Growth
It would be a terrible and tragic failure if the people who come to our Small Group cells never developed beyond spiritual infancy, and always remained weak and sickly shells of what should have been mature Christians. It is the job of each Small Group to help each individual to GROW IN GRACE. Proper spiritual food, spiritual exercise, good spiritual examples, and Holy Spirit anointed understanding will cause each “babe in Christ” to move toward maturity and fulfillment.
They must learn how to GET IN THE FLOW! To Get In The Flow means much more than simply getting involved in the various activities that are happening around the local church! When we say “The Flow,” we are specifically talking about the flow of the Holy Spirit anointing that is so powerful in our midst. We must learn to be sensitive to presence of the Lord Jesus.
Instead of us coming together so that perhaps HE could be part of what we are doing, rather we should come together to be part of what HE is doing! Get in the Flow! Allow His Holy Spirit to move into each gathering, whether it be the Worship Celebration at the church, or a special prayer time, or the small group meeting. Deliberately give time for Him! Don’t rush into something less important. Feel after Him. Jesus is the only thing that matters! Get in the Flow!
II. Numerical Growth
Scientific evidence reveals that the human body grows AS EACH CELL GROWS AND MULTIPLIES. The same is true in the BODY OF CHRIST, The Church. The greatest growth that your church will experience is yet to be realized. This will happen as dozens of Small Groups multiply to hundreds, and hundreds multiply into thousands, and thousands of cells multiply into an entire CITY being taken for the Kingdom of God!
The whole world was already reached ONCE through the principles of Small Group cells [Colossians 1:6], and it can, and MUST, be again.... ONE PERSON AT A TIME! Each new one being loved and cared for in the safe environment of the cell, until they are able to mature into a strong, reproductive force for the Kingdom of God.
III. Leadership Growth
If we are going to grow spiritually and numerically, we must also grow some leaders! As each cell grows to it’s maximum size of 12 to 15 adults, each cell must also have trained and ready an apprentice leader, one who is ready to take the servant/leadership of one side of the multiplying cell - either the original group, or the new group that is being created. There must be hosts or hostess in training.
It is vital to the continued Small Group ministries that each servant/leader pours himself or herself into someone else - mentoring them for their leadership post. You need to have two or three leaders in the making.
So... you can see that there is much more to the Philosophy of Small Group Ministries than just three words. Fellowship, Ministry and Growth deal with at least ten key areas that affects the ability of the Small Group Cell to function properly.
Six Signs That A Cell
Is NOT YET A Healthy Cell!
You Cell Group is not yet a healthy cell:
1. If it has more than fifteen people, it may be getting too big!
2. If it does not have a “servant leader intern” who will lead the new cell when multiplication has happened and when it is time to give birth to a new cell. You’ve got to have leadership!
3. If it has not yet evangelized, either by saving one who has never accepted Jesus, or by re-claiming a prodigal who has walked away from the Lord, or who has left the church. You must be about HIS business!
4. If it is only relating to each other during the cell meetings. Most of your relationship growth takes place outside the meeting.
5. If it is only talking about Scripture, and not ministering unto the Lord and to each other by application of the Word, prayer and ministry in the Spirit. We need both spirit and truth!
6. If it is not prepared to train others in discipleship. No fruit on the vine, just leaves, causes God to get quite disturbed!
Who?
The Key People!
Leader/Servant -
So You Want To Be A Leader? Wonderful. Let’s learn what you really must become!
Servants, Not Leaders! In the secular world, leadership is equated with power and prestige. Those who are placed into leadership positions are done so because they are supposedly the most gifted and capable people who are able to lead and direct others. But as Jesus indicated to His disciples, it is not this way among His followers:
“Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. And He said unto them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves…. I am among you as the One who serves.” Luke 22:26-27
Jesus Himself gave us the example of the leader as servant. He gave His life in service to others. In fact, this concept was so important to Jesus, He directly instructed us not to be called leaders so there would never be any question about the difference between secular leadership and Christian servanthood.
“And you must not be called masters (leaders), for you have one Master (Leader), the Christ. He who is greatest among you shall be your servant.” Amplified - Matthew 23:10-11
Those who lead Small Group are to be called servants, not leaders. Does that hurt your pride a bit? This is not just a matter of semantics. The cell group servants are to humble themselves and model the Christian life by serving others. The leader of each cell group is Jesus Christ. Christ directs the cell group team through the Holy Spirit.
Consider what Jesus did, when He washed the feet of the disciples. This is recorded in John 13:12-15. He said, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Master and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.”
As a cell group servant, you do not just tell other people what to do, you show them. Take others along with you as you serve, so that they may imitate you, as you allow Christ to live out His life through you (Galatians 2:20).
So… you want to be a leader? Wonderful. Become a servant to the cell, and you will honor Jesus Christ! To be like HIM requires you to be a Servant like Him.
The Role of the Cell Leader and Intern
There are five general areas of responsibility for the Small Group Servant Leader and the Intern/Apprentice:
1. Before the meeting - who will lead the worship?; In whose home will the meeting be held?; What will be the plan for the meeting? [Remember to make all plans in “pencil” so God can erase a few!]
2. At the meeting - Facilitate the progression of the meeting. (a) The UPWARD reach - man to God [worship/prayer] (b) the INWARD reach - God to man [Personal Ministry/Bible] and (c) the OUTWARD reach - man to man [Fellowship].
3. After the meeting - Get in a Feedback report to the Small Groups Coordinator. Spend time in prayer thanking God for His presence.
4. Between the meetings - Contact members often, and encourage much interaction between members; plan social events from time to time, where unbelievers can also be invited; activate the prayer chain as needed; follow-up on visitors to the cell; promote relationship.
5. Plans for multiplication time - pray for the proper way to make the change of dividing the cell to multiply the body! Who needs to be in each group? Lay it before the group. Listen to them. Hear the heart of God.
Always Remember: We are in the People Building business,
not the Program Building business!
The Small Group Cell ~
Each Small Group Cell is made up of the following ingredients:
1.A Servant-Leader to give direction and stability to the cell.
2.An Apprentice Leader in training, who works under the mentoring of the Servant Leader
3.A Host or Hostess, who prepare the meeting place, greet guests as they arrive, prepare refreshments, and have a plan to care for the children
4.Several other faithful members who are given specific responsibilities.
5.New visitors! Plan on them! Make them welcome!
What?
The Key Ministries!
“But, just what do you do at a Small Group meeting?”
A typical Small Group meeting will last for about 90 minutes. The maximum time is about 2 hours. The host of the meeting should plan for about 2 hours, which includes arrival time and fellowship.
A Small Group meeting is divided into 6 parts: Ice Breaker, Praise, The Word, Edification, Evangelism, and Fellowship.
•Ice Breaker: (10-15 minutes) When people arrive at the meeting, you need time to prepare group members to get out from under the stress and worry of their activities of the day, and to concentrate on the Lord and those in the group. Welcome and introduce visitors.
•Praise: (10-15 minutes) Begin to focus on the Lord. Sings songs TO Him, not songs ABOUT Him. This makes a big difference in how the group enters into His presence. Expect the Holy Spirit of Jesus to come into your presence, as you “feel” after Him in praise.
•The Word: (10 minutes) Remember, you are not there to conduct a Bible Study, in the traditional sense, but rather to focus on God’s Promises and Provisions from the Holy Scripture. The reading of the Word should be practical and helpful to the daily lives of the hearers. Do not exceed 10 minutes! The exception to this is if your Pastor instructs you to conduct a special study from the Word to prepare the group for the direction the church is taking.
•Edification: (30-40 minutes) This is a natural follow-up to hearing God’s Word. Let the group take time to talk about the goodness of God, what He is doing in their lives, and time to encourage one another. During the Celebration services at your church, you often don’t have time for everyone to talk about God’s goodness - but… we can take time NOW, during the cell meeting, to strengthen and edify the body. THIS IS THE CORE OF THE CELL MEETING!. The Cell Servant needs to be much in prayer for this special time, because it is here that special needs will reveal themselves in someone’s life. This may be the time for special prayer. This is the time for MINISTRY! Let the anointing flow! Answers to prayer can be talked about. Perhaps something special and strengthening from the Holy Spirit that someone received in a time of prayer can be talked about. Spiritual Journals can be shared! Give time for each cell member to share his or her victories, frustrations, needs, and spiritual hunger. Take some time to pray for each person, after they have shared their heart. Remind everyone that anything that is shared in confidence MUST be kept in confidence, and that each person is agreeing to keep items shared in confidence. Otherwise, people will not share their real needs before the group.
•Evangelism: (15-20 minutes) This is a time of planning, preparation, and prayer for the work of the cell group. GROWTH is the focus here. Every member of the cell needs to begin planning how to reach their personal oikos, their “world” for Jesus Christ. Group members can assist one another in developing strategies for evangelism. How are we going to “fill the empty chair” next week? How can we best minister to the needs of new ones?
•
The above 5-part portion of the meeting should be concluded in prayer. Get together in a circle, holding on to each other, and begin to “feel after the Lord” in prayer. Allow the Holy Spirit to minister through the prayer time.
•Fellowship: (10-15 minutes) Refreshments can be served, but be careful that “eating” doesn’t become the focus of the meeting. Once in a while, of course, you can plan a special “Let’s Eat” fellowship, where that is the main thing. But only once in a while! Make sure that the visitors are involved in fellowship and friendly conversation. Don’t forget the children. And, remember… there needs to be a time when everyone LEAVES! Clean up the clutter, put away the chairs, and then go home! People probably have to get up early in the morning, so don’t let things drag on and on, forever and ever, Amen!
•FEEDBACK! Make sure that you fill out a Feedback form and give it to the Small Group Coordinator, letting him know who attended the meeting, a report of what happened, etc. This needs to be in by the following Sunday morning!
My Brother’s Keeper
First introduced earlier in this manual, MY BROTHER’S KEEPER is a critical part of the Small Group Ministries. We must learn how to care for one another! We must also learn to be accountable to one another! No one will go to heaven by himself or herself alone! If you go, you must go with the CHURCH, with The Body! We need one another THEN, and we most assuredly need one another NOW. You ARE your brother’s keeper!
Accountability - Each Cell member will be assigned, by the Servant Leader, another person that they are accountable for. The time period* could range from a few weeks to several months. The two people will need to spend some time with each other outside of the cell meetings, in order to get to really know one another, to share with each other what you want God to do in your lives, how you would like to grow spiritually, the areas in your life that you would like to develop for God, etc. That person becomes your prayer partner for the specified time period, and considerable prayer will be made for each other.
* The purpose of a TIME PERIOD is two-fold: first, you will need time to build relationship, and once that is built it will continue far beyond the time period assigned; second, in the event that the two persons are not really compatible, a change can be made without a crisis.
Discipleship
Each Cell must enter a DISCIPLESHIP course from the local church. Each Cell member will go through this course, and be trained to teach it to new Christians. Every one at your local church needs to be a Disciple of Jesus Christ.
We don’t need to “reinvent the wheel,” so to speak, and write our own material if good material is already available. This seems to be “the best,” so let’s put it to work!
T.E.A.M. Concept
Every person counts! We want each individual to grow spiritually, receive the fellowship and love he or she needs, and develop in the Word of God. This can best be tracked on the Small Group level! Therefore, we will be tracking each individual on the TEAM concept. TEAM is an acronym, and each letter stands for one of the four areas we will follow:
T: Teaching - We need to know what teaching the individual has had, and currently needs. Perhaps they need BASIC BIBLE 101. We can’t just assume they know the Word of God.
E: Evangelism - Where are they in the evangelism process? Have they repented? When and where were they baptized? Have they received the Holy Spirit Baptism? We want everyone to experience everything God has for them!
A: Assimilate - We want each person to become involved in your local church. No one gets to just sit in the “bleachers!” Everyone is needed. We want to help get them involved.
M: Mature - We want them to grow in Grace. Do they know what their personal Motivational Gifting is? Are they working in the area GOD has planned for them? Are they reaching the place where they can be spiritually productive?
Important Principles of Small Group Cells Not To Be Ignored!
There are several critical principles that, if carefully observed, will keep the cell healthy:
1. Cells Multiply. The healthy cell will grow. Maximum size should be fifteen. Probably ideal size is ten. A cell could begin with as few as three.
2. Meetings Should Be Weekly. Usually no longer than two hours. Many Cell Group specialists believe that one and one half-hours is idea.
3. Contact. There should be many telephone calls and contacts between the cell members during the week. Fellowship is mostly developed outside the cell meeting.
4. Authority. All cells should see themselves as under authority, a part of a greater vision. They should follow the guidance given from the pastoral team of the church.
5. Avoid Pride! God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble!
Why Small Groups Have Problems!
According to Small Group specialists, there are six principle reasons why cells run into problems:
1. The cells are not based on solid biblical understanding of why they exist.
2. They are begun with wrong motives on the part of a pastor who is trying to use them to build a large church, rather than extending the Kingdom of Christ.
3. The servant leaders were not properly trained before being released into ministry. Most believe that a six-month internship is essential if a person is to be effective.
4. The cell has no zeal for the lost. This needs to be a constant theme in prayer, that we would have the compassion and the love of Christ for the lost.
5. There is not proper supervision given to the cells. Experience has proven that it is essential to have a Leader over each five cells, and that a Pastor is essential for every twenty-five cells.
6. Competition in a church which has not clearly committed to the cell-based church and therefore is competing with itself for the energy of the servants and leaders.
Children and Your Small Group
It is important to have a strategy for the children in your cells. One of the greatest frustrations a Small Group can experience during the weekly meeting is to not have anything for the children, and allow them to become a distraction and problem rather than a blessing. The Cell Group can and should be a wonderful relationship building time for the children as well as adults.
Small Groups can be a wonderful blessing to children. In addition to what they are involved in each Sunday Morning in Sunday school, the weekly cells can also be something that kids anticipate with great excitement. What each cell does with their children is a decision that should be made prayerfully, taking into account both the number and the ages of the young people.
Remember, also, that each child is very important in the sight of the Lord. Jesus wants them to come unto Him, and has put them into your hands to make that come about. What you do with that opportunity will require a considerable amount of planning, but will produce great rewards.
Here are a few suggestions
1. Find a teacher for the kids. In groups where there are older and younger children, the younger kids can be split off from the adults and enjoy a cell experience of their own, using, for example, materials provided by various Sunday School and/or VBS publishers.
2. Parental Co-op. Parents can switch off responsibilities of watching and/or teaching the kids. Parents can use some of the above mentioned materials found a various Christian bookstores, a Christian video, or simply watch over the children during a time of recreation.
3. Hire a baby-sitter. With each person in the cell pitching in monetarily to cover the costs, a regular sitter can be hired without giving anyone an undue financial burden.
4. Family Nights. Some cell meetings should be planned to include the whole family, playing a game, sharing, and just simply having fun together with other Christian friends.
5. Kid’s Night. Some cell meetings can be planned around the children, getting them to share, doing things the children want to do, singing children’s songs, and allowing them to lead in prayer.
6. Develop a step-up program. Some groups have a series of Bible stories on video that the younger children watch, and learn the Bible stories. When the older children advanced from that, they have become a productive part of the adult session.
7. Have a children’s time each week. Some very effective cell groups have a special time [about 15 minutes] each cell meeting that is on the child’s level, with children’s songs, stories, etc., focused entirely on the children. Various adults take turns to lead this part of the session.
Remember than many children never make a decision to follow Jesus simply because they have never had the gospel presented to them clearly, on their level of understanding. 90% of all Christians were converted before they reached the age of 18.
They need to see the lifestyle of the Kingdom lived in the lives of their own families and the Cell group, including Christ-like care for children. Members of the Cell group become spiritual “aunts and uncles, grandparents, friends” to the children. Don’t forget them on their special days - birthdays, holidays - for this makes their Cell Group experience very special.
Children build relationships easily, and generally adjust better to change than do adults. Make sure you make them part of your plans when your cell prepares to multiply.
Your Small Group cell will be a Success if...
Everyone likes to be part of something that is successful. The only reason anyone would want to start a Small Group is so that it can be a success! We don’t want our efforts to fail, to come to naught. And don’t forget that Jesus Christ has a whole lot more invested in your Small Group effort than you do, and He certainly wants it to succeed.
Before we can investigate the various things that go in to making a successful cell, we need to first understand what the word “success” means.
Your Small Group effort is a success if you do what God has asked you to do, with the spirit that God expects you to demonstrate.
How long your cell operates is not a factor in whether or not it is a success. How effective your cell operates IS a factor. Ask yourself this question: Have I done what God wanted me to do in fulfilling the leading of the Holy Spirit for our church?
Let’s look at three words, that when defined in the light of our mission, will help determine if what we are doing is a success. These three words are Attitude, Understanding, and Faithfulness.
Attitude!
Not only does WHAT we do affect our success, but even to a greater degree our success before God in this matter is determined by WHY we do it! Success in Small Groups most often comes dressed in work clothes. There is no free ride. The only attitude that can breed success is one that give all the glory to Jesus Christ, one that will not allow you to climb up on a pedestal, and an attitude that demonstrates love for God’s people.
The willingness to submit to God-given authority, and become part of the overall ministry of your local church as an under-shepherd to the pastoral ministry will, almost certainly, lead to a successful operation. God blesses the right kind of attitude. A “do my own thing” attitude will cause God to lift off you, and let you “do your thing” until it has become sour and stinking.
The prayer of David in Psalm 51:10 demonstrates the kind of attitude that God can bless. “Create in me a clean heart, Oh God, and renew a right spirit within me.”
Understanding!
Unless you really understand the Concept and the Philosophy of our Small Group ministries, you can not succeed! What is the God-idea behind what we are doing? How and where is the Holy Spirit leading the church today? Only until we understand that God is bringing His Church into the fullness of the Ministry of Laying On Of Hands (Hebrews 6:1-2), the personal ministry of and to the church, will we be able to put our efforts into focus.
Only until we understand the meaning of the three-word philosophy of our Small Groups - Fellowship - Ministry - Growth - and what is involved in each word, will we be able to effectively focus our efforts. Without fully understanding the direction and the goal of the Small Group ministries, frustration will be the end result.
Faithfulness!
It is required of a steward that he be found faithful, the Word of God says. True to the Word of God! True to the cause of the Great Commission! True to the Pastor and Vision of your local church! And then, faithful to the people given to us, to whom we minister. Know that the seed will come up if we nurture it. Love the Lord, Love the Call, Love the People.... and stick with it! Then the Chief Shepherd can say, “Well Done!”
Where? When?
Your Choice!
The basic plan for WHERE to have a Small Group meeting:
1. The Leader/Servant’s home is usually a great place, but the home of anyone in the Cell is fine. You could meet at a restaurant, apartment complex clubhouse, office facility... your choice! Have your meetings in a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere, which is reasonably central to those attending your cell.
2. Have an atmosphere as free as possible from distractions and interruptions.
3. Make sure there is adequate parking for cars, and sufficient seating arrangement with good sound and sight lines.
4. Have a meeting location that can also take care of the children that may attend with their parents.
The basic plan for WHEN to have a Cell meeting:
1. A meeting weekly is usually best, on the same day of the week, and at the same time. Fluctuation of place and time will confuse those who attend.
2. If weekly is not feasible, plan on at least every other week. Anything less than a bi-weekly schedule will not allow for building and maintaining the close relationship that must be attained for ministry.
Three Reasons Why Your Pastor needs Feedback Reports
I am sure that some of the cell leader/servants probably look at the Feedback reports as a pain in the neck. “Do I have to?” goes through the mind, and then, “How often?”
The answer is NO, you don’t have to do the feedback reports! But, if you want to be part of the Small Group Ministry, then, YES, you are expected to keep the Small Group leadership and the Pastor informed as to the functioning of the cell group committed to your trust.
Here are three reasons why we need to have your Feedback Reports:
1. Stewardship: You are a steward of the “sheep,” serving as an undershepherd to the Pastor. The Pastor needs to know how the sheep, for whom he must give account to God, are being cared for. Are any of the sheep sick? Are they being well fed? Are they maturing and developing spiritual reproduction? As the Small Group ministry grows bigger and bigger, the only way he can receive these answers is through a personal visit, or the Feedback Reports.
2. Direction: It is important that all of us are moving in the same basic direction within the framework of our Small Group Philosophy. Are we developing the Fellowship aspect? Are we developing the Ministry aspect? Is there Growth evident? These things become apparent in the Feedback Report. If the Director sees that there appears to be an area that needs special attention, he can get the first indications through the Feedback.
3. Planning: It is part of the plan that we have at least 70% of the congregation involved in some Small Group Ministry. It is through the Feedback Reports than we find out the names of those who are participating, and where. We have no other way, short of attending each session, and physically taking attendance, to know who attends. In our church database, there is a special “field” that keeps record of what Small Group Cell each person attends. Your Feedback gives us this information
The next question: “How often?” How many times should I expect a Feedback Report? The answer is two-fold. First, if your are a new cell, you want a report on each of the first SIX meetings. Thereafter, once each month. Secondly, from all the Cell Groups and the Ministry Groups you want a report once each month.
What should be in the report? For Small Group Cells: Who attended; your own special observations about the meeting; how you see the cell developing in the three areas of the SG Philosophy. For Ministry Groups: What effort is being made to minister and teach in your group meetings? What is the spiritual emphasis, if any?
Q&A
Questions and Answers about Small Groups
Q ~ When is the time that a Small Group should consider dividing? What is the ideal size for a Cell?
The whole purpose of the Cell group is Fellowship, Ministry and Growth. You want the Cell to grow, but, when it does, you have to deal with a new set of problems - problems that sometimes are difficult to face. Nevertheless, “ya gotta do it!”
You can fellowship with a large group, but you can not effectively minister on a close, personal basis, to a large group.
The most effective size of a cell for ministry is 10 to 12 people. A LIFE Group can be as small as 3 or 4, and possibly as large as 15 to 17. When you get beyond the size of 12 to 15 you begin to lose the very important quality of personal ministry. You begin to lose the “intimate” feeling of spiritual relationship.
Therefore, you need to plan, from the very beginning, that the cell will prosper, and give birth to a new cell. Each cell must have an Assistant Leader, or apprentice, trained and prepared to take care of the leadership of the new cell when it is born.
Don’t think about getting a larger building! Instead, think about creating a new cell! Keep the cells small, and you will keep the cells effective and working according to the master plan. After all, you don’t own the sheep - they belong to HIM! The whole idea of small group ministries came from HIM! You want to please HIM with your faithfulness and trustworthiness.
By creating new Small Groups you also create new leaders, new outreaches, spread the light further, and you eliminate the temptation to “be your own boss, and start your own church.” When it is time to establish a new church, it is our Pastor’s responsibility to do so, not the undershepherds.
Q ~ What should be your Small Group Strategy?
You need to continually ask yourself this simple question: “What’s going on here, for heaven’s sake!” When you reaffirm, again and again, what you are about for the sake of the Kingdom, you will stay on target.
Here are several Strategy Focus Points:
1. Remind yourself about the three keys of small group ministry: Fellowship, Ministry and Growth. Keep each “on the table” and not on the shelf!
2. Understand that each person counts! We want to track the progress of each individual in five TEAM areas: T=Teaching (What are they being taught, and what do they need to be taught?) E=Evangelism (Where is each individual in the evangelism process - repentance, faith, water baptism in the Name of the Lord, Holy Spirit baptism) A=Assimilation (How are we doing in helping each person to become a part of the Body, the Church Family? Do they know where they can “fit in?”) and finally, M=Maturity (Do they know what their “charisma” or “motivational” gifting is? Are they become solid and “grounded” in the Word of God?) As you work on the TEAM accounting of each person, make sure that the pastor or small groups coordinator is kept informed as to the progress of each person under you care.
3. What is your group’s plan of evangelism? Do you have a growth plan? What about filling the empty “chair” of the cell? Consider a prayer target. Perhaps you might want to have a prayer walk through the neighborhood. How are you going to minister to the whole family? What about the children? What about the elderly and the shut-in’s that are connected to your cell group members? Do you have a plan for emergencies? What about an emergency prayer network? What about a special World Missions project for your group?
Q ~ “...But just what are we going to do with the kids?”
This question must be on every Small Group Leader’s mind... “What are we going to do with the kids that come with their parents to our meeting?” We’d better find the answer, because “they’re coming!”
Part of the answer to this question can be found in the question itself: What are we going to do with the kids? Not do to the kids, not do about them, but do with them. When we start thinking in terms of doing something WITH the children as participants, we are more likely able to provide a spiritually productive and interesting session.
There is some interest resource material available on the Internet, from various Christian home-church groups. One such group can be found at their world-wide-web address: http://www.home-church.org/ where some selection areas (links) are called “Kid Talk”; “Ideas”; and “Threads”. Lots of ideas! Sort through them.
Why not plan on a special speaker just for the kids? Someone that is able to communicate with the children, bringing to them the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and how it can be shared. There are books published that give hundreds of “object lessons” and visual illustrations that can capture a child’s imagination, and instill a message.
Jesus said to allow little children to come unto Him. They are the key to future success in Small Group Ministries, as they will be future leaders, ministers and helpers. We must make provision for them. They will learn to worship as they see YOU worshipping. They will learn to give as they follow YOUR example. They will learn that dancing before the Lord is acceptable as they see YOU worship the Lord in the dance. We must not neglect the children. They need to have a personal experience with Jesus Christ, as well as the adults.
Q ~ Will people be assigned to cells?
NO. Small Groups will grow naturally, just as cells do in the human body. Cell members will bring new ones to their cell meetings. We will develop new cells as quickly as possible to accommodate the demand. Cells must not grow too fast. They need to be healthy, and stay healthy.
Q ~ Will Cells function geographically?
As you reach out to neighbors and friends who live near you, there will be some natural grouping geographically, but this will not always be the case. For example, you may introduce a co-worker on your job to Jesus through the Cell, and he or she may live miles away. As long as travel is relatively easy, we can expect people coming to cells from all over the metropolitan area.
Q ~ What about members of other churches who come our cells? Will they need to be part of the local church to be a part of our Cells?
All Small Groups must to be “under scriptural authority,” therefore all Small Groups must be a part of the local church. We also do not want the cells to be a place where we simply draw in members of other churches, but rather we need to grow through evangelism of the lost and the reclaiming those who have fallen away. There will be times when people from other churches come to our meetings. That’s fine! If it becomes a major part of any cell, we will try to train them to establish a small group under the authority of their own local assembly. If a person is active in another church, they need to be encouraged to stay there and be a part of God’s work across the city until such time as they have a clear understanding from the Lord as to the local church they should be attending. Leadership in Small Groups must be people who are faithful at the local church!
© 2009 – Melvin Springfield
