The Cell Group Model

Attend a cell group!

Cell group definition:

A group of 5-15 people who form the basic unit of Christian community. It functions to provide a place where members gather weekly around the presence of Christ, support one another as a family, reach out to the hurting world, and mentor and release new leaders, all of which results in the multiplication of groups as others are added.

Cell church description:

A cell based church’s primary function is to support the cell. A cell-based church has weekly cell meetings in addition to the Sunday service. It connects many cells to a larger body and equips many members for ministry.

Other highlights of a cell-based church

  • Community
    • Close relationships result when you:
      • gather weekly for scheduled meetings with the same group of people
      • support each other through unscheduled life-giving interaction
    • Follow-up is a natural extension of actual relationships, not the first call from the pastor. Pastor and elders encourage the relationships in the first place - generally through teaching, example; and specifically through oversight of the people. Ideally, people do not "drop off radar" without being noticed, because their church family is a close circle of friends.
  • Growth
    • Training and discipling are important as these types of groups tend to grow rapidly (people are hungry for community).
    • People are more inclined to see the need for training and be eager to commit to it when they see the real-world need. The need to exercise our gifts is amplified as everyone is in a relational setting where using their gift might be a real blessing to one of the fellow members.
    • The cell is the most basic building block of the church. If someone desires growth/involvement, the cell is the first place to go.
    • Often ordinary “church” activities foster either community or spiritual progress but not both. The cell combines naturally formed community friendships with an emphasis on spiritual progress
  • Exercising Gifts
    • A cell ministry provides opportunity for every gift in very practical ways.
    • The distributed structure of many cells allows many openings for your gift, rather than only a few. Example: not everyone who’s musically gifted can be used in a single, Sunday morning service. Whereas, every cell meeting has a need for worship.
  • Worship
    • Worship in a whole new way. It is more intimate and personal in the cell group. The emphasis on Sunday can be more of a grand expression of joyous praise in unity.
  • Leadership
    • The leadership network is well organized and well overseen. The quality of the teaching is maintained and new leaders are coached/mentored.
    • People are pastored (shepherded) on a more intimate level.
    • New leaders are identified early on and mentored through their growth into leadership.
  • Training
    • With the practical application happening in more intimate settings, the teachers are free to teach to larger groups with confidence that the small group leaders will drive home the application when it really counts - in the peoples’ day-to-day lives.
    • Equipping should include knowing, doing, and being. Knowing- happens through training tracks. Doing- happens in the cell groups. Being- happens through the shepherding of the cell leader or the mentorship of your elders.
  • Theology
    • The definition of theology is “the study of God”.
    • The goal is not simply more knowledge, but rather more knowledge of God. We must strive for a closer walk with Him and a better ability to help others have a closer walk with Him. (Jer 9:23-24)
    • Study the doctrines to be able to answer questions, not to win arguments. Focus on a relationship with God and direct people to the heart issues (e.g., the way Christ on earth answered people).
  • Service
    • Service should spill out of community and the individual’s spiritual growth. Consider the sequence of community, growth and service in (1 Tim 3:16; Col 1:9; Eph 4:16). It should not the other way around, where service is encouraged but without much spiritual accountability our authentic community.
    • Once someone starts serving, the cell provides ongoing shepherding, edification, support.
  • Outreach
    • The small, home-based groups should be more inviting to a new contact.
    • An important element of the weekly cell meeting is discussion and prayer for our non-Christian friends.
  • Time Economy
    • The evangelistic and community emphases cause you to rethink all of your personal contact with people. Typically, church friends, neighbors, family, and coworkers are all separate groups that you are spread thin between. Imagine working to incorporate all of them into one community. Instead of four circles of acquaintances, you have one circle of friends that everyone is welcome to join.
    • Rather than the cell group being one more meeting to go to, it becomes the core. It is designed to be more welcoming to non-church friends. Think of it as hospitality on a whole new level.
  • Small Groups AND Large Groups
    • Cell meetings have advantages of home churches but without the limitation on growth or the tendency to become stagnant and ingrown.
    • Celebrations services bring all cell groups together for a (Sunday) gathering. People like to be part of something bigger. It’s encouraging to see other groups thriving and hear good reports from other parts of the Body.
See when cell groups are meeting.