THE CELL GROUP

What is a cell (small group/ Community Group)? The most common definition of a cell (and the one we will follow) is this: a group of three to fifteen people who meet weekly outside the church building for the purpose of evangelism, community, and discipleship with the goal of multiplication. Implicit in this goal is the overarching goal of glorifying God and achieving spiritual growth in Christ.
All small groups are not cell groups. One of the major differences between cell groups and generic small groups is the cell’s emphasis on evangelism, leadership development, and multiplication in each cell. Cell churches also have other types of ministries (e.g., ushering, worship, prayer, missions, and training). These ministries, however, are not called cell groups, even though the particular ministry might be small and a group. The ministries in a cell church, rather, support the cell and the celebration (worship service). Everyone participating in a church ministry is also actively involved in a cell group, if not leading one. In the cell church, the cell group is the backbone, or center, of church ministry. Cell ministry replaces the need for many traditional programs. Church growth success is primarily measured through the infrastructure growth as the church grows from the core to the crowd. Some churches have cell groups as one of the programs in the church. In this scenario, the senior pastor, while overseeing all the programs, delegates the small-group ministry to another person. In the cell church, however, the senior pastor is personally involved in cell ministry and is considered the point person and cell visionary.
My hope is that the following information will give confidence and wisdom to start a church based on the cell church principals for community and growth from core to crowd. With three times as many North American churches closing each year as opening, God desires that churches would be beginning and not just ending. It doesn’t take a lot of money or complexity to start a cell based church. A church planter and few believers can open their homes, invite people, build a core, multiply the cell, eventually grow to a weekly celebration and continue the process of starting more churches. In the following days and weeks we will work to properly discern the North American context and look at the tools necessary to start a cell-based ministry.
Please take advantage of the email address above, faithcommunityhouston@gmail.com, to ask for prayer about anything. As requests come in we will add them to the list daily.
Blessings,

Pastor Bryan