What is a Healthy Cell?
The Pastoral Team of Cypress Creek Church is in the process of an exercise I wanted to share with this blogging community. Simply put, we are “re-defining” what characteristics make up a healthy cell? We have done this exercise time and time again over the last 15 years and have found it helpful in refocusing us for the task at hand.
Below, you will see plenty of ideas from at least ten pastors at CCC. Once again– the question– “What is a healthy cell?” Here we go:
Service (Others Centered), Fellowship, Accountability, Leadership Development, Word-centered, Christ’s Presence in the cell, Individual prayer voiced for each other in the cell gathering, Living life with each other outside of cell gathering, Inviting others consistently, Cell leader praying each day for cell members, Weekly contact by cell leader to each cell member, Multiplication, Seeing new people in the cell on a consistent basis, Changed lives, Shared leadership, Consistency (in meetings and vision casting), Spiritual growth of cell members, Experience the `awe’ of God together, Welcoming of change, Relationship development, Actively seek those not connected to Jesus or a cell, Missional (service to others), Bless (relationships that bless), Belong (people feel they belong), Belief (beliefs are visible in the lives of people), Birth (new people becoming Christ followers), Gifts of the Spirit are apparent in cell gathering/cell life, AND….Passionate Worship.
Our team’s task is to winnow these many ideas concerning a healthy cell to five characteristics. Further, we would desire for these characteristics to be measurable in some form or fashion. A daunting task? Probably so. Do we need help? You bet! That’s where your contribution would be appreciated.
I would be delighted if 10-20 people in this community would take a few minutes and give us your opinion. What would you say are five characteristics of a healthy cell? May I encourage you to be creative… think outside the box… and craft something that would really “wow” cell church leaders throughout the world?? You may be used of God to enrich many cell leaders/churches around the globe.
Comments, PLEASE!!
Rob
Pastor Kev said,
March 27, 2007 @ 5:54 am
In responding to the quest for “five characteristics of a healthy cell,” from my 14 years of experience in cell ministry, I would have to respond that there is really “one characteristic of a health cell” and several evidences of that “one characteristic.”
I believe THE one characteristic of a healthy cell is…The Presence of Christ. It is so necessary that without it, we have an Elks Lodge gathering or a committee rather than a cell. When I was single (for many years) and asking married people how they knew when they met the right one to marry…inevitably, I would hear the response, “You’ll know, when you know.” This is true of His Presence in cell. You’ll know, when you know. You’ll also know when He isn’t there. His Presence turns a cell meeting into a night full of “Ebenezer moments.” Days that people will look back to and say, “I’ll never be the same again.” Without His Presence, you have a night full of snacks, self-centered discussion, lifeless praying and unchanged lives.
Transparency is an evidence that the Presence of Christ is in the house. First, with the leader leading the way. Then, others believing they’ll not only be accepted, but also wanted all the more…if they bring their own failures and struggles out of the closet and into the group.
Others-focused is another evidence that the Presence of Christ has arrived in your cell group. Body ministry to one another just flows so easy when the Presence permeates the room. This also includes a demonstrable passion for reaching the unchurched, the unsaved as seen by cell members bringing their friends and/or family members.
Expensive worship is another characteristic of the Presence of the Lord. What I mean by that is the kind of worship seen in Scripture from the woman who broke her very, very expensive jar of perfume to pour over Jesus’ feet in adoration. Without this kind of “expensive” worship that costs you something to give to Jesus, all you have are Elks lodge members singing songs to a god “out there.”
And finally, a hunger for the Word of God among cell members. When there is a visible, measurable hunger to open up the Word during the cell meeting to see what the living God has to speak to our hearts, the Presence of Christ is among you.