When Multiplication Hurts
Have you ever found youself in a situation when you didn’t want to multiply your cell group?
My first and best-selling book thus far is Home Cell Group Explosion. This book talked about the cell churches around the world that are breaking records in multiplication. And I still believe that multiplication is the guiding start of cell mnistry.
Since starting the first cell in my home in this church plant, we’ve multiplied several times. Yet, right now I’m struggling with multiplication. I’m learning practically why multiplication can be so gut-wrenchingly difficult at times. Let me explain.
We have a couple in our cell who we love very dearly. They are great friends–the type that we just like to hang out with. They were unchurched people when they joined our cell, and they still need a lot of spiritual growth. Two other families also attend our cell regularly. My wife and I have held off mentioning multiplication because the situation has been tender, since this couple has been hurt in the past.
Yet, I wrote the book on multiplication! (do you get my drift). And I truly believe that each cell needs to be guided by the DNA of multiplicaiton. Yet in my flesh, this will be a more difficult multiplication.
So I need to tell this couple and the entire cell that we will be multiplying in one year’s time (next May). But you know something, it’s hard. I was planning on telling this couple last week before the cell (we’re going through the training track together), but the wife of this particular couple was going through some major life struggles. So it will have to wait until next month.
I’m more convinced than ever that multiplication must be the guiding star of the cell group. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy to multiply. It can even be downright painful. . . .
Comments?
Joel
Pastor Kev said,
April 23, 2007 @ 6:49 pm
Joel,
I have a struggle in the area of multiplication, but more from a coaching perspective.
One of the cells from our church has developed a bit of a “closed” perspective, and the cell members, all of which have great skill sets for cell leadership, yet are a bit unsure of their ability to lead a cell. Thus, they are hesitant to embrace the multiplication of their cell. It has taken much longer (roughly 12 months) than I envisioned, to even have a member of this cell (other than the cell leader) begin the monthly cell group leader training, to prep for multiplication.
To compound the issue, I’ve recently had a very assertive, healthy, “go-getter” individual attend that cell for a short period of time and then stop attending because there was the “closed” mentality.
Let me say this about the cell…they do a wonderful job of reaching out to new visitors at church (via greeting cards and during “greeting time”), but there is a sense of this underlying “closed group” mindset that permeates the group.
Any thoughts?
Pastor Kev
Iain Garrett-Benson said,
April 24, 2007 @ 3:31 pm
Hey Joel, I had a similar type of a situation a couple of years back. After discussing the impending birth of a new group out of our existing one, one lady in our group got quite upset. She asked “Will we (people in the group) still be able to be friends?”. I realised that I had a way to go in explaining what multiplication really meant in a practical way. Once it was understood that relationships would be free to evolve and move on, that relationship was the goal (not just having a group to belong to) and that people could still relate with each other even if they weren’t in the same group, she felt a lot better!
It also helped once I managed to explain that multiplication gives us the opportunity to share our relationships (and God’s blessing) with even more new friends (especially the unchurched). It becomes a maturity issue then, and I have found that when it is framed like that, people usually respond positively. However timing is still crucial, and I empathise with you Joel. It’s not an easy question to answer - ‘When is the right time to start a new group?’ No easy formula there.