Even though worship in the cell needs to go beyond singing, it does normally include singing. I counsel cell worship leaders to pick five to six songs before the group begins. Or the worship leader might invite small group members to select the songs before the worship time and then sing them in sequence. I encourage the small-group leader to type the words of these five or six songs on a piece of paper and then distribute those song sheets to everyone in the group. Those who know the songs really well won’t need the sheets, but many will need them.

It’s a good idea for the leader to first give an exhortation to begin the worship time. One particular small-group leader would say, “Remember that God is looking at your heart. Reflect on the words of the songs while you’re singing and know that above all else, you’re pleasing God.” I’ve discovered that a simple exhortation like this makes a huge difference in the atmosphere.

When children are present during worship, I try to encourage them to understand that God loves them and wants to hear their praises to Him. Between songs, I might even ask one of the children to pray. Help your group to become sensitive to God, while asking Him to show you how to reach non-Christians. Put Him first in your group, and He’ll give you a new, dynamic atmosphere that will edify the saints and evangelize unbelievers.
Comments?

Joel

By Steve Cordle

My wife, Linda, mentors some young mothers of pre-schoolers. This week one of the moms asked Linda to recommend a devotional book for women/moms she could use that would help her grow, since she’s just starting out and she’s had virtually no church background.

Linda replied that the best book to help her grow is the Bible (then offered some suggestions on how to engage it). Linda added that while other people’s thoughts about the Bible are helpful, they are not a substitute for the actual Word itself.

In order to create a climate of spiritual growth, it is vital to create a culture in which the Bible is central. I’m sure I don’t have to convince readers here of the importance of the Bible, but I’ve learned not to assume anything when it comes to people living out what we know is important. Many Christ-followers know the importance of the Bible, but their only exposure is during the worship celebration or group time. If it’s our spiritual food, we need it daily! Without it we are weak.

One of the most common reasons we hear from people about why they can’t lead a grop is the ydon’t know enough about the Bible. So let’s teach them!

Some of the ways churches have made the Bible central include:

- preaching through books or significant sections of the Bible in worship

-New Christian’s Classes and Membership Classes which include how to study the Bible

- Add a “Going Futher” section to the weekly cell material, encouraging indiviual study of a passasge

- Offer equipping courses teaching study techniques and books of the Bible

- Give away Bibles to anyone who is new

- Encourage significnat Bible study in 1-on-1 discipleship relationships

What other ideas do you have to move the Bible from our tables to our hearts?

Singing is an important part of worship, but it’s not the only activity. At a small-group seminar, one participant shared, “It’s important to go beyond singing songs. Our group has experienced God’s presence through reading psalms together, praying sentence prayers or even waiting in silence.”

Many leaders feel inadequate to lead times of worship because in their minds, they feel that they have to play guitar or worship like Matt Redman to lead God-honoring worship. I’ve experienced worship times in which the members choked out a joyful noise (and I do mean noise). Due to lack of guitar talent, some groups play a tape or CD, while the members follow along. I think this is a great idea, and we’ve done it in our own group on occasion. God doesn’t require a tabernacle choir. He looks at our heart motivation as we sing to Him.

Beyond the songs themselves, worship in an experience of drawing near to God and allowing God to draw near to us. It’s more than simply music; it’s coming before the living God with all of our hearts and seeking His face. It’s loving Him with all of our hearts and wanting Him above all else. Our inward motivation is critical to worship. Only God can break down the pride and carnality of a hardened heart. The worship experience tenderizes the hearts of those who are about to hear His Word, and He begins to work mightily in the lives of those who hear. It’s God’s Word that makes this possible.
Comments?

Joel

Lisa entered into the den of her home.  It was on her husband’s desk that she found, on a folded piece of paper, a passage quoting Teddy Roosevelt.  It read as follows:

“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena…who strives valiantly, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in worthy causes.  Who, at best, knows the triumph of high achievement and who, at worst, if he fails, fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

Lisa’s discovery occurred just weeks after her husband, Todd Beamer, died while aboard United Airlines Flight 93 (9/11/01).  A Newsweek reporter wrote, “The hijackers of UA 93 didn’t bank on the plane’s passengers banding together to take them on.  By charging the cockpit, these heroes prevented the plane from crashing into the nations’s capital– where it seemed to be headed.”  Todd “Let’s Roll” Beamer gave his life so that others might live.  It is true that many, many others did the same on that horrific day six years ago. 

Pause for a moment and remember.

I’m also remembering today that the greatest model of abandonment and risk remains to this day– Jesus Christ.  He stepped out of the comfort of heaven to show us the love of God.  He risked being God with skin on in the midst of religious persecution and tyrannical rule.  He risked by loving the unlovely.  He risked by charging his disciples to receive the power of the Holy Spirit and spread the gospel to all nations.  This abandonment of comfort and risk led him to a cross where he gave his life for all the world.  He gave his life so that the church might be filled with life.

Todd Beamer knew Jesus Christ as friend, Lord and Savior.  He emulated to us the greatest hero of all time– Jesus Christ.

Today, “spend yourself in a worthy cause.”  Know the “triumph of high achievement.”  “Dare greatly.”

by Rob Campbell

Comments?

Many intergenerational/family small groups allow children to stay in the small group during worship, but they then leave during the Word time for their own small-group lesson. Children often bless the small group with simplicity and clarity and remind adults that worship is not complicated. In my opinion, children super-charge the small-group atmosphere during times of praise and worship.

Some people think that children are a distraction, but I’ve found that just the opposite is true. Children reflect Christ’s nature and often draw others into His presence. And the side benefit is that children grow through watching their parents worship in a small, loving environment. At times, I like to stop and ask the children to pray or remind them of the words of the song.

My children lead worship in my family cell on Sunday evening–Nicole plays guitar and Chelsea plays drums. They not only bless the adults through their worship but they also grow in their musical talents. Children are a great blessing to cell ministry! 

Comments?

Joel

When we worship in our small groups, God shows up. He blesses. He makes us alive. He does great things. At times, I feel so weak when I am leading my cell group. Yet, as we worship, He comes to the group. His life is manifested among us. God moves in a special way and brings a special peace.

How does your cell worship? I like to intermingle times of silence during and after worship songs. Both during and after worship, we allow time for people to pray out loud. We allow God to speak a prophetic word to the group. So often in Scripture, God manifested His presence through worship, and it’s vitally important to hear from Him during this time.

In one meeting, the leader concluded the lesson time by playing a CD of worship songs and just asked the members to remain in silence as the Holy Spirit ministered to them. The Spirit ministered to our souls as we just sat before the Lord for ten to fifteen minutes, and we left that time super-charged with joy. Several parents who were stressed due to demanding kids and schedules were especially touched. The worship time energized us to serve each other. Dynamic talk and fellowship characterized the remaining moments of that night.

Without Christ’s presence, the cell group is no different than a work party, a family gathering or a meeting of friends at a football game. Even if non-Christians are in attendance, Christ’s presence is often what the non-Christian really wants. Non-believers who attend a small group frequently want to know and experience the reality of God. Some have called this worship evangelism; it’s the idea that as we lift Jesus high, He’ll draw all people to Himself. Referring to His death, Jesus said, “But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself” (John 12:32). We need to face the fact that only God can draw someone to His presence.
Comments?

Joel

By Steve Cordle

Discipleship is at the heart of group ministry. The best group leaders do more than facilitate good meetings, they also lead their members toward spiritual maturity through relational discipleship.

But discipleship should not be left only to the leader. I was reminded of this not long ago.

About 2 months ago, a woman prayed to receive Christ during the group meeting I was leading. It was her first time with us, and she was sincerely wanting to experience new life in Christ. After the prayer, a couple of group members gave her encouraging words about following Jesus.

The next day I emailed the woman some basic information about what to do in order to keep growing. We were able to follow up a bit at the next meeting with her questions about where to starst reading the Bible, and so on.

But how much better would it have been had another woman in the group said to her “Let’s have coffee this week and talk more about following Christ”. And what if the two of them met for a few weeks to work through a brief study of the basics of the faith? In short, what if another woman had personally discipled her (don’t worry, we’re working on making that happen!).

When there is a culture of disicpleship in a group, it’s not just the leader who is trying to pour his/her life into others, it is everyone! That will make for a much stronger group and ministry.

Let’s encourage our group members to look for opportunitie to encourage, equip, and challenge each other in love. Do your group members know how to do that? Has your church provided them with the resources and understanding of how to do so?

 Comments?

I believe in Sunday morning worship. Sunday worship is one entire “wing” of the cell church. Yet, Sunday morning worship is not enough. I think of Nancy, a gal who I sat next to on a plane from Houston to California. She had received Jesus and begun attending a large evangelical church that faithfully taught God’s Word each Sunday. “Over time,” she said, “it became painful to smile, walk through the church doors, hear the message, and leave one hour later to resume our family crisis in the car in the church parking lot.” She finally stopped attending the church because she felt like a hypocrite. For Nancy, going to church was hearing the preacher on Sunday.

Nancy needed to a place where she could share her life with others, receive personal pastoring, and grow with God’s people. She needed to be held accountable, as Rob Campbell so clearly reminded us in yesterday’s blog. Cell groups provide that accountability. In a cell group, a person can share life struggles and discover that others are going through the same thing. It’s a place to be known and to know others.

The writer of Hebrews reminds us, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25). Jesus desires us to grow spiritual in the light of His soon coming. Cell groups are an awesome place to see that happen.

Comments?

Joel

What you call your cell groups says a lot about what you are trying to accomplish through cell life.  My church family’s cell groups are called HEART groups (H- Home, E- Encouragement, A- Accountability, R- Relationship, T- Teaching).  In this post, I want to concentrate on accountability.

“Accountability is a preventive measure displayed by sturdy people who want to lead lives of growing godliness, and who know they can’t do it alone.  It includes opening one’s life to a few carefully selected, trusted, loyal confidants who speak the truth– who have been given the right to examine, to question, to appraise, and to give counsel”  (Chuck Swindoll).

“Accountability is being regularly answerable to qualified people for each of the key areas of our lives”  (Patrick Morley).

“Accountability means getting off each other’s back and on each other’s team” (Doug Haag).

There are twenty-two questions that the members of John Wesley’s Holy Club asked themselves each day in their private devotions over 200 years ago.  Here they are:

1.  Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really am?  In other words, am I a hypocrite?

2.  Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?

3.  Do I confindentially pass on to another what was told to me in confidence?

4.  Am I a slave to dress, friends, work or habits?

5.  Can I be trusted?

6.  Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?

7.  Did the Bible live in me today?

8.  Do I give it time to speak to me every day?

9.  Am I enjoying prayer?

10.  When did I last speak to someone else of my faith?

11.  Do I pray about the money I spend?

12.  Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?

13.  Do I disobey God in anything?

14.  Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?

15.  Am I defeated in any part of my life?

16.  Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy or distrustful?

17.  How do I spend my spare time?

18.  Am I proud?

19.  Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisee who despised the publican?

20.  Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment toward or disregard?  If so, what I am I doing about it?

21.  Do I grumble or complain constantly?

22.  Is Christ real to me?

In my estimation, these twenty-two questions are wonderful for personal, daily introspection.  For a cell group or an accountability group, answering these twenty-two questions would be exhausting experience on a weekly basis.  I am not suggesting that at all.  However, you may consider choosing a handful or so and integrate them into your cell and/or accountability group. 

A closing thought:  Thoughtful and honest personal introspection opens the door to excellent accountability with our trustest friends.

Comments?

Rob Campbell

www.cypresscreekchurch.com
 

Today is labor day in the United States. Labor day is an annual holiday celebrated all over the world that resulted from efforts of the labor union movement, to celebrate the economic and social achievements of workers. The celebration of Labor Day has its origins in the eight hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for rest.

Most countries celebrate Labor Day on May 1, known as May Day. The holiday has become internationalized and several countries hold multi-day celebrations including parades, shows and other patriotic and labor-oriented events.

As believers in Jesus Christ, let’s remember that we are laboring for a worthy Master. Yes, we will face adversity and difficulty in this life. But let us remember that Jesus Christ is our ultimate rewarder. Paul the apostle, talking about the resurrection and the fact that we will soon have new bodies, says, “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15: 58).

Joel