Harvest Workers
In the next few blogs I’d like to take selected quotes from my book Leadership Explosion. The following four paragraphs comes from the introduction:
So often we see the multitude but don’t contemplate their awful state. Jesus did more than analyze the condition of the lost. He had compassion on them because “. . . they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Mt. 9: 36). Yet, this compassion stirred Christ to exhort his 
followers to, “. . . Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Mt. 9:36-38). We can’t reap the harvest alone. We need help. This book is about raising up leadership to reap the harvest.
I’ve researched small groups around the world. Here’s what I’ve discovered: Small groups are not the answer. In fact, there is a danger in thinking that small groups are the answer. Small groups come and go; they rise and falter over time. Unless small group members are converted into small group leaders, little long-term fruit remains.
Churches do not reap the harvest because they have small groups. They reap the harvest because they have harvest workers. Churches that have no plan to develop people have by default planned to lose the harvest.
“The growth of the cell movement is based on raising up leaders from within. The highest priority of the cell leader is to identify prospective interns and begin the mentoring process.” With this quote, Gwynn Lewis pinpoints the purpose of this book. Cell leaders are not primarily called to form and sustain cell groups; their primary job is to find, train, and release new leadership. Jim Egli expands on this same point: “The cell model is not a small-group strategy; it is a leadership strategy. The focus is not to start home groups but to equip an expanding number of caring leaders. If you succeed at this, your church will flourish.”
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I agree with the above comments today just as much as I did when I wrote them seven years ago. I’ve learned that raising up harvest workers in the WEST is more difficult than in the majority world, but the same principles hold true anywhere in the world. Jesus is looking for harvest workers and cells provide the best atmosphere for leaders to develop and spread their wings.
Comments?
Joel
Randall said,
November 27, 2007 @ 8:42 am
“Churches do not reap the harvest because they have small groups. They reap the harvest because they have harvest workers. Churches that have no plan to develop people have by default planned to lose the harvest.”
That is one powerful statement and so very true. I wish more American pastors would STOP their small group/cell group ministry expansion plans and consider the depth of this statement.
Keep repeating this over and over to every pastor you can grab by the ears, Joel! In my heart, I believe this is the root issue as to why America doesn’t have world-class cell-based churches. It’s all about the organizational group structure and creating leaders for new groups as rapidly as possible—not on discipling leaders for the kingdom, and whose first leadership role is being a small group or cell group leader.
Adrian Barker said,
November 27, 2007 @ 10:19 am
Greetings;
Joel, good thoughts and I am in agreement with you. However maybe its just me but I have yet to attend a small group or church service where someone made a point to build a meaningful relationship with me and then ask me to do something. I do this all day long as a B2B sales professional. If I employed these practises as demonstrated to me at church—I’d be fired because I would have no sales. Just a thought.
iain said,
November 27, 2007 @ 7:51 pm
Adrian said - “but I have yet to attend a small group or church service where someone made a point to build a meaningful relationship with me”
I have had similar experiences to Adrian. These experiences have been very discouraging.But I am not giving up!
I am currently living overseas from Australia (where I come from) and luckily have found a good church to be a part of. But I am planning to return to my home town in 12 months, and if I can’t find a meaningful relationship church to go to I will start a new one. I am too far down the cell driven church road to go back to ‘traditional’ christianity (which for me is actually large pentecostal churches with 2-3000 members). I am so over being one of the crowd!!!
SO hopefully Joel will get that church planting book he is working on as quickly as possible!
Joel Comiskey said,
November 27, 2007 @ 10:23 pm
Iain, Australia needs a new worker/leaders like yourself. I’m glad you won’t be content with warming a pew. I look forward to helping you in your cell driven quest through the new book I’m writing!
Adrian said,
November 28, 2007 @ 5:50 am
Iain;
Excellent! When you start your church let me know we will be praying with you. We are members of a church and attend a small group. I also give 25% of my gross commissions to church planting/evangelism.
iain said,
November 28, 2007 @ 7:02 am
I feel very encouraged. Love you guys.
David Kueker said,
November 28, 2007 @ 8:09 pm
Dear Joel:
Leadership Explosion was the most valuable resource in all my work and research to write the Fuller Seminary DMin project on adapting cell church methods and principles for use in small Midwestern United Methodist Churches. What is missing is a carefully thought through, functional equipping track that produces not just disciples but disciple makers; providing that track was the goal of my project.
The end result of the Great Commission, after all, is not a disciple or a better disciple but a disciple maker. Nothing else will do. The disciple is to be taught to obey all the commands of Jesus Christ … including the Great Commission itself.
Thank you for sounding this note so clearly and consistently for so many years. If I was limited to recommend only one book to pastors to read to understand the cell church, it would be Leadership Explosion.
David Kueker
Joel Comiskey said,
November 29, 2007 @ 9:55 pm
Thanks so much for that awesome compliment, David!