I just got back from a ministry trip to Virginia, where I ministered to the pastors and leaders at the Cornerstone Church. I spoke on Friday and in the evenings. Dave Earley gave the leadership seminar on Saturday. I was really blessed to meet Dave Earley for the first time. Dave is a passionate man of God and author of the excellent book, Eight Habits of Effecticve Small Group Leaders.

The founder and senior leader of Cornerstone is Gerald Martin. The mother church is located in Harrisonburg, VA. The network has grown to ten network churches and five overseas churches. Their website is: www.cornerstonenet.org.

Gerald Martin now operates in the apostolic role. He and his wife, Sophia, travel in an RV to each of the ten churches and stay three weeks out of the year in each church. This particular conference was held at the Cornerstone Church in Fisherville, VA. The first thing I saw when entering the parking lot was Martin’s RV hooked up to the side of the church building. Although Sophia misses being permanently close to the grandkids, they believe they are in God’s will. Gerald told me that being in each of the ten churches for three weeks allows him to really understand what’s happening in the church.

Gerald Martin has worked closely with Ralph Neighbour for many years. The movement has also been influenced by Bethany World Prayer Center (principle of twelve). Martin and staff attended Bethany World Prayer Center’s annual leadership conference on cell ministry for many years. Most Cornerstone Churches, in fact, have the ”principle of twelve” banner hanging from the ceiling. Yet, Cornerstone has not adopted the G12 care structure in its entirety. Rather they’ve adapted and fine-tuned it to fit their own culture and context. They really understand that the G12 model can’t give growth in itself. Principles, rather than models, are the key. 

The Cornerstone training track is one of the best available today. It begins with encounter retreats focused on gaining personal freedom from past baggage by taking people to the cross. It continues with schools of leaders designed to teach and train believers for ministry and leadership followed with advanced courses in preparation for full time pastoral ministry . 

I was encouraged by God’s creative work through Cornerstone.

Joel

I’d like to offer a few thoughts in line with Joel’s post yesterday entitled, “Do Your Best.”

Evaluating the “health,” “growth,” or “success” of a cell and/or cell church is tricky business, isn’t it?  What are the measurement sticks?  Multiplications?  Baptisms?  New Believers?  Number of Celebration attenders in a cell group?  Tithes/Offerings?  While all these “indicators” might render some thoughts concerning health, growth, or success… are they the true measurements?

I’m quite confident that God will not “score” me on the above indicators.  God:  “Rob, why did you have a dip in your Celebration attenders attending a cell in 2006?”  Somehow, I don’t believe He will ask such a question.  I trust you agree?

Through author and pastor Larry Osborne, I was reminded of Proverbs 21:30-31 which reads:  Human plans, no matter how wise or well advised, cannot stand against the Lord.  The horses are prepared for battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord.

Larry writes in his book, Contrarian’s Guide to Knowing God, “The passage reminded me that final outcomes are in the hands of the Lord.  It’s his will that prevails…[there is] one thing I could control, and by inference, the one thing I’ll be held responsible for:  How well was I preparing my horse for battle?  It cause me to realize that during my Dark Years I was asking the wrong question.  I asked, `How are things going?’  I should have asked, `Am I doing the right things?  Am I preparing my horse for victory?’  In the end, that’s all I have any control over.”

If you appreciate Larry’s thought, then you must consider, “What are the RIGHT things?”

Something tells me the heart of the matter is the matter of the heart.  Therefore, “Guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life.”

Comments?

by Rob Campbell

www.cypresscreekchurch.com

Several months I was eating lunch with cell leaders in a church in Connecticut. I had just finished preaching in the two morning services and the pastoral staff and cell leaders were gathered around to ask questions about cell ministry.

One youth cell leader shared his frustration with cell members not paying attention during the cell meeting. He said, “I prepare really hard for my cell lesson, and I feel that God shows me what I should I say and the questions I should ask the group. How come the members seem so bored with the meeting? I feel like I must be doing something wrong. What do you think?”

I told him that oftentimes we really don’t know what’s going on inside people. I told him that during my two Sunday sermons that morning, I felt like a failure at times. Why? Because several people were yawning, appeared bored, and just didn’t seem like they were getting much out of my message. I had to cry out inwardly to God. But ultimately I could only do my best and leave the results to God. 

The senior pastor chimed in, “Monday’s are often my most depressing days. I’m always thinking about what I should have said or could have done differently in my sermon.”

I told this youth cell leader, “Oftentimes, leading a cell is finding out what pastors experience all the time.” I told him, “all you can do is your very best. Hear from Jesus, prepare your cell lesson, and then just believe that you’ve done your best FOR HIM.”
Comments?

Joel

The Lord has been showing me a lot lately about the topic of fear (e.g., the fear of the Lord, why we fear, and how God wants to deliver us from fear). I preached on this topic several weeks ago, and God revealed how many fears I was personally harboring. He showed me that He really wanted to deliver me from fear. I have the tendency to allow my feelings or intellect to overcome God’s clear teaching about NOT FEARING. I can become fearful about witnessing, coaching leaders, speaking at conferences, etc. God has been showing me that He desires for me to live in freedom from fear. Lately, I’ve found a lot of freedom in just remembering that God doesn’t want me to fear.

Fear is not from Him. Surely, we’re going to be nervous at times, but living in fearfulness  is  sin. God wants to give us freedom from fear! 

Perhaps you fear the possibility of leading a cell group. God wants to help you overcome that fear. Perhaps leading your current cell makes you afraid. God wants to free you. Remember what God says about fear:

• “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15).
• “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:8).
• Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and FREE THOSE who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death”  (Hebrews 2:14-15).
• “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline” (1 Timothy 1:7).
• “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea” (Psalm 46:1-2).
• “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Is. 41:10).

FEAR THOU NOT!

Comments?

 Joel

by Steve Cordle

Yesterday Joel gave us a great reminder of the value of “the empty chair”.

Sustaining an outreach orientation in a group can be one of the most challenging aspects of leading a cell. But evangelism and outreach are essential.

There are those close off small groups to new people in order to focus on discipleship and community. But isn’t it better to disciple people to be witnesses? Can we really close off a group and then expect people later to spontaneously develop redemptive relationships with lost people? If the cell is the basic expression of the church, it must be outward oriented if the church is giong to be outward oriented.

Some ways a leader can help prompt outreach:

- Teach the group that evangelism is a biblical command, and the heart of Jesus. If this is not clear, the members might interpret the leader’s prompts to reach out as merely a numbers game, or buildling their own kingdom. If they realize Jesus yearns for those apart from him, they respond differently.

- Include follow-up questions after the group prays for the empty chair. Ask, “Over the past week did you invite someone to worship? to cell? What happened?”

It is very invigorating to a group to welcome a new member and see someone come to faith and grow. Let’s help our people experience that gift!

Blessings-

Steve

So often we become enamored with new strategies for reaching people that we forget the old. One of those old strategies is the empty chair. I’m referring to the time-tested method of placing an empty chair in the middle of the group and then praying for the next visitor (non-Christian or unchurched) who will occupy that chair. The empty chair approach helps the group remember that its mission is to reach others.

I was reminded of the empty chair last Thursday night during the American Society for Church Growth’s banquet at BIOLA University. Charles Arns was the speaker, and he presented the life and ministry of his father, Win Arns. Win Arns, who is now deceased, worked closely with Donald McGavran in developing the church growth movement. Charles Arns presented a film that his father had made about church growth way back in the 1970s. Donald McGavran, the father of the church growth movement, appeared frequently in the film and at one point extolled the importance of small groups in the growth of Christ’s church. McGavran said that small groups must focus on evangelism and outreach-in addition to personal care–if church growth is going to occur. McGavran mentioned that one of the ways that some groups reach out is to use the empty chair to remind believers to reach out to non-believers. 

I greeted George Hunter III, author of Celtic Evangelism and many other books, after the banquet. He gave me the paper that he was going to present to the conference and asked me to critique it. As I read his paper entitled What Kind of Local Church Reaches Pre-Christian People? I noticed the importance he places on small groups to reach pre-Christian people. Hunter writes, “In small groups, people gain experience in lay ministry, and are more likely to minister to people outside the group, and outside the church. In small groups with an “empty chair” that they fill with a seeker every six months, small groups reach people; in many churches, the groups are the initial port of entry for far more seekers tham the worship service.”

The empty chair anology stuck in my mind. When I was planning the WITNESS time for last Sunday night’s cell group, I placed an empty chair before the group and asked various members to pray for the next person to fill it. I believe it helped us all to remember that small groups are not just for the SAINTS–they’re also for those who AIN’T.

Comments?

Joel

The greatest of these is…. LOVE.  In Joel’s recent posts, he has been highlighting people around the world who are caring for the hurting.  Indeed, a good majority of these individuals are in quite hopeless situations.  The reason that these cells and/or cell churches care to help others is anchored in their love for God.  If we do anything “right,” then let’s love God and others. 

Love is a verb.  Love is action oriented.  Love never fails.  Perfect love casts out fear.  Those who love and care for you– show up.  They are present in your times of sorrow, discouragement and despair.  They also rejoice in your victories, successes and triumphs. 

Love also sends.  This past weekend, I had the opportunity to worship with Palabra de la Vida, a cell church in El Cercado, Mexico (thirty miles south of Monterrey).  This cell church is led by Pastor David Grimaldo and his wife, Lorena.  For the past ten years, I have watched this church transition to cells, grow in their passion for God through worship and prayer, reach out to not-yet believers, and more.  The church is full of love, excitement, and vision.

Here’s one example.  I asked Pastor David a few years ago to consider coming to San Marcos, Texas and begin a spanish speaking cell church.  To make a long story short– David accepted the opportunity.  This past Sunday during worship, I watched his church family love him…by sending him.  They didn’t try to hold on to him.  To be clear, they desperately want him to stay, but they trust God and Pastor David.  I believe that this church family in El Cercado AND the new cell church in San Marcos will flourish.  You see, their vision is anchored in love for God and others.

How, then, do we help the hurting?  First, we pray that God’s love will be stirred up in our hearts.  Next, we accept the fact that God is not calling us to change the world alone.  We need Him and we need others.  Finally, as a cell, we extend the love of God to those who are hurting…those who need to experience a God of love.

Find a need outside of your cell and go for it!  Your cell will be changed.  You will have a story to tell about the goodness of God.

Comments?

by Rob Campbell

www.cypresscreekchurch.com

For the last several blogs, I’ve talked about ways to offer practical assistance to those in need. I shared how Elton Lin, a church planter in San Jose, CA, gave $5,000 to each cell group and said, “Find a significant need and meet it.” I also highlighted how James Penner, pastor of a church in Canada, began to serve a local elementary school and then positioned the small groups to help the needy families of that school.

I’m feeling very burdened right now for the situation in Tabasco, Mexico, the home of Jesuscristo es la Vida Eterna. In my blogs on October 17 and 19, I talked about my seminar in this cell church of 3,000 people and 400 cell groups. When I was with them in mid-October I noticed that it was raining a lot, yet I was shocked to find out that the rains never stopped. Right now some 80% of the city of Tabasco is underwater. MNSBC reports, “A week of heavy rains caused rivers to overflow, leaving 70 percent of the Gulf state of Tabasco underwater, and forcing thousands of people to cling to rooftops or flee to shelters. It is the worst flooding the state has seen in 50 years. Nearly all services, including drinking water and public transportation, were shut down.”

One of the pastors of Jesuscristo es la Vida Eterna, pastor Alejandro, told me that the church itself is not underwater but that many members of his church are in crisis. Pastor Alejandro sent me an email saying, “Many of the brothers of the church have lost everything, and because we are a very large church, I’m talking about a lot of people. The way to help us at this time is economically. If it’s possible please take a love offering.”

He then gave me a way to wire money to the church’s bank account. My wife and I plan on sending an offering to help during this time of crisis. If you’re interested in helping, please send me an email and I’ll tell you how.

Joel

On Wednesday’s blog I spoke about Elton Lin’s novel idea of giving each home group $5,000 to minister to the poor and needy. Elton’s groups are still actively working on their projects. Elton writes, “All three groups have linked up with local agencies to connect with people. One group has completed their project and have helped clean out the basements and repainted the exterior of two houses in their neighborhood. We’ll see how the other two groups go.”

On Wednesday, I was coaching another pastor, James Penner, senior pastor of Ross Road Community Church in Abbotsford, British Columbia (picture of James on right) and was thrilled to hear his testimony of practical service. James felt a burden to make a difference in his community. He decided to adopt a nearby school called Ross Road Elementary School. He told the principal that his church wanted to love and serve the school in anyway possible. James figured that by serving the public school, the church would be reaching out to the community.

Since that time, the church has sent approximately ten to fifteen volunteers to the school to help out. The church has financed a literacy program, raised money for the school, and tutored needy students. The church found out which families at the school were in fnancial need and asked some of the small groups to reach out to these people (food, Christmas presents, etc.).

The church gives $300.00 to each small group at the end of the year to minister to needy people. James told me that his own small group poured their time and money into a poor, non-Christian family from the school, whose father was dying of cancer. The dad eventually died and asked the church to do the funeral. The parents of the deceased father (the mother a former devout Jehovah’s Witnesses) were so touched that they started attending Ross Roads Community Church! James told me that he’s trying to change the DNA of his groups to become outreach oriented.

I was touched and challenged by Pastor James Penner example to reach the poor and needy.

Comments?

Joel