In chapter three (Cell Reproduction: The Guiding Start of Leadership Development) of Leadership Explosion, I explore the subject of cell multiplication:

Our natural, human tendency steers us to maintain the normal, the status quo. We want the warmth and communion of the small group to continue forever. It won’t. In refreshing others, we are refreshed. Members of a team will never reach full potential unless they are able to grow to point of leading others. Unless provision is made for a cell member to become a cell leader, he never has the chance to exercise his spiritual muscles and truly depend on the living God.

Recently, I received a compliment from one of my cell leaders. He said, “Joel, the reason I like this church is because you were concerned about me. You kept on inviting me to your cell group. But you didn’t stop there. You prepared me and launched me out into ministry.” Paul is fulfilled in his new cell leadership position. I could have held tightly to Paul in my own cell group. But by sending him out, he’s able to exercise his own gifts and talents, while the church continues to grow.

It’s my growing conviction that cell multiplication and reproduction is the chief motivation behind leadership development. Effective cell churches tailor their training to fulfill the objective of cell multiplication. The genetic code of cell multiplication is instilled in each leader from the first moment he or she begins leading the new group.
Cell multiplication is so central to cell ministry that the goal of cell leadership is not fulfilled until the new groups are also reproducing. The new group can only be considered viable if it eventually births a new group itself.
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You can probably feel the radical nature of the above comments. I’ve learned since coming back to the U.S. from Ecuador in 2001 that multiplication might take a lot longer than in Ecaudor. Yet, the principles of the above comments remain true.

Comments?

Joel

Here’s the scenario:

You desire to help a brand new believer in Christ develop into a cell leader.  He/she is excited about the opportunity and desires to lead one day.

What TWO or THREE THINGS would you want to DO to prepare this person for cell leadership?

Your brief response would be appreciated.  You need not have eloquent sentences or lengthy paragraphs.  Make your response as simple and raw as possible.

Indeed, our BEING is quite important to God.  However, for now…let’s consider what you would want to DO with this individual?

Comments?

by Rob Campbell

www.cypresscreekchurch.com 

For the next several blogs I’d like to quote from Leadership Explosion. The three paragraphs come from chapter three, Cell Reproduction: The Guiding Start of Leadership Development.

The church will only expand its influence in the world by reproducing its most powerful unit, the cell group. Therefore, just as a family guarantees its legacy by producing children, so a cell group must seek to reproduce life in others by producing new groups.

God’s desire for reproduction is seen in the first chapter of Genesis: “God blessed mankind saying, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground’” (Gen. 1:28).

In a similar fashion, God blessed Abraham at the age of ninety-nine saying, “I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers” (Gen. 17:2). Jesus commands the same type of fruitfulness in John 15:8: “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” At the end of His ministry, Jesus said to His disciples: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt. 28:18-19). The only viable way to reap the harvest is through the reproduction of cell groups, and this demands more leaders.

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Small Groups are wonderful, but they can become stagnant and inward focused. Reproduction helps the group push forward and exercise spiritual muscles that would normally, naturally lie dormat.

Comments?

We’ve been talking about leadership tips. Steve Cordle reminded us yesterday about the importance of waiting on God to hear what He says. Amen, Steve. Great leaders are led by vision. And the lasting, important visions come from God.

We need God’s renewing vision on a daily basis. Are you leading a cell? Seek Jesus for His vision for your cell group. Are you considering leading a cell group? Capture what He’s saying about your future cell leadership. On Wednesday I read an interesting story about vision and a fish tank. Lance Wallnau was interviewing a homeowner for a project. Lance writes:

“I glanced at his fish tank and saw a most unusual, almost exotic looking fish. ‘What kind of fish is that?’ I asked. ‘That is a Japanese Oranda fish,’ the owner replied with evident pride. The fish seemed a bit larger than any tropical fish I had seen, so I asked, ‘How big will it grow?’ ‘That depends,’ the owner answered thoughtfully. ‘Depends on what?’ I mumbled absentmindedly as I observed the different colors of the scales. ‘Depends on the size tank you put it in. Stick him in a 50-gallon tank and he grows to nine. Without a tank he can be a foot long’” (Tranformational Coaching, p. 193).

As we spend time with God, He instills us with His vision for our lives and ministries. He also enlarges our vision. He helps us to enter new “fish tanks” of ministry with greater effectiveness and power. Asks Jesus to renew and enlarge your vision today.

Comments?

Joel

by Steve Cordle

John 1:13 tells us that those who come to faith in Christ are “children born not of natural descent, not of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”

Leadership and minstry can be spoken of in a similar way. Ministry which flows from God’s Spirit and initiative has a distinctly different flavor than that which comes from human ingenuity and will.

The NT repeatedly shows ministry flowing out of time alone with God. Consider, for example:

   Luke 9:18 - “Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them ‘”Who do the crowds say that I am?’” [Jesus’ time of prayer leads to this breakthrough for the disciples’ understanding of who He is.]

   Acts 10:9 - About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray.” [Then comes revelation the Gentiles are to be part of the church].

   Acts 13:2 - As the church was worshipping and fasting, the Spirit speaks to set apart Paul and Barnabas for mission work.

   The book of Revelation was given as John was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day.

In my experience, most of the enduring and effective ministry ideas come out of time with God. It may be less manageable or predictable to minister this way, but much more fruitful too!

Rob challenged us to share one of our favorite leadership lessons. I love the following.

J. Ortberg wrote in his book If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat: “Most people I know love to hear stories and images about the powerful God we serve. But here is the problem: that information alone is not sufficient enough to create courageous human beings. …What am I doing that I could not do apart from the power of God? … Is there any challenge in your life right now that is large enough that you have no hope of doing it apart from God’s help? If not, consider the possibility that you are seriously underchallenged.”

“Peter failed. He sank. But I think there were eleven bigger failures sitting in the boat. .. The worst failure is not to sink in the waves. The worst failure is to never get out of the boat.”

It’s when I feel the waves rolling over me, and I have to cry out to God for help that I grow the most spiritually. Like you, I hate those moments. Everything in me longs for peace, safety, and tranquility. The problem is this: we don’t grow if we don’t have to fight. “Where there’s no pain, there’s no gain” is literally true in the spiritual realm.

Onward, Christian soldiders.

Joel

John Maxwell is well known for the following quote:  “Everything rises and falls on leadership.”  It’s true, isn’t it? 

I’m wondering — what leadership lessons are near and true to your heart?   

Further, would you be willing to share those lessons with this blog community.  You need not be wordy (as you may note this blog post in quite brief).

Let me share two of my favorite leadership lessons that I have learned over the past several years. 

First, everyone will not be like you.

Next, everyone will not like you.

Post a comment.  Be brief.  One or two lines would be just fine!

by Rob Campbell

www.cypresscreekchurch.com 

Last night we had a powerful time at the cell meeting. The ice-breaker told us to share a special memory of the holiday season. We listened to one another and encouraged one another. The worship time drew us into the presence of God and the Holy Spirit ministered to each one of us. The prayers and praises reminded each of us to press on to love Jesus. The Witness/Word time stimulated us to take advantages of opportunties to communicate with unbelievers. Lastly, the interactive Word time taught us to be filled with the Holy Spirit, like the apostles on the day of Pentecosts (the text was Acts 2:14-41). Afterwards, we enjoyed rich fellowship around a full spread of food. We experienced fellowship with one another in the Holy Spirit.

You’ll notice how my description of each part of last night’s cell had “one-another” in mind. Joel Comiskey wasn’t the star performer. We all were. Think with me about the many Scriptures that tell us to minister to one another:

• Love one another—John 13:3; 15:12, 17; Romans 13:8; I Peter 1:22; I John 3:11, 23; 4:7, 11.
• In honor preferring one another—Romans 12:10.
• Don’t judge one another—Romans 14:13.
• Receive one another—Romans 15:7.
• Salute one another—Romans 16:16 (“salute” means “to draw to one’s self, to receive joyfully, welcome,” even “retarding” one’s own journey to do so)
• Greet one another—I Cor. 16:20, II Cor. 13:12, I Peter 5:14.
• Serve one another—Gal. 5:13.
• Don’t provoke one another or envy one another—Gal. 5:26.
• Bear one another’s burdens—Gal. 6:2.
• Forbear one another in love—Eph. 4:2, Col. 3:13.
• Forgive one another—Eph. 4:32, Col. 3:13.
• Teach and admonish one another with song—Col. 3:16.
• Comfort one another—I Thess. 4:18.
• Edify one another—I Thess. 5:11.
• Exhort one another— Heb. 3:13; 10:25.
• Consider one another to provoke unto love and good works—Heb. 10:24.
• Wash one another’s feet—John 13:14.

The cell group is not about one person. It’s about everyone ministering in an environment that maximizes the priesthood of all believers. 

Comments?

Joel

Revelation 21:5 says, “He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”

We have a brand new year ahead of us. New victories. New challenges. New battles.

Yes, there will be battles. At the end of 2007, we had a couple from our own cell group tell us that they could no longer commit regularly to our group because they were building a home in another part of the country (this couple was in the equipping process and we were hoping to prepare them to be the next multiplication leaders). In another one of our cells, a key couple stopped communicating with their leader and decided to stop attending the group. It threw the group into havoc.

You can’t lead a cell group, plant a cell church, or do anything for Jesus without experiencing trials and tribulations of many kinds.

Yet, if we believe in an Almighty God, we must believe that He can turn around the darkest situation for His glory. He can make all things new. God is the God of new beginnings. 2008 is a time to remember that He is all powerful and has new surprises for all of us. Let’s enter this next year full of expectation of the great things that God is going to do through us and in us.

Through Jesus we are more than conquerers. Remember Christ’s words: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Comments?

Joel

by Steve Cordle

I am a piano player of many years. I took private lessons from the time I was in 3rd grade through college (my undergrad degree is music). I learned a lot from my teachers, who usually sent me home with instructions like “Work on that section… clean up that part…” But looking back, I realize that while they told me to practice in order to play better, they never told me how to go about this thing called private practice. They seemed happy when I told them I practiced a lot, but I don’t think my time practicing was always strategically used.

It’s not really true that practice makes perfect; instead, practice makes permanent. it’s only effective practice makes perfect.

When it comes to ministry and discipleship, what are your leaders “practicing”?

One way to coaching our leaders toward a new level is to make sure that everytime we talk with them about something they do by themselves (like pray, or lead a meeting) that we also show them how to do it. Otherwise, they will probably continue to do exactly what they are doing. If we are coaching toward a different result (which is much, though not all, of the time) it means adopting a different practice.

Private devotions is a great example. It is great to encourage our leaders to spend time with God - but are we truly teaching them how? Are we showing them how to best utilize that time alone with God? Sure, we need to allow for different personalities and practices, but if we don’t give them specifics and follow up later, they will probably hit a routine plateau and stay there.

A new year is a natural time to adopt new practices. May God bless you richly in 2008!