Cell Symposium
The success of the cell symposium was astounding. It went well beyond my expectations. Most felt the same way. If you weren’t there, you should be able to see the presentations on the symposium website soon. You can download my presentation about cell transitioning and cell church planting. Many felt the highlight of the event was when Mario Vega humbly preached on God’s anointing, and how he received it. He then asked those who wanted God’s anointing to come forward for prayer. It seemed that everyone went forward!
I sensed that the symposium was a “perfect storm” of God’s blessing over Ralph Neighbour’s life and ministry. Ralph just turned 80 years old and has decades of cell church experience. I call him THE GURU of cell church ministry, and God uniquely equipped him to gather pastors from around the world to this event.
I wish you could have heard Dion Robert, pastor of the Baptist Works and Mission Church (193,000), exhort North Americans to receive from international pastors. He said, “when you came to Africa, we humbly received your message. Why is it that you’re now unwilling to hear from us?” So often we as North Americans dismiss the rapid growth overseas saying, “it just won’t happen here. We’re such a different culture.” During the symposium, God used many voices from all over the world to impart anointed teaching to those present.
The last night, the seven main presenters laid hands on those who came forward, praying for an impartation of anointing. I remember feeling the power of God flow through me as Dion Robert prayed over me in French. I left the event pumped up, expecting new blessing over my ministry.
What about you? Were you at the event? Please share your highlights. . . .
Joel Comiskey
Bertrand de Maleprade said,
June 29, 2009 @ 7:13 am
I wish I could have been there… Even If I will start a Church Planting Ministry in a few months… This could have been a good way to gather a maximum “tools” to be ready to start… Overall when the Ennemy works hard against such programs…
When you mention Dion Robert : “when you came to Africa, we humbly received your message. Why is it that you’re now unwilling to hear from us?”… It is even worse here in Europ and above all in France (so proud to be called the Oldest daughter of the Church, and the country of Reformation with Calvin too !!!)
I used to live in Africa… They have so much to teach us! …And this starts with Humbleness
Humbleness before everything else.
Humbleness before God. This is probably the easiest thing to start with… But not so obvious
Humbleness before the people we are called to serve (we are servant first!). This starts to be pretty difficult… We better like to be called leaders, not servants
Humbleness before African people… And this is the most difficult thing as these people have been our “slaves” not so long ago! We used to own their countries too… Hard to swallow…
This reminds be one truth: 1 Corinthians 1:27: But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. … And French people (like many North American citizens!) really believe they are wise… It is time to be shamed…
Please, as all of you pray with all the new blessings you have experienced within thei “Cell symposiun”, have a “5 seconds thought” for France… And if you have some people who really want to work here -whether they already are here or planning to come- make them to get in touch in order to prepare the way of the Lord and… Why not a next Cell symposium in a few years (if the Lord isn’t back before!).
May God the Father strengthen all His servants in the Love of Christ and in the Power of His Spirit
Randall Neighbour said,
June 30, 2009 @ 7:38 am
It was very, very good, wasn’t it? Only my dad at the age of 80 could have rounded up that group of leaders, movers, and shakers in the global cell movement in this lousy global economic climate.
What a gift, and how encouraging it was to be there. Everyone who could not attend should definitely go to http://www.cellsymposium.com and download the sessions when they are posted.
Joel Comiskey said,
June 30, 2009 @ 8:29 am
Randall, so good to connect once again. Bertrand, thanks so much for your thoughtful insight. Yes, I’ll pray that God reminds me to pray for France. What a needy land. And I did hear someone talk about having the 3rd summit in Paris (perhaps because Dion Robert speaks France and has an extensive work in the country). I hear your heart about the difficulty of humility. We have a similar problem in the U.S. Yet, how we need to do so!
Richard Houle said,
July 1, 2009 @ 5:57 am
I would have really liked to be there. But it was not the timing of God for me. Thank God that we will be able to hear it, even if we did not see it. May God bless this meeting in multiplying its impact through it’s messages. i will certainly listen attentively to each teaching sessions.
Rick Diefenderfer said,
July 3, 2009 @ 1:18 pm
Well, my two week vacation officially ends today.
I spent the first week of my vacation attending the Cell Church Symposium in Waco, Texas. I left the symposium with much to process.
Prior to the symposium I felt that the reason the cell church movement had not caught on in the US of A was due to a lack of a standardized “How To” (a one size fits all approach) instruction manual, was deeply troubled by this and, for many years have actually been a bit angry that pastors and churches were not embracing the cell church vision I clearly explain in my book, “Creating Christian Communities — The Structure & Strategy of a Simple Cell Based Church System”.
So, with much to process, I spent several days alone with hopes of hearing from God on the shores of Inks Lake State Park.
God did speak to me and revealed three areas of my life needing urgent attention:
(1) the need for ‘dying to self’…
(2) spending more time and going deeper in prayer, i.e. Tabernacle Prayer…
and probably the most helpful revelation I received…
(3) just as NFL football teams each have a ‘play book’ unique for each team, the vision of ‘the structure & strategy of a simple cell-based church system’ God has revealed to me is intended to be the ‘play book’ for the
cell-based church God has called me to plant and pastor.
Yes, it was very encouraging to listen to the differing approaches to cell-based ministry each member of the panel from across the globe spoke about. What a creative God we serve! I now realize how boring it would be if every NFL football team followed the same ‘play book’ and greatly rejoice in the unique ‘play book’ God has given me to follow in the ministry He has called me to be a part of as I strive to fulfill His purpose for my life.
Sharing the Journey,
Rick Diefenderfer
Matt Andersen said,
July 3, 2009 @ 7:48 pm
Joel,
Great to see you at the Symposium! It was an amazing time for me. As the pastor of a small church plant, I’ve been looking for effective means of ministry in reaching our community. I found at the Symposium that it is more about who I am as a pastor/leader than any kind of strategy.
1. Am I operating in God’s authority and advancing the Kingdom by following HIS lead?
2. Am I a person of prayer? How can I know what it will take to see our community changed if I am not on my knees getting direction/guidance?
3. Am I a discipler? Am I modeling for others the kind of Christian I want to see in others? How can I expect our congregation to pray if I am not a man of prayer? I must model, not just teach, what that means.
And as someone once said…before God will build the ministry, he must first build the man. Ironically, this comes through death–of my own dreams and ambitions. When I become nothing, He becomes all, and my community is changed.
Some in our congregation have already noticed a change in me, and I have already seen a shift in the spiritual activity in our church. Four have come to faith in the past few days, several more are open, and one confessed to having an extramarital affair and asked for guidance on what to do. And all this in the first week back! If that isn’t the start of God’s movement, I don’t know what is.
So for me, the areas of being submitted to God, prayer, and discipleship by modeling have impacted me greatly.
In Him,
Matt Andersen
Chuck Squeri said,
July 7, 2009 @ 8:55 am
Joel,
Your right about the historic gathering at the Cell Symposium. I walked up to the table where Ralph Neighbor and the other 60+ year old pastors were sitting all with grey hair and took a picture.
Seldom do we see the “Fathers of the Faith” actually gathering their timothy’s and titus’s today.. and this is what I appreciate so much about the authenticity of the fathers of the cell church movement. They are still standing in faith!
Ralph and the others fathers put on an incredibly inspirational and high tech 2 day seminar that kept everyone wanting more – and he is 80 years old !!
So much of what we read today is on being authentic and organic… and I agree with the “green” approach to ministry and relationships – but in our desire to be authentic, we miss the generational – apostolic succession the church was built on.
I can not think of a more authentic person than one who has honored, humbly recieved from, sat under the feet of, provided for – the fathers of our faith. Fathers have great wisdom and have the ability to see in us what others can’t discern..
What amazed me about the Cell Symposium is throughout the audience there were generations of those in the movement (builders,boomers, busters, bridgers !
Soon we will be the next fathers – I hope the younger generation will stay “green/authentic…” in every aspect of the concept !