Month: February 2007

Rob Campbell here. When I think about defining a “cell,” these components come to my mind:  discipleship, community, telling the story of Christ to others, consistency, “others” centered, and a “set of relationships.”  You may suggest other critical components such as multiplication.  For sure, multiplication is a HUGE component of cell life. 

Joel Comiskey writes, “Cells are born to multiply. The DNA of the cell is to give birth to a daughter cell. This is so essential that it will demand the total church concentration to make this happen. In fact, it won’t happen under busy pastors who have too many things on their mind. Only through total concentration and focus will cells have the necessary resources to truly make them work.”  I concur.I trust that you have experienced the JOY of seeing a cell multiply.  It’s encouraging to see an individual receive Christ, grow in Him, and have a desire in his/her heart to lead a cell.  I trust you have experienced the pain, toil, and hardship of multiplying a cell as well.  Let’s face it—multiplying a cell can be quite difficult, and many times, heart wrenching.  For certain, cell multiplication offers an interesting spiritual and emotional dichotomy.Let’s share some ideas with each other concerning cell multiplication.  How do you multiply cells?  What has worked?  What mistakes have you made?  Maybe you have a question that you would like to submit to this community.
Eventually, I would like to add a few thoughts concerning cell multiplication that I’ve learned along the way that may prove helpful to you.  So, share your thoughts with us.  It’s not necessary to write a dissertation, right?  You are much too involved in your day for such a task.  I encourage to share a few sentences… three or four bullet points… a paragraph or two on this topic.  BLOG ON IN!!

 Rob

I’ve been reflecting a lot lately on the worldwide ethnic diversity of the cell church movement. I’m planting a church here in Moreno Valley that is mainly reaching cuacasions/whites. Yet, last Wednesday I gave a mini-cell seminar at a Spanish cell church down the street. Two weeks earlier I did a cell seminar in Freemont, CA, in which half of the pastors on staff were Asian.  I’m reminded of the ethnic variety that exists in the United States and how cell church ministry works among this diversity.  I’m also stimulated to make a new effort to reach that mix–since my city is 38% hispanic, 32% white, and 18% Asian.

North America must increasingly be seen from the perspective of a great variety of colors and cultural diversity. The white population of California, for example, is now officially a minority race. Los Angeles, like many urban centers, is now brown and black. Even the suburbs have been transformed. Entire suburban neighborhoods are dominated by Vietnamese, Armenians, Chinese, and Koreans. 

The beauty of the worldwide cell church movement is that indivdiual cells can have their own flavor, whether that flavor is a particular ethnic group, age group, marital status, or addiction that the group is seeking to overcome. Those diverse cells then come together to celebrate God’s glory and His rich diversity.

One of the reasons God is using the cell church movement worldwide is because it’s not based on one model that only works in one culture. It’s able to reach people wherever they are and whoever they are.

Please feel free to comment! Just press the COMMENTS tab underneath the blog.

 Joel Comiskey