Month: March 2007

Myth: Cell Church coaching models bring life and growth
Truth: Coaching models have no life; they only organize the coaching that is already taking place.
The largest cell churches in the world have incredible coaching models. That is, they’ve learned how to provide coaching/supervision for each cell leader. Each cell leader feels vitally cared for and supported. I’ve written a number of books on these coaching models: Passion and Persistence, Groups of Twelve, and From Twelve to Three. The problem is not with the model.

The problem occurs when a pastor thinks that having a coaching organization will produce coaching results. It doesn’t. The act of actually coaching cell leaders brings the results. The coaching model simply organizes the coaching that is already happening–it doesn’t force it to happen.

Some of the mega church coaching models (G12, 5X5) are found in places like Korea, San Salvador, Sinapore, and Africa. The tendency is to go there and copy the coaching model, hoping for similar results. Yet, in the western world, where growth isn’t happening as rapidly, the coaching model isn’t nearly as important as the coaching process itself.

Comments?

p.s.: I’m here in southern Ireland! My entire family is with me. Ireland is beautiful and the people are very friendly. But the roads are so narrow! We’re taking a week vacation. I spoke at a cell conference last week in northern Ireland, along with Laurence Singlehurst from the UK. The conference was held at Christian Fellowship Church, a cell church in which Robin Mark (“Revival in Belfast” CD) leads worship.

Joel

John is a missionary who has planted a thriving cell-based church in Kazakhstan. The church has grown to over 1,000 (most former Muslims) and is starting other churches in their country.

I asked John what he would say to one of his pastors whose network of cells was not growing. John replied that the first thing he would explore is the pastor’s faith for his network.

As I thought about this, I realized if that mishandled, the focus on faith could be damaging to a pastor; that is, it would be false and damaging to imply that if your network isn’t growing it must invariably mean you have a defective faith. That can lead to condemnation and shame.

On the other hand, I took John to mean that it is unlikely our ministries will grow if we don’t believe they can and that God desires it. This kind of faith is related to vision: can you inwardly “see” your cell or your network growing and multiplying? Do you have the conviction that not only does God want this, but that God wants to use YOU to lead it? How would your leaders answer this question? How can you help fan that faith?

 

• Myth: It’s desireable to grow to mega church status
• Truth: It’s better to plant cell churches at a smaller size

God has called some to be apostles (Ephesians 4, 1 Corinthians 12). Those in the cell church movement who have apostolic leadership gifts can grow their churches to mega-church status.

Yet the vast majority of pastors are not apostles. And the truth is that planting smaller churches is far more healthy than trying to grow one huge mega-church. Christian Schwarz and Natural Church Development research have made it crystal clear that church plants do a much better job of actually winning souls, baptizing members, and ministering to particular needs than the mega churches—they are1600 times more effective! (Natural Church Development, Carol Stream, IL: ChurchSmart Resources, 1996, pp. 46-48).

I do believe that some cell churches will grow to mega proportion and that’s great, but this isn’t the norm or the goal. Many cell churches stay very simple, growing to 50, 75, or 100 and then planting new cell churches.

Comments?

Joel

 

I’m writing this post from the beautiful country of Uganda. I’m here with six fellow church members including my daughter who is a high school senior. We are leading a cell church seminar and Encounter retreat for a network of churches led by Morris and Aida Ogenga. Since 1993, God has used this delightful couple to begin 47 churches in Uganda and Kenya. They will be planting an additional eight churches in 2007. Indeed, Morris and Aida are leading a church planting movement. My church family partners with this network of churches in planting one church every year.

Morris and Aida are transitioning all their churches to cell churches. Today, I asked Morris, “Why are you pursuing such a transition?” He stated, “We are transitioning to the cell church model for the following three reasons: 1. We want to provide our members an opportunity to serve placing them on the front lines of ministry, 2. Our pastors want to empower people for the work of ministry, 3. I believe the cell church model is the best way to reach and equip the harvest.”

Although this network of churches is just now transitioning to the cell model, it was amazing to me to discover that people are already receiving Christ during cell gatherings. I met a woman today who received Christ at a cell gathering. The entire church family received her during Sunday’s Celebration service.

May I encourage you to take your cell members on mission? Serving together at your city’s food bank or homeless shelter, sprucing up a local school campus, or traveling overseas and participating in cross-cultural ministry endeavors allows your cell members to see outside of themselves. In other words, take your cell on wheels and participate in equipping and expanding the kingdom of God. This can be accomplished in your city, your country, and world. This should not be an annual experience for your cell, but go on mission on a monthly basis.

Let me close with three thoughts which you may choose to adopt. First, have each cell in your church partner with another local or international ministry that needs support, assistance, and/or equipping. Second, as you gather for your cell time– pray each week for this ministry. Finally, have your cell members visit this ministry on a consistent basis. Be ready for God to bring life to your cell! Rest assured you will receive much more than you give away!

Please comment,

Rob

Myth: Cell churches are megachurches
Truth: Relatively few cell churches will reach mega church status

Some people think that house churches are simple and grass-root oriented, but cell churches are huge, complicated mega-structures. Admittedly, I’ve added to this confusion by writing books on the largest cell churches in the world. Yet, the impetus of my orginal study on the largest cell churches in the world was to fulfill my Ph.D requirements for Fuller Theological Seminary. The doctoral committee directed me to study specific, prominent churches to discover principles common in all of them. My book, Reap the Harvest, details those principles.

The fact is that the average size church in North America is 72 people. My observation is that most cell churches in the western world are small. I’ve also observed, however, that these smaller churches are seeing life transformation happen as the cells minister to both believers and unbelivers on a personal level.

It’s easy for pastors of smaller cell churches to feel unsuccessful in comparison with the larger mega cell churches. Yet, Jesus measures succcess in terms of lives changed through your ministry. If your church is seeing life transformation, you need to rejoice that Christ’s mission is being acomplished through you, whatever the size of your church.

Comments?

Joel