Month: August 2007

While I strongly believe that small-group ministry is a powerful tool to reach the lost, we must first give our attention to the Almighty. While techniques to lasso non-Christians are great, they’re not at the core of small-group ministry. God must be at the core. Worship is the atmosphere in which God lives, and His Word expresses who He is. When a group is God-sensitive, it highlights worship and the Word. In this atmosphere, the gifts flow and unbelievers are naturally drawn to Jesus.

Jesus said, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only” (Matthew 4:10). Worship first; service second. This order is repeated later on in Matthew when Jesus said: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (22:37–39). The gifts of the Spirit flow when God is exalted and given the place He deserves. In a God-centered atmosphere, unbelievers are also converted.

The normal cell group, like a good diet, includes certain staple ingredients. I recommend the following ingredients in all small groups:
• Upward Focus: Knowing God through worship and prayer
• Inward Focus: Knowing each other through fellowship
• Outward Focus: Reaching out to those who don’t know Jesus through small-group evangelism
• Forward Focus: Raising up new leaders through training and discipleship

No two small groups are exactly alike, but each should include these four ingredients. UIOF (upward, inward, outward, forward) is a great way to view the progress of a small group. While the UIOF focus provides a general direction, I recommend specifying a more precise order. My own small group, for example, use the four Ws as a general guideline: welcome, worship, the Word and witness (or works).

Comments?

 Joel

 

By Steve Cordle

 This week’s conversation about team ministry is so vital because it is the heart of a successful cell movement.

When we think of a cell group, do we think of a leader teaching and performing ministry on/for the others in the group? If so, “group leader” will be a high-pressure, performance-oriented position. Reproduction will be strained and unnatural, and in most cases, the group will lack energy.

A healthier way to think of a cell group is as a spiritual community on a mission as a team, with each person contributing to the life and ministry of the group. In this image, the leader is handing off ministry and developing others to do it. It is especially important to be handing off ministry to an “apprentice” or “intern”.

On their cell report we ask leaders to answer the question: “What have you done to develop your apprentice?” By regularly asking this question we hope to instill in leaders a developmental mind set. That is, that they will not be content with a “good meeting”, but will be always thinking about what their apprentice needs next. It might mean that they ask the appentice to make phone calls to members that week, or to lead the worship time of the group, or to help organize a social activity. Of course, building into the apprentice’s spiritual life is vital, as well – and any 1 on 1 discipling is a great answer to the question. If there is no clear apprentice yet, the leader can be praying for God to call one forth, and giving away ministry to many group members to see who is rises to the challenge.

The old saying is true – it takes a lot more time and communication to travel somewhere with others than it does to go by yourself. Of course, the problem with traveling alone is that you arrive alone!

As a group leader, how would you respond to the question: “What have I done this week to develop an apprentice?”

Recently, I received a criticism from a new cell member who didn’t like my style. He felt I was too rigid in the following the 4Ws. I thanked him for his honesty and told him that we had other cell groups with different style and flavors. I told him that he might want to check out one of those cells. He really appreciated the fact that I give liberty to individual cells to develop their own style and personality.

For example, Kirk, one of our cell leaders, has a burden to unite families. He likes the children to be the centerpiece of the cell group and often enhances the lesson with object lessons geared for the entire family. Dave’s cell, on the other hand, has more of a “single” feel becasue Dave himself is single (couples do come to Dave’s cell). And Lucy’s cell is distinct from both Kirk’s and Dave’s. You get the point.

What about quality control? you might ask. Like most cell churches, we do ask everyone to go through the same training, and all leaders do receive regular coaching, We even pass out the same cell lesson each week.

My point is that over time, each cell develops its own personality, and each leader will demonstrte his or her own strengths and weaknesses. I believe this is a very positive thing, and I think we should encouage the uniqueness of each cell. 

Comments?

Joel

I was chatting on the phone last week with Joel and mentioned something that came to me one day as I was coaching a church planter.  It was like one of those “epiphany” moments.  Joel asked me to do a post on what I call the “10-5-1” plan.

This plan is rooted in prayer, keeps you active in meeting new people, and serves as a practical way to invite people to your cell and/or celebration.  In simplest terms, here’s how the “10-5-1” works.

Meet 10 new people every week.  These people include the young lady who served you coffee, the attendant at the gas station, the mailman, and more.  Introduce yourself to them and get their name.  Write down their name in your prayer journal and a reminder to yourself where you met them.  Begin to pray that God would bless them and work in their lives.  You are not required at this point to have a lengthy conversation with these individuals.  Be friendly.

Of these 10 individuals, strive to have a longer conversation with 5 (of the 10) during the course of the week.  Listen well.  Ask questions.  “What do you do for fun when you’re not working?”  “When I met you yesterday, you were doing thus and so….how did that go?”  You are seeking to open up the lines of communication at this stage.  You are providing care and comfort.  Again, you are listening.  Continue to pray.

Finally, of these 10 individuals, invite 1 to your cell and/or celebration.  This invite does not have to take place immediately.  You may choose not to invite a certain individual for a few weeks or so.  No sweat.  God is in charge.  You are praying, forming new friendships, and being used by Him to simply INVITE!!

If you employed this 10-5-1 plan, then your sphere of relationships would increase dramatically, wouldn’t it?  You would know SO MANY PEOPLE in your town.  You would be spending more time in focused prayer for others.  I would also guess you would be “loving your neighbor” like never before.

One caution.  There’s no hook or catch affixed to the 10-5-1.  Again, God is in control.  You are simply being used by Him to love and befriend others.  You speak and act like Jesus and leave the results to Him. 

To some, this plan may feel too mechanical.  You may even ask:  “Aren’t we supposed to love our neighbor anyways?”  “Why do we need to employ such a formula like the 10-5-1?”  I can totally empathize with you.  If you are a “go with the flow,” no schedule type of person, then the 10-5-1 can easily be chucked.

I would encourage you to think about the difference between a swamp and a river.  One major difference is that a river has banks and a swamp does not.  Generally, a river’s current flows in the same direction while the waters that make up a swamp flow in a variety of directions.

The 10-5-1 is a tool, not a rule.  It’s an intentional plan to keep you focused on the harvest.  Remember in the early days of the cell movement in America?  We would say– “The leadership is in the harvest.”  It’s still true!

Comments? 

• On Wednesday, I talked about the need for team ministry in the cell group. Here are some of the things you can do:
• • Delegate all the various parts of your weekly meetings to others a month at a time and watch them learn as they do it.
  • Ask someone in the group to be in charge of meeting refreshments, prayer, worship, and the ministry time.
  • Ask each member to host the cell group, as least occassionally.
  • Establish mentor-protégé relationships in your group (or accountability partnerships) and call them to see how they are doing. These relationship will be very fruitful if they have a difficult task to complete together, like your church’s discipleship or equipping track.
  • Meet with your intern or apprentice and together decide what the next steps are for your group. Then, let him or her learn by first-hand experience by leading the cell into one-another ministry and outreach, as well as facilitating weekly meetings. This will reduce your workload and give new leaders a vision for the future.

By involving others and forcing yourself to give away responsibility, the group will become an exciting place of ministry and growth. And you will not feel like Atlas, with the weight of the world on your shoulders.

Comments?

Joel