Month: April 2008

by Mario Vega

When I invited the deacons and deaconesses to join as new leaders of our cellular effort, they all accepted the challenge. One of the deaconess named Eugenia, received the whole training as a leader.

At the end of the small training course, she came by my office requesting to talk with me in private. I received her and she explained me that she did not feel capable of taking on the responsibility of leading a cell. By her words, I noticed that she had the idea that being a cell leader was something that I was imposing.

Under that perception I decided to demonstrate to her that I was not trying to impose anything to anybody. So I told her that there was no problem. If she did not feel capable of becoming a leader she did not have to feel obligated. Moreover, I assured her that I was not going to hand over her a cell.

The next day, Eugenia returned to my office. This time she came weeping and could not speak because of her crying. Once she managed to calm down a bit, she told me that the night before she had not been able to sleep. She had no peace because she felt that she had denied her service to the Lord Jesus. She told me that she had changed her mind and, despite of not feeling capable she was well disposed towards doing God’s will.

I encouraged this sister and told her that everything would be fine. Indeed, she began to work as a new leader. Eugenia turned out to be one of our most effective leaders. And she had an additional merit. She was the first leader that brought a bus filled with guests to our Sunday’s celebrations–all by herself.

I was amazed. The cellular work had increased her self-esteem. She was happy to be useful in the Lord’s hands. I learned that those who think that they will not be good leaders, often end up being the best ones.

Have you found this to be true? Why or why not?

 

Mario

Translation in Spanish:
¿QUIÉN PUEDE SER LÍDER?

Cuando invité a los diáconos y diaconisas a que se sumaran como nuevos lderes de nuestro esfuerzo celular, todos aceptaron el reto. Una de las diaconisas, llamada Eugenia, recibió la capacitación completa como lder.
Al final del pequeño curso de entrenamiento, ella se acercó por mi oficina para solicitarme platicar en privado. La recib y me explicó que ella no se senta capaz de tomar la responsabilidad de dirigir una célula. En sus palabras advert que ella tena la idea que ser lder de una célula era algo que yo estaba imponiendo.
Bajo esa percepción decid demostrarle que no estaba tratando de imponer nada a nadie. As que le dije que no haba problema. Si ella no se senta capaz de ser lder no deba sentirse obligada. Es más, le aseguré que no iba a entregarle una célula.
Al da siguiente, Eugenia volvió a buscarme en mi oficina. Esta vez vena llorando y no poda hablar debido a su llanto. Cuando logró tranquilizarse un poco, me dijo que la noche anterior no haba podido dormir. Que no tena paz porque senta que le haba negado su servicio al Señor Jesús. Me dijo que haba cambiado de opinión y que, a pesar de no sentirse capaz, estaba dispuesta a hacer lo que Dios quisiera.
Animé a la hermana y le dije que todo estara bien. Efectivamente, ella comenzó a trabajar como una nueva lder. Eugenia llegó a convertirse en una de nuestras más eficientes lderes. Y tuvo un mérito adicional. Fue la primera lder en llevar, ella sola, un bus lleno de invitados a nuestros cultos dominicales.
Yo mismo estaba asombrado. El trabajo celular haba elevado su autoestima. Ella estaba feliz por ser útil en las manos del Señor. Aprend que aquellas personas que piensan que no serán buenos lderes, muchas veces terminan siendo los mejores.

 

 

 

by Steve Cordle

 Our group had one of those weeks leaders love: several new people came to our meeting for the first time.

The meeting went well, but it reminded me how hard it can be for someone to take the leap to attend a group for the first time. After all, they need to sit in the living room of someone they may not have met, to do something they have never done before with several people they may not know. And if they aren’t confident in their faith, they can feel out of their element.

Here’s what we tell our leaders about making first-time attenders feel relaxed:

– Explain everything as you do it. “We are going to center on Jesus’ presence now in a moment of worship…” or “Turn Mark 5… it is in the New Testament, toward the back of the Bible”, or “Each week we pray together like this…”

– No “inside” talk among older members

– Be careful about specifically calling on a first-timer; do it sparingly and never with a “right or wrong” answer kind of question.

– Don’t call on someone (even an existing member) to read the Scripture text; ask for a volunteer instead. Many people are uncomfortable reading, and the visitor might be wondering if you’ll call on them next.

– Be relaxed about their presence so they can be.

– Follow up with a call to the new person after their first visit

What other ideas do you have about first-time visitors to a group?

 

I stumbled upon something that I would like to offer to this JCG community.  What I stumbled upon deals with Celebration AND Cells.  In recent weeks, I’ve been teaching on the parables of Christ.  This past Sunday, I taught on the Rich Man and Lazarus.  I taught verse by verse sharing different tid bits that I had learned through others.  My desire was to “land” the message by stating:  “Here’s what this parable means…cite three points and conclude the message.”

I wrestled with a pretty big problem during my preparation time.  I really couldn’t say without reservation, “Here’s what this story told by Christ means.”  The funny thing was– I was perfectly at peace not knowing the “answers.”

Immediately, a thought entered my mind.  A friend once told me, “Rob, be careful about using blatant statements.  Instead, ask good questions.”

Therefore, I concluded my message by stating, “This is the part of the message where I am supposed to cite three points and bring perfect clarity to this story of Christ.  I am unable to do that.  I would like, however, for you to wrestle with the meaning of this story by reflecting on the following three questions:

1.  What is the big idea of the parable?

2.  What questions does this parable beg you to ask?

3.  What dominant emotion is present as you ponder this parable?”

This approach created a decent “buzz.”  People were excited that they were challenged to individually reflect upon these questions and dialogue about them at their cell gathering.

Maybe the lesson for me was simple, yet powerful.  The pastor does not have to be the “resident theologian” or the “Bible answer man” week in and week out.  Trust the Spirit of God to speak to the body concerning the principles of a parable.  I really (I mean REALLY) look forward to what God is going to do through our cell gatherings this week.

by Rob Campbell

www.cypresscreekchurch.com

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