Month: May 2008

by Rob Campbell

www.cypresscreekchurch.com

Joel’s post yesterday was a call for willing pastors to have a cell coach.  He wrote, “People need more to be truly effective.  They need constant practice…Successful implementation happens when leaders are held accountable to put into practice the principles learned.”  He quoted Thomas Henry Huxley:  “The great end of life is not knowledge but action.”  I like that quote. It seems on target.

Let’s build on this challenge by answering the following three questions (Click on ‘Comments’ tab below):

1.  Is having a cell coach necessary or is it overrated?

2.  If you have a coach, how did you find him/her?

3.  What other thoughts/ ideas do you have about coaching?

 

“All the students I brought last year to your cell church course have failed to put the teaching into practice,” the bishop’s assistant said during the last day of the church planter’s course in Nyack, New York. Robert works for the conservative Episcopalian diocese in Albany, New York. For the second year, Robert has brought priests to my May seminary course at Alliance Theological Seminary. He loves cell ministry and wants the priests in his diosee to catch the same vision.

Why didn’t they practice the vision they learned in last year’s course? Was it my teaching? Was it the material? Perhaps. Yet, I’ve learned over the years that knowledge gained in seminars often goes unused unless there is accountability and follow-up. Information is cheap stuff if it’s not mixed with experience. Reading a book, attending a seminar, etc. doesn’t make things happen. People need more to be truly effective. They need constant practice. Thomas Henry Huxley once said, “The great end of life is not knowledge but action.” Successful implementation happens when leaders are held accountable to put into practice the principles learned.

So when Robert asked the question, my answer was, “Robert, without coaching, it’s easy NOT to practice cell information. The best way to practice the cell principles learned in a seminar is to have a coach.”

Coaching comes in a variety of forms. Some pastors find coaching through informal relationships with other cell pastors. Others belong to a network of cell churches. Still others will opt for more formalized coaching, like the kind we offer here at JCG.

Have you found that cell coaching was necessary in your own journey? Why or why not? Share your experience on this topic. . .

 

Joel Comiskey

 

by Mario Vega

As a result of my blog on Cell Lessons for leaders, several people have asked some questions. Here are the answers:

Jeff Bassett asks: when do we make available the study guide to the leaders? The lessons are published in small volumes covering an entire quarter. Since the lessons are offered before the quarter begins, leaders have these lessons with several weeks in advance.

The contents have no connection with the Sunday sermon. We have six services in our church on Sunday, each one with a different sermon. It wouldn’t be possible to relate the cell lesson with these messages. The content follows a verse to verse study of the New Testament books.

Regarding, what percentage of our leaders use our guide? The answer is one hundred percent; in all of our branch churches in every country around the world.

Scott Liston asks if we have our lessons translated into English. We have the translation of our Guide into English as a project, but is not available yet. If there is an interest of having it published in English, as suggested by Randall Neighbour, we can speed up this project.

Pastor Andrew Mason wonders: how can we access a copy of this lesson? A copy in English is available in the book of Joel Comiskeys´ “Passion and Persistence”, pages 100 to 103. Joel presents there not only an example of a lesson but also explains in detail the program we develop in our cells.

Finally, in a previous blog, Elissa Montero questions: What would you do in our case where we try and fail, try and fail again? My answer is: try again then stop, think, change and try again. Doing the same thing will always bring the same results. If you change something, you will get something different next time.

Additional comments?

Mario
in Spanish:

Respondiendo preguntas

Como resultado de mi blog sobre la gua para lderes varias personas han hecho preguntas. He aqu las respuestas:
Jeff Bassette pregunta ¿cuándo entregamos la gua de estudios a los lderes? Las lecciones se publican en pequeños volúmenes que cubren un trimestre entero.

Dado que las lecciones se ofrecen antes que el trimestre comience, los lderes tienen las lecciones con varias semanas de anticipación. Los contenidos no tienen ninguna relación con el sermón dominical. En nuestra iglesia tenemos seis servicios el da domingo, cada uno con un sermón diferente. No sera posible relacionar la lección de la célula con estos mensajes. El contenido sigue un estudio versculo a versculo de los libros del Nuevo Testamento.

Con respecto a ¿qué porcentaje de nuestros lderes usan nuestra gua? La respuesta es el cien por ciento. En cualquier de nuestras filiales, en cualquier pas del mundo.

Scott Liston pregunta si tenemos traducciones de nuestras lecciones al inglés. Tenemos un proyecto de traducir nuestra gua al inglés; pero, todava no está disponible. Si hubiese interés de publicarse en inglés, como sugiere Randall Neighbour, podemos imprimir velocidad a ese proyecto.

El Pastor Andrew Mason pregunta ¿cómo se puede accesar a una copia de esta lección? Una copia se encuentra disponible en inglés en el libro de Joel Comiskey ‘Passion and Persistence’, páginas 100 a la 103. Joel presenta all no solamente un ejemplo de lección sino también explica detalladamente el programa que desarrollamos en nuestras células.

Finalmente, en un blog anterior, Elissa Montero pregunta ¿Qué hara en nuestro caso donde tratamos y fracasamos, tratamos y fracasamos de nuevo? Mi respuesta: trate de nuevo luego deténgase, piense, cambie y trate de nuevo. Haciendo siempre lo mismo tendrá siempre los mismos resultados. Si se cambia algo, se obtendrá algo diferente.

 

 

 

by Steve Cordle

 

There are many ministries to attend to in a healthy cell-based ministry: the equipping track, coaching leaders, writing material, outreach, etc. It can be easy to get unbalanced or preoccupied with minor issues unless we keep our goal in mind: a reproducing disciple.

What do you want a disciple to look like? How would you describe the fully-devoted follower? Once you have that answer, you can coordinate your minsitry to acheive that. If we forget this or if we are fuzzy in our description of the disicple, our ministry activity will become busier but less fruitful.

The cell leader who knows what he/she wants the disciples to look like can constantly evaulate what the activities of the cell against that picture, like a chef tasting the broth and deciding if more ingredients are needed. For example, the cell leader who wants the disicples to evangelize might recognize an inward attitude and take steps to refocus it. THe pastor who wants the members to be prayer-oriented will make sure that is being modeled in the cell, taught in the equipping track, and lifted up in the sermons.

How do you know when you havec a mature disciple? What marks tell you that?

What does your cell ministry do to help produce that?

by Rob Campbell

www.cypresscreekchurch.com

Recently, a man approached me right before a Sunday A.M. Celebration service at my church.  He asked if I could spend some time with him and counsel him.  I told him I would love to get to know him, but I wasn’t real good at long term counseling.  I enjoy change and I lose passion for long term counseling pretty quick.  As the days unfolded, we met.

The man was pretty low and told his story to me through many tears.  His wife of a few decades was filing for divorce.  He was out of work and fearful of losing a child as well.  I expressed my sorrow.  I was impressed with his ability to walk through his darkness with integrity, grace, and the love of God.  That would certainly not be easy given his lot.  Further, he accepted a good portion of responsibility for his life condition.

I encouraged him to be a part of a cell group.  He responded, “No thanks.”  I replied, “What do you mean?  I think you’ll find some good support through a set of relationships.”  He stated, “Don’t need no cell group.  I’ve got one already.  They have sustained me through this pain and agony.”

I asked him,”How have they sustained you?” 

He said, “They have listened to me and have loved me.”

To my knowledge, in this particular cell group– there are no professional counselors or trained clergy.  There are, however, people present who have walked through pain, hurt, disappointment, and loss…AND they are intent on helping the downtrodden.

I ended my time with this gentelmen answering a few specific questions he had about his ordeal.  I left our time together with a sorrowful disposition, but a light spirit.  Indeed, I felt deep sorrow for him.  Yet, my spirit was light because he was engaged in a cell who had listening ears and hearts of love.   

2 Corinthians 1:4 reads, “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.  When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”

Cell ministry is team ministry in which the pastor is not propped up as the almighty counselor, “go to guy,” and Bible answer man.  Cell ministry empowers people to be the hands and feet of Christ.  One is not alone to traverse the valleys of life.

This week, may your cell and the cells of your church be the listening ears and the hearts of love for the hurting.

Comments?