Month: March 2009

by Steve Cordle – subbing for Joel Comiskey

 

It is a Sunday evening – and I have been relaxing since getting home from worship at about 1:30pm. Dinner with family, a nap, playing the piano, catching a minute with a friend, doing the NY TImes crossword puzzle with my wife, and just bumming around have filled the remainder of my Sunday. It’s been a time to recharge. Sabbath. 

I thought about blogging on a particular aspect of doing ministry better, but in the end I decided against it. Sometimes we need to simply rest and recharge. How are you doing with that? Is the culture of your ministry one of hard-charging, goal-oriented, constant activity? Or do your leaders see in you and example of a healthy, sustainable life rhythm: times of ministry punctuated with times of rest. 

When we rest, we trust God with what we are not doing. Resting is one of the surest indicators that we are called, not driven.

by Mario Vega

One of the main difficulties we found when designing the lessons for childrens’ cells was the heterogeneity of childrens’ ages. Since our cell model is of a geographical type,  it was not possible for us to have childrens’ cells for different age related children (e.g., three to five, six to eight, etc.). 

We knew that in the same cell we could have children who were too young to go to school as well as children who had the ability to read and write. How could we have an adequate lesson that would meet the needs of a variety of children? 

We found the answer in the Jewish method of teaching children. The  two foundations were Scripture memorization and the use of narration. We designed the model of our lessons based on these two elements.

The children´s cell meeting is designed to last one hour. It starts with an ice-braker, which is related to questions that will introduce the topic of the day. Then follows a section that we call “Search the Bible.” It is a recreational resource for kids to find certain key words in the teaching passage. Since this dynamic is done in pairs or in groups of threes, children who can not read are thrilled to participate too.

Then comes the teaching. This is mainly narrative. It’s short and adjusted to the capture attention spans that don’t last long. Then, follows the repentence call and the prayer for children receive Jesus. 

It ends with the memorization of a short verse that summarizes the teaching of the day.

Our guides have been very well received. When we covered an entire quarter on the rights of children from a biblical perspective, the material reached El Salvador’s UNICEF offices. They were so interested in the lessons that 70,000 copies of our children´s cell guide were printed to be distributed for free among the country’s churches and schools for the teaching of boys and girls’ rights.

Obviously, we have this material available only in Spanish.

Comments?

Mario

Spanish translation:

Lecciones para las células infantiles.

Una de las principales dificultades que nos encontramos al diseñar las lecciones para las células infantiles fue la heterogeneidad de las edades. Siendo nuestro modelo celular de tipo geográfico no nos era posible tener células para niños de tres a cinco años, luego otras para niños de seis a ocho años, etc.

Sabamos que en una misma célula tendramos niños tan pequeños que todava no van a la escuela al lado de otros que s tienen la capacidad de leer y escribir. ¿Cómo podamos entonces tener lecciones adecuadas para niños de todas las edades?

La respuesta la encontramos en el método judo de enseñanza a la niñez. Sus dos fundamentos eran la memorización y el uso del relato. Basados en esos dos elementos diseñamos el modelo de nuestras lecciones.

La reunión de célula infantil está diseñada para una hora de duración. Comienza con el rompehielos, el cual, está relacionado con preguntas que introducen al tema del da. Luego le sigue una sección que llamamos “Busca en la Biblia”. Es un recurso lúdico para que los niños encuentren en el pasaje de la enseñanza ciertas palabras claves. Dado que esta dinámica se realiza en parejas o tros, los niños que no saben leer también participan emocionados.

Después viene la enseñanza. Ésta es predominantemente narrativa. Es breve ajustándose a las caractersticas de atención de los niños. Luego, sigue el llamado y la oración por los niños que se convierten.

Se finaliza con la memorización de un versculo muy corto que resume la enseñanza del da.

La gua ha sido muy bien recibida. Cuando dedicamos un trimestre a la enseñanza de los derechos del niño, desde una perspectiva bblica, el material llegó hasta las oficinas de UNICEF en El Salvador. Ellos se interesaron tanto en las lecciones que imprimieron 70,000 ejemplares de nuestra gua para distribuirlas gratuitamente entre iglesias y escuelas del pas para la enseñanza de los derechos de niñas y niñas.

Obviamente, el material solamente lo tenemos disponible en español.

by Jeff Tunnell

In our community there are multiple social agencies that assist the needy; poor, abused, substance abusers (drugs/alcohol), single parent, domestic violence, transportation services, food for elderly shut-ins, food banks, thrift stores, etc.  They all compete for Govermnent funding to continue their noble efforts, while looking to the community for donations. and manpower.

Aren’t these works the responsibility of the Body of Christ?  I reflect that if these agency leaders became believers in Jesus and followed their heartfelt (perhaps inborn) desires, they would then become the organizers of the “arms” of our Savior reaching into out surrounding populaiton.

We stand back saying something like this, “Our small congregation does not have the resources to meet all these needs, so let’s allow the social action groups (non-christian) take the job. After all, they can qualify for funding where a religious group cannot.”  However, I contend that a balanced, life-giving cell church would have all they need if they were winning the lost to Christ and utilizing the generosity of believers (Acts 2:42-47) as in the early church formations.

How can the church become the answer to Social needs?

by Rob Campbell

www.cypresscreekchurch.com

In this day and time, it would be easy to choose being miserable.  Years ago, I ran across a list entitled “How to be Perfectly Miserable.”  I don’t know the origin of the list, but I do want to share it with you.  Here’s a few things you can do that will not only make you perfectly miserable but also keep you that way.

Think about yourself…Talk about yourself…Use the personal pronoun “I” as often as possible in your conversations…Mirror yourself continually in the opinion of others…Listen greedily to what people say about you…Insist on consideration and respect…Demand agreement with your own views on everything…Sulk if people are not grateful to you for favors shown them…Never forget a service you may have rendered …Expect to be appreciated…Be suspicious…Be sensitive to slights…Be jealous and envious…Never forget a criticism…Trust nobody but yourself.

A journeyman walking down a miserable path is inward focused.  He’s not others-centered.  One will never find himself until he/she focuses on the needs of others.

The scriptures proclaim, “Encourage one another.”  Cell gathering and cell life are incredible platforms for encouragement to flow.  God, indeed, is the “lifter of our head.”  How God wants to use you to lift up the head of your fellow cell members!

Comments?

by Steve Cordle – guest blogging for Joel

Encounter Retreats have been used for years now in cell churches around the world. Our church just finished our 27th Encounter yesterday, and I am amazed that the power of that experience is still undiluted. It continues to provide a transformational experience of Jesus’ grace to all who attend. 

The Encounter Retreat is a weekend (though we do it in 28 hours) designed to allow people to bring all of their past to the  cross of Jesus and experience His freedom. Though each church seems to tailor their own, Encounter usually consists of a series of talks about the cross, discussion groups, worship and prayer for inner healing, deliverance, and filling of the Spirit. 

It has such an impact at our church that when people return we like to say they have the “Encounter glow”. Here are a few of the keys we have found to making the Encounter effective on an on-going basis:

1. Bath it with prayer and fasting. Our team prays and fasts for each attender for weeks before the retreat. 

2. Assign a staff person to over see and care for it. 

3. Only group leaders serve as Table/discussion leaders – so they own and connect the church’s vision to that of the Encounter and follow-up is natural.

4. Make it experiential. Video, drama, music, creative elements supplement the talks.

5. Keep the weekend’s exact agenda a surprise.

6. Connect the Encounter to the Equipping Track. At the end of the weekend challenge participants to enroll in the next session of the Equipping Track. They work together: the Encounter provides the “Want to” and the Equipping Track provides the “How to” of group leadership development. 

Joel has a book on the Encounter, as does Touch Publications. How have you done Encounter?