Most of you reading this blog have also read my February newsletter entitled
“Can These Dry Bones Live?” (if you haven’t, please check it out HERE). In that newsletter I talk about God’s heartbeat to convert hearers into warriors through penetrating cell groups. God never intended church members to only sit and soak. Ephesians 4:11,12 tells us that God has raised up gifted leaders to prepare the laity for works of service. I saw this truth in action during my last seminar in Newark, New Jersey at Bethel International. What a mighty army of cell leaders! I came back from that seminar inspired and a renewed vision for cell church ministry.
In the past, I’ve tended to over-magnify culture. “We’re just individualists in North America (and Western world), so it won’t work in the same way,” I’ve found myself thinking. Yet, the Bible, not culture, needs to guide all that we do or say. The community, one-another ministry, and group orientation that I saw at Bethel among the Latinos is actually Biblical culture. God has placed in the Latino culture (and many other cultures) a more biblical trait of community and unity, and He wants to change us to conform to that biblical pattern. Granted Western culture also has many wonderful, biblical traits, such as diligence, organization, adherence to law, etc. God wants to instill those traits in other cultures which might lack them. Again, the Bible, not culture, must dictate all we do and say.
My excitement lately is that cell church is a biblical model of raising up leaders. God is behind it. Yes, a church must make adjustments and be willing to pay the price (e.g., coaching meetings, training, leading cells, etc.), but there are many hungry souls who are willing to pay that price. I’m encouraged to run with those who are passionate with the vision, rather than allowing the doubters to weigh everyone else down.
God wants us to learn from the worldwide cell church, test everything by the Word of God, and ultimately pray that our ministries would fulfill the prayer of Jesus: “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Matthew 9:37-38). God is ready to blow on the dry bones in our chruches and convert them into a mighty army for His glory. Are you ready to participate?
Great article. We are a cell church in the western culture and one of our biggest challenges is getting “yesterday’s church” that has a “me” culture, into the culture of others. It is about reaching and building others for the kingdom. most of the new Believers understand it and get it very clear. they are the ones that are running with the responsibility of a Believer to build others to do the same.
hermano Dios siga llenando de bendicion su vida
Michael, I love your comment here. the younger generation realizes that it takes work and sacrifice for God’s Kingdom. The older generation is accustomed to “being fed.” They subtly believe that they are paying the preacher to do the work of the ministry. thanks for sharing.
I remember reading Ralph Neighour’s book about cell groups. It was quite interesting. I enjoyed the explanationof a church in Africa, in Cote d’Ivoire to be precise. The pastor was Robert Dion and it was Baptist Missions and Works church. He had a vision and ran away with it
I am excited-!!! North America is ripe for this type of ministry.
Saludos al grupo Joel Comiskey y demás usuarios de la web, soy un hermano en la fe del habla hispana.
Quiero agradecer por vuestro trabajo, es excelente y motivante.
Bendiciones de lo alto y el Señor prospere este ministerio que está sirviendo de ayuda.
¡¡¡Dios les bendiga!!!
Awesome,
I am very excited about this move, going through many challenges and almost dying in many battles(in the past when discipleship was not available), and now to have the opportunity to help others survive and eventually be the Holy Warriors that cell leaders are is very rewarding to the cell leader and eventually to whole body of believers that have had the advantage of understanding what this whole move is about….I pray that someday we will have powerful books on how to achieve more effective results in a shorter period of time…being that we dont want to waste time…knowing that God will use this time but in the mean time the harvest is plenty…..