By Rob Campbell
www.cypresscreekchurch.com
When I think about defining a “cell,†these components come to my mind: discipleship, community, telling the story of Christ to others, consistency, “others†centered, and a “set of relationships.†You may suggest other critical components such as multiplication. For sure, multiplication is a HUGE component of cell life.
Joel Comiskey writes, “Cells are born to multiply. The DNA of the cell is to give birth to a daughter cell. This is so essential that it will demand the total church concentration to make this happen. In fact, it won’t happen under busy pastors who have too many things on their mind. Only through total concentration and focus will cells have the necessary resources to truly make them work.†I concur.
I trust that you have experienced the JOY of seeing a cell multiply. It’s encouraging to see an individual receive Christ, grow in Him, and have a desire in his/her heart to lead a cell. I trust you have experienced the pain, toil, and hardship of multiplying a cell as well. Let’s face it—multiplying a cell can be quite difficult, and many times, heart wrenching. For certain, cell multiplication offers an interesting spiritual and emotional dichotomy.
Let’s share some ideas with each other concerning cell multiplication. How do you multiply cells? What has worked? What mistakes have you made? Maybe you have a question that you would like to submit to this community.
Eventually, I would like to add a few thoughts concerning cell multiplication that I’ve learned along the way that may prove helpful to you. So, share your thoughts with us. It’s not necessary to write a dissertation, right? You are much too involved in your day for such a task. I encourage to share a few sentences… three or four bullet points… a paragraph or two on this topic. BLOG ON IN!!
Rob
right now im involved with a group of 12 young people (men and women), a group of 12 boys only (homogenous) and im discipling an individual. basically, i believe that im cell-ing them. a cell doesnt necessarily mean meeting a lot of people. even if it’s only the two of for as long as you’re discipling that person and you have a drive that it will multiply. it’s a cell already.
– I have multiplied after much hesitation because i felt the leader was not totally ready. But God said, “Go”, and this cell is thriving.
– I have multiplied without too much hesitation because i felt the leader was well equipped. i went too fast, by not asking the Lord enough to get his direction. The new cell crashed !
Lesson learned : to ask the Lord and wait for His answer in each cell multiplication.
The biggest mistake I made was explaining the multiplication process in terms of biology, where no emotional relationship exists and the environment is anything but familial.
I simply share that this is a spiritual family and we seek to keep it healthy. Family health means everyone is growing and the kids grow up and want to move out of the house and start families of their own. And staying at home well into your 40’s is WIERD (and everyone nods in full agreement).
This establishes a conversation talking point throughout the cell cycle: How are you growing? When will you be ready to move out of the house and start a group of your own? When can your mother and I expect GRAND BABIES? Do you think we’re doing this just for you?
When I coach group leaders, I also instill within them a hunger to create a spiritual legacy that is clearly visible.
By not talking biology, describing it as a healthy family all the time, and expecting a legacy, group multiplication is simply not painful any longer and it makes total sense to everyone involved, even those who have never experienced biblical community before.
When it comes to cell multiplication my favorite way to multiply is to start a group in someone’s home and grow the group while raising a leader and then leave the group to that leader and go plant a new cell. I have been very successful doing that. When I have planted a cell in my own home it was much more difficult to do this. I have given the group away to my apprentice and sent them out to a new home but it is much more difficult to do that.
I have given three groups away to leaders I have trained and now I’m planting again in my neighborhood but I have a trained leader that I will send out with some people to plant a cell in his neighborhood. If you are planting the most important thing for you is a host home.
At Grace Family our small group coaches assist each small group leader with: 1) identifying the best assistant/apprentice. 2) they set up a time to meet with the asst. Many times after group is over that night or morning. 3) coach and leader affirm asst leader and share vision and hear assts heart. 4) primary leader and asst agree on a date for the asst to take over leadership of the group. 5) group prays the primary leader out of the group to go start a new group. This process is proving very effective when the coach comes alongside the leader and asst and helps them with the process.