Cell Basics

by Joel Comiskey

Spring 2014

Over this past month, we’ve discussed various strategies that help us go deeper in making disciples. Some of the bloggers have pointed to Jesus and his three as an example of more intimate discipleship. Abe Huber has emphasized one-on-one discipleship and the importance of caring for each person. We’ve noted how the Elim Church concentrates on the nucleus of each cell by asking for a mid-week planning meeting. Jim Egli shared his journey into micro group discipleship and how he has discovered that discipleship in a micro group is the most effective.

This past week, I gave a cell seminar in London among a Brazilian church I’ve been coaching. I told the participants that the cell church is simple, and that we must not over-complicate it. I told them that all cell churches highlight cell and celebration as the two balancing wings. Besides cell and celebration, there are two systems: coaching and equipping. All cell churches, therefore, emphasize cell, celebration, coaching, and equipping.

Your church might additionally ask people to meet in triads of three (e.g., Ralph Neighbour, Jeff Boersma, and Michael Mack), weekly planning meetings (Mario Vega), one-on-one discipleship (Abe Huber & MDA), or micro-group discipleship (Jim Egli). The strategies cell churches use beyond the essentials of cell, celebration, coaching, and equipping to disciple their people will vary according to context, culture, and conviction.

I think it’s important to concentrate on the major cell church essentials (cell, celebration, coaching, and equipping) while granting creativity and liberty to those different methods of micro discipleship that we’ve talked about throughout this month.

God is using the cell church mightily in these last days, and it’s a great privilege to participate in this God-ordained strategy!

Comments?

Joel