Persistence through Encouragement

Cell Coaching

Joel Comiskey

Winter 2015

Wherever you are, your people need encouragement. I talked to one pastor recently who told me that his leaders seemed tired and unwilling to be involved. I noticed that this pastor was placing a lot of pressure on the leaders for a long period of time. I exhorted him to give his leaders an extra dose of encouragement, reminding him that encouragement is like oxygen to the soul. I said to him, “Your leaders are constantly pressured at work to perform and their employers are not shy about demanding time and energy with the threat of job loss for those who don’t perform well enough. You must motivate them biblically, reminding them that their reward is in heaven and they are serving King Jesus.”

The reality is the vast majority of those serving in the church are volunteers who are serving for their eternal reward. They are not serving the pastor or coach; rather they are serving King Jesus who will give them an eternal reward. The role of the cell church coach is to encourage leaders to press on, knowing that Jesus sees their labor and will reward them. Yes, there will be moments of confrontation and challenge, but long-term motivation comes from encouragement.

Be sure to encourage your people for what they have done during the year. Bless them for serving Jesus wholeheartedly and be sure to appreciate them. Finishing well also means celebrating the past trials. After all, God often does the deepest work during the hardest times. So wherever you are in cell ministry right now, be sure to finish well.