By Joel Comiskey, Children in Cell Ministry
Lorna Jenkins was one of the early pioneers of children’s cell ministry. In 1995 she wrote a manual, Feed My Lambs, and then in 1999, she wrote her classic book, Shouting in the Temple, which details how children’s cells became a vital part of the Faith Community Baptist Church (FCBC) in Singapore (we sell this book on the JCG website). She also developed a plethora of equipping material. Lorna Jenkins worked closely with Ralph Neighbour and Laurence Khong to place children at the heart of FCBC’s cell transition. She excelled in connecting the children’s teaching on Sunday with the home cell group material, which she provided to each cell group. She perfected the Intergenerational cell group (IG group), during which children mixed with parents during the cell icebreaker and worship time and then went to another room in the house to receive their own lesson. Adults in the cell group would rotate in teaching the children. While perfecting these IG groups, Jenkins became an expert on this topic, and I highly recommend her material.
Another name synonymous with children in cell ministry is Daphne Kirk. She has dedicated her life to preparing the emerging generation and connecting the generations to minister to each other. She was an early innovator in the cell church movement, traveling extensively with Ralph Neighbour and Bill Beckham in the 1990s. She continues to travel at a demanding pace, teaching churches about the importance of connecting the generations and making sure that children are not neglected in cell church ministry. Two of her many books, Heirs Together and Reconnecting the Generations, are a must-read for those intending to include children in cell church ministry. She also has developed equipping material for children, which we cover in chapter seven of this book.
The Vine Church in Brazil has been actively developing children in home cell groups since 1999. They now have 10,000 children’s cell groups, with some 100,000 children participating. The children’s home cell groups are participatory, dynamic, and educational. The Vine views the children as individuals who need to be discipled, knowing they will soon be adults. When the child reaches the age of thirteen, they become part of a youth cell and, later, participants in an adult cell. Testimonies abound of children born again in a children’s cell group, discipled in the process, and are now preparing to be pastors and church planters.
The Elim Church in San Salvador is also a great example of children’s cell ministry. God is developing the next generation through children’s cells in San Salvador, a challenging city that has one of the highest rates of homicide in the world. As Elim transforms children, they are making a positive contribution to a country in which gang violence results in thousands of deaths each year. Pastor Vega believes that the high rate of gang involvement (some 30,000 gang members) is because the youth feel marginalized and uninvolved in society at large.
Elim now has about 28,000 children attending their cell groups. Their goal is to reach 100,000 (10% of the city’s population), and to make this a reality, they are pouring more and more resources into ministry for children. Transforming children and society is the vision under which Elim develops their children’s cells. Elim’s ultimate goal is to see their country changed by the gospel of Jesus Christ, starting with the transformed lives of children.