By Joel Comiskey, Home Cell Group Explosion (2023 version)
No is a blessed word in the cell church. No to all those programs and attractional events that suck the time and energy from making disciples who make disciples.
But the missionary vision is different. Missions deserve a yes every time. Missions is the oxygen of the cell church, along with prayer. Missions go beyond a mere program.
Our God is a missionary God. From Genesis to Revelation, he’s constantly reaching out and establishing his church among all ethnic groups. We have a mandate to go to Jerusalem, Judea, and the uttermost parts of the earth (Acts 1:8). We must make disciples among all peoples (Matthew 28:18-20). And when we get to heaven, we’ll celebrate with those from every nation, tribe, people, and language (Revelation 7:9).
We’ve talked a lot about cell evangelism, and in one sense, cell outreach is part of missions, but what I’m referring to here is broader. Establishing, maintaining, and growing a mission vision should always be encouraged and promoted. And I believe the cell church strategy is the best local church strategy to encourage and implement missions.
How are you mobilizing your church to pray for unreached peoples, plant new churches, adopt missionaries who minister cross-culturally, and plan missionary outreach? Yes, every cell group must focus on outreach to family, friends, and neighbors—the oikos connections of each member, but we also must pray and participate in the regions beyond.
I recommend downloading the “Operation World” app that offers daily prayer requests for each country worldwide. I use it daily as part of my devotional time. What else can a church do to prioritize missions?
For October, we’ll write twenty-five blogs on missions and the cell church. Click here if you’d like to receive these blogs in your email inbox. We’ll cover:
- October 01-07: The basis for missions. We’ll look at the biblical base for the missionary heart of God.
- October 08-14: The place of cells in promoting missionary outreach. For example, cells might adopt a missionary, go on a mission trip, participate in a church plant, etc.
- October 15-21: missions on a broader level in the cell church (celebration and cell system). How can the local church ensure that the missionary fires are burning?
- October 23-28: Supporting church plants as part of the missionary vision. One fundamental way to promote missions is to send out workers from the local church to plant new churches. What can we do to encourage missionary church plants?
- October 29 to November 04: Prayer and missions. How can we better pray for missions? I encourage everyone to download the Operation World app and consult it daily. What are some ways to increase prayer for missions?