Cell Groups

Under construction

If it ain't wrong don't fix it.

Is anything wrong with our traditional way of 'doing church'? Recent research says yes (click here). Some traditional denominations such as the Methodists have forecast that they will be extinct by 2040. The Seventh-day Adventist church itself has a rapidly increasing average age and in many parts of this country any growth has been due largely to the recent influx of members from the African continent. Quite simply many of us have not been following the Great Commission. We have relied on people to come to the church of their own accord or to respond to evangelistic campaigns. World Wide, a high proportion of the churches of all denominations that are currently growing have adopted the Cell Church way of 'doing church'.

We need something to help us grow into the sort of people that Christ wants us to be, to be the sort of family that he wants us to be and to able to share our faith in the way that he wants us to do.

What is so special about small groups?

"Cell" is a place where we do not need to wear a mask. Where all present from child to minister can share their hopes, successes and failures on an equal basis. A place where the child can share worries about exams or being bullied, the minister share concerns about (perhaps) not being a good time keeper or not making enough time for prayer.
"Cell" is church family as it should be. A place of openness and transparency.

Surely we have met as small groups within churches seemingly forever?

Yes, but the current wave of small groups being encouraged within the Adventist church should really be called 'holistic small groups'. Holistic because they are a way of life if adopted properly. If the whole church is based on them - is a true cell church they are called cell groups. Hence the title of this page and the references to cell groups in much of the available material.

Cell Groups, as part of church life, have revolutionised church growth through many Christian denominations in every continent in the world. Here in the west we have only begun to realise what the rest of the world has being making a fuss over.

What about Adventist Churches?

In a number of countries Adventists have also adopted this New Testament church approach to outreach, worship and personal growth. In the UK Adventists have been very slow to adopt with only a handful of churches trying it. As far as I am aware, the only Adventist Church in the UK that is taking on board Cell Groups fully is the Manchester Central with Mike Simpson at the helm. This is slowly transitioning to become a cell church.

What is a holistic small group/cell group? How are they different from traditional small groups?

Church members have always met in small groups in each others houses under various names such as prayer groups and house groups. Cell groups have very distinctive differences that, according to those using them, make them much closer to the original New Testament style of meetings.

Check out this Online Video for some thoughts and also this page for some more thoughts.  

What is the scriptural basis for how they work?

One way of describing the basis is:-

Upward: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" (Matthew 22:38).
Inward: "Love your neighbour as your self" (Matthew 22:39).
Outward: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations..." (Matthew 28:19).
Forward: "Teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you..." (Matthew 28:20).

They enable every Christian to be involved in ministry. This means children youth & adults, lay members elders and ministers - all are equal here. Each group can become a Christian community where the Holy Spirit will operate in an active way. Group members support each other during the week. New and mature members help each other to grow through life long discipling, accountability & mentoring (we are to be disciples after all). It is a place to bring friends and contacts who are ready to see how a Christian community can work. If working properly, through the influx of new members, each group will grow and split into two groups.

Can it work in Britain?

When first introduced into the UK, many ministers from across the denominations said it would never work with individualistic materialistic Brits especially indigenous whites. Churches that have adopted it and whose members have been willing to embrace it have found their groups doubling within two years (see Body & Cell from Cell UK below).

Mark 2:15-17
15 Later Jesus and his disciples were at home having supper with a collection of disreputable guests. Unlikely as it seems, more than a few of them had become followers. 16 The religion scholars and Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company and lit into his disciples: "What kind of example is this, acting cozy with the riff-raff?"
17 Jesus, overhearing, shot back, "Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I'm here inviting the sin-sick, not the spiritually-fit."
THE MESSAGE

Can Cell Groups work effectively in a traditional church setup?

It has been found that one eventually cripples the other.

The traditional program based church with all its departments and programs effectively takes up most or all of the time of the dedicated members who keep them running.

In a Cell Group, each member's week is taken up with social activities with the cell group members and with non-Christians via non-church based activities as God leads. How else do we bring people to Christ if we do not mix with them? For too long Christians have been taught to separate themselves from non-Christian friends. Christ went to where the people were.

Resources?

There are large amounts of resources available for those interested in them including quite a bit of free online stuff. Explore and see if God is speaking to you to be involved. If he isn't giving you the go-ahead then do not press ahead. Too often we find ourselves asking God to bless what we are doing when we never got the go-ahead to do it in the first place. Here are some suggestions in no particular order.

First couple of articles from the Adventist press of relevance

    A Free book!

A supplier of resources in the UK.

The Cell UK web site contains an excellent selection of books on running cell groups and the rational behind them (the New Testament Church in action). They are written by people who have run successful cell churches and are well aware of the problems. Try Body & Cell for the account of a Bradford church who adopted cell groups over ten years ago and are still going strong. Loving the Lost and the more technical Making Cell Groups Work are excellent (but not short) reads and provide essential reading for ministers and anyone who wants the nuts and bolts details. They are all written by people who have run successful growing cell churches over a number of years. An Email to the address at the bottom of this page might just get the loan of a book if you are really interested. (Sheffield members only please - first come ....)

If you really want plenty to read without spending anything then you cannot do better than exploring the last 12 years of the main USA cell magazine in its three incarnations CellChurch, CellGroup Journal and Fresh Insights. Published by Touch Ministries, they are written by the people who introduced Cell Groups to the USA. As well as the magazine archives there are links to some short articles.

Finally couple of low key USA web based resources aimed at more general small group level. They are both trying to sell you materials but also have interesting free articles.