Intentions for Cell

1. It is intended that Church Members will each belong to a cell.

2. Vision

• Growth:


• Cells will allow everyone to be involved and supported in outreach


• Cells are more friendly and accessible places for new people who don't know much about church to come and find friendship, acceptance, and the beginnings of Christian experience


• Discipleship - both in cells, and through the equipping courses there will be better opportunity for everyone to keep growing in Christ


• Fellowship - cells promote fellowship and friendship, and give people a sense of inclusion; they are also the best and easiest way of caring for one another pastorally

3. Cells become the place where we belong. Sunday worship remains vital as the place of celebration where we are church together. Junior Church is the Young People's expression of this

4.Our special ministries (Contact 2000, Music) will continue as fruitful whole-church activities. It will be important that those who are responsible in these belong to a cell

5.Whole-church Leadership will remain unchanged, at least at present

6.Children & Young People will be offered cell life too, in which they can worship, fellowship, grow, and reach out

7.One-off events at whole-church level, for fellowship, service, or mission, to be driven by a cell, or cells co-operating, or as a specific branch of an existing ministry (e.g. the Band might run a music event)

8.Equipping will be undertaken on a whole-church basis. This may include:

• First-look events such as Alpha


• Follow-on Beta style courses


• Mentoring arrangements on a 1-to-1 basis


• Leadership training


• Discipleship refreshers suitable for all


• Pegs & Holes


• Other courses and training as desired or needed

These equipping modules to be short. Participants may continue attending their cell (which demands extra commitment) or follow the equipping module and return to their cell at the end.

How They Operate

1. Cells to use a basic, balanced, 5 W's model:

• Welcome


• Worship


• Word


• Witness


• Work

2. Worship - includes prayer

3. Word: to pick up and apply the preached theme from the previous Sunday, which will not contain so much application. Bullet point notes, and suggestions for further applied study to be supplied to Group Leaders. Groups may suggest themes for future consideration.

4. Witness

• Cell members maintain and share a list containing 1 or more names of people they are seeking to witness to


• Cell prays regularly for those on the lists; cell arranges opportunities for inviting people to informal occasions


• Cell expects and welcomes newcomers, and finds ways of involving them*


• Cell expects and prepares for multiplication<

(* these will generally be 'warm' contacts, known to the cell, who will not be disruptive. Raw newcomers would be offered Alpha/Beta, and/or 1 to 1 as a starter and introduction to a cell at an appropriate point )

5. Work

• Service


• Cell takes seriously the practical implications for discipleship, and from time to time may choose to serve in a practical way (may include running a whole-church event, or something for an individual, or something in the community)


• Pastoral Care
  
  • cell takes responsibility to care for one another
  • this involves phone calls; visits; encouragements of all kinds (from bunches of flowers to cards, to whatever); prayer; spreading prayer needs into the wider fellowship. It is about feeding sheep, following up lost sheep, and inclusion in the flock
• Discussion and suggestions on issues of whole-church concern

The 'work' looks like a lot of ground, but it does not all need addressing every week, and much of it, like witness and pastoral care, quickly becomes a way of life which does not take lots of cell-night time

Role of Cell Supporter

To provide for the leaders of up to 3 cells:

• Support To be a point of feedback, and especially to listen to difficulties and disappointments, as well as to rejoice at successes. This will involve phone calls and/or meeting together occasionally


• Accountability By regular updates, to ensure the cell is being run on balanced and healthy lines. To operate a simple written feedback system and pick up on issues


• Line of communication To be a channel for information, suggestions, or requests from cell to church Elders and back.