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, Youth Club, 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
leadership and back.
