Houston: Touch Publications, 1997
POB 19888, Houston TX 77224, 800-735-5865
ISBN 1-880828-90-1
Page 26-27, Even traditional churches would like to become:
ˇ "less isolated from the world in which it lives
ˇ more relevant to the needs of society
ˇ more compassionate in the way it uses money and manpower
ˇ reaching more people instead of promoting better programs
ˇ less materialistic with its huge buildings and debts
ˇ more redemptive and less political
ˇ and less influenced by the world it is called to influence"
Page 28, A small church group is a cell if:
ˇ It would survive without a building and Sunday service
ˇ Is called a church by its leaders
ˇ Its reproductions retain its dynamics
ˇ It is simple enough to survive without its administrators
ˇ It grows by adding new members, not programs
ˇ It reaches new, adult converts
ˇ It can survive under persecution
Pages 29-31, Common traits of the "two-winged" church:
ˇ Meets somewhere every day of the week
ˇ No building or a functional one
ˇ Growth before new facilities
ˇ Home-based cells are the main gatherings
ˇ Most Christian live out their faith in cells
ˇ Every church member is trained for small group functions
ˇ Big group celebrations result from small group health
ˇ Members remain accountable one to another
ˇ Many new leaders emerge to enable cell ministries
ˇ Sincere sharing takes place
ˇ "One another" passages are lived out
ˇ Cells are designed to survive persecution
ˇ Lost are reached through cell friendship
ˇ Spiritual gifts manifest in cells
ˇ Full-time leaders pray and seek God's leading
ˇ Multiplication of workers and cells is continual
ˇ Cells touch the needs of society
ˇ Pastors provide oversight of cell leaders
ˇ Money goes to ministry and mission before programs
ˇ Cells minister healing to persons and families
ˇ Cells require few or no programs
ˇ Primary care comes from cell members, now staff members
ˇ Leaders equip others per Eph 4:12
Page 42, By AD 300:
ˇ "Christianity was more and more aligned with political systems.
ˇ Professional leaders were developing church structure.
ˇ Spiritual power had given way to human ability and effort.
ˇ Servant leadership was gradually replaced with authoritarianism.
ˇ Church structure was being patterned after the world.
ˇ The church was on the defensive rather than the offensive.
ˇ The small group context of the church was suspect in the eyes of government."
Page 43, Constintine's cathedral paradigm:
ˇ "People go to a building (cathedral)
ˇ on a special day of the week (Sunday)
ˇ and someone (a priest, or today a pastor)
ˇ does something to them (teaching preaching, absolution or healing)
ˇ or for them (a ritual or entertainment)
ˇ for a price (offerings)"
Today, 80% of church members are consumers served by the 20% who are producers, leaving no one to minister to the needy.
Much or most of the world today is a dystopia (opposite of utopia) (52): population explosion, urban implosion, social alienation, church isolation.
Every effective social change movement in every country uses small, action groups. Pastors who disdain cells as a first century cultural artifact, do so to defend their privilege and incomes. Millions of Americans join small groups "seeking help for psychological, physical, emotional, or spiritual problems." (67)
Benefits of two-winged churches (small groups & big groups):
ˇ Melody (small ones) & harmony (gig ones)
ˇ Simple, manageable units
ˇ Groups meeting their needs and available to the world all week long
ˇ The Lord adds to the church and the churches multiply
ˇ Called leaders have a place to lead
ˇ Hurts & needs of the world can better be touched
ˇ People experience the presence of Jesus and easily worship
ˇ Spiritual gifts can be exercised
ˇ The building problem is neutralized
ˇ Integrated ministries
Page 74, Cell structure enables exponential multiplication:
ˇ Cell structure enables all ministry functions
ˇ Growth takes place at the basic level
ˇ Cells multiply naturally without necessary prodding.
ˇ In both favorable and adverse circumstances.
ˇ In every type of culture
ˇ Producing leaders through the basic tasks
Page 84, Transcendence & Immanence
ˇ "Transcendence: How man relates to God in His Godness.
ˇ Immanence: How God relates to man in his humanness."
Transcendence = The Most High God: holy, great, distant, beyond, eternal, above, King, majesty, inaccessible, exalted, wholly other.
Immanence = The Most Nigh G1od: intimate, near, present, indwelling, incarnate, involved, fiend, comfort, accessible, humble, identified with (85)
Christ indwells believers personally (Jn 14:20) & corporately (18:20). "Together in His name we become His living body in which He indwells, empowers, and ministers." (101) His presence + power --> purpose.
Page 104, Big & small groups:
"The large group and small group settings we see operating in the New Testament provide a unique context for God to express His transcendent and immanent nature to His followers."
Page 107, The NT "rhythm":
ˇ "They met in homes.
ˇ Worship was by participation rather than by being a spectator.
ˇ Teachings often reflected a small group context.
ˇ The agape meal was observed from house to house.
ˇ Gifts were exercised in a small group (cell group) context."
Biblical examples of house meetings:
Jason (Thessalonica), TItus Justus (Corinth), Philip (Caesarea), Lydia (Philippi), Acquila & Pricilla (Rome & Corinth), the jailer (Philippi), Stephanas, upper room (Jerusalem).
Threats to small groups
"Historically, small group movements have been weakened at two points: First, leaders of traditional churches resisted a different way of being the church and stamped out new movements. ... The second point of weakening was an inadequate theological understanding of the nature of small groups on the part of its proponents. With the exception of Wesley, the leaders failed to teach that these groups were actually the church." (121)
Work we do for Christ vs. work done in us by Christ.
Two observations from Thailand:
ˇ "Radical methods were necessary to reach a Buddhist country.
ˇ Current systems would not result in a New Testament church model." (146)
Using Schaller (The Change Agent):
1. Convergence of interest caused by discontent with the status quo.
2. Establishment of an initiating strategy group.
3. Legitimating and sponsorship of the idea through the development of a core group.
4. Mobilization and implementation of resources.
5. Fulfillment of charter by freezing at the new level of performance.
Page 150, NT levels and numbers for transition to a cell church:
ˇ "Two who were Innovators;
ˇ Three who composed an Inner Circle;
ˇ Twelve who He gathered as Core Leaders;
ˇ 70 who comprised His Support Network;
ˇ 120 who became the firs Base Congregation;
ˇ 300 and 5000 who were Converts."
Conceived, introduced, owned, implemented, empowered, expanded. (151)
Page 158, Instant Cell Church Syndrome:
Symptoms:
1. Expecting multiplication during the preparation stages
2. Changing structures without first changing values
3. Depending on methods and materials rather than on principles and concepts
4. Attaching cell groups as an appendage to the existing one-winged structure
5. Servicing a high maintenance Sunday service while trying to establish a cell base"
Transmitted:
"1. When reading books about the cell church movement which challenge and cast a vision about cell churches without adequately explaining the process or time frame for becoming that kind of church.
2. By visionaries who excite leaders about post-Pentecost type results without preparing them to pay the pre-Pentecost price necessary to establish an Operational model
3. From pilgrimages to large Operational cell churches where the finished product is showcased without adequately explaining the developmental years
4. At seminars and conferences where Operational strategies are suggested without taking into account the three and a half year preparation process of Jesus Christ."
Page 159, The Prototype period:
"1. Vision is discovered and cast.
2. Values are defined and internalized.
3. Leadershi0p is identified and developed.
4. Body life is experienced and modeled.
5. Infrastructure is tested and experienced.
6. Power is anticipated and received."
Prototype factors:
Time: develop leaders, grow the cell, disciple converts, reproduce, set up infrastructure.
Commitment of the unpaid and less skilled.
Leadership: visionary team, 12 core leaders, 70 followers, 120 - 200 base congregation.
Evangelism: Oikos & Cell.
Edification: cell body life.
Equipping: via trial and correction.
Reorganizing: round leaders, geographically, congregationally, pruning sick cells, to stimulate cell life, to assimilate new leaders.
Predictability: to develop training and materials.
Page 169, Foundation of exponential evangelism:
"1. Developing a passion for evangelism that overflows from edification
2. Establishing a cell system through which unbelievers can be contacted, birthed, nurtured and trained
3. Training members to engage in holistic evangelism: relationship evangelism, seeker evangelism and evangelism of hard-core unbelievers
4. Eliminating program barriers to evangelism
5. Balancing event evangelism with the development of cell infrastructure"
Page 169, "Oikos evangelism ...
1... teaches the most basic method of reaching people.
2... fits into a newly forming community and is least disruptive.
3... builds a broad network for future harvest while the cell community is being formed.
4... helps control the number of dysfunctional people who are brought into the cell during the critical time of establishing community.
5... trains cell members to win both the responsive seeker and hardcore unbelievers."
Page 183, Lessons from subgroups amongst the Twelve:
"1. Discover the format and dynamic of the basic cell unit.
2. Test out the essential working parts of a cell church.
3. Identify and gather essential leaders.
4. Develop a cell infrastructure."
Page 184, Towards a basic cell unit:
ˇ "Live together in community
ˇ Take off relational masts
ˇ Learn the meaning of edification
ˇ Discover a workable cell format
ˇ Experience the dynamic of cell life
ˇ Nurture a passion for evangelism"
Testable working parts of a cell church: equipping, evangelism, intern training, leadership structure.
Essential leaders & interns:
District pastors over 1000s, zone pastors over 100, zone supervisors over 50, cell shepherds over 10.
All are linked in support relations.
Only to two levels paid or ordained.
Biblical eldership qualifications for top two levels.
Leaders move up not in.
Unqualified leaders can be recognized early.
Everyone supports the cell leaders, Eph 4:12.
With ten or 12 functioning cells, it will take two years to introduce cell life throughout the congregation.
Page194, The support network implements with numbers, legitimization, loyalty, skill, coalition, and ownership, dying to hidden agenda.
Page 207, Transition to a cell church through a "remnant" (retrofit) or plant a cell church (fit) :
"1. Discover the mechanics and dynamics of basic Christian community.
2. Establish 12 to 15 healthy cells through several test cycles of six to nine months each.
3. Insert essential components into the cell infrastructure, such as the Jethro leadership structure, an equipping track, intern training, celebration worship, prayer and overflow evangelism."
Jesus' critical mass components: numbers, vision, commitment, values, time, process, leadership, structure, prayer and power.
"Reformation of Doctrine
+ Revival of God's Spirit
+ Remnant of God's Committed
+ Restoration of the New Testament Design
= Spiritual Revolution" (232)