Small "Cell" groups meet at various times, primarily in homes, throughout the week. These groups are designed to provide a safe and nurturing environment for each of us to grow in our faith and relationships to Christ and one another.

The basic purpose of small groups is to experience Matthew 18:20: "Where two or three are gathered together in my (Jesus’) name, there am I in their midst." Jesus is present when we gather in large groups, as well as when we are alone. But he is also uniquely present when we gather in small groups, and our sole purpose when we gather is to experience Christ’s presence in our midst, trusting that when that happens, we will be personally edified, as well as filled with a desire to reach out to others.

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"To Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets in your home" (Philemon 1:2). Throughout the New Testament there are references to the "church that meets in your home." (For example, Romans 16:5 and Colossians 4:15). The "church" that met in these homes was the basic unit of Christianity in the earliest years of the Church of Jesus Christ. There were certain dynamics present that can only be found in small, close-knit groups. More importantly, the major part of the New Testament was written to these small groups that were called the "church that meets in your home." Today we call these small groups "cell groups."

For the first 300 years of the New Testament Church, there were no church buildings. People met in local gathering places, out in public, and in temples. To "go to church" meant to go to someone’s house for worship, prayer and ministry. Even the Apostle Paul ministered house to house. "You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but taught you publicly and from house to house" (Acts 20:20).

More than ever before, we need to experience dynamic and powerful meetings at our large Sunday and mid-week gatherings. However, the house-to-house meetings carry other dynamics that local churches and their members desperately need. Consider how the following Scriptures are fulfilled in home cell groups meetings.

Each person can participate. "What then shall we say, brothers and sisters in Christ? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church" (1 Corinthians 14:26). How could a congregation of, let’s say, 150 members come together and everyone have a psalm, and a revelation? It is virtually impossible to fulfill this Scripture in a large group setting. However, it is accomplished very easily in a cell group setting in someone’s home. Each person can contribute to the times of worship, prayer, study and fellowship, according to their gifts and comfort level.

Each person can be discipled. "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19). The word teach actually means disciple. No matter how effective a Sunday School program or preaching service we have at church gatherings, without one-on-one discipleship, few people are ever really discipled. Anyone who has been discipled knows the time and commitment demanded by this kind of relationship. Cell groups offer a time of weekly contact with new believers and give encouragement for ongoing personal transformation into Christlikeness. More than ever before, we need the older, wiser members of our churches to mentor and train the younger members. Relationships that go far beyond normal scheduled church services are needed to accomplish this, and cell groups provide the opportunity. Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul, and other Bible figures spent their lifetimes in ministry, mentoring and raising up other leaders.

Every member can be a minister. "It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:11-13).

The cell group is the ultimate place for every member of the Body of Christ to experience ministry skills, discover spiritual gifts, and experience how to apply those gifts and skills in real life ministry situations. By participating in regular, weekly cell group meetings, everyone sees how to counsel, lead others to grow up in Christ and give what they have to help build up and encourage the body of believers.

"Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From Him, the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work." (Ephesians 4:15-16)

Each believer needs valuable friendships. It is easy to be shaped by the environment around us. If we place ourselves in the right, positive, Christian environment, we will grow to be strong Christians. Each of us needs to be a part of a positive community where strong relationships can be developed.

The strongest relationships are built in times of need and crisis. In the cell group setting, each person’s needs are constantly being addressed, and in times of crisis, sickness, or tragedy, the cell group is the "minister on call." Cell group members do much of the caring, the praying, the visitation, and the "need-meeting" for every member of their cell group. Friendships are more meaningful when people have an opportunity to get together often and meet each other’s needs.

The community of believers who love one another is a great testimony to the lost world of the love of Christ. "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:35). There is no greater place to express that love than in the community of the cell group.

In these communities we have the opportunity to glean truth about the Christian way of life from others. In the company of other Christians, we learn how to "grow up" in Christ under the positive influence of mature believers.

Each believer can share Jesus with someone else. The cell group is one of the most effective ways to evangelize those we know and love. It is a fact that most of the people who attend our churches today are there because a relative or friend spent time witnessing to them and loving them to Christ. Cell groups are a natural place to invite people we know who may be skeptical of attending a local church during regular service times.

What do we actually do in a cell group meeting?

While our primary purpose and agenda is to experience Christ’s presence, there is a normal "flow" to a gathering time.

Welcome/Entrance - a time of personal sharing and fellowship with one another.
Worship/Exaltation - communication with God in a small group, intimate setting, through music, prayer, Scripture, etc.
Word/Edification - studying God’s Word, hearing from God, and ministering to one another.
Witness/Evangelism - sharing with one another and praying for opportunities to serve Jesus in the coming week
Week/Evaluation – during the week, evaluating one’s life on the basis of what God did at the last meeting, and reflecting on what one wants to share with others at the next meeting.

Sign up now for one of the cell groups.

Adapted from: Bethany World Prayer Center, Christianity 101.

8/15/01