I. The Importance of the Life Groups Ministry
As we face the challenge of establishing life groups, we need to understand fully the value of the life groups, their effect in the growth of the church as well as their place in the extension of the Kingdom of God.
God’s desire is that everyone should come to repentance and come to the knowledge of truth (2 Pet. 3:8-9, 1 Tim. 2:3-5). It is God’s will that His church reaches out to the untold millions and bring them to the faith.
II. Growth in Quality and quantity:
1. God is interested in the individual’s salvation as well as the salvation of the multitudes (2 Pet. 3:8-9, Matt. 9:35-37).
2. Cell church helps the members grow both numerically and also spiritually (qualitatively and quantitatively). – Healthy churches are also growing churches.
3. Usually the groups are made up of 7 to 13 (not more than 15) people, who experience personal care and ministry.
4. “Cells are not just a church-growth technique; they re the key vehicle of the church of Jesus Christ to experience the true church in a living, dynamic way” (Comiskey, 33).
5. In the life groups the new believers are discipled and raised to be strong members of the local church.
III. Operation of the life groups:
1. The church needs to see itself as a life-group church and not a church with life groups.
2. All the ministries in the church need to operate under this principle – Everybody, including the Pastoral team needs to be part of the life groups in the church. We will need to describe the church as a “life-group based church.”
3. As the groups increase the church will need to divide the city into Life-group Districts supervised by one leader. The District will then be sub-divide to smaller zones/sub-districts and then a much smaller group/zone of at least five cell groups.
4. Make the life groups a priority in the church’s weekly calendar or bulletin. Be sure to advertise in the bulletin every detail about the life groups – place of meeting, the leader etc.
5. Make the life groups a priority of the pastoral team as well as of any other church worker – Each leader in the church should also be a life group leader or an assistant.
6. Make the life groups the central focus of all other ministries and ministers within the church – No one can begin and operate any other ministry unless they also are part of the life groups.
IV. Advantages of a life group (Book: Good things come in Small groups, 20-21).
1. The life group is flexible – It can change its procedure readily and meet the needs of its members.
2. Mobility: The members can meet in a home or even in an office – it is not bound to a particular building.
3. It is inclusive: People of all backgrounds find it easier to come a life group. The members are missed if they don’t show up because they have fewer members.
4. It is personal: The leaders as well as the group relates to each other on a very personal level in both times of joy and times of distress.
5. It is risky in that each member becomes quite vulnerable to each other; and yet it is through conflict, care and confrontation that we discover ourselves and also experience growth.
6. It is an excellent way to Evangelize – It is easier to invite unbelievers to the life groups and also introduce them to the Savior.
V. Strengthening the Life groups: (Comiskey, 45-55).
1. Prayer: Prayer is of great importance if the life groups are to succeed.
2. Motivation for the life groups is Evangelism and Church growth. “There is only one way that the home cell group system will be successful in a church, if that system is to be used as a tool of evangelism” (Cho, 107).
3. Multiplication should be the goal of each life group. The cell group leaders must be work towards growth that leads to the multiplication of the life groups. “Group fellowship is always present but is more of a by-product than a goal” (Comiskey, 48). The focus is to reach out to the unchurched and de-churched and bring them to the faith through these groups and then as growth is experience, then the cell multiplies.
4. Designed for Reproducible Quality Control – This means that each life group maintains similar components or characteristics. All the life groups have the purpose of receiving spiritual growth, evangelistic outreach and an intimate connection with the local church.
5. Emphasis on Goal-setting: The goal of each life group should be evangelism that leads to multiplication, and thus the growth of the church. Each year the leadership of the church need to come up with the particular goal they need to focus on.
6. Life groups are seen as the backbone of the church – the emphasis should be that for anybody to receive spiritual service of the church, they need to belong to a life group. Everybody in the church should be a life group member.
7. Importance of both Cell and celebration: Members need to appreciate, equally both the life group life and the celebrations life of the Sunday services – both are essential for the growth of the church. All the cells must share the same vision and philosophy as the mother church.
8. Senior/lead Pastor’s strong visionary leadership: The life group system flows from the authority of the lead Pastor. It is of great importance that the lead Pastor be involved in the life groups.
9. Established leadership requirements: All the life group leaders need to go through a similar kind of training – It has to be clearly defined leadership training. The whole leadership needs to be “on the same page.”
10. Required Leadership training: All life group leaders need to complete a leadership training process.
11. Leadership Developed within the church: Most of the leaders in the life groups are raised from the local church and raised according to ministerial experience, success and leadership training.
12. A “Jethro Model” care structure (Ex. 18): – Each leader is monitored, pastored, and made accountable on their level of ministry. This relieved the lead pastor of being overwhelmed.
13. Leadership Promotion based on success: All elevation in ministry to higher positions of leadership is primary a result of previous success in cell multiplication.
14. Life groups meeting in homes: Other than for purposes of training and corporate worship, all other life group meetings take places in homes.
15. Cells follow-up with Visitors and new converts: Most of the follow-up of visitors and new converts is delegated to the life groups. All the visitors’ cards and new believers’ cards are distributed to the life groups leaders, who then do the follow-up. It is so appropriate that the cell leaders call or visit the new believers or visitors in their neighborhoods if possible in 24 hours.
16. Cell Lessons based on Pastor’s sermon: At times the cells will be required to utilize lessons that are based on the Pastor’s sermons, thus bringing continuity and focus on the direction the church is moving.
VI. Putting feet to your life groups (Twenty-one principles by Dr. Dale Galloway – Book: The Small Group Book, 69-77).
1. Three Parts to your life group: (a). Sharing life – life-centered testimony to illustrated what is being taught (b). Conversational prayer, whereby everybody else joins in the praying. (c). Application of the bible – how does the lesson affect my life?
2. Participation is the key to success – the leader should serve as a guide or facilitator. The leader needs to encourage but not pressure people to participate.
3. Begin and end with conversational prayer – As a leader you may have to avoid “impressive,” “scaring prayers.”
4. Respond lovingly to a need expressed as soon as you possibly can.
5. The Bible is the authority and guidebook – the bible contains everything needed for our faith and practice.
6. Encourage everyone in the group, however, if someone has deep seated psychological or emotional problems they need to be referred to the senior leadership of the church.
7. Don’t allow doctrinal discussion that is divisive or argumentative (Tit. 3:9).
8. Practice mutual edification – practice assisting each other to be everything that the Lord would have them be. (Rom. 14:19).
9. Lead in Love: “Create an atmosphere of love, acceptance, and forgiveness within the group so that these three attributes are modeled as a way of life” (Galloway, 74).
10. Following-up with members between meetings is essential – needs for phone calls to those who missed meetings or to new members.
11. Bringing new members – this will keep the group alive and growing.
12. Handle problem people away from the group on a one-to-one basis. The leader needs to deal with these people lovingly but firmly and quickly.
13. Don’t allow people to confess anyone’s faults but their own.
14. Don’t allow anyone to do all the talking – utilize everybody in the group.
15. Make sure that the leader is spiritually healthy. “The Holy Spirit will be hindered if the leader is spiritually indifferent or troubles with unconfessed sin” (Galloway, 75).
16. Make sure the leaders are learning – each leader should be encouraged to keep on learning, and thus growing.
17. Hang loose and maintain a relaxed spirit in the group: Being free to discuss or consider other points of view. Avoid being judgmental, harsh and overly opinionated.
18. A good sense of humor is a valuable asset. “A cheerful heart is good medicine” (Prov. 17:22).
19. When the leaders have a need they need to be free to share and ask for help from the group. “The best leaders are those who keep admitting that they need the help of others” (Galloway 76).
20. When you have problems or need help, quickly go to your pastor or leader and ask for it.
21. Remember, it is Christ who does the leading, not us. “A good leader is a good follower of Christ–no more, no less” (Galloway 77).
VII.
VIII.
Bibliography
Baker, Steve, Johnson, Judy et. el. Good things com in Small Groups, Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 1985.
Cho, Paul Yonggi. Successful Home Cell Groups, Plainfield, NJ: Logos, 1981.
Comiskey, Joel. Reap the Harvest, Houston, TX: Touch Publication, 1999.
Galloway, Dale E. The Small Group Book, Grand Rapids: Fleming H. Revell, 1995.
