The Need to Feed
Cell Group Guidelines
by J. Rob Hutto
Many years ago the
While the name was humorous, especially in retrospect, the idea was sound. Churches that had many members found it hard to minister to every one of them on an equal or effective basis. The pastor certainly could not minister personally to every member if he was in a large church. Partitioning the congregation into smaller groups made sense. With a qualified leader, each group could address personal issues on a more personal basis.
Over the years, other denominations
tried this idea and found it to be effective.
Whether they got the idea from the
Small groups, known most often as cell groups, have evolved. For Example, whereas we once felt that to be most effective we needed to have monthly prayer meetings, it has been proven many times that effective ministry can take place in small groups even though the group doesn’t have a prayer meeting in the traditional sense.
Many Christians feel what I choose
to call a need to feed. These
people are those who care about the growth of the church and feel they should
be ministering regularly to others. They
have compassion for people. They listen
well. They are creative. Most of all, they desire to work. These people often don’t fit the mold of
leadership we have set up as the standard in the past. They may not want (or be qualified) to pastor
a church. But they can organize a small
group and nurture it. If you are one of
these people, then cell groups can be your avenue of ministry.
I would like to offer the following as guidelines for a cell-driven ministry in this local church. I am already experiencing a sense of fulfillment through the Seniors In Action group. I feel that we are ministering to needs, and new people are participating.
Of the following, there are things that I think should be true for every cell group. On the other hand, there are some things I will mention that are suggestions. I want to encourage every cell group leader to “think outside the box.” I want you to feel free to be creative and try new things. So please read with an open mind and look for options that will work for you and your ministry.
Up, In, and Out
I believe the function of cell groups, as well as of the church, can be summed up with three words: Upreach, Inreach, and Outreach. Obviously I have used liberty in coining two of these words, but I think that these three words describe what we are supposed to do. As you form your group, I want you to keep these three ideas in mind.
Upreach
We are accustomed to the word Outreach, but it seems to me that while churches need to be reaching out, they should also reach up. God is our Source of help and strength. He is our all in all. Without Him, our work, even though successful, leaves much to be desired.
Small groups should offer an avenue whereby people can worship, pray, and commune with God. Our contact with God is vital to our existence as Christians. No doubt this is why the church initially thought prayer meetings were the appropriate vehicle for small group meetings. Certainly we must offer people opportunities to be with God. Some of the best meetings I have attended have been with a group of young people talking about the Bible in a non-traditional setting. As we talked, the Spirit moved.
Make sure your cell group puts God first. He is the strength of your group and of the individual lives of your members.
Inreach
Inreach is another coined term. It is meant to convey that cell groups, as well as churches, can and should offer fellowship. It is this fellowship that under girds, in part, the life of the Christian. While we cannot save one another, we can certainly support each other through encouragement, listening, and compassion. Small groups offer a more personal approach for this than large church services, though services can be transformed at times into celebrations of fellowship. Small groups can be a place where people grow largely through the interactions they have with one another.
Outreach
We recognize outreach as a central
function of the church. The Great
Commission calls to us even today. “Go
ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark
Common Denominators
Traditionally, we have set up groups around certain common denominators such as age. It was not uncommon to have a group for adults and a group for youth. These two benchmarks have opened the door to a variety of common denominators.
These common denominators make up the central core around which a group is formed. The core can be age or it can be a common interest. Take a look at the following list (which is by no means exhaustive) for just a few nuclei around which small groups can form:
1. Teens (Common Denominator- Age)
2. Ladies (CD- Gender)
3. Men (CD- Gender)
4. Children (CD- Age)
5. Seniors (CD- Age)
6. Music (CD- Interest)
7. Reading (CD- Interest)
8. Couples (CD- Needs)
9. Drama (CD- Interest)
10. Audio-Video (CD- Interest/Expertise)
Obviously there is no limit to the types of groups that can be formed and operated. But each group needs to make sure that as they form and begin meeting that they offer room for Upreach (worship and prayer), Inreach (fellowship and spiritual growth), and Outreach (sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with outsiders.)
Meetings and Activities
I have already made the point that you can do many things if the group is open to those activities. Many people do not like to be taught or “preached to” in the sense that someone up front does all the talking. Neither do they always want to do the same thing they did last week. Interest as well as needs will vary from one group to the next. Thus, the leader needs to keep his or her ear to the ground to discern the best course of action for the group.
A ladies group might like to have a cooking class. Better yet, they might want to eat out and be waited on! Young people might like a class where they sometimes sit and listen to the latest Contemporary Christian music and then discuss what it means. Men might like to attend a car show. A reading club might want to read the latest Christian bestseller as a group and then discuss it. A group focused on music might want to explore the latest in Christian music for use in the church. Meetings could be set up around these desires and interests. The field is wide open as long as the leader finds a way to make room for God to attend the meetings.
Frequency is another issue that would need to be addressed. Some groups will need to meet more frequently than others. Make sure that whether you have weekly meetings or monthly meetings you meet frequently enough to help your members grow in the Lord.
When I started the Seniors In Action group, I gave them a short survey, and I asked the following questions:
1.
How often
would you like to meet?
2.
What days
are best for you to meet?
3.
What would
you like to do?
__Movies __Bible Studies __Day Trips
__Speakers __Crafts
__Breakfast or Lunch __Singing
__Reading/Discussion of Books
Ideas and Suggestions
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
From this survey I was able to schedule a time, day of the week, and frequency for our meetings. Some groups might want to meet weekly, especially if they enjoy the group. If there a lot of personal problems in a person’s life, he or she might crave the presence of the group. Some groups will want to meet monthly. It will depend on the needs, desires, and schedules of the members.
I am not opposed to having cell
groups meet during the Sunday School hour.
I feel the morning worship service is an important for joint worship and
fellowship. But Sunday School tends to
be focused on age groups anyway.
Therefore, if a group cannot find a reasonable amount of time during the
week to meet, they could do so during Sunday School. This does not have to undermine Sunday
School. We are simply looking for fresh
ways to minister to people. Those who
wish to attend a class may do so. But if
the majority of your group wants to meet at
Sunday afternoon can be convenient for some groups. One church reserves Sunday evening for cell groups to meet. The day of the week does not matter so much as that the members are worshipping, ministering to each other, and reaching out.
Cells Multiply by Dividing
St. Anselm College[1]
This illustration shows us a basic fact about cells. In biology, when a cell grows to a certain size, it divides. As a cell gets large enough, it can split into two equal parts and still have enough of the basic characteristics of the original cell to survive.
Healthy cell groups grow. If they aren’t growing, something may be seriously wrong. But as they grow, two things happen. First, they become a little unwieldy. They lose the small-group feel of the original group. But the second thing that happens is that there are now multiple leaders in one group. The ideal is for one group of around five people to meet and begin the growth process. When they reach approximately fifteen, the group can then split into two smaller groups. But these two groups can grow and become four, then eight, then sixteen. Because additional leaders have emerged, the new group carries on as effectively as the original.
It really is very simple. When groups are effective, they multiply, divide, and then multiply some more. Of course, this process builds the church. But it also excites the members of the group. They feel, rightfully so, that they are fulfilling the Great Commission as they see new members find Christ as their Savior.
The Need to Feed
Not everyone can lead others in the process of Christian maturity. But some can. In fact, some feel the “need to feed.” They know they are called to do more than sit on the pew. They know they can lead others if given the chance. Some even have an idea of what target group they can be effective with.
Feeding is not hard, but it is needed frequently. The person called to lead others has to be sure and take every opportunity to reach out to others. They have to have compassion for others. If they don’t, the sheep will not be fed and they will die.
If you feel the need to feed, you
can rest assured that there are sheep waiting to be fed. There are lost sheep waiting to be
found. Do you feel the need
to feed?
5/05