Myth: Change the Church by Criticizing It

Posted by Joel on April 21, 2012

Some in the cell movement excel in putting down others, while exalting the cell structure as the new wineskin. They construct an “us and them” mentality. Everyone else is doing ministry wrongly and the only group doing it right is the cell church. Many, in fact, embrace the cell church because they are disillusioned with the conventional church. Yet can negativity sustain the cell church movement?

Truth: Let People See It Worked Out

Churches and ministries lay a very weak foundation with a negative message. Granted, scripture critiques our lives and ministry and never sugar coats the truth. Yet, once the theological foundations for cell ministry are laid, people need a positive message of how to implement that biblical message in their own culture and context.

Just do it. Let people see the results in action. I personally believe that cell church ministry is the best strategy out there. Yet, I realize that it’s not the only strategy, and that God is using various ministries to bless his body and grow his church. God has supernaturally placed me in his body to encourage and fine-tune cell church ministry.

All those living under the Lordship of Jesus and committed to his inerrant word are part of his organic church. Leaders in Christ’s church need to be very careful about badgering and bad-mouthing Christ’s blessed body.

Joel Comiskey

Myth: Cell Church Focuses Exclusively on the Cell and Celebration

Posted by Joel on April 14, 2012

Many have likened the cell church to a two-winged bird. Just as a bird needs two wings to fly, cell churches thrive on both cell and celebration. Cells meet together during the week, but then those cells come together to celebrate on Sunday.

Two-winged comparisons are made so frequently that many people don’t realize that cell churches need additional supporting structures to function effectively. What are those additional systems?

Truth: The Cell Church Focuses on Key Systems that Produce Life in the Cell and Celebration

Besides cell and celebration, other systems make cell church work. The two main ones are training and coaching.

Training

Cell churches have a step-by-step process to take a person from conversion to spiritual maturity. The training track is intimately linked with cell ministry and furthers the process of cell multiplication.

Coaching

One of the key differences between groups that start and fizzle and those that make it over the long haul can be summed up in one word: coaching.

To make it over time, the small-group leaders must have a high-quality support system, much like the supply line that channels food and other materials to battle-weary soldiers.

The cell-driven strategy succeeds or fails on the quality of the coaching given to the cell leaders.

Joel Comiskey

Myth: Once You Have a Model, Stick by It

Posted by Joel on April 7, 2012

When a church follows cell church principles over time, it might become an example for others to follow. Other pastors might visit, ask questions, and even participate in the church’s network. Once a church has arrived at this point, is it best to stick with the exact strategy that has produced that growth?

Truth: Innovate and Change the Model as the Spirit Leads

A church never arrives at perfection. There is always room for improvement. The moment, in fact, that a church thinks it has arrived, it probably has already begun its downward spiral.

John P. Kotter, a business professor at Harvard University, wrote a book called A Sense of Urgency, in which he says:

“Complacency is much more common than we might think and very often invisible to the people involved. Success easily produces complacency. It does not even have to be recent success. An organization’s many years of prosperity could have ended a decade ago, and yet the complacency created by that prosperity can live on, often because the people involved don’t see it.”

One of Kotter’s main points is that complacency that comes from success is the enemy of progress. Of course, Kotter is writing to businesses, but churches fall into the same trap.

Churches often lose the urgent dependency on Jesus Christ when things are going well. They become content with their models, buildings, and other outward signs of success. They forget the sense of urgency that brought their fruitfulness.

Joel Comiskey

Myth: The Number 12 Has Special Significance in the Organization of Groups

Posted by Joel on March 31, 2012

The International Charismatic Mission in Bogota, Columbia exploded with growth in the 1990s and became a worldwide sensation. I wrote about their church in my book, Groups of Twelve: A New Way to Mobilize Leaders and Multiply Groups in Your Church. I later had to pull back my support for this church because of their fixation on the number twelve and their exclusivity in promoting their own model. Was ICM’s model based on the number twelve the secret to their success?

Truth: The Principles of Evangelism and Discipleship Make Cell Ministry Work

The International Charismatic Mission became effective by following certain principles rather than a particular number. One principle they perfected was seeing every person in the church as a potential leader—not only those with the gift of evangelism or the gift of leadership.

Since ICM saw the potential of cell leadership in every member, the logical step was to train each person to participate in cell ministry. Much of their training involved breaking bondages and liberating people from sins that held them back.

ICM also saw every leader as a potential supervisor and asked each parent cell leader to supervise the cells they birthed. Because supervisors were not appointed in the G12 model, each individual leader had more motivation to multiply cell groups.

Sadly, ICM fell into the trap of asking everyone to follow their entire model, rather than principles that could be adapted and adjusted according to context. They began to promote their entire model as being the only anointed one. They asked churches to adopt their model rather than adapting principles.

My advice is to adapt G12 principles rather than to adopt the G12 model.

Joel Comiskey

Myth: Following a Particular Model Will Bring Success

Posted by Joel on March 24, 2012

In this next series of blog posts, I’ll explain five myths / truths that have to do with cell church models versus principles. I elaborate these myths and truths more fully in my book, Myths and Truths of the Cell Church: Key Principles That Make or Break Cell Ministry (2011).

Myth: Following a Particular Model Will Bring Success

I consulted a church who followed the Groups of Twelve model, developed in Bogota, Colombia. I discovered that before jumping into the G12 camp, they were following Cho’s model, and before that they copied the Saddleback model. Now waving the G12 flag, they were trying very hard to copy the model exactly.

They even took trips to the International Charismatic Mission in Colombia and made similar pilgrimages to other famous G12 churches. They wanted to catch the anointing of these churches, so they could experience similar growth. In spite of their high expectations, their church did not grow.

As I talked to this pastoral team, it became clear they were neglecting basic cell fundamentals in the hope that the model would automatically produce growth. I noticed little flexibility and an unhealthy focus on outward structure that didn’t suit their culture, denomination, and background.

These pastors are not alone. Many pastors covertly or overtly believe that finding the right model will unlock their success. They might have heard the pastor of a growing cell church say something like, “All you have to do is follow what I’m doing and your church will grow.” You are then instructed to come back multiple times to learn the correct procedures. But is choosing and following a model the best way to proceed?

Truth: Apply Principles to Your Specific Situation

Many pastors just don’t understand that principles—not models—produce fruitfulness. The growing cell churches are innovative and break the molds. David Cho, for example, became convinced of the cell model on his death bed. He realized that Jethro’s advice to Moses in Exodus 18 applied to his own situation. He then read about the house churches in the book of Acts, and God gave him the vision to start home groups. He had to innovate and tweak his structure as he went forward because he was pioneering new ground. He followed the Spirit of God based on what he saw in scripture.

Principles take precedence over models. Principles allow for flexibility and apply to a wide range of situations. Models are culturally bound.

Models are inflexible and often require an exact set of circumstances to make them work. Principles apply to any denomination, culture, or situation.

In my study of cell churches around the world, I discovered several common patterns or principles:

Dependence on Jesus Christ through prayer.
Senior pastor and leadership team giving strong, visionary leadership to the cell ministry.
Cell ministry promoted as the backbone of the church.
Clear definition of a cell group (weekly, outside the church building, evangelistic, pastoral care/discipleship, clear goal of multiplication).

The above four are the most important, but I noticed other common principles in these growing cell churches as well (explained more fully in my book Reap the Harvest).

The principle approach allows for plenty of adaptation and innovation. In fact, I admire pastors who have adjusted their cell ministry to better fit their own context.

Rather than being the slave of someone else’s model, pastors should follow principles and become a fresh, vibrant example in their own context.

Joel Comiskey