Cells … where people meet together to DO LIFE!

Posted by Bill on July 4, 2011

Gay Speden

“If the leader of a church is effective, the people will follow“… and, the people are following the leading of Cells-church Consultants International!

I have had the pleasure and delight of being led into a leadership role in our church, shepherding a cell group (or Life-group, as our church calls them).

Cell groups have saved our church from being a heart for God to becoming a heart that “beats for God” – they are the heart-beat of our church! Cell groups are places where people meet together to “DO” life. It’s the best place where the masks we wear can come off … where people can be “real”… where people can share, laugh, cry, sigh, celebrate, commiserate, question, and encourage – find support and listening ears – to just be … with no strings attached; no expectations, and then to reach out to bless others.

Cell groups are places where God can be honoured, where “life” is intentional about journeying together. It’s the place where confidence is assured, compassion is evident, where everyone has a story to tell (and deserves to be heard). Cells are respectful of a person’s place in life and the Christian journey.

Cell groups are where tolerance is put into practise, alongside of forgiveness. It’s a place to GROW, REACH IN, and REACH OUT. Cells are about doing the “real stuff” of life that the rules, regulations, framework and business of church has lost somewhere along the lines.

Cells is what I always thought, believed, dreamed and longed for church to be … but only found it to be so after having had the privilege of doing CCI’s Small Groups Development training and putting it into practice (with the help of a tremendous support team). My only credentials are a deep love for the Lord, and a passion and longing to walk with others, being His hands, feet, ears and voice as I journey on.

The cell-church model is so easy to put into practice, and so effective. It involves all the group members as they choose to participate at their own pace, and empowers and enables them to grow and to reach out to others with the love of Christ.

All the hard work has been done by Cells-church Consultants … which leaves the “shepherd” free to feed, support and encourage their small flock. To seek out the lost and weak ones … to carry the hurting ones and guide the flock through the joys, delights, obstacles and frustrations of life takes TEAM effort (Together, Everyone, Achieves, More), for the individual, for the church, and for The Kingdom.

God must look down with a smile when He sees His kids in Cells – the life of His church on earth.

Gay Speden, Life-group Pastor
Helensvale Baptist Church

Graham is delighted with his Life-group!

Posted by Bill on April 1, 2011

I received the following testimony from a friend who leads a Life-Group at Helensvale Baptist Church, and wanted to share it with you…

I was chatting with one of our pastors today, and reflecting on my experience of Life-groups over the past couple of years at HBC. I shared how the group is such an encouragement to me, and the sense of enjoyment, nurture and fulfillment which makes Life-group now something to be anticipated each week.

As I looked back to several years ago, having led a group in our home for many years, I recalled the sense of fatigue and effort involved in leadership, and how it sometimes seemed that Wednesday nights came around too frequently! And how Ailsa and I often felt we were just “hanging out” for the holiday break!

What made the difference? Partly, I am sure, it is in having a great co-leader, so that Ailsa and I can often, over a cup of coffee, share with Geoff and Merilyn Tudor about our group’s life, and decisions which need to be made.

But I also think that the difference, in large part, is now due to the sharing of roles within the group, and the willingness of folk to participate in leadership of the meetings – and also the renewed emphasis on expressing our love for the Lord in worship, and on reaching out to others who don’t know Him yet.

So, thank you, Bill and Stu, for your teaching and training, and your encouragement!

Graham Denner

Thank you Graham and Ailsa – for your servant hearted leadership. You are a great example and encouragement to all of us!

From peanuts to plantations!

Posted by Bill on March 16, 2011

Recently, my dear friend Bob Brown shared news with me of a small group in his church that had multiplied to two groups. I wrote back to him and pressured him for a short testimony of this exciting development. He responded with surprise that what he had considered to be “peanut-sized” news would be worthy enough for broadcasting on our website. Friends, from the Lord’s perspective, plantations result from peanuts. Zechariah says, “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin … (Zechariah 4:10)”

Anyway, at the end, Bob came quietly like a lamb to the slaughter … here’s his story:

Hi Bill.

Thank you for praying for us. Last October after your visit to Central Queensland, we wrote asking for prayer support as we began the transition from a conservative older church to becoming a Cells Church. We are seeing God’s hand on us for good.

We have been praying for the ‘E’ emphasis of the LIFE acronym (Living In Fellowship to Evangelise) to impact our people and become a catalyst. We desire church growth to take place in new cell groups. Our small beginnings have moved from one to two groups and we are gaining momentum. That’s progress, huh?

For some weeks we have considered the full armour of God each Sunday morning, and some in the congregation have learnt the Ephesians passage off by heart. God is good!
There is an excitement among our people. They want to see God do great things among us.
We called an all-day prayer vigil last week, seeking God’s direction for future days and we rejoiced as people kept turning up at all hours to pray. God is good!
Some recent testimonies have been wonderful. We have been blessed with new attendees and we have contact with some Sudanese. Thank you, Lord!

Bill, your leadership and encouragement is greatly appreciated. Keep us on your radar. You are a great friend.

In Him.

Bob Brown and his wife Margaret are pastoring Bundaberg West Baptist Church in Queensland

Please pray for Bob and his church family to live and serve the Lord, believing that He can take them from their “peanut-sized” small beginnings and grow them into a flourishing plantation.

Bill

PS ~ click on the image at the top of this page to open a map to show you how to find Bob & Margaret’s church in Bundy!

Pastor Wes Jessop – Beachside Christian Church

Posted by Nick on July 1, 2010

Pastor Wes Jessop worked with Bill on a pastoral team in Australia in 1989, so after Bill and Beryl returned to Australia in 2008 Wes contacted him to help in the development of Beachside’s home groups. Bill was able to quickly identify a small groups champion (Jess Quak) from within Beachside to train, equip and coach. Two days per week consulting work with Beachside commenced in February 2009.

Jess Quak, together with other pastoral staff members joined together to facilitate Small Groups Development training with existing and new home group members. Feedback received from the pastoral staff and those who had undergone training underscored the discovery of many valuable small group principles contained in CCI’s Small Groups Development training program. Existing groups were strengthened and new groups were added. Although Bill’s “hands on” work with BCC ended in November 2009, he continues to follow-up the progress of Beachside’s home groups work.

Wes Jessop, former Senior Pastor and founder of Beachside says:

“Small groups are the backbone of any church. Without them ministry cannot expand effectively. Jesus’ model of selecting just 12 people to invest 3 years into is a shock to those of us who are hoping for big Sunday attendances. It underscores the fact that big numbers that last in the macro events are attained through excellence in the micro gatherings. Get this method right and both church and Kingdom expansion is inevitable.

If you want numerical growth with integrity you need to sit with Bill Joukhadar of Cell-church Consultants International. Bill has the clearest understanding, the most realistic strategy and a solid biblical method to get you there that you can find. He is a theorist, a practitioner and a trainer. His church in Cairo expanded in 8 years from 400 hundred people to over 4,000! He started with a handful of small groups and finished with over 400 groups, lead by people who Bill personally trained. I can’t imagine where you would find a more credentialed person than that!

At the beginning of 2009, our church, Beachside Christian Church, had the opportunity to hire Bill Joukhadar as a consultant to our small group ministry. We jumped at the chance because of his outstanding track record. Bill has coached our staff, and now, just six months down the track, the results are beginning to become evident. Our staff is performing efficiently, we have doubled the number of trained small group leaders and by the end of the first year of this transition we will have at least a 30% expansion in our total number of groups operating. These groups ministering to around a hundred new people.

I really would encourage you to take the time to hear Bill. He has got something to say that will bless and grow your people in the depth of their relationships with God. This will in turn overflow into effectiveness and success in your community. He is not teaching a new, fast growth fad but a solid, time tested, biblical method that produces fruit that will last.”

Wes & Jenny Jessop
Former Senior Pastor, Beachside Christian Church

John Bracht

Posted by Bill on May 5, 2010

I’ve finished reading the material on Small Groups Development. Who am I to comment on material lauded by Christians in Cyprus, Egypt, Nigeria, Finland etc! It’s first class and it obviously works, works in the sense that this is how the Lord meant His church and people to function and these are the time-honoured principles that bear good fruit in the Holy Spirit.

Something you said on page 5 of the “Small Groups Develeopment” booklet seems to sum it all up: “Small groups complements and completes the weekly large body worship celebration experience.” So many of the listed points – and I marked a fair selection of them – are applicable to congregational life in general and the emphasis on lay-ministry, leadership and body life/relationships is spot on.

The “Small Group Development” booklet is excellent. Many of its points reiterate the best principles of church growth and body-life, proven, God-honouring, Spirit-blessed principles. I loved that stuff on page 46 about “everyone having potential – so what’s your excuse?” I’ve taken a similar approach in some sermons I’ve preached on “earthly spirituality.” I think the more we are confronted with principles of group-dynamics and individual characteristics such as those outlined on page 48, the more we can be open and constructive and blend together in love in what is often described superficially as “Christian fellowship.”

My new work at North Canberra Baptist (Australia) will be very modest at the beginning, but many of these principles can be put into practice right from the beginning as a guarantee that the kind of new congregation we will be growing, will be “healthy” and “full of love.”

Thanks again for your ministry and thanks to God for the fruits of that ministry already experienced overseas. May God continue to bless that ministry here in Australia.

John Bracht

John is the Pastor of North Canberra Baptist Church in Australia