Hindrances to Oikos Expansion

Posted by Bill on October 13, 2012

A healthy Oikos (cell/small group) is an expanding Oikos. For those who are passionate about seeing their Oikos expand, it’s important to navigate around the many hindrances that stand in the way of expansion success. Satan does not want to see your Oikos survive, and thrive. He will do everything in his power to fail you in this endeavor. However, we are advantaged … in Christ we have the victory!

Here are a few of the many hindrances you, or others in your Oikos, may encounter along the way:

Not having a close walk with the Lord is a mega-hindrance … attend to this right now!
Not having a target group of close relationships (un-churched family, friends, and associates)
Not praying constantly for these people (remember, without prayer you will not succeed!)
Distracted and caught up in the busy-ness of every-day life
Failing to see the need to build genuine, long term, loving relationship with un-churched friends (like Jesus, become a ‘friend of sinners’)
Fear of rejection when you share the good news about Jesus
Believing that …
- “I don’t know enough” of the Bible (If you belong to Jesus, you know enough!)
- “I’m not the type” (Moses was slow in speech, Jeremiah was too young)
- “I’m not good enough” (that’s ok … just have a firm belief that the Lord is good enough)
- “I’ll be rejected” (yes, that may well happen – it happened to Jesus, and His disciples)
- “There are no obvious results” (evangelizing is your business – results is God’s business!)

Whatever is standing in your way; get sound, godly counsel … then navigate around your hindrance as soon as possible. An expanding Oikos is a blessed Oikos.

Coaching Connection – Prayer

Posted by Bill on September 29, 2012

Here’s a powerful prayer to use on a regular basis. It’s a good ‘all-rounder’ that will keep you on track with the Lord.

Teach me, O Lord, to follow every one of your principles.

Give me understanding and I will obey your law; I will put it into practice with all my heart.

Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found.

Give me an eagerness for your decrees; do not inflict me with love for money!

Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word.

Reassure me of your promise, which is for those who honor you.

Help me abandon my shameful ways; your laws are all I want in life.

I long to obey your commandments! Renew my life with your goodness (Psalm 119:33-40).

It doesn’t matter if you can’t discern ‘what’ the Lord is doing in your life at a particular time.

As His reputation with us is perfect, trust Him!
Trusting Him when we can’t ‘see’ is faith.
Faith is what enables you to move forward with Him.

Healthy, growing and full of love!

Posted by Bill on September 22, 2012

Small groups are not new.

They’ve been around in one version or another since the first followers of Jesus Christ. For Jesus’ disciples, meeting in homes was an integral part of ‘every day’ church life.

Today, a number of churches are experiencing amazing growth in spiritual health, maturity and size, because, besides the weekend services, their members are also meeting together in small groups to worship God, share Scripture, share life with one another, and reach out to un-churched friends through practical expressions of love.

If your church is serious about wanting to see explosive growth taking place in the lives of the members then the development of healthy small groups is the best way to grow.

Small groups are ideal contexts for building authentic community, godly servant-hearted leaders, and through which the Kingdom of God may be expanded. Therefore, our desire should be to establish expanding networks of small groups in the life of our church that will effectively … Equip God’s people to do His work, and build up the church … so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love (Ephesians 4:12,16).

Investing in Liberia 3

Posted by Bill on May 12, 2012

Pastor Elijah Samuel

This concluding part of Elijah’s report begs your patience – it’s lengthy. Your patience in reading this report, however, will be greatly rewarded. Elijah testifies of God’s generosity, grace, and power at work in the lives of His people at Christ Harvest Miracle Ministry church in Monrovia. He says …

Revival Power!

The evening revival meeting on the first day began with a low turnout. However, the second day saw an encouraging number of attendees. We recorded some healings in the house and nine people, mostly youths, gave their lives to Jesus. On the third night of the revival, the people gave their finance to the work of ministry. I asked the pastor to use this money to help fund the purchase of sound equipment for the church (they don’t have their own sound equipment).

Testimonies

The following is a selection of the large number of testimonies received on the fourth and fifth day of the small groups development conference. I hope you will find them inspiring:

Your teaching is very fantastic. I like nearly everything about your teaching, especially how participatory it was. I truly learnt a lot; real understanding about the Great Commandment and Great Commission, the ice breaker session was real and educative. You did with lots of illustrations, pictures, and diagrams. This helped me get the real concept of cell-based church.
Brother Roosevelt M. Washington (Christ Harvest Miracle Ministry).

Through the years in ministry, I have been trying the cells church principles on my own without detailed understanding of how properly these principles work. But this cell church conference has opened my eyes to see and understand these principles. Through your teachings, my understanding has been enlightened, I will surely implement these principles for church growth through multiplication.
Jayston Tonnelle (Senior Pastor, Christ Harvest Miracle Ministry).

I am now made to understand NOT to be afraid to invest in anyone in the church. If any member decides to go away, he/she is at liberty to do so. The people, the church, or the work itself is not ours BUT the Lord’s. And that we are only co-labourers. We are all fishing for the same Master; we should fish, though from the same river, but not from other people`s net/boat.
Mother Angeline Eyedo (Life Line Ministry).

Learning of cell method of growing the church will not only help in the numerical growth of the church but also in delegating responsibility to other members in the church. It also pointed out the weakness in our local church; as love is not seen and felt the way it should. So, I now have a better understanding; that growth is not only in number (quantity) but how well they are disciples in love (quality).
Pastor ED Eyedo (Senior Pastor, Life Line Ministry).

The strategies for soul winning are very unique and sensitive for multiplication of the church of Jesus. I like to recommend that Cells-Church Consultants should take this teaching to the whole world, to win the lost at all cost.
Pastor Jonathan Tukar (New Creation Int`l Church).

This training has stirred my spirit to do more for God and has given me a broader picture on the importance of evangelism. I did not know that evangelism goes beyond just telling people … “God loves you”. I thank God for Cells-church Consultants and Pastor Elijah who left his family in Nigeria to come to teach us in Liberia. May God also bless the vision bearer of Cells-church Consultants International.
William Kollie (Faith Empowerment Outreach Ministries).

This has given me such a great insight that I have longed for over the years. Indeed this is God`s answer to my prayers and His way of meeting the deepest need of my country, my church, and me. This was really an enrichment for me, especially the method (illustration) used for the presentation.
Pastor Barromi G Davis, Sr. (Christ Witness Mission).

I believe what you have taught will help us and when you return next time you would be proud of the fruit of your labour. This few days of learning is equalled to a year of education. I would not afford to miss this great teaching. It will be a true help to our churches here, thanks. I pray that you would not forget us. You should not stop at this point BUT come many times over.
Sister Jessica Robert.

I like to suggest that the training must not only be at one location. Let zones be set up in other parts of the city as well as outside the capital and counties/states. Lastly, establish a Liberia base of this vision by selecting a targeted number of willing pastors that you will give some intensive training in a given period of time here or aboard who will afterwards take the training to places in Liberia that you alone will not reach in the next 5 years.
Apostle Samuel Elijah Goodridge (General Overseer: Divine Love Resurrection Word Outreach Min International).

The lesson being taught these five days is a wakeup call to the Body of Christ to rise up to the task of soul winning. The teaching has been strategic to church growth. We dearly need this kind of approach every year; if not every month. I actually believe you came to change our worldview on house fellowship and crusade/evangelism. I understand that all these do not work outside of love. Love is the key to make it work. I humbly recommend that you will discuss your return with your office to continue being a blessing to the church on this side of the world. The church of Liberia needs your prayers in her post war land to open the minds of the members for sincere service to Christ. If you wouldn’t mind sir, we would like you to pray about how you could elect/appoint some regional heads who could plan meetings and invite you to facilitate. We believe this will help to speedily enhance your ministry; bring growth that would introduce your ministry to the nations. Finally I appreciate you and the ministry that sent you.
Rich Coopers (Associate Pastor: Christ Harvest Miracle Ministry).

Conclusion

I like to affirm that God was faithful in this trip. The conference was well attended and the good news and principles of small group was well embraced. I saw no deception in their attitudes; the testimonies shared were genuine from their hearts. The people did not show any signs of being hungry for ‘natural’ food – they were hungry on getting knowledge on how to move their work forward. Their hunger and excitement was visibly written on their faces. And exuded joy like a man who found a new treasure, and with hope now fanned into flame, ready to carry out what they have learned. I am convinced, there is going to be great harvest from this meeting. (Elijah.)

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Friends, it’s been a long time since I’ve sampled such inspiring testimonies. God’s servant, Elijah, is truly deserving of the divine commendation … “Well done, good and faithful servant!” Friends, CCIs investment in Liberia has only just begun. Lord willing, Elijah will return to continue CCIs investment in Liberia. May the Lord use Pastor Jayston’s church to ignite a spiritual blaze throughout all of Africa!

Bill

STOP PRESS! News just received from Liberia (received by Elijah on Wednesday, 2^nd May) … “Dear Pastor Sam, how you and the family are. Hope it is well. I write to inform you that my church have started with 3 cell groups and they are doing very well. Pastor, everybody here is doing great, even my daddy and the church. Thanks,” Teta Eyedo (Life Line Ministries).

“Great truths” from Warsaw

Posted by Bill on April 28, 2012

Small Groups at Christian Fellowship North in Warsaw Iza is the Small Groups Director of the Christian Fellowship North Church in Warsaw, Poland. I’ve had the privilege of visiting the church on five occasions, since 2004. My visits were to share with them CCI’s Church Plan, and Principles that undergird the formation and development of healthy small groups, and to identify a small groups champion among their membership. Iza is a humble, sincere, faithful, and teachable leader. The Lord is doing amazing things in her church through her sacrificial service to Him. Here is a recent testimony I received from her …

We had a meeting with our small group leaders on Saturday. It was a great time. First, we shared testimonies from our small groups: how they are growing, how people are becoming more spiritually mature, how your visit and your Small Groups Development material has helped our groups. People shared many wonderful thoughts and experiences. One leader encouraged other leaders to use the SGD material. I was very glad!

After some training with a few small groups, people started encouraging each others, not only me! That’s what I really wanted to see happen.
Later we had a prayer time, and coffee and cakes of course. Bill, we are building strong ties. Now we are planning a one day trip for our small group leaders. I was surprised to hear that most leaders want to go! We’ll go on the 20^th of April. We’ll have many activities, rest and just be together.

Here’s a few statistics:

We have ten small groups. It’s not a large number but I know that we have strong groups, and leaders who are sure that small groups work. .
After Easter we’ll start training three or four groups.
At the end July, we will contact all small groups by your support tools. Besides, now we have one group that is multiplying. A new leader – Ewa! We hope Ewa will start in May with her new group.
There are about two or three groups that have many members. They are planning to multiply in September.
We have three coaches. We have another coach but he needs time to give us an answer. We don’t push, just wait and pray. But we hope that he’ll be a coach before the end of this season. Every group leader has their own coach.

In summary: At the end of this season we hope that every small groups will undergo SGD. We will have four coaches. We will have one group multiplying, and maybe two groups will be ready to think about multiplying. Bill, I think these are a great statistics! Just a one year ago we didn’t know if our groups would stay alive. And now we think about multiplying more frequently.