We have a plan!

Posted by Bill on October 20, 2012

In any construction enterprise a detailed ‘plan’ is critical to the work being accomplished as intended (especially if the project is complex and even more if more than one person is engaged in the work).

At Cells-church Consultants International (CCI), we have a biblical plan that guides Kingdom builders in the development of small groups in every evangelical church, anywhere in the world. This plan is a proven plan – founded upon the Great Commandment (Matt. 22:36-40) and the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20). This plan inspires and enables small group members to live and strive harmoniously together with a desire to achieve a common objective of building satisfying community, servant-hearted leaders, and the Kingdom of God.

This plan emphasises the need for Christian believers to keep in balance four spiritual growth dimensions: Upward, Outward, Inward, and Forward. In the following weeks, each of these growth dimensions will be expanded in more detail. Yes, we have a plan … and, it works!

Complement and Complete!

Posted by Bill on October 6, 2012

The ‘Sunday church experience’ in any church cannot go far enough for believers to receive from the Lord “all” He has prepared for their nurture and discipleship development. While the Sunday church experience may be sincerely approached, it cannot take believers to a satisfying and meaningful depth of meaningful ‘church life’.

Heartfelt involvement in small groups complements and completes our Sunday church-celebration experience. And, equal commitment to both of these Christian life-events makes it possible for each of us to receive “everything” the Lord has for us.

Small groups complement and complete the Sunday church-celebration experience!

Doing LIFE together!

Posted by Bill on September 29, 2012

Small groups are groups of 5-12 people (believers, with or without un-churched friends), who meet in homes and other places each week for the purpose of “doing LIFE together”. (LIFE is an acronym for Living In Fellowship to Evangelise.)

In the context of mutual acceptance and love, healthy small groups aim at providing safe and intimate environments whereby strangers can become friends, and friends can become family. In this ideal setting, believers can discover, use, and develop their gifts, enabling their church to grow in health, strength, and love (Ephesians 4:16).

I believe, as a consequence of healthy, growing, and full of love small groups, our un-churched friends will be attracted to the church, and will, in time, taste the goodness and grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ – resulting in their salvation! Friends, we were created to do life together.

Oikos Transformation

Posted by Bill on September 22, 2012

A key factor in the incredible growth of the early church was the transformation of the traditional oikos structure (extended household). As it was, this ancient structure was far from the original design God had blueprinted for individual and community well-being, peace, and harmony. Indeed, the Holy Spirit had much work to do in transforming this defective structure.

The gospel message proclaimed a new family of God in which the members are all children of God and “brothers” in relationship with one another. Accepting one another in love implied a new way of relating to one another that was in tension with the conventional ethos of the ancient oikos. Radical changes needed to be made in human thinking … changes that would see slaves become brothers with their masters; husbands and wives submitting to one another, and loving each other in a new way; embracing racial and gender equality as a norm for new living; the unprecedented sharing of property and possessions; and an unconditional acceptance of one another that was based solely upon a personal belonging to Jesus Christ. Forgiveness within the oikos structure was now possible!

Praise the Lord, this oikos transformation phenomenon continues to take place today in the form of healthy cell groups. Functioning as love-gymnasiums, the cell is the ideal context where believers practice brotherly love on each other before exercising this love with un-churched family members and friends. The rate of oikos transformation is linked to the extent of brotherly love that is practiced on each other. As the practice this love increases, the transformation of our oikos increases. Although the Lord has accepted us ‘as we are’, He loves us too much to leave us as we are … transformation (sanctification) is the next phase in His salvation plan for our lives. The Father wants to make us like His Son in every way (Romans 8:29).

Would you like to see your Oikos transform a little more? It’s up to you. Don’t stand in the Lord’s way of transforming you a little more.

Healthy, growing and full of love!

Posted by Bill on

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).