There is a world of difference between a cell church and the traditional approach to small groups.

Biblically speaking, cells are not just one programme of the church. Rather, they are the fundamental means by which 'church' happens. That is, they are the way of nurturing, training and mobilizing the members of Christ's body. For this reason they are the principal component of a truly New Testament church.

 

 A New Testament approach to church

The apostles of the New Testament could never have achieved what they did without a cell church vision. For example, in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost, 3,000 people were added to the church. They were all baptized in water and they all continued steadfast in the faith. They were all taught in the apostles' doctrine. They were all faithful in prayer, witness and were all a committed part of the fellowship. This is a far cry from today's situation were up to 93% of those who make a commitment to Christ fall away from it, and only 30% of those who get as far as some form of church involvement actually persevere in Church life.

 

There are many reasons for the success of the early church but without a doubt one of the most significant of these in the Jerusalem church was their cell emphasis.

 

"So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart..." (Acts 2:46)

 

As well as the large meetings in the Temple courts, they met regularly in one another's homes. These were not just house meetings or home fellowship groups as found in the traditional approach to small groups today. They were cells - that is, micro churches - doing everything that a church should do. They witnessed, they evangelized, they fellowshipped, they prayed, they nurtured and they cared for the poor - all in the cells. Nothing else adequately explains their effectiveness in making disciples and their experience of explosive growth. The church in miniature

 

This concept of the cell group has absolutely nothing in common with the traditional approach to house groups in many churches today. Home fellowship groups, prayer groups, special interest groups, Bible Study groups may all have something to offer, but they are not cells groups. What is a cell group then? David Finnell, in his book 'Life in His Body' says cells are 'the organizing of the body of believers in small groups for the purpose of worship, experiencing God, ministering to one another, and ministering to and evangelizing the community." In short, cells do everything that 'church' does, only in miniature. This means that the cell is the primary expression of 'church' where the real work of the church goes on.

 

Cell church or traditional church?

This leads to a number of significant differences between a cell church and a traditional church. A traditional church is programme centered, but a cell church is people centered. A traditional church is built on the strength of its magnificent programmes. If you have bigger and better programmes then you have a bigger and better church! But the church is not programmes; it is people. This people-centered approach can only be consistently sustained in a church where the central thrust of its ministry is reaching people who primarily relate in the small group setting and not just in the big services.

 

A traditional church is building centered. Usually, this is where it all happens. The size, location and architecture of the church building then determines the activity of the church. People assume that once the meeting is over and the building is vacated, that church is over for another week. But in a cell church that cannot happen. Because the main work of the church is undertaken by the members in their cells, the cell church is community centered, not building centered. The central services are a celebration of what God has done throughout the week and a preparation for more of the same in the coming week.

 

The traditional church sends the signal to one and all, "Come!" But the cell church's message is, "Go!" The traditional church's model of ministry calls for a passive response, "Listen", and the cell church's clarion call is, "Do!" It has an active model of ministry. The people are empowered to do the ministry of Christ.

 

All this implies a radical change of thinking. Churches must learn the power of cell life in the body of Christ. The Model of 12 cannot work without a cell church vision. This is the only way we can successfully mobilize the membership to do the work of Christ and truly function as part of His body.