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Selected Question:
How long does it take before the Cells really develop lasting relationships and begin to reach out to the community? |
Answer:
Answered by Little Falls Christian Centre
Let us start with a theoretical answer, if everything in a Cell is working according to plan. It starts with looking at the life cycle of a typical Home Cell.
The following table outlines the usual Macro-Life cycle of a Cell. The Macro-Life cycle of a Cell is the period from multiplication from the mother Cell to multiplication of the new Cell.
| Stage | Description | | The Learning Stage | This stage is where the members focus on the idea of a Cell. It usually takes about three weeks for relationships to form. The members make decisions if they belong in the Cell and what purpose they are going to fulfill. They also begin discovering each others strengths and weaknesses and make critical decisions about trusting each other. The success of the Cell is often already determined during this stage. The Cell members still have masks during this stage. Masks are basically things that prevent the members from revealing their true selves. | | The Loving Stage | All members evaluate the Cell in terms of its effectiveness during this stage. As they discover each other, they begin to have differences of opinion, and find things that they dislike in each other. If the Cell members cannot overcome these difficulties then the Cell will become dysfunctional and will not grow. | | The Linking stage | This is when the Cell members have overcome their differences and find ways to work together. They now operate in greater unity and have the freedom to be themselves without fear of rejection. This is the stage that they can be encouraged to start focussing outwards instead of inwards. They begin to reach out to other people outside of the Cell. | | The Launching stage | This stage is when the Cell members start seeing the bigger picture and the growth of the Kingdom of God. They look beyond themselves to the dying world. They desire to have others share in their Cell experiences and begin inviting others to the Cell. | | The Leaving stage | This is when the Cell has reached maturity and enough members to give birth to a new Cell and Leader. This is an exciting time when the Cell has gone through a life cycle and is ready to replicate itself. |
From this you will be able to see that a Cell theoretically begins to reach the point of developing healthy relationships and begin to reach out to the community when they reach the LAUNCHING stage. THIS TAKES A NORMAL CELL ABOUT 6 MONTHS if they are a healthy Cell.
What is a healthy Cell?
- Sharing of lives - The main characteristic of a healthy Cell is the spontaneous sharing of lives. This is not merely friendship but rather when the people in the Cell trust each other enough to be able to share concerns feelings, problems and fears. This is a strong bond that you normally experience among family members. This can occur when people are stretched to help each other and become accountable for one anothers well being. A good sign that this is being achieved is when the C.M.s (Cell Members) open up about their struggles or areas where they are being stretched. The C.M.s without any encourgment from the C.L. (Cell Leader) generate social outings. The C.M.s contact each other regularly and there is friendship outside the Cell meeting.
- Regular Outside meetings - Healthy Cells have regular meetings. Meetings should be such a joy that members want to meet at every possible opportunity for example hospital visitations, after the Sunday services, going out together, picnics etc.
- Leadership development - as we have learnt, that if we want to multiply the Church then we must multiply leadership. We are also not just talking about the Encounter weekends, we are talking about the environment in the Cell where everyone is viewed as a potential leader. The Cell must be a place where each member is eager to grow and are given opportunities to develop their leadership potential. The best way to know if the Cell is healthy, is when new members are eager to join the equipping process because of influences in the Cell.
- Active outreach - There needs to be an attitude in the Cell which causes members to be active in reaching out to unbelievers and where they are constantly looking for ways to reach out to the lost. When someone gets saved in the Cell, it always generates a lot of enthusiasm.
- Participation in the Church Celebrations - Healthy Cells generate excitement about the Church Celebrations. If C.M.s are not attending Church regularly then they are getting an unbalanced diet. The Cells must focus on getting their members to attend the Church celebrations of which the Cell is to be an extension. The Word that goes out on Sundays is applied in the cell meetings.
This explanation should answer your question - as soon as these characteristics are demonstrated in a cell, that are how long it takes. We have seen from experience, that some Home Cells reach this point very quickly (a month) other Cells havent reached this point within two years. Each has to be dealt with in its own way.
A Church is a full on healthy Cell Church, when at least 120 members are actively involved in healthy Cells of this nature. We term this group of people a BASE CONGREGATION.
General Questions regarding the Health of a Cell?
So how do you determine the health of a Cell? Besides the monitoring of a Cell when you do Cell Visitations (this is dealt with later in the manual).
Ask yourself the following questions:
- What is the mood (attitude) of the people? Is there a mood killer or a motivator in the Cell?
- Which stage of the Cell's life cycle is the group at? (See E4 Cell Leader Manual)
- Is the group healthy? If not? Why not? What's missing?
- What are the strengths of the group?
- What are the weaknesses of the group?
- What can I do to make the cell more interesting and cause Cell growth?
Strategy to move from Learning to Loving Stage
The focus is on building relationships
How? - Put emphasis on a goal all the time e.g. our goal at this stage is to build relationships in the Cell. How do you think we can do this?
- Provide a time of History Giving talking about the past. This will create things that the rest of the members can associate with.
- Have lots of recreation activities play tennis, badminton, jog anything.
- Encourage members to phone and contact each other outside of Cell meetings.
- Have lots of active and rowdy ice breakers
- Go for meals together.
- Do things like hospital visits, attending services, equipping classes together etc.
- Plan outings like school holidays; birthdays, walkathons etc.
Strategy to move from the Loving to Linking stage
The focus is on bonding relationships
How? - Have a cell covenant, plan the rules and the goals of the home cell together.
- Develop an accountability or buddy system where the members take ownership and responsibility for each other.
- Keep doing things together.
- Help members work through conflicts, dont play them down or ignore them.
- Focus on the worship section of the Cell meetings
- Try group decision making processes, but have the leader start demonstrating more authority.
Strategy to move from Linking to Launching stage
The focus is on getting Relationships to Work together - Provide opportunities for deliberate outreach
- Acts of kindness
- Community prayerwalks
- Evangelistic socials
- Encouraging everyone to be equipped,
- Hospital visitations
Strategy to move from Linking to Leaving stage - Prepare the Cell for multiplication.
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