Answer:
- Understanding the Preparation Phase
The preparation phase as the term implies is simply how do we prepare a Church for transitioning to a Cell Church, or how do we prepare an unchurched environment for a newly planted Cell Church. The first principles that you should be aware of is:
- Learn by hands on experience The Pastor and other key movers must experience Cell life and Cell leadership firsthand in this phase. The core group has to understand and own the vision to be able to passionately and knowledgeably communicate this with others. It is no use preaching and teaching something that you are not familiar with. This is also the reason why a Senior Pastor has to be involved initially in operating a Home Cell. He needs to acquire the understanding of Cell Life, otherwise he will have no understanding of what his leadership and Church is going to go through in the future.
- Gain the understanding and ownership of the key players in the Church. In this phase you will be sharing the vision with more than the staff and core leaders. Other important people must be exposed to the Biblical basis and practical vision of the Cell model.
- The Preparation Phase in an Existing Church that is going to transition to a Cell Church.
Seek God first in Prayer
Before someone in a traditional type Church Structure attempts to bring change into an existing structure, there should be a very clear call from God about this matter. It is not simply a case where someone is frustrated with a system or with a certain group. Negative reasons for causing a change will not have Gods blessings.
The person seeking to change an existing structure must devote 5 YEARS to the task. There is a price to pay for moving towards a Cell Structure and unless we get the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, then we labour in vain.
Ask Hard Questions.
Is it really possible for this particular group of people to change? Should I attempt this? There are thousands of Churches that should simply be left alone. They are unable to change and the attempt to change is futile. People gain their personal significance from their positions and power bases. To change their structure is to threaten their self worth and self esteem. Unless a spiritual explosion takes place in their lives, they wont change. Its always something to be prayed over until the Lord provides the answer: should the committed live in frustration because of the traditionalists who hinder the ministry or should the uncommitted face a new future apart from them? If you are a Church staff member or a Church member, you should not attempt to change your Church. If the Pastor is not going to endorse what you are planning to do, you will be in rebellion. It would be much better to move on.
If youre the Senior Man - Start a Cell Group Yourself
Remember the old proverb "Monkey see, Monkey do". The members will only do what they see their leader doing. If the leader starts a Cell group (it does not matter what the structure is), the members of the Church will see the example of what a healthy Cell should be like. They will in turn imitate the model Cell of the Leader.
Select Key Persons to Help You Launch Your Own Group.
In your Church select three or four people who are prepared to change. These people should also have a strong relationship with you. Let them experience the process from the start. Involve them in the equipping process, let them evangelise with you, let them plan with you. These people will become your core leadership in the future, so it helps to select them prayerfully.
Preach Messages that Teach About Cell Life.
Provide a solid biblical background for the Cell Church. Use illustrations and testimonies taken from your own group or other Cell Churches. Dig out messages that help the members realise kingdom life is much more than just surviving in this world. Carefully start teaching them about the proper use of Spiritual Gifts and strongholds and their lives in relation to the lost world about them. Keep on preaching these truths until they have really accepted it in their hearts.
Introduce the Change First to a Group, Not the Church.
Whenever possible, introduce the change first to part of the Church like the leadership or the intercessory prayer group before you inform the whole Church. Indicate to this group that they are going to be part of an experiment. This will generate a lot of excitement for those involved and it relieves the threat to the rest of the Church.
Consider the Loss of Members, Which Will Occur.
Who will be influenced by the change? Some people are going to lose authority or responsibility because programs and departments that are not vision supportive will have to close. Familiar patterns will be changed and this means that there will be an element of conflict. All change is experienced as a loss, but people will accept the changes if what they gain is better than what they lose. All the willing leaders can be re-deployed in the structure by making them Cell group leaders.
- The Preparation Phase when Planting a Cell Church?
Form a Leadership Cell
In order to start a Cell Church the first aspect would be to bond the leadership team. There must be a clear vision about what is to take place, and a deep commitment to do whatever is needed to make it happen. There must be no question about everyones calling to the task. The goal is to start all the aspects of a Cell group Church. All members should become familiar with the lifestyle of a Cell Group. The leadership group forms to provide itself with on the job training. It performs all the ministries and goes through the entire equipping track, which will be used in training future Cell Leaders. Every person in the leadership group should lead someone to Christ and model reaching out to the lost. Remember values do not change by teaching but by exposure to new experiences. The team should follow the following guidelines for their initial times together:
- Focus on Gods vision for the work.
- Develop an initial strategy.
- Discover how to exercise gifts for edifying each other.
- Be accountable to each other.
- Target geographic neighborhoods.
- Target special groups to be reached.
- Form the first generation of Cell Groups.
- Identify, enlist and train the first leaders.
Get the first converts into Cell Groups
Once the leadership group has developed and set a pattern of outreach to the lost, then these converts must be put into Cell groups. Later, these equipped converts will start their own Cell groups. The Leadership Cell will start overseeing the new Cell groups. During the first stage the Leadership are prayerfully evaluating the new leaders.
Wait before you Start Celebration Services.
The main emphasis is to first establish the Cells before you start Celebration services. People come to Celebrations to be inspired, and studies indicate that if Celebration services are started too soon then the people get trapped in the traditional way of having Church. We recommend that you only start celebration type services when you have at least 50 people to participate. When you finally create a public service you want to build life into the Cells and not attract people who are not interested in joining Cells. At the very start of your new work, you can meet as a small group on Sunday mornings to pray, to build up one another and to reach out.
Dont build your Church with other Churches people.
Avoid the temptation to grow by using frustrated members from other Churches. People who attend your Cells that are from other Churches, let them attend for at least 3 months before you accept them as members.
Help Christians Relate to Unbelievers
Changing values and attitudes is a slow and painful task, but it is much easier when youre in a Cell with a desire to reach out. Making contacts is not difficult but it will require a new way of using your time. Friends require the investment of hours spent together. How many of your leadership team has personally brought at least another person to Christ? Let the more successful ones show the others how they reach out.
- Changing the Value Systems.
Realize that all the "Cell models" involves a lot more than Cells. More important than the structures are the values. There are very critical value areas to look at in the life of the Cell Church. Unless the Church adopts the correct values then the Cell Church will not survive. These values are to be present in the existing leadership priorities for ministry and family, values of sacrifice and community must be present. These values will help model Christianity before the new generation of Cell leaders. These values will help build your congregation to achieve higher standards of living and will renew the whole Christlike culture of living in.
Choose the correct Cell system for you setting.
Gather as much information about the different methods of operating cells around the world. Look for Cell Churches in your country that are having success. It is critically important that you match the correct system with your environment. This takes a lot of prayer etc. You do not have the luxury of changing to a different system in a hurry. You will if you decide to do that, have to transition again. Your people will also be more reluctant the next time, because did you not hear from God the first time? This is the main reason why you prayerfully have to decide on the correct system.
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