The Cell Church

The Nature of Church as Replicating Faith Community

S. J. Earl P. Canlas

1. Cell as the Nature of Living Entities

Cells are the smallest unit of living entities.

Cells are nurtured to grow.

Cells grow and form multiples as parts of a bigger body.

Church as cell and body replicates as part of its life.

Church as cell is a life system of nurture, growth, interaction, transformation and in a replicating faith community. Otherwise it is not a living cell.

2. Between Cell Church & Other Christian Group Formations

Small group ministries involving at least 7 – 12 (and up to 16 max.) members plus a leader may take the form of a weekly gathering for Bible study, fellowship, prayer

and mutual covenant faith group. These meetings occur on days other than Sundays.

Other “micro church” formation models include the extension church, the house church, even the “visiting team and host family” process – all of which are connected to a local church and its ministries. These meet more probably also on Sundays at venues other than the local church.

Whatever organizational pattern is followed from the

above models, a cell-model ministry may only be defined with:

(a) Regularity of group meetings at least weekly,

(b) Sense and practice of priesthood of all believers,

(c) Continuous leadership and leadership formation

from among cell members,

(d) “Replication” of groups, and

(e) Continuing progress in the “faith-heritage”

cycle.

The distinction between cell ministry in the church

and the cell-model church is reached when every

member of the church accepts the priority of being

part of (at least) one cell group as inseparable part

of church life.

• As in the small group/class of early Methodism,

some new churches or Christian fellowships require

cell group membership as part of the discipline and

requirement of legitimate church membership.

• Today, class/cell ministry is but an optional part of

life and membership in the local churches of the

UMC, unlike during John Wesley's time.

3. Faith-Heritage Process & the Leader-Member Cycle

• Everyone starts as a receiver in the “faith-heritage” process.

• This can happen between teacher and class, parent and children, pastor and church members, or leader and group, etc.

• The faith-heritage process needed for cell ministry can

be briefly shown in the diagram as follows:

• The initial

interactive

process

between

source (A1)

and the

receiver (A)

is the most

basic

relationship

in the

process of

discipleship.

• (A1) persons (leader, pastor,

teacher) are “basic” personal

factors in the faith-heritage process.

• The continuity of (A1)'s roles are indispensable to the basic discipleship interaction and to the sustainability of cell-type ministry.

• The A1 person is a “push” factor in the faith-heritage process into full cycle by (eg. assuming leadership of a new cell).

• Stages (A) to (E) are internal or personal progression of the receiver in the discipleship process. This is the intended “full transformation” process needed for cell-type ministries.

• The (E) to (A1) stage is the

“outgoing” or “sending” process for the former (A) person. The receiver becomes an (A1) person, a sharer and leader in the

official sense of coordinating a new cell of church members.

• The (E) to (A1) stage requires a formal training session and an on-the-job process of assuming leadership.

• The (E) to (A1) stage is completed when

cell membership is appropriated into 2 or 3 cell divisions depending on the number of new leaders and the current cell size (between 14 to 16)

Definitively a cell church system presupposes a life system of nurture, growth, sharing inter-relationships, living witness, and propagation of members, leaders and cell groups. Anything short of this is not a cell church system.

4. The Cell &

the Larger Body & Community

The cell is a life system of itself but it is also part of a larger life system and larger community. The same is true for the cell group or cell church. The cell group grows the parts of the cell church. The cell church in turn takes part in the many other functions of the larger church system and the larger community.

Original full text format by: Lynn basan

Editted Layout by:

Benin Clarion Canlas

Layout of Faith-heritage process by: Lynn Basan