by Joel Comiskey

Foreword ................................................ 7
Preface .................................................. 9

Introduction ............................................. 11

Chapter 1: Successful Cell-Based Churches ................15

Chapter 2: Cell Church Basics ............................17

Chapter 3: Relax! You Don't Need To Be A Superstar ........29

Chapter 4: Pray! ........................................33

Chapter 5: Set Goals ....................................45

Chapter 6: Raise Up New Leaders ........................53

Chapter 7: Attract Visitors ...............................69

Chapter 8: Reach Out As A Team .........................79

Chapter 9: Evangelize By Meeting Needs ..................91

Chapter 10: Prepare For A Smooth Delivery ................95

Chapter 11: Understand Cell Planting .....................105

Chapter 12: Understand Mother-Daughter Multiplication ...121

Chapter 13: A Parable ...................................131

Appendix A ............................................135

Notes ..................................................139
Study Guide ...........................................147

Index ..................................................175

his is a book for the harvest.

We are now living in the midst of the greatest harvest of

souls that Christian history has ever recorded. More people are
being born again and more churches are being multiplied than
anyone could have imagined only a few years ago.

That's the good news. The bad news is that much of the
fruit being harvested is not fruit that remains. While we rightly
rejoice over the current expansion of the kingdom of God,
those in the know realize that it should be expanding even more
than it actually is.

Why is it, for example, that city-wide evangelistic

campaigns, which continue to be popular decade after decade,
find so few of their converts in local churches one year later?
The norm has been that of those individuals who make first-
time decisions for Christ at the campaign, the number who end
up in local churches runs between 3 percent and 16 percent. No
one I know, including the evangelists themselves, is happy
with those figures.
 Moreover, many churches that have strong evangelistic
ministries and that do see considerable numbers of new
converts coming into their churches also have wide open back
doors. The annual growth of their church does not reflect the
inflow of new members as it should.

The situations I have just described are familiar enough, and

they are widespread. However, all evangelistic efforts and all
growing churches have not been victims of people falling
through the cracks. By and large, the churches which are
retaining the greatest percentage of the harvest are those
churches which have successfully developed their
infrastructure. There are different ways of dealing with that
infrastructure, but the majority of the churches which have
done it today and which have broken growth barrier after
growth barrier are churches which have stressed home cell
groups.

No one knows that better than my friend Joel Comiskey. He

is a combination of a local church practitioner and a
painstaking scholar. Instead of writing a book on "here is how
we do it in our church," Joel spent hundreds of hours and
thousands of dollars to visit personally eight of the highest-
visibility cell group churches today, to interview their leaders,
to participate in the life of the churches, and to record his
findings in this book, Home Cell Group Explosion.

I love this book because it is not focused on the home cell,

but on the lost. Other books deal with the dynamics of the cell
itself, but this one focuses on the multiplication of cells for the
greatest evangelistic results. If your church has an open back
door, you have in your hands a guidebook to close it. If some
of the fruit you are seeing is not fruit that remains, here is how
to change the situation for good.

Home Cell Group Explosion is truly a book for the harvest!

C. Peter Wagner

Fuller Theological Seminary

s I write, several dozen books on small groups

are lined up before me. They cover topics from the Bible and
small groups, to smallgroup dynamics, to pure cell church
ministry. Not one of them, however, focuses on how small
groups evangelize. Dr. Van Engen, professor of Missiology at
Fuller Theological Seminary, expressed this void during my
Ph.D. proposal defense. "There are enough books on
smallgroup dynamics," he said. "However, we need to learn
how small groups evangelize." That day I felt commissioned.
He gave me a new objective for my research. This, then, is a
book about how small groups evangelize, grow and eventually
multiply.

ver so subtly, God has led me down the path of

smallgroup ministry. Three years after receiving Jesus Christ at
age 17, I felt called to start a home Bible study. Friends
gathered each week to hear this young, zealous teenager; by
God's grace, some of them stayed. During one of those
sessions, Jesus called me to be a missionary.

As a missionary candidate with the Christian and

Missionary Alliance, I planted an inner-city church in Long
Beach, California. To start the church in 1984, I gathered people
in my home. That same year, David Yonggi Cho, pastor of the
world's largest church, presented lectures on church growth at
Fuller Theological Seminary. I sat awed as he related story after
story about how every one of the 500,000 members of Yoido
Full Gospel Church in Seoul, Korea, received pastoral care
through one of the church's 20,000 cell groups.

Filled with enthusiasm, I bought Cho's book Successful

Home Cell Groups and began to teach key leaders in my
church.' The excitement lasted for awhile, and we started four
cells. But after we introduced a Sunday morning service, I lost
the grip on my smallgroup focus. Church chores sapped my
strength. Still, I never lost the vision and excitement for what a
church could become through a smallgroup ministry.

A few years later, I was a missionary in Ecuador, and the

opportunity arrived to reclaim the embers of my vision for
smallgroup ministry. My wife and I, placed on a pastoral team
in a strategic church in Quito, Ecuador, were supposed to
stimulate growth that would result in a daughter church. Many
received Christ month after month, but relatively few stayed.
We wrestled as a pastoral team about how to close "the back
door." We planned Sunday school activities, new believers'
classes and visitation programs, all with little success.

My first year on that pastoral team was a dark night of the

soul. The other pastors listened politely as I made suggestions
in broken Spanish. I longed to communicate church growth
ideas, but I lacked the fluency and cultural knowledge. Week
after week, I left the pastoral team meeting discouraged and
downtrodden. At one point, the team leader seriously
considered replacing me with a more experienced missionary
who was returning from furlough.

In those dark moments, as I hovered between success and

failure as a first-term missionary, God began to speak. He
showed me that our church (El Batan) desperately needed a cell
ministry. God placed a burden on my heart that I couldn't
shake. I knew it was of Him. Insights from David Yonggi Cho
flooded my mind. When I shared this vision with the pastoral
team, they gave my wife and me the green light to pursue it.

We already were working with university students, so we

organized them into five groups that focused on evangelism
and discipleship. Those groups began to grow. Soon the
young married couples wanted us to organize small groups
among them. Those groups began to multiply and bear fruit,
too. We grew from the initial five groups in 1992 to 51 groups in
1994. About 400 people, most of them new converts, were
added to the El Batan Church and began to attend the Sunday
morning services. In Ecuador, where only 3.5 percent of the
population knew Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, it was
especially clear that this was a work of God.

We eventually birthed a daughter church from El Batan.

Using the cell concept, we started with 10 cell groups and 150
people. In less than one year, the 10 cells multiplied to 20 and
the church grew to 350 people. The church growth continues
unabated with the cells as its base.

God is sovereign. Never in my wildest dreams could I have

imagined traveling around the world "in search of the perfect
cell church." But that's exactly what I did for two years. My
Ph.D. studies on unlocking the secrets of the cell movement
took me to Korea, Singapore, Louisiana, El Salvador, Honduras,
Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. My mentor, C. Peter Wagner,
believed in me and my work, thus providing needed inspiration.

I know what it's like to start a cell ministry from scratch. I've
experienced failure, but I've also tasted success. From both
personal experience and thorough research, I've discovered
dynamic principles and practical insights to share with others
who have a vision for reaching the world through cell
churches. By God's grace, they are presented in the following
pages.

f you want to know how churches grow, study

growing churches!" This one sentence embodies the core of
church growth research. You may have thought this was a
book about smallgroup evangelism, but the two can't be
separated. At least they shouldn't. Smallgroup evangelism and
dynamic church growth are two sides of the same coin. They
are one.

When I began to study smallgroup evangelism, I chose to

research the most prominent and fastest growing cell-based
churches in the world. Why not study what works? These
churches are located in eight different countries and four
distinct cultures.

As the table at the top of the following page illustrates,

smallgroup evangelism that results in dynamic church growth
is a worldwide phenomenon. No longer is the U.S. the fountain
of Christian knowledge for the rest of the world. However, one
excellent example in the U.S. is Bethany World Prayer Center in
Baker, Louisiana, the premier cell church in the U.S. Each year,
1,000 pastors attend smallgroup seminars at BWPC. Bethany is
on the cutting edge primarily because of its willingness to learn
from other fast-growing churches around the world. Bethany
has sent its leaders to capture principles from cell churches in
Colombia, El Salvador, Korea and Singapore.

To learn from the eight case-study churches, I spent an

average of eight days in each one. More than 700 cell leaders
completed my 29-question survey, designed to determine why
some cell leaders succeed and others fail at evangelizing and
giving birth to a new cell group.' The questionnaire explored
such areas as the cell leader's training, social status, devotions,
education, preparation of material, age, spiritual gifts, gender,
etc. This statistical analysis helped keep my bias at bay and
enabled me to unlock common principles across diverse
cultures.
 Table 1. Description of Case-Study Churches

Donald McGavran once gave an illustration of two pastors

who preached the Word of God. One claimed that his church
grew because he preached the Word of God, while the other
insisted that his church did not grow because he preached the
Word of God. I chuckled at first, but then acknowledged its
application to the current scene. So often, Christian leaders
really don't know why churches grow or decline. Individual
interpretations and opinions prevail. Similar confusion
abounds about cell multiplication.

As the population continues to explode in the 21st century,

the cell church model holds exciting possibilities of reaching a
lost world for Jesus Christ. I pray that the information gathered
from these cell-based churches will help you and your church
more effectively complete the mission of our Lord Jesus Christ.

DEFINING "CELL CHURCH"

So what exactly is a cell church? In everyday terminology,

it's simply a church that has placed evangelistic small groups at
the core of its ministry. Cell ministry is not "another program";
it's the very heart of the church. As Lawrence Khong, pastor of
Faith Community Baptist Church in Singapore, says:

There is a vast difference between a church with cells and

a cell church. ... We don't do anything else except the cell.
All the things the church must do-training, equipping,
discipleship, evangelism, prayer, worship-are done
through the cell. Our Sunday service is just the corporate
celebration.'

Cells are open, evangelism-focused small groups that are

entwined into the life of the church. They meet weekly to build
up each other as members of the Body of Christ, and to spread
the gospel to those who don't know Jesus. The ultimate goal of
each cell is to multiply itself as the group grows through
evangelism and then conversions. This is how new members
are added to the church and to the kingdom of God. Members
of cell groups also are encouraged to attend the celebration
service of the entire church, where cells come together for
worship.

This foundational link between a church community and its

small groups is one of the significant differences between cell
churches and house churches. Ralph Neighbour Jr. makes a
helpful clarification:

There is a distinct difference between the house church

and the cell group movements. House Churches tend to
collect a community of 15-25 people who meet together
on a weekly basis. Usually, each House Church stands
alone. While they may be in touch with nearby House
Churches, they usually do not recognize any further
structure beyond themselves.2

Again, not all small groups are cell groups. Experts estimate
that in the U.S. alone, 80 million adults belong to a small group.'
One out of six of those are new members of a small group,
which shows that small groups are alive and growing.' Lyle
Schaller, after listing 20 innovations in the modern U.S. church
scene, notes: ".. . Perhaps most important of all, [is] the
decision by tens of millions of teenagers and adults to place a
high personal priority on weekly participation in serious, in-
depth, lay-led, and continuing Bible study and prayer groups."'

Much of the smallgroup movement in the United States,

however, promotes personal health at the expense of
evangelistic outreach. For example, Michael Mack in The
Synergy Church analyzes the "covenant model" of U.S. small
groups: ". . . New people are not invited or welcomed-whether
the group at first intended for it to be closed or not. There is no
organized system for 116 multiplication of these groups. Mack
goes on to say, "... in many churches small groups are not open
to newcomers and are not set up to reproduce themselves."'

Such a mind-set is unthinkable in a cell church. Evangelism

that leads to cell multiplication fuels the rest of the church.
Dale Galloway, founder of New Hope Community Church in
Portland, Oregon, declares, "Closed groups are restricted and
dead-end, and they do not fulfill the Great Commission."' Carl F.
George is even more emphatic:

Show me a nurturing group not regularly open to new life,

and I will guarantee that it's dying. If cells are units of
redemption, then no one can button up the lifeboats and
hang out a sign, 'You can't come in here.' The notion of
group members shutting themselves off in order to
accomplish discipleship is a scourge that will destroy any
church's missionary mandate.'

Cell ministry is the very backbone of the eight churches

included in this case study. They organize pastoral staff,
membership, baptisms, offerings, and celebration services
around cell ministry. Everyone in the church is encouraged to
attend a cell. For example, statistics at Love Alive Church in
Tegucigalpa, Honduras, show that 90 percent of the 7,500
weekend worshippers participate in a weekly cell group. Not all
the churches in this case study experience such high a
percentage of cell participation, but each church stresses the
importance of cell membership.

WHY "CELL"?

Cells, biologically, are "the smallest structural unit of an

organism that is capable of independent functioning."" One
drop of blood, for instance, has about 300 million red cells! Just
as individual cells join to form the body of a human being, cells
in a church form the Body of Christ. Further, each biological
cell grows and reproduces its parts until it divides into two
cells. The total genetic package received in part from the parent
is reestablished in each daughter cell." This also occurs in
healthy church cells. As we will see in later chapters, mother-
daughter cell multiplication aspires to reproduce the "total
genetic package" into the new group.

GRASPING THE PROCESS

Just as human cells pass through specific stages, so should

small groups. The chart at the top of the following page depicts
those stages: (Chart courtesy of Bethany World Prayer Center)

LEARNING STAGE

Initially, each human cell resembles a blob of protoplasm.

Individual parts are almost indistinguishable. Although the cell
possesses the genetic code for multiplication, it must grow and
develop first. Small groups follow a similar pattern. Members
initially gaze at each other with an unknowing expectancy, and
the first stage of cellgroup life is characterized by the members
getting to know each other. Perhaps cell leaders should
emphasize ice-breaker ("get to know each other") skills during
the early days. The learning stage lasts about one month.

Figure 1. The Process of Cell Multiplication

LOVING STAGE

The chromosomes in a human cell eventually begin to pair,

although not in a straight line. In a similar fashion, cell members
take their masks off during the loving stage. People see each
other for who they really are. Conflict often develops when
someone forgets to bring the refreshments or arrives late.
Hence, some call this "the conflict stage." The loving stage
also lasts approximately one month.
 LINKING STAGE

In a human cell, the once free-floating chromosomes

suddenly begin to form a line at mid-cell. At a cell group's
midpointsomewhere around the third or fourth month-the
members begin to find their roles. For example, everyone
begins to acknowledge Judy's talent with worship or John's gift
for counseling. This is a good time for cell evangelism training.
This stage lasts about one month.

LAUNCHING STAGE

The chromosome strands begin to line up in east-west

positions, getting ready to launch and make an exact duplicate
of itself. At this point in the small group, members focus on
evangelism. Although the cell always reaches out, the
launching time highlights group evangelism as the primary
activity. The launching stage occurs from the fourth month
until the cell multiplies.

LEAVING STAGE

As the one cell prepares to give birth to an identical cell, the

chromosomes separate and eventually divide (multiply). In a
small group, new leaders are raised up and trained to lead a cell
even as new members join. When the group is large enough,
multiplication occurs. The leaving stage might last up to one
year.

Not every group multiplies, but there is the danger of

stagnation when one doesn't. Larry Stockstill, head pastor of
Bethany World Prayer Center, jokingly noted at a 1996 cell
conference at BWPC, "Usually, a group that only has four
people sitting around looking at each other after one year are
quite happy to get out of there!"

SETTING THE GOAL: MULTIPLICATION

The heart of cell-based ministry is evangelism, and the eight

most prominent cell churches in the world position their cell
ministry primarily to evangelize lost men and women. These
churches accept Jesus' Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20)
as their marching order. They advance into the enemy's camp
of non-Christians and even track their "progress." Church
leaders set quantifiable goals for their cell ministry, and some
even promote "healthy competition" among cell leadership.
Passion for the lost is the motivation that keeps everything in
perspective. Far more effective than "one-on-one" evangelism,
the cells in these churches function like nets that spread out
over entire cities. Buses haul the catch to the celebration
service for worship.

Mikell Neuman, professor at Western Seminary in Portland,

Oregon, confirms these findings with his recent research. He
makes these observations about smallgroup characteristics
that transcend culture:

"While we suspected evangelism was a key to home

group ministries, we were surprised at the force of its
importance. The churches in this study do not divide the
ministry into the lost and the saved with special home
groups for each. In any given group, one might find a mix
of non-Christians, new Christians, and more mature
 Christians. People come to know Christ in the home group
with their friends or family who are already Christians,
and in the same group they grow in maturity.""

As founding pastor of DOVE Christian Fellowship in

Pennsylvania, Larry Kreider understands the dynamics of cell
ministry so well that his church, which he started from scratch,
now plants daughter churches worldwide. Kreider believes
that, "The main purpose for every cell group must be to run a
rescue shop within a yard of hell. Otherwise, the cell becomes a
social club without any power."" Ralph Neighbour Jr. writes in
Where Do We Go From Here?, "This common vision-reaching
the lost and equipping believers for that task-provides the
healthy continuity between all the cell groups."14

Clearly, evangelism that results in the proliferation of cell

groups is the most distinguishing feature of the cell church
worldwide. My case study reveals that more than 60 percent of
the 700 cell leaders surveyed had multiplied their group at least
once, and that it took about nine months to do so. These
leaders know that evangelism must lead to multiplication, and
that smallgroup evangelism is never an end in itself.
Furthermore, church growth is the ultimate fruit of cell
multiplication. Not all cell churches have the same level of
success in pulling in the net. But the goal and vision are the
same.

UNDERSTANDING EVANGELISM'S HISTORY

Solomon declared that nothing new exists under the sun,

and smallgroup evangelism is no exception. It has played an
important role since Jesus formed His church and rapid
multiplication of first-century house churches spread the flame
of God's love throughout the world. Home Cell Groups and
House Churches notes:

"Another significant matter about evangelism in the New

Testament is that much of it-if not most of the more
enduring type-took place in the house churches. This
was true not simply because the larger homes were able
to accommodate the function. It was also true because
proclamation took place as a result of the total witness of
the interrelated functions of church life in the homes. "15

But since the early church, smallgroup ministry has focused

primarily on Christian edification and spiritual growth. There
were exceptions, such as the monastic bands and the Moravian
missionary teams who spread the gospel message through
small groups. But not until John Wesley and Methodism did
we again catch a glimpse of the potential for smallgroup
evangelism.

EVANGELISM IN EARLY METHODISM

John Wesley was the pioneer of smallgroup evangelism. By

the end of the 18th century, Wesley had developed more than
10,000 cells groups (called classes)."' Hundreds of thousands
of people participated in his smallgroup system."

Wesley wasn't persuaded that someone had made a decision

for Christ until that person became involved in a small group.
Wesley was more interested in discipleship than in a decision.
The classes served as an evangelistic tool (most conversions
occurred in this context) and as a discipling agent." George G.
Hunter III writes, "To Wesley, evangelism ... took place
primarily in the class meetings and in people's hearts in the
hours following the class meetings." Wesley acknowledged
that the beginnings of a person's faith could be incubated more
effectively in a warm Christian environment than in the chill of
the world.20

As the forerunner of the modern cell movement, Wesley

promoted evangelism that led to rapid multiplication. Hunter
notes, "He was driven to multiplying 'classes' for these served
best as recruiting groups, as ports of entry for new people, and
for involving awakened people with the gospel and power."21
Wesley would preach and then invite the people to join a class.
Apparently, they multiplied primarily as a result of planting new
classes, much like the emphasis on cell planting today.22 The
primary objective in his preaching was starting new classes.23
T.A. Hegre notes,

I believe that the success of Wesley was due to his habit

of establishing small groups. His converts would meet
regularly in groups of about a dozen people. If the group
became too large, it would divide, and it might continue to
divide again and again.24

Smallgroup ministry constantly faces a dilemma: maintaining

the intimacy of a small group while fulfilling Christ's command
to evangelize. Cell multiplication is the only proven way to
remain small while faithfully reaching out. Wesley practiced
this principle and laid the foundation for the modern cell-
church explosion.
 DAVID YONGGI CHO AND THE MODERN

CELL MOVEMENT

If Wesley was the forerunner of the smallgroup movement,

David Yonggi Cho ushered in the new era. Cho is the founding
pastor of Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, Korea, the largest
church in the world.

This church has grown to 25,000 cells, and the seven

Sunday services draw approximately 253,000 worshippers each
week. About 25,000 attend the 6 a.m. service. The church is still
packing in the faithful for the 3 p.m. service, and all six
basement chapels (with closed-circuit television) are
overflowing.

Cho credits the growth of his church to the cellgroup

system.25 He commissions each cell to bring non-Christians to
Jesus Christ, with the goal of multiplying the cell. If the cell
leaders fail to reach their goals, Cho sends them to the church's
Prayer Mountain retreat to fast and pray.

Since Cho initiated his cell ministry in the early 1970s, many
other pastors have followed his lead. Yoido Full Gospel Church
has directly or indirectly influenced every cell church in the
world today. For example, the pastors of the two largest and
most influential cell churches in Latin America-Cesar
Castellanos of the International Charismatic Mission in Bogota,
Colombia, and Sergio Solorzano of La Mision Cristiana Elim in
San Salvador, El Salvador-visited Cho's church before
launching their own cell ministries.
 Pastor Cesar Castellano's visit to Yoido in 1986
revolutionized the smallgroup ministry at the International
Charismatic Mission. Through an awesome move of God's
Spirit, the 10,000+ cell groups are penetrating every corner of
Bogota. At the front of the church's sanctuary, huge banners
declare the focus: "The goal of our church: 30,000 cell groups
by December 31, 1997!" With such rapid growth, this church
soon may surpass the number of cell groups at Yoido.

Likewise, Pastor Sergio Solorzano visited Cho's church in

1985 before initiating his cell ministry. By October 1996, 116,000
people were attending 5,300 cell groups. This church's
incredible commitment to reach the masses is seen each
Sunday as more than 600 city buses, rented by the cell groups,
transport cell members to the celebration services. Also
amazing is how every person who attends a Sunday service is
counted and entered into the computer by Monday morning.

David Cho's influence cannot be overestimated. C. Kirk

Hadaway makes this comment:

The word spread that Paul [before he changed his name

to David] Cho's church and several other huge churches
in Seoul reached their massive size through home cell
groups and that the technique will work anywhere. A
movement began, and pastors have flocked to Korea to
learn.... Churches all over the world are beginning to
adopt the home cell group as an organizational tool."

An example out of Singapore is Faith Community Baptist

Church, founded by Pastor Lawrence Khong. Khong began the
church in 1986 with 600 people. On May 1, 1988, with the help
of Ralph Neighbour Jr., the church was restructured to become
a full-fledged cell church. Today, the 7,000 members are
pastored in 500 active cell groups. Khong's church so
successfully models the cell-based ministry that 1,000 to 2,000
people attend its yearly cell seminar.

Pastors and church leaders all over the world have

replicated Cho's cell system. Yet, far from simply imitating or
copying other cell-based models, these churches have
effectively adapted the model for their own situations and
environments. New, creative patterns are emerging from these
churches. Some actually are improvements on Cho's initial cell
philosophy and demonstrate better integration between cell
and celebration."

With John Wesley leading the way and David Yonggi Cho
bringing us up to date, cell churches now prevail throughout
the world. In each of my case-study churches, the new cell
leader immediately knew his mission-cell reproduction. Let's
explore why some cell leaders are more successful than others
in fulfilling that mission.

SUMMARY OF SURVEY FINDINGS

Factors that don't affect multiplication:

• The leader's gender, social class, age, marital (civil)

status, or education.

• The leader's personality type.

 Both introverted and extroverted leaders multiply their
cells.

• The leader's spiritual gifting.

Those with the gift of teaching, pastoring, mercy,

leadership, and evangelism equally multiply their cell
group. This is surprising because many, including
David Yonggi Cho, teach that only leaders with the gift
of evangelism are able to multiply cell groups.

Factors that do affect multiplication:

• The cell leader's devotional time.

Those who spend 90 minutes or more in devotions per

day multiply their groups twice as much as those who
spend less than 30 minutes.

• The cell leader's intercession for the cell members.

Those who pray daily for cell members are most likely to
multiply groups.

• The leader spending time with God to prepare for a

cell meeting.

Spending time with God preparing the heart for a cell

meeting is more important than preparing the lesson.

• Setting goals.
 The leader who fails to set goals that the members
remember has about a 50 percent chance of multiplying
his or her cell. Setting goals increases that chance to 75
percent.

• Knowing your cell multiplication date.

Cell leaders who set specific goals for giving birth

consistently multiply their groups more often than goal-
less leaders.

• Training.

Cell leaders who feel better trained multiply their cells

more rapidly. However, training is not as important as
the leader's prayer life and goal orientation.

• How often the cell leader contacts new people.

Leaders who contact five to seven new people per

month have an 80% chance of multiplying the cell
group. When the leader visits only I to 3 people per
month, the chances drop to 60%. Leaders who visit
eight or more new people each month multiply their
groups twice as much as those who visit one or two.

• Exhortation in cell groups to invite friends.

Cell leaders who weekly encourage members to invite

visitors double their capacity to multiply their groups-
as opposed to those leaders who do so only
occasionally or not at all.
 • Number of visitors to the cell.

There is a direct relationship between the number of

visitors in the group and the number of times a leader
multiplies the group.

• Outside meetings.

Those cells that have six or more social meetings per

month multiply twice as much as those who have only
one, or none.

• Raising up interns.

Those leaders who gather a team double their capacity

to multiply the cell.

• Level of pastoral care.

Regular visitation by the leader to the cell members

helps consolidate the group.

Prayer for Group Members:

• When comparing prayer, contacting, and social meetings,

it was discovered that prayer for group members is the
leader's most important work to unify and strengthen the
group in preparation for multiplication. Building a team is a
close second.

Preparation of the leader:

 • When analyzing devotions, goals, training and
preparation, devotions and goals are more important.
Effective cell leadership is more of a Spirit-led adventure
than a Biblestudy technique.

Evangelistic thrust of the group:

• When analyzing visiting new people, exhortation, and

visitors in the group, visitation and exhortation are equally
important in the multiplication process. The flow of visitors
is secondary.

SUMMARY OF KEY FACTORS ESSENTIAL FOR

CELL MULTIPLICATION

• Factors essential to multiplying groups are leadership

devotions, leadership outreach, group outreach, and
building a team.

• Praying for team members and setting goals are primary in

the first-time multiplication of a cell group.

• Leadership training and social meetings are necessary for

continuous multiplication.
 any cell leaders say they don't have what it
takes to lead a cell group. "I don't have the gift of evangelism."
"I don't have the talent." "I'm too shy." Have you heard these
before? Have you said them yourself? Such statements assume
that a certain type of giftedness, personality, gender, social
status, or education level is necessary to lead a cell. My
findings refute such a notion.

LEADERSHIP GIFTEDNESS

The survey of 700 cell leaders in eight countries revealed

absolutely no connection between the cell leader's spiritual
giftedness and success in cell multiplication. Of five choices,
the surveyed leaders chose their primary spiritual gift, and the
results are:
 Table 2. Giftedness Among Cell Leaders

Surprisingly, 25 percent claimed teaching-not evangelism or

leadership-as their primary gift. Also, no one particular gift
correlated with a leader's capacity to multiply his or her group.

Perhaps this doesn't surprise you. But David Cho repeatedly

teaches that only those cell leaders with the gift of evangelism
can multiply cell groups.' His books make similar assertions!
For Cho, only those with the gift of evangelism can ultimately
succeed, and he has concluded that only 10 percent of his
congregation has this gift. If that is true, few will succeed in
cell ministry.

What is the gift of evangelism? C. Peter Wagner gives this

standard definition, "The gift of evangelist is the special ability
that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to
share the gospel with unbelievers in such a way that men and
women become Jesus' disciples and responsible members of
the Body of Christ."'
 But cell churches worldwide are adopting a more
revolutionary mode of reasoning that is borne out by the
results of this survey. They increasingly are accepting that
every lay person can successfully lead a cell group. For
example, pastors at the International Charismatic Mission in
Bogota, Colombia, exhort everyone who walks in the door to
begin the cell leadership training process. This involves
conversion, a spiritual retreat, a three-month training program,
and another retreat before the person is released to lead. In
October 1996, the church reported 6,000 cell groups. Just six
months later, the cells had multiplied to 13,000.

Learning from the Bogota church, Bethany World Prayer

Center recently adopted a similar mind-set. In a matter of
months, Bethany's cell groups skyrocketed from 320 to 540. Bill
Satterwhite, one of the zone pastors at Bethany, says that
every person has the anointing for multiplication-no
exceptions.

You, too, can successfully grow a cell group to the point of

new birth. Spiritual gifts are important, but this statistical study
and the experience of others demonstrate that no particular gift
is necessary to lead a successful cell group. God anoints cell
leaders with a variety of gifts. What you do as a leader matters
more than your giftedness.

Successful smallgroup leaders take advantage of the variety

of gifts within the cell. Remember that team ministry is highly
valued in the small group. Perhaps one person on the team
possesses the gift of teaching, another the gift of mercy, and
still another leadership. All of these gifts help the group grow.
The most successful cell groups involve the whole team-net
fishing as a group rather than hook fishing as individuals.

Effective cell leaders excel in mobilizing the group to work

together toward cell multiplication. Someone with the gift of
helps will pick up new people and bring refreshments. The
person with the gift of mercy will visit cell members or
newcomers with the cell leader. Those with the gift of teaching
work with the cell lesson. All are important, and everyone is
involved and contributes to the group's success.

PERSONALITY

Carl Everett admits he is a shy person. You have to draw

information from him, and he doesn't bubble over with
enthusiasm. Communicating is not easy for him. Yet Carl is
known as "Mr. Multiplication" at Bethany World Prayer Center.
Carl started one cell group and watched it multiply. Then he
mobilized the few remaining members to reach out until 15
"regulars" filled his group every Friday night. Again, the group
gave birth to a daughter. Carl repeated this process six times
before Bethany's top leadership, recognizing Carl's leadership,
elevated him to shepherd cell leaders.

Potential cell leaders who tag themselves as "introverts"

often say they lack the pizzazz or charisma to grow a healthy
small group. But this survey shows that both extroverted and
introverted leaders successfully multiply cell groups. More of
these cell leaders are extroverted than introverted, but the
important point is that the introverted cell leaders multiplied
their cells on par with the extroverted.
 When Jim Egli of TOUCH Outreach Ministries administered
an expanded version of my questionnaire to 200 cell leaders at
Bethany World Prayer Center, he included a question on the
DISC Inventory personality types. (The DISC is a profile that
measures primary and secondary personality strengths in terms
of Dominant, Influencing, Steady, and Compliant.) He writes:

Interestingly, this initial research seems to show no

strong correlation between DISC personality types and
cell growth. 98 percent of Bethany's leaders had taken the
DISC test and knew what their primary and secondary
traits were, but no particular type performed better."

All of this information confirms that you can be successful

just as you are! God made you special. No one can do it quite
like you. God uses the bubbly, the shy, the relaxed, the anxious,
and all of the other personality types! Be yourself. It's not a
matter of who you are as much as what you do as a cell leader.

OTHER NON-ESSENTIAL FACTORS

Does gender make a difference in cell-leader effectiveness?

More than 80 percent of the cell leaders in David Cho's church
are women. In fact, of the 62 who completed the questionnaire
at Yoido Full Gospel Church, 58 are women and four are men.
Does this mean that successful cell churches promote women
leadership? Of the 700 cell leaders in my study, 51 percent are
women and 49 percent men. The data reveals absolutely no
difference between leadership effectiveness and gender. Both
show equal success when asked how many times the group
multiplied.
 The average age of cell leaders in my study is 33, but no age
bracket claims the leading edge with regard to cell
multiplication. No significant pattern emerged as far as marital
status, either.

What about occupation? White-collared cell leaders,

bluecollared cell leaders, professionals, and teachers were
equally capable of multiplying cell groups. What about
education? Actually, the statistics seemed to indicate that less-
educated cell leaders multiply more consistently and more
often!

Cell leader, be encouraged. Whether you're male or female,

educated or uneducated, married or single, shy or outgoing, a
teacher or an evangelist, you can grow your cell group. The
anointing for cell multiplication doesn't reside with just a few.
These statistics reveal that gender, age, marital status,
personality, and gifting have little to do with effectiveness as a
cell leader. As we'll see in the following chapters, cell group
growth depends on simple basics that anyone can put into
practice.
 ne day a distraught Jorge Frias nervously
opened the door to my office in Quito, Ecuador. "I've tried
everything," he blurted out. "I've been addicted to alcohol,
drugs, and even tried a couple of religions. Now my wife wants
to leave me. What can you do for me?" Rarely had I witnessed
such desperation in all my years of counseling. "I know that
you've been sincerely seeking for answers," I said, "but only
Jesus Christ can fill the void in your heart." As I led him in a
prayer to receive Jesus Christ, the urgency in Jorge's voice
finally ended in relief.

God took control of Jorge that day and he became a new

creation. A radiance and joy flooded his life. Before he
departed, I counseled Jorge to spend time with God daily-
knowing that it might be a struggle for him.

At the new believer's class the next evening, Jorge said, "I
woke up at 2 a.m. and prayed for 2-1 / 2 hours." That first night
as a Christian, Jorge set prayer as a priority in his new life in
Christ. He regularly spent two to four hours with Jesus in the
morning. Within a year, Jorge was leading a cell group that he
already had multiplied. He rapidly advanced from cell leader to
supervisor to zone supervisor. Why? Because Jorge regularly
gave God time to reveal to him how to effectively lead the
groups.

THE DEVOTIONAL LIFE

 The cell leader's devotional life consistently appears among
the top three most important variables in this study. The
correlation between cell multiplication and the leader spending
time with God is clear. The cell leaders surveyed were asked:
"How much time do you spend in daily devotions? (e.g.,
prayer, Bible reading, etc.)." They chose one of five options,
ranging from 0 to 15 minutes daily to over 90 minutes. The
following table summarizes the devotional patterns of those
cell leaders who filled out a questionnaire:

Table 3. Devotional Patterns of Cell Leaders

In the same questionnaire, cell leaders were asked whether

their group had multiplied and, if so, how many times. Those
who spent 90 minutes or more in daily devotions multiplied
their groups twice as much as those who spent less than half
an hour.

The correlation is a logical one. During quiet times alone

with the living God, the cell leader hears God's voice and
receives His guidance. In those still moments, the leader
understands how to deal with the constant talker, how to wait
for a reply to a question, or how to minister to a hurting
member of the group. Cell leaders moving under God's
guidance have an untouchable sense of direction and
leadership. Group members respond to a leader who hears from
God and knows the way. God brings success. This statistical
study is simply further proof of that.

Bobby Clinton writes,

A leader first learns about personal guidance for his own

life. Having learned to discern God's direction for his own
life in numerous crucial decisions, he can then shift to the
leadership function of determining guidance for the group
that he leads.'

He continues, "A leader who repeatedly demonstrates that

God speaks to him gains spiritual authority."' It makes sense.

Daily devotional time is the single most important discipline

in the Christian life. During that daily time, Jesus transforms us,
feeds us, and gives us new revelation. On the other hand, not
spending sufficient time with God can bring the agony of
defeat. How often have we raced out of the house, hoping to
accomplish a little bit more, only to return bruised, depressed,
and hurt? When we start the day without time with our Lord,
we lack power and joy to face the demands of life.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DEVOTIONAL LIFE

Jesus needed to spend time alone with His Father. How

much more, then, do we? After all, He is our example. Luke 5:16
says, "... Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed."
Luke 5:15 explains that Christ's fame was spreading, and the
success of his ministry compelled Him to spend more time with
God. In the midst of an increasingly busy ministry, He
separated from the multitude for quiet time. Mark 1:35 says,
"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up,
left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he
prayed." Before the busyness of His day began, Jesus spent
time with the Father. Ralph Neighbour Jr. advises, "If you have
to make a choice between praying and doing, choose to pray.
You will accomplish more, and then achieve more by your
doing, because you did!"'

The devotional patterns of some of the great men and

women of God are well documented. Martin Luther confessed
that he was so busy that he had to spend three hours in the
morning with God. Historians tell us that John Welch often
spent seven to eight hours each day in secret prayer. J.O.
Frasier, a missionary to the Lisus tribes of western China, spent
half his day in prayer and the other half in evangelism.' David
Cho, who pastors the largest church in the history of
Christianity (Yoido Full Gospel Church), attributes the growth
of his church to the time spent in prayer.' John R. Mott, the
driving force behind the North American Mission Movement in
the last century, said,

After receiving Christ as Savior and Lord, and claiming by

faith the fullness of the Spirit, we don't know of any other
act that produces so much spiritual blessing than keeping
a regular devotional time for at least 1/2 hour, communing
with God.'

God will reveal how much time He wants to spend with you
each day. Effective cell leaders do not need to give up their job
and family, and spend eight hours each day in prayer. At the
other extreme, however, "fast food" devotions accomplish little.
It takes time to shed the thoughts and preoccupations that
accompany daily living. Mike Bickle writes:

... When you first spend 60 minutes in a prayer time do

not be surprised if you come out of it with only 5 minutes
you consider quality time. Keep it up, and those 5
minutes will become 15, then 30, then more. The ideal, of
course, is to end up with both quantity and quality, not
one or the other.'

C. Peter Wagner writes in Prayer Shield, "My suggestion is:

It is more advisable to start with quantity than quality in daily
prayer time. First, program time. The quality will usually
follow."" Wagner's suggestion smacks of reason. Cell leaders,
if you want your group to grow, spend time with the One who
can make it happen. Set a realistic goal you can keep rather
than one you're sure to break.

A SPECIFIC TIME AND PLACE

Some Christians resist the notion of setting apart daily time

to seek God. Some even say, "I pray all the time." Yes, the Bible
tells us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:16), and
Paul implores us to ". . . pray in the Spirit on all occasions with
all kinds of prayers and requests" (Ephesians 6:18). But Jesus
gives us the other side of the coin. Jesus says in Matthew 6:5-
6, "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they
love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street
corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have
received their reward in full, but when you pray, go into your
room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen."
These verses map out a specific time set apart to seek the
Father-a time to meditate on His Word, listen to the Spirit's
voice, worship Him, and intercede for others.

When Jesus talks about a closet, he doesn't mean one full of

shoes and clothing. The Greek word is tameon, and it refers to
the place in the Old Testament temple where the treasures were
stored. Some commentators note a relationship between the
place of devotions and the riches received. Apparently, Jesus
isn't specifying one place to seek the Father. More important
than the word "closet" is the phrase "shut the door." Whether
your "closet" is your room, the rooftop, a park, or a vacant
field, you must "shut the door" from the noise and cares of
daily life. Chuck Swindoll in Intimacy with the Almighty says,
"Ours is a cluttered, complicated world. God did not create it
that way. Depraved, restless humanity has made it that way!"9
He goes on to say,

Tragically, precious little in this hurried and hassled age

promotes such intimacy. We have become a body of
people who look more like a herd of cattle in a stampede
than a flock of God beside green pastures and still waters.
Our forefathers knew, it seems, how to commune with the
Almighty ... but do we?'°

Jesus tells us to close the door to the noise and the hurry of
busy 21st-century life.
 How do you find a "closet" where you can shut the door?
Be creative and experiment, and do the best you can. Some
people prefer quite time in a forest or a park. Jesus preferred the
desert or a mountain top. You choose the place and the time
that is best for you. The only requirement is separation from
the noise and confusion of life.

THE CONTENT

When you get together with a friend, do you list beforehand

precisely what you are going to do and say? Of course not.
You let the conversation ebb and flow, and just enjoy each
other's company. That's how quiet time with God should be,
too, but many Christians treat it as a ritual where they follow a
set schedule or a devotional guide. Instead, think of it as a
relationship. The goal is to know Him. The apostle Paul's
yearning captures the heart of the devotional life: "I want to
know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the
fellowship of sharing in his suffering, becoming like him in his
death" (Philippians 3:10).

If you're just not sure how to start your quiet time, begin by
reading God's love letter to you-the Bible. Through the Word
of God, the Holy Spirit nourishes our souls and grants
guidance, so mine all of God's treasure. Offer praise to God.
The writer of Hebrews says, "Through Jesus, therefore, let us
continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise-the fruit of lips
that confess his name" (13:15). Remember also to wait in
silence before God. Ralph Neighbour Jr. refers to devotional
time as the "listening room." He says that the cell leader "is
first seeking to know the will of God concerning a situation.
Prayer becomes a 'Listening Room' experience.""

But there is much more to prayer than spending time with

the Lord in your "listening room." Cell leaders are intercessors
who consistently pray for their cell members.

PRAY DAILY FOR CELL MEMBERS AND VISITORS

Of the many factors studied in this survey, the one with the
greatest effect on whether a cell multiplies is how much time
the cell leader spends praying for the cell members. This case
study proves that daily prayer by the cell leader for the
members is essential for a healthy, growing group. The survey
asked cell leaders how much time they spend praying for the
members of their group. The responses: Sixty-four percent pray
daily for their cell, 16 percent every other day, 11 percent once a
week, and 9 percent "sometimes." Comparing these answers
with the data on cell multiplication confirms that cell leaders
who pray daily for their members are far more likely to multiply
cells than those who pray for them only once in a while.

Praying daily for cell members transforms your relationship

with them. God uses prayer to change your heart toward the
people for whom you are interceding. A oneness develops
through the bonding power that prayer creates. Paul writes:
"For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with
you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how
firm your faith in Christ is" (Colossians 2:5). This verse seems
to indicate that it's possible to be present "in spirit" with
someone through prayer.12 Prayer opens our hearts to others
and enables us to touch people at a deeper level.
 Regularly praying for someone can mend your broken
relationship with that person. Through prayer, the healing balm
of the Holy Spirit often breaks the strongholds of bitterness
and unforgiveness. Prayer changes cells. Those cell leaders
who pray daily for each member of the group are more effective
in cell ministry.

When you speak with your cell members, tell them, "I'm
praying daily for you." It develops an immediate bond with that
person. In Prayer Shield, C. Peter Wagner details the necessity
of intercessory prayer for Christian leaders, as well as how to
recruit it." Frankly, this book should be mandatory reading for
everyone in cell leadership. Every level of church leadership
needs to develop a prayer shield and also form part of someone
else's prayer shield. Practically, this means that cell leaders pray
daily for each person in their cell group. Section leaders pray
daily for each cell leader in their section. Zone pastors pray
daily for their section leaders; district pastors pray daily for
their zone pastors. Finally, the senior pastor prays daily for the
district pastors.

THE IMPEDIMENTS

Even knowing all of this, some cell leaders still struggle with
the quality and quantity of their quiet time. Some people begin
praying as soon as they awake-without getting out of bed.
Deep prayer quickly turns into deep sleep. David Cho's advice
about early morning devotions is: "Get out of bed!" Get up,
wash your face, drink some coffee, and, if necessary, go for a
jog or walk. Drowsiness is the number one enemy of effective
devotions, so get the blood flowing.
 Another impediment is our own thoughts. "What did that
person think of my comments last night?" or "When should I
wash my car?" Of course, we all have the same tendency. "Your
thoughts, Lord, not mine!" is the battle of devotions.

How do you handle those ugly thoughts that worm their

way into personal devotions? Should you try to pull them out
as a dentist extracts a decayed tooth? Brother Lawrence did.
As a Carmelite lay brother in the 17th century, he often battled
a wandering mind. He wrote, "I worshiped Him the oftenest
that I could, keeping my mind in His holy presence, and
recalling it as often as I found it wandered from Him." 14

But our own wrestlings often are so inadequate that only

the Spirit of God can give full release. Ask Him to take over
your thoughts in the listening room. The best remedy for
roaming thoughts is to focus on Christ. As one looks at Jesus
Christ, a new concentrated focus appears. A.W. Tozer once
said, "The man who has struggled to purify himself and has
had nothing but repeated failure will experience real relief when
he stops tinkering with his soul and looks away to the perfect
One."15 Tozer's advice is relevant and helpful. As we give our
thoughts to God and look to Him, He will refocus us and
eventually fill us with His joy.

Another impediment is the busyness of our lives, frequently

termed as "I don't have enough time." Leave the fast-food
mentality with Burger King or McDonald's. In order to drink
deeply from the Divine, you must spend time in deep
meditation. As the Psalmist says, "Deep calls to deep" (Psalm
42:7). Andrew Murray counsels those entering into quiet time
not to leave it without touching God, feeling the glow of the
glory of God. Seeking Him at this level demands extended
periods before God's throne. One or two short visits won't
suffice.' It's no wonder that leaders capable of multiplying a cell
group persevere with God first. Don't rob yourself of God's
blessing by leaving His presence when He's about to fill you.

Jesus tells us that "... your Father, who sees what is done in
secret, will reward you" (Matthew 6:6). Jesus reassures us here
that the Father gives His rewards to those who live His way.
Cell leaders, do you want the Father's reward? If you do it His
way, God will enable you to lead the cell lesson with
effectiveness, meet the spiritual needs of your people, and
eventually multiply your group.

FASTING AND PRAYER

Carl Everett, now the assistant director of cell ministry at

Bethany World Prayer Center, started out in ministry the way
many other cell-church leaders do: leading a single cell group.
His cell multiplied six times, and each daughter cell grew and
prospered. Carl boils down the secret to his success into three
words: "Prayer, prayer, prayer."

Cell preparation for Carl and his wife, Gaynel, includes

fasting and prayer the day of the cell meeting. Before the
meeting, they anoint the food, the sidewalks, the yard, every
room in the house, even each seat to be used that night. Carl
prays for the members and for God's anointing on his own life.
They wait until after the meeting (during the refreshment time)
before eating.
 The Everetts' example is not unusual at Bethany, where cell
leaders are encouraged to fast and pray before the cell meeting.
Some fast the whole day; others until 3 p.m.; some may skip
one meal. Carl says, "It is important to mobilize as many from
the group as possible to fast and pray."

PRAYER WITHIN THE GROUP

Praying cells are powerful cells. The Holy Spirit is raising up

a new prayer cell movement across the land," and the cell
church is strategically poised to lead it."

Prayer fits naturally into the worship time of a cell meeting.

Notice in Revelation 5:8-9 how prayer and worship blend
together:

Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls
full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And
they sang a new song: 'You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with
your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe
and language and people and nation.'

As we see here, singing and prayer form part of the worship

mix in the cell group. Both are essential to build the spiritual
dynamic of the cell and to bring pleasure to Jesus Christ.

INTERCESSORY PRAYER IN THE CELL GROUP

Effective cell leaders pray aloud for cell members during the
meeting. Let's use Marjorie, a successful cell leader, as an
example. As she begins to pray for each member during the cell
meeting, her pastor's heart is evident. Her prayers are so
specific and personal, yet she doesn't reveal confidential
matters. She warmly lifts each person in the meeting before the
throne of God. Marjorie has multiplied her group several times
because she knows her flock, and they are willing to follow her.
This type of prayer tells members that you care about them as
individuals, helps establish your relationship with them, and
ministers to their needs. This also is an excellent way for cell
leaders to model intercessory prayer.

Part of the cell members' responsibility is to intercede for a

world that doesn't know Jesus Christ. Each cell has its own
Jerusalem (neighborhood), and it's probably best to begin
there. Ralph Neighbour Jr. recommends writing the names of
every relational contact on a large poster so the whole group
can intercede in unison.19 The Faith Community Baptist
Church training manual exhorts potential cell leaders to, "Make
mention of your unbeliever friends in the cell meetings.
Encourage all the cell members to pray for them daily. God will
answer these prayers.""'

Along with praying for non-Christian friends, pray also for

those who will start the new cell group. Avoid prayers of doubt
here-"Lord, if it be your will to multiply this cell group ..." The
faithful cell member prays believing that multiplication is God's
will (2 Peter 3:9-10; 1 Timothy 2:4-5). Floyd L. Schwan
addresses "How to Birth New Groups" in his book, Growing
Small Groups. He counsels cell leaders to "get their group
pregnant." How? Through prayer. He advises cell leaders to
include a prayer in each week's meeting for those who will help
start a new group. He says, "It gives the Holy Spirit an
additional opportunity to work with the hearts of potential
leaders.""

Yet, a cell's intercessory prayer also must invade the

unreached people of the earth. God is calling His church
worldwide to intercede on behalf of the unreached masses of
the world, especially those living in the "10/40 Window." This
is the geographical rectangle between 10 degrees and 40
degrees north latitude in which 90 percent of the unreached
people groups live.

At Bethany World Prayer Center, cell groups conclude with

intercessory prayer for the unreached peoples of the world. To
that end, they've developed an excellent series of prayer
profiles on unreached groups for other churches and cell
groups to use.ZZ

FLEXIBILITY IN PRAYER

Be creative! There is not one "right" way to mobilize cell

members to pray, and flexibility helps avoid the boredom of a
routine. Try these ideas:

• Break into groups of two or three. This allows more people

to enter into prayer and is less intimidating for quieter
members.

• Train your group to pray short, conversational prayers that

provide greater interaction and agreement. This allows
more people to pray and helps prevent one person from
dominating.
 • Ask individual cell members to intercede.

• Try using "concert prayer." C. Peter Wagner describes this

as "all those present in the prayer meeting pray out loud at
the same time."' Korean Christians have popularized this
style of prayer. In Cho's church, the leader gives the signal
to begin, and a roar of prayer floods the church until a bell
signals that it's time to quit.

PRAYER IN CELL CHURCHES

Karen Hurston says, "Cells are simply the conduit through

which the Holy Spirit flows; they are not an end in
themselves." Sometimes we in the cell church movement forget
that the cell is primarily a channel through which the Holy
Spirit moves. Apart from His work, cells have little value.

Each church included in this case study earnestly seeks

God's power through prayer. They promote prayer as the chief
priority. Prayer is not just talked about; it's regularly practiced.
For example, each of the churches hold regular all-night prayer
meetings. The three largest cell churches in this study (35,000+
worshippers) hold weekly all-night prayer meetings.

The Living Water Church in Lima, Peru, gathers the church

for fasting and prayer on seven of its country's 10 national
holidays. Each such event draws about 1,000 people. The
International Charismatic Mission also shines as a mighty
example of prayer. From 5 to 9 every morning, praise choruses
and fervent prayer rise from their building. Rare is the moment
when one of the pastors or lay people is not preaching the
Word of God, worshipping, or praying.
 Sundays at Cho's Yoido Full Gospel Church are buzzing with
life. From dawn until dusk, tens of thousands of people serve
Jesus Christ in every nook and corner of that huge church.

What's the "secret strength" behind Yoido Full Gospel

Church? Prayer. Some 3,000 people pray at Prayer Mountain
each day (10,000 on the weekend). The leadership at YFGC
believes that we are in a spiritual battle that can be won only in
the heavenlies, and they act-and pray-accordingly. No wonder
the evangelical church in Korea has grown from .05 percent to
30 percent of the population in a short period of time!

This spirit that pervades early morning prayer meetings is

also central to the cell group at YFGC. Jeffrey Arnold sums up
why David Yonggi Cho's church has grown so rapidly: "How
did they grow so quickly? They encouraged each small group
to pray for non-Christian friends, and they taught leaders how
to lead people to Christ. With thousands of small groups in
operation, each group bringing in a few new Christians every
year or so created phenomenal growth. 1124

Until cell leadership is convinced that only God can convert

a non-Christian and bring multiplication to the cell group, very
little will happen. Ralph Neighbour Jr. says, "Trite moments of
prayer in a cell group are incapable of breaking the spirit of
lethargy in a cell."25 It's like praying for food at a restaurant-
mindless. Before prayer can make a difference in the cell, the
cell leadership must "know that they know" that unless God
breathes His life into our methodologies, they are just wood,
hay, and stubble. When Jesus saw the pressing needs of the
multitude, He didn't tell the disciples to initiate the latest
evangelism-training program. Rather, he commanded them to
"Ask the Lord of the harvest ... to send out workers into his
harvest field" (Matthew 9:38).

f you aim for nothing, you'll definitely hit it! It's much
easier to shoot the arrow first and then draw the bulls-eye
around its landing spot. Far too many leaders take this
approach, and the process is slow and haphazard. Clear-cut
goals and cell success form an iron link. All eight churches in
this case study set clear-cut goals at both the church and cell
level.

The power of setting goals applies to successful leaders and

growing churches in general. Kirk Hadaway, in Church Growth
Principles: Separating Fact from Fiction, summarizes the results
of his well-researched statistical study:
 Growing churches are goal-directed. They set measurable
goals for attendance, Sunday School classes, revivals,
and for many other areas.... Setting goals helps churches
to grow.... Goals provide direction and ensure that
priorities (which flow out of purpose) are acted upon....
Challenging goals have the potential for producing
motivation and enthusiasm. Big plans create a sense of
excitement if they are consistent with the mission and
vision of a congregation and are not seen as totally
impossible.'

True to form, the eight cell churches in this case study take a
successful, goal-oriented approach to ministry and growth.
One goal each cell strives toward is a target date for
multiplication. The 700 cell leaders surveyed were asked, "Do
you know when your group is going to multiply?" Possible
answers were "yes," "no," or "not sure." Cell leaders who
know their goal-when their groups will give birth-consistently
multiply their groups more often than leaders who don't know.
In fact, if a cell leader fails to set goals that the cell members
clearly remember, he has about a 50-50 chance of multiplying
his cell. But if the leader sets goals, the chance of multiplying
increases to three out of four.

Ted Engstrom, a leader of leaders, observes, "The best

leaders always had a planned course, specific goals, and
written objectives. They had in mind the direction in which
they wanted to go."' The same is true of the best cell leaders
and churches.

CESAR CASTELLANOS
 Cesar Castellanos, pastor of the International Charismatic
Mission in Bogota, Colombia, considers himself an apostle
with an apostolic vision. His congregation knows that he
spends large amounts of time in prayer and communion with
the Holy Spirit. In those times, he receives his worldwide vision
for the church. Like the apostles of old, Castellanos has
successfully passed down his vision to his top leadership.
Several of his key leaders attribute their own success to the
vision and inspiration of their pastor.

Castellanos is a firm believer in short-and long-term goals. In

October 1996, when the church had 5,600 cell groups, the
church goal was to have 10,000 cell groups by December 31,
1996. At the time I wrote,

... The goals of the church were not adjusted to conform

to reality. For example, the clearly stated goal of the
church is to have 10,000 cell groups by the end of 1996.
Two staff pastors told me they were sure that they were
going to meet the goal even though it was only two
months away. This would mean going from the present
5,600 cell groups to 10,000 cells in just two months.
Practically speaking, this is humanly impossible.

God majors in the "humanly impossible." Soon after my visit

to the church, however, Pastor Castellanos marshaled his
troops for one last thrust in 1996. The cell leaders were so
enthused that they not only reached the goal of 10,000 groups
but surpassed it by 600. As you can imagine, God humbled me
and taught me about how He can use a leader with clear goals.
When one of God's leaders is filled with His vision, the Holy
Spirit moves powerfully.

Luis SALAS

One of the disciples of Cesar Castellanos is Luis Salas. Luis

is so serious about goals that he has a battle map, a list of
multiplication goals. After reading his story, you'll understand
why Castellanos often uses Luis as an example of amazing
cellgroup multiplication.

In June 1994 Luis began his first cell group, which grew to
30 persons. By September 1994, Luis gave birth to a daughter
group that soon multiplied again. But beyond simply
multiplying the group, Luis diligently trained members of the
cell to start their own groups (which is the goal at International
Charismatic Mission). By February 1995, Luis was overseeing
14 groups whose leadership he had discipled and pastored.

Pastor Cesar Castellanos noticed Luis' progress and asked

him to form part of the pastoral team. So in October 1995, Luis
left his groups under the care of others while he began his new
ministry directly under Castellanos. Three months later, Luis
started from scratch once again. Within one month, his new cell
group had grown from 10 to 60 people. This large group birthed
several daughter cells, and by August the original cell had
grown to 46 cells.

Luis and his disciples personally trained each of these 46

cell leaders. He knows that the only realistic way to meet his
goal is to raise up new leaders, so he constantly looks for and
trains emerging leaders. In October 1996, Luis was training 144
potential leaders. In November 1996, 86 cell groups were under
Luis' care; one month later, 144 cells; in June 1997, 250 cells. In
18 months, Luis grew one cell of 10 people into 250 cells.

Is Luis sitting on his laurels? No way. He continues to set

forth his future goals and details the steps needed to reach
them.

Admittedly, Luis is a uniquely gifted cell leader. Not many

possess his unique blend of vision, administration, and
passion. But his example should inspire us, as William Carey
said, "to expect great things from God and attempt great things
for God."' Luis lives in the future. Goals and dreams
characterize his life. All effective leaders share this trait.

DAVID YONGGI CHO

David Yonggi Cho is extremely focused. He knows where his

church is going and how it will get there. Cho says, "The
number one requirement for having real growth-unlimited
church growth-is to set goals."" He recommends four
principles for setting goals:

1. Set specific goals.

2. Dream about those goals.

3. Proclaim those goals to the church.

4. Prepare for the fulfillment of the goals.

Cho believes that goal orientation is so essential to the

success of cell ministry that the system would collapse without
it. In his words, "Many churches are failing in their cell system
because they do not give their people a clear goal and remind
them constantly of their goal. If they have no goal, then the
people will gather together and just have a grand fellowship."'
He goes on to say, "Many people criticized me because I was
giving goals to my people then encouraging them to
accomplish the goals. But if you don't give them a goal, they
will have no purpose to being in the cell."6

Notice that the goal is cellgroup evangelism that results in

multiplication. With 25,000 cell leaders setting clear
multiplication goals, is it any wonder that the Yoido Full Gospel
Church is the largest church in the history of Christianity?

EFFECTIVE CELL CHURCHES KNOW WHERE

THEY'RE GOING

It's amazing how goal orientation pervades every level of the

cell church. Love Alive in Honduras, which exploded beyond
1,000 cells in 1997, is a good example. Dixie Rosales, the
director of cell ministry, explains that he and Rene Penalba (the
head pastor) determine the number of cell groups each year. He
considers this job simple because every leadership level
determines its own goals that are then combined into an overall
goal:

1. The cell leaders communicate their goals for multiplication

to the area supervisors.

2. The area supervisors tell their zone pastors how many cell
 groups under their care will be ready to give birth.

3. The zone pastors tell the district pastors how many

possible new births to expect in their zones.

4. The district pastors communicate their goals and visions

to the director of the cell groups.

5. The director of cell groups, in coordination with the

district pastors, establishes a multiplication goal for the
year. The pastoral team then approves this goal.

At Elim Church in El Salvador, multiplication goals are

updated weekly and posted to show which leaders are closest
to reaching their goals (the goal for every leader is 100 percent
multiplication). Obviously, no one wants to be on the bottom of
the list. The "healthy competition" that exists among the
pastors spurs a high degree of motivation to grow.

GOALS AND VISION

Multiplication does not happen naturally. In fact, just the

opposite often occurs. The actual tendency is for cell groups
to look inward. Close relationships have developed; fun times
have been shared. Why should the cell even think about
forming a new one?' Home Cell Groups and House Churches
reports,

The principle of cell division and growth seems critical

here to help avert the problem of exclusiveness.... The
purpose of such action is designed to prevent the kind of
exclusiveness and inwardness that can eventually
 undermine one of the most significant goals of cell
groups -outreach and growth."

It is precisely at this point of "turning inward" that without a

vision for growth the people perish (Proverbs 28:19). This
vision can only come from leadership-the section leaders, cell
leaders and interns. Leaders casting the vision fan the flame
and keep the goal alive. Vision, like faith, sees things that are
not as though they were. In The Power of Vision, George Barna
writes:

Vision is a picture held in your mind's eye of the way

things could or should be in the days ahead. Vision
connotes a visual reality, a portrait of conditions that do
not exist currently. This picture is internalized and
personal.'

Effective leaders meditate on their vision and clarify it so

they can share it with others. "Leaders are only as powerful as
the ideas they can communicate," according to Leaders: The
Strategies for Taking Charge.'° Though not an easy task,
leaders step out in faith to constantly communicate to their
cells that they will multiply. They believe in the vision of
reaching out to others and bringing them to know Jesus, and
God guides them toward fulfilling it. While some cell members
embrace cell multiplication for the purpose of fulfilling Christ's
Great Commission, others talk about cell division in a negative
light. The leader makes the difference in how the group views
growth and multiplication.

It's somewhat like the story about two shoe salesmen who
went to Africa. Both of them noticed that very few people wore
shoes. One wired back to his home office: "Our company has
no future here. There is no market for our product. No one
wears shoes." The other salesman fired off a wire as follows:
"We have a gold mine of a market here. Everyone needs
shoes!""

In commenting on the miracle of David Cho's church

growthhow it grew from 20 small groups to over 20,000 small
groups-C. Kirk Hadaway says, ". . . the numbers continued to
grow because a growth strategy was built into each cell
group."" This "built-in strategy" or "genetic code" is planted
through the cell leader's vision and dreams. Karen Hurston
talks about one cell leader named Pablo, who shares with the
group his vision for multiplication before every meeting. The
people in Pablo's group have a very positive idea about
cellgroup multiplication. They see the multiplication of their
group as a sign of success."

Vision explains why Freddie Rodriguez succeeds. In 1987,

Freddie became a convert and disciple of Cesar Fajardo, the
youth leader at the International Charismatic Mission in
Bogota. ICM operates under the "Groups of Twelve Model,"
which emulates the way Jesus formed His cell group of 12. By
1990, Freddie had found his 12 disciples who were all leading
cell groups. Those 12 sought and found 12 more, and the
process continued. As of March 1997, Freddie was directly
responsible for more than 900 cell groups. He continues to
meet with his original 12 every week, and he also meets with
about 500 of his leaders on a weekly basis.
 Cell leader, pray and dream about your cell group. Ask God
to show you His desire for the group. It is unwise for cell
leaders to do the work of the ministry at the expense of their
time with the Lord. And working without a God-given goal
often proves futile. Perhaps this is why leaders who spend
more time before God are more effective in cell multiplication.
They've received God's vision for the cell group. Barna says, ".
. . the vision-capturing process may be an ordeal. Hours and
hours will be spent in prayer, in study. ... Some leaders find this
period very lonely."" But, undoubtedly, very fruitful in the end.

GOALS AND PRAGMATISM

Donald McGavran, the founder of the church-growth

movement, teaches that church growth is simply catching the
fish (evangelism) and not letting them go (discipleship in the
church). McGavran's passion for the lost propelled him to
promote an uncompromising pragmatism. He writes:

Nothing hurts missions overseas so much as continuing

methods, institutions, and policies which ought to bring
men to Christ-but don't; which ought to multiply
churches-but don't; which ought to improve society-but
don't. If it does not work to the glory of God and the
extension of Christ's church, throw it away and get
something which does. As to methods, we are fiercely
pragmatic-doctrine is something entirely different."

All of the above leads us to this point: There is no ultimate

"right way" to multiply your cell group. The "right way" for
you is the one that edifies the saints and attracts non-
Christians to your group. Goals and dreams propel a cell leader
to make it happen, however the job gets done-within Biblical
guidelines, of course. Successful cell leaders translate intention
into reality and then sustain it.16 If a cell leader has multiplied
the group, he or she has done it the "right way." This attitude
characterized the life and ministry of John Wesley. Richard
Wilke notes:

John Wesley changed his structures and methods, almost

against his will, in order to save souls. He didn't want to
use women, but he did in exceptional circumstances. The
'exceptional' became normal. He didn't want to use lay
pastors, but he did. They were able to reach the
unbelievers. He didn't want to preach in the open air, but
he did so that more might hear the Word of God."

Tom Peters takes pragmatism one step farther. "The best

leaders . . . are the best 'note-takers,' the best 'askers,' the best
learners. They are shameless thieves."" Peters recommends the
"Swiped from the Best with Pride"19 methodology that will
ultimately lead to the multiplication of the cell group.

Successful cell leaders know where they're going and how

to get there because they hear from the Master. Effective cell
leadership is not based on gimmicks and techniques. It's
grounded in spending time with God until He provides clear
direction and guidance. Ultimately, He grants success.

Your church can grow rapidly, too. The key is cell leaders
who pray and have been instilled with a goal-oriented
mentality. Each of Cho's leaders is to know when the group will
give birth (it is preferable to have the exact date)." Ralph
Neighbour gives similar instruction, "Cell leaders will set a goal
for doubling the cell in a given period of time. These goals can
be reached as the Holy Spirit anoints people like yourself....
Someone has said, 'I'd rather shoot at a goal and miss it than
shoot at nothing, and hit it!""'

he phrase "urgent evangelism" expresses two

things: (1) Scripture's teaching on the fate of those who don't
know Jesus and (2) the necessity of believers to share the
gospel of Christ. An "urgent" matter takes precedence over
other concerns, and Jesus clarified His priority on earth when
he said, "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what
was lost" (Luke 19:10).
 Christ's priority remains an urgent one. He said, "Do you not
say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open
your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest"
(John 4:35). Commenting on this passage, Matthew Henry
says, "Harvest time ... will not last always; and harvest work is
work that must be done then or not at all ... it was necessary
work, and the occasion for it very urgent and pressing."'

Scripture teaches that the world is eternally lost (John 3:36;

2 Thessalonians 1:7-9, 16; Jude 23). Paul was compelled to
preach the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:16) and persuade people
with the good news of Jesus Christ because every person will
stand before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:11).
He writes in Romans 10:14, "How, then, can they call on the
one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in
the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear
without someone preaching to them?" That's a message of
urgency.

We are at war over the eternal matter of people's souls. The

prince of darkness recognizes that he and his demon forces
have a very short time (Revelation 12), and these evil forces
strive to blind and deceive as many people as possible. God
calls His church to

defeat the enemy by winning people to Jesus. Some Christians

wage war by themselves, but the cell church methodology is
group-oriented. Each cell is a guerrilla team to reach the lost.
Cell groups realize from the start that they are called to fulfill a
goal greater than themselves-reaching the lost for Jesus Christ.
This drives the cell as a unit and unites it under one purpose.
 "Urgent evangelism" in the cell church results in
conversions, and thus in rapid cell multiplication. Numerical
growth is intentionally planned and aggressively pursued. The
sole motivation for growth in the eight case-study churches is
the eternal state of those who don't know Jesus. These
churches don't debate the "numbers game." They seek the lost
for eternal reasons.

SEE EVERYONE AS A MINISTER

Paul writes in Ephesians 4:11-12 that God gifted church

leadership for the purpose of training the laity to do the work
of the ministry. The goal of leadership, therefore, is "to prepare
God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ
may be built up." John echoes this truth in Revelation 1:6 when
he says that Christ made us to be a kingdom of priests.

As children of the Reformation, we agree with the concept

that every Christian is a minister. But that doesn't necessarily
mean that we live it. Many in the United States ask, "Why
hasn't the cell church mushroomed in the U.S. like it has in
Korea?" Larry Kreider, founder of DOVE Christian Fellowship,
asked David Cho that very question. Cho didn't hesitate: "The
problem here in America is that pastors are not willing to
release their lay people for ministry."' Cho is referring to the
hesitancy of pastoral leadership in the U.S. to delegate pastoral
authority to their cell leaders and interns.

In one sense, this hesitancy is understandable. No pastor

wants to be accused of shallowness, or of emphasizing
quantity over quality. Also, the majority of pastors in the U.S.
have passed through a system of extensive, formal training. It
is natural, therefore, and even logical for them to expect
potential lay leadership to pass through similar formal training.
And, yes, there are merits to this type of pre-service training. It
certainly weeds out the non-committed and assures that
potential leaders become thoroughly acquainted with sound
Christian doctrine.

This approach, however, has two fatal errors. First, it fails to

acknowledge that the best learning is caught, not taught.
Leadership learning is a process, so potential leaders cannot be
"perfected" before they're sent into ministry. Leaders gain vital
experience as they make mistakes, reflect on them, and chart
midcourse corrections. The cell group is, in fact, the perfect
laboratory. Carl George says, "The best possible context
anyone has ever discovered for developing leadership occurs
because of a small group."3

The second flaw concerns the work of the Holy Spirit. A

philosophy that relies on formal training for cell leadership
often minimizes the power of, and the reliance on, the Holy
Spirit. Take the example of the apostle Paul. During the first
century, Paul established churches throughout the
Mediterranean and left them in the hands of relatively new
Christians.' He trusted the Holy Spirit to work through these
young leaders. Speaking of Paul's method, Roland Allen writes:

The moment converts were made in any place ministers

were appointed from among themselves, presbyter
Bishops, or Bishops, who in turn could organize and
bring into the unity of the visible Church and new group
 of Christians in their neighborhood.'

Unlike Paul, we often hang educational nooses around the

necks of potential leaders, thinking that only those trained to
our specifications can minister. Paul trusted the Holy Spirit to
work in the lives of new believers and developing leaders. As
David Sheppard points out, "We've settled for the priesthood
of all educated believers."' The rest of the saints just sit and
listen Sunday after Sunday. Aubrey Malphurs pinpoints the
problem:

The great tragedy is that far too many Christians are

either not involved or not properly involved in any
service for Christ or His church.... According to a survey
by George Gallup ... only 10 percent of the people in the
church are doing 90 percent of the ministry of the church.
Thus, 90 percent of the people are typically unemployed
'sitters and soakers.' Of the 90 percent, approximately 50
percent say they'll not become involved for whatever
reason. The remaining 40 percent say they'd like to
become involved, but they've not been asked or trained.'

The "unemployment" of the laity is a serious issue facing

the church today. The typical Sunday morning "teaching-
andpreaching" ministry does not involve many lay people.
Only very "gifted" and "highly educated" people are allowed
to participate. Hadaway writes, "The clergy-dominated
Christianity of the Western world has widened the gap
between clergy and laity in the body of Christ. This division of
labor, authority, and prestige is common when a professional
clergy exists."'
 God's agenda of "urgent evangelism" demands participation
by all His people. The time for a chosen few to do the work of
ministry has passed. This is, instead, the time to trust the Holy
Spirit to work among the entire Body of Christ. Instead of
relying on our own expertise, education and experience, we
must trust God to work through others as we equip and release
them to lead.

DECENTRALIZE THE MINISTRY

In cell churches, ministry is taken out of the hands of a

"chosen few" and placed in the lap of many. Unlike in a large
celebration service, everyone is encouraged to participate in
cell groups and use their spiritual gifts. Peter reminds us that ".
. . one should use whatever gift he has received to serve
others, faithfully administrating God's grace in its various
forms" (1 Peter 4:10). No one sits passively. Everyone must be
involved.

This type of decentralization spurs the rapid multiplication

at International Charismatic Mission, where layers of
machinery that hinder lay involvement have been removed.
Pastor Cesar Castellanos says ICM's goal is to make a cell
leader out of every person who enters the church. He invites
potential cell leaders to the altar during celebration services. If
cells are going to multiply rapidly, new leaders must constantly
be sought and released.

Cell groups are "leader breeders."9 Hadaway writes, "...

small home-centered groups provide the intimate atmosphere . .
. conducive to maximum leadership development.""' For this
reason, cell churches are in a unique position to maximize lay
involvement. Elevating new leadership must have high priority.
Pastor Castellanos tells his leaders not to "recruit" cell
members but to "train" leaders. The success of the cell church
depends on transforming lay people into lay leaders. That is
the force behind the home cell group explosion. The goal of
every cell leader, therefore, is to raise up new leadership. Many
cell leaders fail at precisely this point, because the primary
focus of leadership development becomes blurred with the
burdens of attracting new people, perfecting the lesson
content, or honing the worship.

THE CELL LEADER AS PASTOR

Cell leaders also are pastors. Some people have trouble

calling cell leaders "pastors," but they fulfill every biblical
principle of a pastor. In John Wesley's system of small groups,
the class leaders were pastors. Pastoring involves five main
principles.

1. Care for the Sheep (Acts 20:28-29).

The cell leader visits, counsels, and prays for the sick flock.
The cell leader is responsible for caring for the cell as a
shepherd cares for his flock. Karen Hurston's long involvement
with Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, Korea, convinced her
that cell leader visitation is paramount.

2. Know the Sheep (John 10: 14,15).

Effective cell leaders get to know each person who enters

the group. Ralph Neighbour Jr. recommends that the cell leader
talk one-on-one with new members, using a booklet called The
Journey Guide to facilitate this initial interview." He exhorts:

Nothing can substitute for personal time with each

member of your flock! It will be in such private times that
you will discern their value systems and deepest needs.
While you will usually have your Intern at your side
when you visit, there will be times when more private
sessions may help you gain special insights into each
person.12

3. Seek the Sheep (Luke 15:4).

Jesus talks about leaving the flock of 99 sheep to seek the

one that has gone astray. Knowing that a satanic-dominated
world is always working against godliness in the lives of the
cell members, a true shepherd goes after the sheep who stop
attending.

4. Feed the Sheep (Psalm 23:1-3).

The cell group is not a Bible study, but the Word of God
always has a central place. Many meetings are based on
practical application of a scripture passage, and leaders
preparing for the cell often meditate on a passage longer than
they would if they were leading a Bible study or Sunday
School. They must know it well enough to lovingly draw the
group into clear understanding of how the Bible applies to their
daily lives. In this way, the sheep are fed and leave the cell
group satisfied.

5. Watch Out for the Sheep (John 10:10, Ephesians 6:12).

 Satan walks about like a roaring lion hoping to devour God's
flock (1 Peter 5:8-9). In many churches, Satan has free reign to
attack because the people are not cared for properly. In the cell
church, every 10 or so members are under the care and
guidance of the cell pastor and intern, who are responsible for
protecting their sheep. Paul's advice to the pastors in Ephesus
is helpful to every cell leader:

Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the
Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the
church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I
know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among
you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own
number men will arise and distort the truth in order to
draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard!
(Acts 20:28-31)

We're reminded here that Satan doesn't attack only from

without. He also raises up self-proclaimed leaders in Christian
smallgroup gatherings to create division and to attract a
following. Problem people are common in small groups, and the
cell shepherd must be diligent about ensuring that their
behavior does not negatively affect his flock.

PASTOR THOSE IN THE GROUP

The survey also asked the cell leaders: "As the leader of the
cell group, how many times per month do you contact the
members of your group?" More than 700 responses provided
these results: 25 percent, one to two times per month; 33
percent, three to four; 19 percent, five to seven; and 23 percent,
eight or more. That's right: 23 percent of the cell leaders in this
study visit their cell members eight or more times per month.
As might be expected, leaders who visit cell members more
often multiply the cell group more times. A personal visit
demonstrates the pastoral care of the cell leader and often
converts cell members into cell workers.

BE WILLING TO MULTIPLY LEADERSHIP

If you're uncomfortable with the concept of "lay pastors,"

remember that cell leaders and interns are not Bible teachers.
Their job description is pastoral.13 Instead of teaching a Bible
lesson, cell leaders guide the communication process, pray for
the group, visit cell members, and reach lost people for Christ.
Carl George succinctly says, "In the church of the future a
leader won't be known for his or her ability to handle a
quarterly or written study guide so much as for a skill in
relating to people in such a way that they allow access into
their lives."14

Growing cell churches successfully equip their leadership,

using both pre-service and ongoing training. Pastoral
leadership in the cell church must rely on the Holy Spirit to
work through those who desire to serve Jesus, show
enthusiasm and have a clear testimony.15 As God raises up
potential leaders, they need to be recognized as such by the
cell leaders. Again, David Cho is an example of someone who
obviously does that. Even in a church of 700,000+ members,
Yoido Full Gospel Church maintains an average of one lay
leader for every 10 to 16 church members." For example, in 1988
alone, 10,000 new lay leaders were appointed for ministry."
 When asked where all the leaders for thousands of new cell
groups come from, Cho immediately reports, "We get them from
our new Christians."1" Another pastor whose leaders come
from this camp is Pete Scazzero, who oversees a growing
C&MA cell church in New York. He says:

Our future is limited by our leadership.... Several of the

cellgroup leaders and apprentices are new Christians.
Young Christians who lead cell groups grow like crazy ...
especially as they learn to base their identity in Christ
instead of in their ministries or on their egos.79

The Latin American churches used in this case study

confirm Scazzero's findings. The research indicates that newer
Christians tend to multiply their groups faster than those who
have been believers for a longer period. Is this because new
Christians still have non-Christian contacts? Too many "mature
Christians" lose touch with their non-Christian contacts. These
findings show that as cell leaders watch their members
carefully to identify and develop emerging leaders, they cannot
afford to overlook the new converts. Watch members grow, and
listen for guidance from the Holy Spirit. If you as the cell leader
make leadership development your chief goal, you are on the
way to successful cell group multiplication.

CONTINUALLY PRAY FOR MORE LEADERS

Leadership development and deployment is first and

foremost a divine task. Only God can raise up an anointed,
effective leader. Jesus instructed his disciples this way, "The
harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the
harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field"
(Matthew 9:37-38). We must remember that God is working
behind the scenes to develop new leaders.

Prayer touches the heart of God and changes our own

hearts. It produces within us a constant watchfulness for
potential leadership. Prayer gives us God's perspective and
erases our own preconceived standards. That person you see
today as stumbling and fumbling might be the next district
pastor-if given the opportunity. God's counsel to Samuel is a
constant reminder to us: "Do not consider his appearance or
his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at
the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance,
but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). Purity of heart,
faithfulness, and willingness to work hard are far more
important in cell ministry than natural talent, social status, or
charisma.

INVOLVE POTENTIAL LEADERS

The next step after praying for potential leaders is to involve

them in the cell meeting. Because your cell meeting is a training
ground for new leadership, ask Mary to lead the ice-breaker
next week. Or invite Jim to lead worship. Eventually, someone
else will facilitate the lesson. People learn in the process of
doing, so allow your members to get involved.

Avoid placing titles on potential leaders in the beginning.

Jesus called his disciples to follow Him before he officially
gave them titles (Mark 1). Be sure that a certain person is the
right one to lead the next cell group before putting a title on
him or her. This enables you to select the right person, but it
will also produce more leaders. People will be more willing to
wear the title if they've tasted and enjoyed the leadership
experience.

TEST FAITHFULNESS

Potential cell leaders need to prove themselves in the small

things. Jesus says in Luke 16:10, "Whoever can be trusted with
very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is
dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much."
Faithfulness is essential to cell leadership. People forgive
quirks and weaknesses, but those who are unfaithful or
irresponsible automatically are removed from leadership. This
means that a potential leader must be proven more than once.
Give people several chances to perform a particular task. Don't
label anyone as unfaithful just because they fail to bring the
refreshments one night. Give them several opportunities.

People learn best by taking incremental steps. That is, the

successful completion of a smaller task helps them gain
confidence for a larger one. Begin by asking the person to read
scripture, pray, or organize refreshments. Note whether the task
is completed successfully. If it isn't, talk directly with that
person because transparency and honesty are the best policy.
If it is carried out properly, give greater responsibility next time.

CONSULT WITH OTHERS

You as the cell leader are in the best position to involve and
recruit new leadership. But don't do it alone. The writer of
Proverbs counsels, "For lack of guidance a nation falls, but
many advisers make victory sure" (11:14). To ensure victory in
choosing your interns, consult with the leaders over you (e.g.,
discipler, supervisor, zone pastor). They will confirm your
decisions most of the time, but you want to make sure. They
might know something you don't. One of the beauties of the
cell church is the multiplicity of cell leadership that assures
quality control.

RECRUIT THE NEW LEADER

When you are sure that you have found the right one(s),
make contact. Follow the example of Jesus, who called his
disciples personally and directly. Go over to the person's
house, school, or work-make it a special meeting. Important
meetings are normally planned and well thought out. The
potential new leader needs to know that the decision was
deliberate and premeditated. And don't withhold praise for fear
of "puffing them up." Every small encouragement works
wonders as new leaders face fears and uncertainties over
talent, spiritual giftedness, and weaknesses. Affirm any and all
positive qualities. All of us yearn to know that we do
something well. A good rule of thumb is to give more praise
than criticism. Before you offer advice, ask interns whether
they see any need for improvement. Let them mention obvious
weaknesses before you do. This will allow you to see how they
perceive things as it strengthens your role as an encourager.

INCREASINGLY TURN MINISTRY OVER TO THE

NEW LEADER
 The example of Jesus is instructive for cell ministry. Jesus
showed His disciples how to do the ministry; he ministered
along side them. He modeled effective ministry while the
disciples watched and participated. Jesus then went one step
further-he sent the disciples out to do some work by
themselves (Matthew 10:5-20). Finally, after thorough training,
Jesus left them completely (Acts 1:11).

Six months usually is sufficient time for you to develop a

new leader to shepherd a cell. You may raise up cell leadership
more rapidly or it might take longer, but make it your goal to
prepare the new leader in six months. If you've done it right, the
new cell leader should be able to lead a daughter cell, plant a
new cell, or continue leading your group (while you start a new
one).

TRAIN YOUR LEADERSHIP FULLY

Cell church training is more like preparing a lightning task

force than a standing army. New leaders soon may be on the
front line, and this reality mandates relevant training that is
practical, workable, and usable in the same week.

All of the cell churches in this study have clearly defined

requirements for potential cell leaders. Although these
requirements vary from church to church, the core
requirements include:

1. Salvation

2. Water baptism
 3. Cell attendance

4. Completion of a cell training course.Z"

Although the length and demands of the cell training course

varies, two characteristics are similar: (1) it is taught by pastoral
staff and (2) it always covers cell organization, cell vision, and
New Testament leadership requirements. Cell churches that
raise up leadership quickly, yet effectively, maintain both the
quantitative and qualitative edge. Both are essential."

A few key ingredients are always present in churches with

cell leader training models:

1. Some kind of pre-training for cell leaders.

2. A Jethro system in which every leader is pastored.21

3. Ongoing training.

4. An intentional way for emerging leaders to be

spotted, encouraged, and integrated into the
leadership structure.

The pressing question about training models is, "Which

model best serves the multiplication process?" No one does it
better than the International Charismatic Mission.

LEADERSHIP TRAINING AT ICM

ICM estimates that it keeps the majority of new converts

because of its follow-up and training program. Cesar Fajardo,
the pastor at ICM responsible for raising up more than 3,600
youth cell groups, says that the key to his success is quality
leadership, which results in amazing church growth. This is
what ICM's training looks like.

FIRST ENCOUNTER RETREAT

These are regular spiritual retreats designed to ensure that

the people who accept Christ during an altar call have
experienced the Christian life. During the Encounter, each
person receives concentrated teaching about liberation from
sin, the sanctified life, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This
is the first step toward becoming a leader at ICM.

FIRST SEMESTER OF LEADERSHIP SCHOOL

Next, the potential leader attends C.A.F.E. 2000, "Cells of

Family Training and Evangelism." The training material gives
the potential leader the basic foundational principles for
leading a small group." These leadership-training meetings take
place throughout the week. In October 1996, about 15
leadership training schools were in session every day with an
average of 30 students per class and a total of some 3,000
students.

SECOND ENCOUNTER RETREAT

After the young people ministry proved the effectiveness of

a second Encounter Retreat, other ICM departments also
began requiring this next step.24 This second retreat is
designed to reinforce the commitments made at the first retreat
and to instill more principles in the potential leader before he or
she launches the cell group.

SECOND AND THIRD SEMESTER

OF LEADERSHIP SCHOOL

The core cell leadership training lasts three months, but the
deeper levels of training extend to nine months. During this
second and third semester, there is deeper level teaching about
false cults and false philosophies, and about ICM's core
values. By the time students enter the second semester, they
are leading a cell group. This forces the student to learn both
theoretically and practically, which might explain the school's
high rate of attrition. It is normal for the first three-month
session to begin with 40 students, drop to 35 in the second
trimester, and end up with only 22 by the last trimester.

FLET

If a leader desires deeper levels of training beyond these

ninemonth courses, an excellent course called FLET (Facultad,
Latino, Entrenimiento, Teologica: the faculty of Latin America
Theological training) is offered. Although FLET is not
emphasized at ICM as a required course for continued
leadership training, it does give the opportunity for leaders to
continue in their theological training.

BUILD A CELL LEADERSHIP TEAM

We've looked at identifying and growing new leaders. Many

cell churches take this process one more step, forming them
into a leadership team-the nucleus of the cell. The nucleus
contains the genetic code for duplication, so multiplying the
leadership team ensures strong, ongoing daughter cells.
Successful leaders reach into the cell and build the leadership
team.'

Cell leaders in the eight case study churches were asked:

"How many assistant leaders do you have in your group?"
Their four choices ranged from zero to three or more. From the
total number of respondents: 21 percent did not have an
assistant leader, 35 percent had one, 17 percent had two, and 29
percent had three or more. Comparing the number of assistants
to how well the cells multiply shows that cell leaders with three
or more assistant leaders double their capacity to multiply the
cell group. When compared to the other significant variables in
this study, this factor ranked highest in helping cell leaders
multiply their group several times.

The question didn't draw out all the needed information

about team ministry. For example, some cell groups recognize
only one assistant leader while calling the other team members
by different names (e.g., treasurer, children's leader, disciple,
and "members at large"). More information about team ministry
was gathered in the case-study churches, though, and it's clear
that team-building is a crucial focus of the cell leader. Let's take
a more in-depth look at two Latin American cell churches that
are particularly adept at applying the team model.

LOVE ALIVE

The Love Alive Church in Tegucigalpa, Honduras proves

that team ministry is "alive and well" in the cell church today. A
new cell can be birthed at Love Alive only when a new team is
in place. Ninety percent of the 1,000 cell groups there have
leadership teams instead of solo leaders. The new team
members, or "missionaries" as they commonly are called, are
carefully selected, trained, and sent out.

Most new teams consist of three principal members-the

leader, the intern, the treasurer-and two members at large.
Before the cell multiplies, the new leader (the intern leader in
the mother cell) is actively involved in the mother group,
preparing to lead the new cell. The new treasurer helps count
the money collected in the cell and delivers it to the church
each week.26 Any member of the leadership team, including the
two members at-large, is allowed to fulfill any role in the cell.

Each cell team (whether in the mother or daughter cell) meets

apart from the regular cell group at least once a month to
strategize. After every celebration service, the leadership teams
meet. The supervisors and cell teams gather in designated
locations in the church to pray, plan, evaluate their progress,
and encourage each other. Each leader, from members at-large
to district pastors, are held accountable for their attendance.

ELIM

Elim Church in El Salvador also believes in team ministry.

The team consists of the leader, assistant, host, treasurer,
secretary, instructor of children, and members at large. The cell
leader's primary goal is to form this core team. Elim Church is
convinced that the success of the cell group depends on the
nucleus.
 Elim believes so strongly in team ministries that the core
team (and some potential leaders) meets weekly to plan, pray,
dream, and act. After a time of edification, team members plan
for the normal Saturday night cell meeting. They decide who
will visit straying members, reach new people, and pray for
those in need. Multiplication of the cell group is envisioned,
and the new team begins to take shape.

Having two separate cell meetings (one for planning and

one for outreach) is the major distinction between the cell
system at Elim and those at other cell churches. Elim's cells are
top quality, and gathering the core team on a regular basis for
planning, prayer, and vision-casting appears to be a key factor.

DON'T FEAR FAILURE

Not all cell groups successfully raise up new leaders and

multiply. It's not the end of the world if a cell dissolves,
because important principles are learned in the process. The
cell leader and members are encouraged to attend a group that
is better prepared for the task.

Successful leaders learn from their failures, becoming

stronger as a result: ". . . for the successful leader, failure is a
beginning, the springboard of hope."27 Soichiro Honda, the
founder of Honda Motor, writes:

Many people dream of success. To me success can only

be achieved through repeated failure and introspection. In
fact, success represents the 1 percent of your work which
results only from the 99 percent that is called failure.z"
 In Thriving on Chaos, Tom Peters states that companies
should promote failure. He counsels executives to hold "Hall of
Shame" parties, to give rewards to those who have fouled up
recently and to share freely about their own failures." Peters
promotes the motto of "fast failure": "Fail and get on with it!"
He reasons that the freedom to make mistakes results in
innovation and progress.

This principle has huge implications for the cell church. The
ever-expanding needs of the cell church demand the
involvement of lay leadership. After all, every leader starts
somewhere. Some leaders will fail and choose to withdraw, and
some groups will be dissolved. This is to be expected. The
majority of leaders, however, will learn from their mistakes,
correct them, and press on. With the proper control and
administration over the cell groups, the vast majority succeed.
 uccessful cell leaders serve by reaching out, but
they can effectively do this only through their life-giving
relationship with God. Jesus modeled the biblical order of
worshipping God first, and then serving. After a hard-fought
battle in the desert, Jesus uttered the words that drove the
devil away, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship
the Lord your God, and serve him only"' (Matthew 4:10).
Effective cell leaders know that any form of service naturally
flows from time spent with the living God. Through acts of
selfless service, we extend the Father's love to cell members, to
visitors, and to those who don't know Jesus.

My wife is a successful cell leader whose group grew

continuously and consistently. Celyce knows that a key to
having an effective cell gathering on Friday afternoon is the
phone calls she makes Thursday evening. No calls, no shows.
Experience has taught her that one additional call often
translates into a new member or the return of a "fence sitter."

As you might suspect, the survey shows a relationship

between the number of visitors to a group and the number of
times a leader multiplies the cell. The more visitors, the more
times the leader multiplies the group. However, when compared
to visitation of new people and invitation by group members,
the number of visitors in the group is secondary. This
highlights the importance of the cell leader making contact with
visitors right away, as well as cell members taking
responsibility for follow-up.

VISITATION OF NEW PEOPLE

The 700 cellgroup leaders surveyed were asked how many

times a month they contact new people.' Each leader was given
four options ranging from one to two times per month to eight
or more times per month. Suffice it to say, there is a direct
correlation between how often cell leaders contact new people
and their success in multiplying the group. If leaders contact
five to seven new people per month, there is an 80 percent
chance that they will multiply the group. When leaders visit
one to three people per month, the chances drop to 60 percent.
The statistics demonstrate that leaders who visit eight or more
new people each month multiply the cell twice as much as
those who visit only one or two new people per month. The
statistics reveal: Work hard and you'll see the results.

LUIS SALAS

You already met Luis Salas, who multiplied his original cell
to 250 cells in just 18 months. Luis goes after potential leaders.
He visits new people. Hanging on his bulletin board are lists
and more lists of "possible contacts." He meditates on those
names day and night. He plans conversations with them and
eventually contacts them. He invites them to become cell
members and, in time, leaders.

Luis spends the majority of his time now finding, training,

and placing leaders. But this same diligent searching
characterized his early days as a cell leader. Luis searches out
every lead, each new contact. He doesn't wait for opportunity
to knock; he knocks and simply opens the door.

GET YOUR FEET WET

Ralph Neighbour Jr. is a practitioner who puts his theory to

work among a lost and hurting world. He regularly takes his
students to the nearest bar to learn how to befriend those on
the other side. One can know all about cell theory, but never
reach those in the world.

Wendall Price, the late president of Alliance Theological

Seminary in Nyack, New York, is another who practiced what
he preached. "Climb down from your ivory towers and visit
those in the real world!" he challenged. No wonder churches
grew rapidly under his ministry. Study is important, but there
comes a time to interact with real people. In fact, the survey of
cell leaders indicates that reaching out has a greater impact on
cell multiplication than the time a leader spends in lesson
preparation.

PRIORITY # 1: THE NEW ONES

When Bethany World Prayer Center began transitioning

into the cell model four years ago, no one was pressured to join
a cell group. The pastors never insisted that all of the members
had to be in a group. Rather, the church went after the new
people for cellgroup members. They concentrated on those
without religious backgrounds. Pastor Larry Stockstill states:
 We consistently focus our attention on new converts and
visitors: the "growing edge" of the church where the least
resistance to relationships is found. Gradually, many of
the 'late adopters' have seen the benefits of a cell
relationship and are becoming involved. Now about 65
percent of the congregation attend a cell each week.'

The ideal in the cell church is that everyone attends both

cell and celebration. In reality, there will always be a pool of
those who attend only the celebration. Some of these people
are visitors; others have attended the church for quite a while.
Some will participate in a cell group after one invitation; others
require a shove. Aggressively invite all people at the
celebration service to the cell: "I'd like to invite you to my cell
group on Friday night at 7 p.m. I think you'd really like it. Do
you need a ride?" Cell leaders don't need to worry about
competition among themselves. Wouldn't it be wonderful if five
different cell leaders or interns invited the same visitor?

You've heard that "it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks."
Well, it's true in churches, too, so don't be discouraged by the
resistance of some. Go after the visitors and the new converts.
These are the people who still have nonChristian contacts to
invite to your cell group.

After carefully analyzing growing churches, Herb Miller

reaches this conclusion in his book The Magnetic Church:

No other single factor makes a greater difference in

improving annual membership addition than an immediate
visit to the home of first-time worshippers. . . . When lay
 persons make fifteenminute visits to the homes of first-
time worship visitors within thirty-six hours, 85 percent of
them return the following week. Make this home visit
within seventy-two hours, and 60 percent of them return.
Make it seven days later, and 15 percent will return. The
pastor making this call, rather than lay persons, cuts each
result in half.'

Visiting newcomers right away makes a huge difference.

Note how much more impact that visit has if it comes from a lay
person rather than from the clergy.

Cell leader, if you want your cell to grow, develop, and

multiply, one of the keys is immediate visitation of newcomers.
When someone visits your group, plan an immediate follow-up
visit, send the person a card, and/or pick up the telephone and
call. The saying, "People don't care how much you know until
they know how much you care" is true, so care for the
newcomers.

The casestudy churches have implemented systems so

newcomers don't "fall through the cracks." Visitor cards are
collected in the church and distributed to the various cell
groups, who in turn contact the newcomers. Because of this
organized approach to reaching out, many visitors attend a cell.
These churches track newcomers to ensure that they receive
proper follow-up and care.

At Bethany World Prayer Center, any person who receives

Christ or visits the church's celebration service is immediately
met by a cell leader. That cell leader then visits the person's
home with a gift of bread. The sorting of visitor cards,
distribution to cell leaders, and visitation of these newcomers
takes place within 24 hours! The cell leaders pray for the
visitors and invite them to attend cell.

Love Alive in Honduras receives approximately 110 first-time

visitors each month. Some receive Christ during the worship
service; others simply want to observe the church. To better
care for these visitors, a welcome team takes the names of the
visitors at an outside visitor's table. This information is
processed, and a cell leader is assigned to personally care for
the visitor-by the end of the service! By Monday, the cell
leader calls or visits the new person and initiates a four-week
follow-up. A member (or leader) of the cell group meets with the
person once a week to cover one of the four lessons contained
in "Your New Life in Christ," a pamphlet that covers the
person's new identity in Christ, spiritual growth, and the
importance of the cell group. The last page of the pamphlet
contains a final report of the visitation process. From January
1996 to September 1996, 52 percent of the first-time visitors
completed the four-week follow-up course!

EXHORTATION IN CELL GROUP TO INVITE FRIENDS

But cell leaders aren't supposed to do it all themselves. Cell

evangelism is a team ministry. Cell leaders who mobilize the
group to view evangelism as the first priority succeed in cell
multiplication. Dale Galloway writes:

Although I see all of these purposes as equally important,

[he lists evangelism, discipleship, shepherding, and
 service] a healthy small-group system must always see
evangelism as its continuing mission. To keep evangelism
thriving in small groups, you must continue to push
people out of their comfort zones by encouraging them to
call on new people, putting the names of new prospects
into their hands, and continually keeping the message of
evangelism before them."

The cell leaders in the case study were asked how many
times each month they encourage cell members to invite their
friends to the group. Those leaders who consistently
encourage cell members to bring friends multiply their groups
significantly more than those leaders who do so only
occasionally. In fact, leaders who weekly encourage the cell
members to invite visitors multiply their groups twice as much
as those who do so occasionally or not at all. To be effective,
cell leaders mobilize the entire team to invite new people.

One group at Bethany World Prayer Center faithfully met

each week but had little growth. One of the cell members who
previously attended a group that had multiplied analyzed both
groups and then said, "In the other cell group, we received a
constant flow of visitors." At that time, another cell was
celebrating the birth of a new group. Its cell leader testified that
the group went through a dry, difficult period. With only six
people, the group did all of the "right things" to win
nonChristians and receive visitors, but few visited and fewer
stayed. Yet, they kept on trying, praying, and inviting until
things finally gelled. Several others began to attend and invited
their friends. The mix came together. In that group, four people
had come to Christ within the last four months, and at least
three of them had come to know Christ in the cell group.

Herb Miller sums up the difference between growing

churches and non-growing churches in one word: "invite." He
says:

70 to 90 percent of persons who join any church in

America come through the influence of a friend, of a
relative, or of an acquaintance. No amount of theological
expression from the pulpit can overcome a lack of
invitational expression from the pews.5

Cell leaders must constantly remind the cell members to

invite their friends. One cell leader ends her group by asking,
"Who are you going to invite next week?" Then she waits for
answers. "My mother," says one. "My brother," chimes in
another.

And don't be surprised when people who promise to come

don't show up. It's common to hear cell leaders say, "I planned
desert for four people who failed to show." Welcome to cell
leadership. Most cell leaders are familiar with well-intentioned
promises by contacts who say they'll visit but fail to follow
through. Richard Price and Pat Springer wisely say,

Experienced group leaders ... realize that you usually have

to personally invite 25 people for 15 to say they will
attend. Of those 15, usually only eight to 10 people will
actually show up, and of those, only five to seven will be
regular attenders after a month or so.6

Successful cell leaders don't depend on one or two verbal

commitments. And instead of getting discouraged, they invite
even more people. Consistent personal visitation, repeated
calls, and outside group contact result in the visitors who will
grow your cell.

YOUR OIKOS

Of course, the best people for leaders or cell members to

invite are their friends, coworkers, classmates, neighbors and
relatives. Ralph Neighbour Jr. has popularized the Greek word,
oikos, helping the church to understand the importance of
reaching our own network of relationships. He writes:

The word [oikos] is found repeatedly in the New

Testament, and is usually translated 'household.'
However, it doesn't just refer to family members. Everyone
of us have a 'primary group' of friends who relate directly
to us through family, work, recreation, hobbies, and
neighbors. ... Newcomers feel very much 'outside' when
they visit your group for the first time, unless they have
established an oikos connection with one of them. If they
are not 'kinned' by the members, they will not stay very
long or try very hard to be included before they return to
their old friends.?

The goal of each cell is to "kin" as many members of our

oikos as possible. Cells penetrate society through the members'
friends, family, and loved ones. Neighbour counsels people to
find these web relationships at ". . . your work, your home,
your recreational activities, . . . By cultivating a relationship
which already existed, you were able to draw them."'
 On a practical level, those who know us will accept an
invitation to attend a cell meeting more readily than strangers.
Encourage cell members to love, pray for and invite friends,
relatives, coworkers, classmates and neighbors.

David Yonggi Cho writes:

I have found the only definite way to increase church

membership is through personal contact, and personal
soul winning. If you know the person, it is better. Since
you are personally touching your neighbors, through the
cell system, it is far easier to win them to the church.'

PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS

An effective ways to open hearts and attract your oikos is

through social meetings. Cookouts, sports events, retreats in a
mountain cabin, or eating events are non-threatening, non-
church environments where non-believers are comfortable.

One cell leader in Ecuador gathered his group at a ranch

house on major holidays, or for a sporting event during the
week. Cell members invited friends and family to these fun
times, and many eventually joined the cell group. To maintain
the intimacy in the group and to continue reaching out, this cell
gave birth to another cell, and the multiplication process
continued.

Part of the "inreach" that characterizes healthy cells is

spending time together outside the regular meeting. And, not
surprisingly, there is a close correlation between the number of
these outside meetings and the number of times cell leaders
multiply their groups. The surveyed cell leaders were asked
how many times a month their group meets for social occasions
outside of the regular cell group meeting. Their answers: 27
percent, zero times; 30 percent, once; 19 percent, two or three;
18 percent, four or five; and 5 percent, six or more times. Those
who gather six or more times a month for social meetings
multiply their group twice as much as those who meet never or
only once.

This is one area that the statistical study makes very clear.
Having fun together is magnetic for cell members. Leaders who
unite their cell members outside the regular meeting multiply
their groups more rapidly. This seems like an obvious truth, but
it requires lots of planning and prayer.

Another common way to attract nonChristians is to

occasionally transform the normal cell meeting into an
evangelistic event. These "seeker-sensitive" meetings focus
on nonChristians. Group members think like nonChristians
when planning the icebreaker, the lesson, the refreshments, and
even the prayer and worship time. The success of the "seeker-
sensitive" cell depends on every member inviting as many
nonChristian friends as possible, followed with diligent prayer.

Also try evangelistic dinners, social events, cookouts, and

parties. Jesus was always eating with people-often in their
homes. The early church shared meals in the home. Food, a
relaxed atmosphere, and getting to know new people make a
great combination. Non-Christians like informal, free-flowing
gatherings where they're not the center of attention.
 Show portions of a secular video and follow it with
discussion. One cell invited nonChristians to watch a portion
of "Schindler's List" (about the Jewish Holocaust). After 15
minutes of video, the group shared about the "meaning of life"
that naturally flowed from the movie.

Moving the cell from house to house is another excellent

way to attract visitors. When a cell member hosts the meeting
in his or her home, that member's friends and family are more
likely to attend. After all, many of these people have already
visited the home, thus eliminating one barrier-fear of the
unknown.

At your next cell meeting, pass out index cards and ask each
member to write the names of people they could invite to the
group. Then ask them to pray for those people every day. At
Bethany World Prayer Center, each cell records the names of
potential visitors on a mini-white board and uses that as a
prayer list ever since Pastor Larry Stockstill observed this
method in one cell he visited.

The potential to attract visitors through specialized cell

outreach is enormous. Remember, however, that pragmatism is
the key. Do what works for you. The bottom line is whether the
event actually attracts visitors. If so, use that vehicle
repeatedly until it loses its effectiveness. Then try something
else.

In addition to growing your group and God's kingdom,

visitors refresh cell ministry. Their questions enlighten
otherwise dull, boring meetings. They don't necessarily give
"acceptable" answers or ask "polite" questions. Once a visitor
to a cell asked the most sincere, heartfelt questions concerning
her struggles in marriage. The cell members immediately
responded to her need with practical, biblical answers. The
excitement of meeting practical needs flowed through that small
group, and no one was in a hurry to leave. Such is cell life. It's
meant to meet the deepest needs and touch hurts and wounds.
Visitors remind long-term members of a lost, hurting world.
Effective cells do what it takes to assure a constant flow of
visitors by seeking new people and constantly inviting
nonChristians.

uke 5:1-7 is the story about Jesus and a great

catch of fish. The disciples had fished all night and caught
nothing. But at Jesus' command, they cast out their nets once
again. We read in verses 6 & 7, "When they had done so, they
caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to
break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come
and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that
they began to sink." Then in verse 10, it states that Simon and
his partners, James and John, were astonished at the catch.

PARTNERSHIP IN GROUP EVANGELISM

In the first reference to Peter's partners, a technical term for a

business partner is used. But in verse 10, Luke uses a different
Greek word for partners, one that means those who have
koinonia fellowship. Peter and his partners worked together to
haul in the huge catch. As they would work together to catch
men, their fellowship would take on a new and much deeper
sharing. Likewise, in cell ministry, the best fellowship occurs in
the process of evangelizing.

Group outreach is the heartbeat of cell ministry. Bill

Mangham, my close associate in Ecuador, often experienced
this type of koinonia fellowship in his cells. The entire group
planned outreach events on a regular basis. Once they used
the story of Zacchaeus, the tax collector whom Jesus
transformed (Luke 19:1-10), for their cell lesson. Everyone
helped plan the cell meeting: one brought refreshments;
another prepared the icebreaker; Bill's wife, Ann, took care of
the house and provided some food; everyone in the group
prayed over their oikos relationships (family, friends, work
associates) and then actively invited those whom Jesus
brought to mind. Four nonChristians attended the group for
the first time that night. The cell reached out to the newcomers
and made them feel like family. After the lesson, Bill invited
everyone to meet Jesus in the quiet of their own hearts. No one
knew who had accepted Jesus until the refreshment time
afterward. Rene, a member of the cell, asked the couple he
invited what they thought about the lesson. They told him that
they had accepted Jesus during the prayer time. Jesus
transformed this couple. They became faithful members of the
cell group and eventually started attending the celebration
services as well.

What happened in Bill Mangham's cell group is not unique.

Yet most evangelistic training in the United States concentrates
on the individual. Individuals receive instruction on how to
share the gospel at work, home, or school. Individuals
experience the joys of winning people to Christ and the agony
of rejection.

In contrast, cell evangelism is a shared experience. Everyone

gets involved-from the person who invites the guests, to the
one who provides refreshments, to the one who leads the
discussion. The team plans, strategizes, and finds new
contacts together. Dale Galloway writes, "Once the list [of
invitees] is built, the team begins to pray the prospect list, then
to work it-making phone calls and home visitations. This
responsibility can be shared with others in the small group."'

Each member is trained in how to share the faith, and then

cell groups work together to haul in the large catch of fish. The
clearcut goal of the group is to grow to the point of
multiplication.
 Imagine soldiers fighting a battle together, with the common
goal of conquering the enemy. Although the clear focus is
defeating the enemy and winning the war, some close
fellowship takes place in the process. We've all heard stories
about the enduring bonds of friendship among military
veterans. Perhaps it's because in life and death situations, a
mutual dependency develops which results in close, lasting
fellowship. As cell members unite to fight the evil forces of this
world and reach the lost for Christ, close and intimate
fellowship takes place.

David Yonggi Cho says that only those with the gift of
evangelism can successfully lead a cell group.' This would be
true only if the cell leader was personally responsible for
bringing all new members into the cell group. Research at these
eight large cell churches shows that successful cell growth is a
team experience. The leader mobilizes the troops to do the work
of the ministry (Ephesians 4:12). Michael C. Mack refers to this
team effort in his book The Synergy Church. He writes:

The synergy of the small group is an especially positive

factor in the witness of the group. Evangelism is best
when it is a team, not an individual, effort. The various
gifts of members allow the group to reach lost people in a
way no individual could. When all the members see
themselves as witnesses wherever they are-in the offices,
factories, neighborhoods, schools, hospitals, stores - the
entire group can have a tremendous impact, especially
when each member is praying for and encouraging
everyone else.'
 As stated earlier, the survey of cell leaders did not pinpoint
any one particular spiritual gift among those leaders who
multiply their group. They operate in their own area of
giftedness, but they know how to harness and unify the gifts
of everyone in the group to do the work of the ministry.

NET FISHING Vs. HOOK FISHING

The tools of the fisherman-the net and the fishing pole-best

illustrate small-group evangelism. Cellgroup evangelism uses
the net to catch fish. In every sense of the word, it is group
evangelism. Everyone participates. Larry Stockstill of Bethany
World Prayer Center describes it this way:

The old paradigm of 'hook fishing' is being replaced by

teams of believers who have entered into partnership
('community') for the purpose of reaching souls together. .
. . Jesus used the 'partnership' of net fishing to illustrate
the greatest principle of evangelism: our productivity is
far greater together than alone.'

Likewise, Cho credits the growth of his 700,000+ church to

the net fishing that takes place in the cell groups.' He
highlights his methodology of cell group evangelism by
saying:

Our cell group system is a net for our Christians to cast.

Instead of a pastor fishing for one fish at a time,
organized believers form nets to gather hundreds and
thousands offish. A pastor should never try to fish with a
single rod but should organize believers into the 'nets' of
a cell system.'
 Although one might not agree with everything that David
Cho says and does, the fact that he has 700,000+ members in
his church stirs all those interested in church growth to listen
attentively. Effective evangelism and discipleship through cell
groups is not only a possibility; it's a serious reality.

GROUP EVANGELISM THROUGH EDIFICATION

Christ told his disciples that their love would draw the world
to Himself. More than just a prayer of unity, Christ's prayer for
His disciples in John 17 is a call to evangelism. Jesus says:

My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who
will believe in me through their message, that all of them
may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.
May they also be in us so that the world may believe that
you have sent me. I in them and you in me. May they be
brought to complete unity to let the world know that you
sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me
(vv. 20-21, 23).

To many, unity and evangelism mix as well as oil and water.

They appear to be opposites that repel each other. Christ tells
us, however, that unity among believers attracts nonChristians
to God. Peter writes, "Above all, love each other deeply,
because love covers over a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8). The
adjective "deeply" in this verse literally means "stretch out." It
denotes the tense muscle activity of an athlete in the midst of a
race. As believers stretch out their love, acceptance, and
forgiveness to other members of the cell, the world sees and
then believes that Jesus Christ lives. Several veterans of small-
group ministry team up to write:

And that is the purpose of all this -of caring for one
another ... so that the world will know that Jesus Christ is
Lord. That's why the church exists in the first place. The
ultimate goal of the small group is to expose people who
don't know Jesus Christ to His love. We have small
groups so the world can see Christ fleshed out. It's our
way of taking Christ to the world.'

GROUP EVANGELISM THROUGH FRIENDSHIP

Few nonChristians enter a church community "cold turkey."

They don't wake up one Sunday and decide to attend church.
Those who do receive this kind of "jolt" to attend church
normally don't stay, because they don't have friends in the
church. Church-growth studies reveal that friendship is one of
the key links to sustained church growth. Win Am suggests
that a person must develop at least six key friendships in a
church to continue attending.'

The cell church is uniquely positioned to provide such

friendships. The cell becomes a second family to many. In the
cell, these family relationships are often established before the
nonChristian attends the church's large celebration service.
Dale Galloway writes, "Many people who will not attend a
church because it is too threatening, will come to a home
meeting."9 Later, these same nonChristians will enter the
church at the side of a friend they've met in the cell group. Cho
writes,
 I tell my cell leaders, 'Don't tell people about Jesus Christ
right away when you meet them. First visit them and
become their friend, supply their needs and love them.'
Right away the neighbors will feel the Christian love and
will say, 'Why are you doing this?' They can answer, 'We
belong to Yoido Full Gospel Church, and have our own
cell group here, and we love you. Why don't you come
and attend one of our meetings?' So they come and are
converted.'°

Cell ministry effectively blends the decision to follow Christ

and discipleship. A "built-in" follow-up system is already in
place through the cells. Those converted in the cell will enter
the larger church with new family members.

GROUP EVANGELISM THROUGH HONEST TRANSPARENCY

How do you naturally present the gospel to a nonChristian?

Why can we as believers talk about sports, politics, work and
family at great length, but freeze up when we talk about our
faith? Even though many of us have memorized ways to
present the gospel, these often lack the natural link to the
nonChristian's heart. Small-group evangelism provides this
missing link.

Richard Peace, professor of evangelism at Fuller Theological

Seminary, wrote a book entitled Small Group Evangelism that
recently has been reprinted." Peace believes a nonChristian
can manifest deep, personal needs and find the healing touch
of Christ in a small group. He writes:

In a successful small group, love, acceptance and

 fellowship flow in unusual measure. This is the ideal
situation in which to hear about the kingdom of God. In
this context, the facts of the gospel' come through not as
cold proposition but as living truths visible in the lives of
others. In such an atmosphere, a person is irresistibly
drawn to Christ by his gracious presence.12

As Peace points out, evangelism in the small group is a

natural process. Non-Christians can ask questions, share
doubt, and talk about their own spiritual journey. Meanwhile,
Christ-like cell members share their testimonies while
presenting a clear, noncomprising gospel message. Peace
notes, "Our failure to be honest is probably the greatest
hindrance to easy and natural conversational witness.""
Honesty and transparency abound in a healthy cell group.

Each cell member should receive training about how to

present the eternal facts of the gospel. But evangelism in a
small group does not emphasize a canned, memorized
approach. The gospel is not preached but shared in a loving,
natural manner.

Remember that Wesley's cell group model, the class meeting,

was not a highly organized event. Although they met only for
one hour, the main event was "reporting on your soul.""' The
meeting was built upon sharing personal experiences of the
past week. Everyone was expected ". . . to speak freely and
plainly about every subject from their own temptations to plans
for establishing a new cottage meeting or visiting the
distressed."15 In other words, these groups emphasized
transparency. Within this framework of "open sharing," many
were converted. The hearts of sinners melted as they interacted
with "saved sinners." Jesus Christ made all the difference.

Transparent sharing, love, and acceptance reveal to

nonChristians that believers are indeed not perfect just
forgiven. One of Satan's chief tactics is legalistic deception,
trying to convince people that God requires unreachable
standards and that only "good" people enter heaven. Small-
group evangelism corrects that misconception. Open sharing
gives unbelievers a new sense of hope as they realize that
Christians have weaknesses and struggles, too. The difference
is that Christians place their sin and struggles at the foot of the
cross of Jesus.

GUIDING THE GROUP INTO DEEPER LEVELS OF

COMMUNICATION

The leader must share personal struggles. If the leader is

prone to impress others by recounting only the "victories," cell
members will do likewise. David Hocking exhorts group leaders
to, "Learn to admit your mistakes in the presence of the group
and to apologize sincerely when things go wrong or do not
turn out the way you expected. Admitting failure in the midst of
success is a key to good leadership. Learn to be open and
honest before others. They'll love you for it (or at least fall over
backwards out of shock!).""

The cell leader must model good listening skills. Stephen

Covey hits on a common flaw when he says that most people
do not listen to understand; they listen to answer. While one is
talking, the other is preparing a reply." Members know the
leader is not listening if he or she is rustling through notes in
preparation for the next question, while a cell member answers
the last question the leader asked. When members sense that
the leader is not listening, they will hesitate to openly share the
next time.

Avoid critiquing when someone shares personal truth. If the

cell leader criticizes a response, others will be more hesitant to
respond. There is always a way to respond positively, even if
someone's answer is wrong.

The meeting does not have to be "feeling oriented," but it

does need honest, open communication. During the church's
celebration time, it's OK to be anonymous and lost in the
crowd, because close communication in the cell places a "face"
on that lost person in the crowd and opens the door for
individual ministry. It's not OK, however, to try to remain lost in
the small group. At first, sharing in the group might cover the
latest weather or sports. Over time, however, the cell leader
directs the conversation to deeper levels. Judy Hamlin outlines
the various levels of communication this way:

1. Level One: Climate, family

2. Level Two: Information or facts

3. Level Three: Ideas and opinions

4. Level Four: Feelings

5. Level Five: Sharing what is truly happening in our lives

 She then gives the following illustration about the natural
progression in communication from the superficial to the
intimate."

Table 4. Levels of Communication

The cell group is an effective way to reach deeply into the

heart of nonChristian men and women. It is evangelism that is
caught and taught. It is show-and-tell evangelism, rather than
only propositional truth. The New Testament church was born,
grew, and prospered in and through small-group evangelism.
God is calling His church once again to this exciting method of
outreach. Along with honest, open sharing, small groups must
actively reach out to the community around them. Let's look at
some examples of how cells actively and aggressively reach
their communities through pro-active group evangelism.
LOVE ALIVE CHURCH

This cell church in Honduras works on the zone level to plan

evangelistic activities, and each cell in the zone participates.
The zone might present a Christian movie, a special speaker, or
some type of servant evangelism, depending on the particular
zone. Christian movies and door-to-door evangelism are
popular in the poorer areas of Tegucigalpa, while the higher-
income areas demand more creative methods.

Each cell is encouraged to reach its neighborhood for the

zonelevel events, and for special occasions that the cell itself
sponsors. Some groups might create special cards inviting
neighborhood mothers to a Mother's Day celebration. Or the
cell might plan a special dinner and invite those living in the
neighborhood. Another favorite at Love Alive is an outdoor
activity featuring singing and a speaker.

Group evangelism intensifies before the birth of a new cell

and targets the area in which the new group will meet. The new
leadership team, members from the mother group, and the area
supervisor evangelize the neighborhood together.

FAITH COMMUNITY BAPTIST CHURCH

Two bedrock truths make up the "cell manifesto" at Faith

Community Baptist Church in Singapore-ministry to one
another, and multiplication." Cell members are constantly
reminded to reach their oikos-their extended web of close
relationships. Cells are encouraged to hold a social event every
six weeks to attract nonChristians.
 The current evangelistic thrust occurs through so-called
"harvest events." They used to happen only in FCBC's large
celebration gatherings, but harvest events also take place
within the cell now. "TGIF" ("Thank God It's Friday") is a Good
Friday outreach that focuses each cell on inviting nonChristian
friends to a carefully planned, seeker-sensitive meeting.
Communion is served, and a portion of the Jesus film is shown.
Another harvest event within the cell is "Come Celebrate
Christmas!" and takes place Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. A
large, celebration-type harvest event takes place in August,
usually a music concert. Through events like these, FCBC
harvested almost 3,000 souls in 1996.

RALPH NEIGHBOUR'S MODEL

Ralph Neighbour Jr.'s materials teach cell groups to

distinguish "Type A" unbelievers who are fairly open to
Christian faith from "Type B" unbelievers who ". . . are not
searching for Jesus Christ, and show no interest in Bible study
or other Christian activities.""' For the "Type B" unbelievers,
Neighbour designed a "nonChristian type" group called Share
Groups. These do not replace the cell group but rather serve as
an extension of it. Believers who participate in Share Groups
have the dual responsibility of attending their normal cell
group as well as the separate Share Group. Neighbour writes,
"This group should be free, informal, and spontaneous.... It's
important for all Share Group members to feel they can be
themselves."" Share Groups allow cell groups to reach hard-
core unbelievers who are not yet open to the gospel but who
are open to friendships.
 A FEW PROVEN GROUP EVANGELISM IDEAS

• Plan a "friendship dinner" instead of the normal cell meeting

and invite nonChristian friends.

• During a cell meeting, watch an evangelistic video instead of

having a Bible-based lesson.

• Place a empty chair in the cell meeting and have the members
pray for the next person who will fill it.

• Prepare a special outreach to one segment of society, such as

police officers or teachers (Bethany World Prayer Center uses
this approach with great success).

• Plan a picnic for the purpose of inviting friends.

• Plan short skits for outdoor evangelism.

• Have members of the group dress up as clowns to attract a

crowd while others share Christ.
 n the New Testament period, Peter writes to the house
churches, "Above all, love each other deeply, because love
covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one
another without grumbling" (1 Peter 4:8-9). Hospitality was an
essential feature in the early church (Matthew 25: 35; Romans
12:13; 16; 3-5a; 1 Thessalonians 3:2). Since there were no
church buildings, Christian homes were converted into both
the local church-and, often, into the local inn. Traveling
preachers and missionaries stayed in believers' homes.
"Priscilla and Aquila were accustomed to extending the
hospitality of their home to such groups in the successive
cities where they lived-e.g. in Ephesus (1 Corinthians 16:19)
and Rome (Romans 16:5)."'

New Testament hospitality in the context of the home is an

often overlooked evangelistic tool. Meeting people's needs in
the context of the home cell edifies the saints and draws
nonChristians to the Savior. Most nonChristians will "hear"
our actions before listening to our words.

Take, for example, the story of a pregnant, single woman

named Maria, who began attending my wife's cell group in
Ecuador. Maria's boyfriend had deserted her, and she suddenly
faced life poor and alone. The cell group became a family to her,
and they prepared for the baby as though it were their own.
They even gave Maria a baby shower at one of the cell
meetings. When Maria went into labor, a cell member drove her
to the hospital. Another took her and the baby home, and the
cell members provided meals for her for over one week.

Maria experienced God's unconditional love through the

group. She desired the Savior that they demonstrated even
before the gospel was formally presented to her. Receiving
Christ was a logical decision for Maria, since God's love was
shown to her in very practical ways just when she needed it
most. She and her baby attended the cell group in the following
weeks, and Maria received Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior.

David Cho is quick to point out that "meeting practical

needs" is the reason for his church's indisputable success in
attracting new people. The cell leaders and members are
encouraged to "find a need and meet it."' Cell members are
instructed to go into the "highways and byways" and invite all
who are needy. After all, these are the people who benefit most
from the cell group. In a 1993 interview with Carl George, Cho
explained his strategy of winning the lost through meeting
practical needs:

We have 50,000 cell groups and each group will love two
people to Christ within the next year. They select
someone who's not a Christian, whom they can pray for,
love, and serve. They bring meals, help sweep out the
person's store-whatever it takes to show they really care
for them.... After three or four months of such love, the
 hardest soul softens up and surrenders to Christ.'

Through the loving outreach of the cell, these people soon

discover the answer to their life's dilemmas in Jesus Christ.

Knowing each other and sharing needs are primary goals of

cell groups. In this atmosphere of warmth and love, cell
members discover and then meet individual needs. Cells
practicing New Testament hospitality will remember the words
of the apostle John, "If anyone has material possessions and
sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the
love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love in words
or tongue but with actions and in truth" (1 John 3:17-18). Ron
Nicholas gives a personal example,

When my car failed to start once in ten-below-zero winter

weather, Steve and Cathy (a couple in our Koinonia group
at church) loaned me their brand new car so that I could
drive to work. When my wife, Jill, returned from the
hospital with our new twin girls, we enjoyed several meals
brought in by members of the same small group. We cried
together when one member told of a car accident and
problems at work. We all feel the pain when a couple's
child is in the hospital.'

Effective, growing small groups do more than pray. They

meet needs in practical ways.

EVANGELISM THROUGH COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Cincinnati Vineyard Community Church is adopting a

significant new norm for their small groups. Every four to six
weeks, each group engages in "servant evangelism," an
outreach to nonChristians.' Pastor David Stiles explained in
1995 that 15 percent of the church's finances are used for
kindness ministries: purchasing and changing light bulbs for
people, raking leaves, offering cold drinks to commuters on
summer afternoon, etc. No strings or formal gospel
presentations are attached, Stiles says, but each recipient of
kindness is given an informational card about the church.
Many people attend the church and cell groups as a result.

Church of the Savior in Washington, D.C., has practiced

social outreach for many years. The five to 12 people in each
cell group pray, study and worship together, and these mission
groups are conscious of their social responsibility to those
outside the group. Ronald J. Sider explains:

The goal of many of the mission groups is liberation for

the poor. Members of the mission group called jubilee
Housing have renovated deteriorating housing in inner-
city Washington. Along with other mission groups ...
they are bringing hope of genuine change to hundreds of
people in the inner city.'

Living Word Community Church in Philadelphia is another

example of practical love in action. In 1970, the church
reorganized around home cell groups. The church radically
changed in numerical expansion and in community living. Sider
writes:

Members of home meetings have dug into savings and

stocks to provide interest free loans for two families who
 purchased house trailers for homes. When members went
to sign the papers for an interest free mortgage for
another family's house, secular folk present for the
transfer were totally perplexed!'

A more recent, dynamic example is occurring at Faith

Community Baptist Church. FCBC reaches out to meet the
physical needs of the Singaporeans through day-care centers,
after-school clubs, centers for the handicapped, diabetic
support groups, and legal counseling.' Cell members are
encouraged to participate both individually and at a larger level
(cell or zone) in the social ministries of Touch Community
Services. Volunteers from the cell groups often come along side
staff members to help in practical ways, as well as to share their
faith. The range and depth of ministry at Touch Community
Service Center is staggering.

In the book Good Things Happen in Small Groups the

suggestion is made,

Each small group could care for one shut-in from the
church. You can send cards on birthdays and special
occasions, provide a visit at least monthly, bring a meal
and eat with them, bring families (children included) when
appropriate. If there are many shut-ins in your church,
each family unit could take one as their careburden.'

Other ideas: a particular cell group might decide to reach out

to the community by visiting a retirement home, ministering to
street kids, or helping out in an orphanage. The cell group
offers a unique, effective way to reach deeply into the heart of
nonChristians. This is show-and-tell evangelism, rather than
only propositional truth. The New Testament church was born,
grew and prospered through small-group evangelism. God is
calling His Church back once again to this exciting method of
outreach.

y wife and I were emotionally "pumped

up" for the birth of our first child. Everyone told us that the
first birth would be the most intense, both physically and
emotionally. They were right. With this counsel in mind, we
spent hours practicing breathing techniques and learning
about the birth process. We were living in Ecuador and were
blessed to receive the help of a midwife whose husband
worked at the U.S. embassy. She sacrificed hours to teach us
about the process and was at our side when Sarah was born in
Quito. The midwife's practical tips helped remove our fear of
the unknown.

Similarly, giving birth to a cell group requires detailed

planning and preparation. Having some practical knowledge
about cell development and multiplication gives you
confidence to successfully birth a new group. Granted, an
element of mystery and unexplainable circumstances always
remains, but mastering certain techniques saves needless pain
and confusion.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

Jesus says in John 16:21-22, "A woman giving birth to a

child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby
is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child
is born into the world." Childbirth is a painful experience, as my
wife can thrice testify. Yet, after the agonizing experience of the
first two, she was more than ready to give birth to another. For
my wife, the joy of having and holding her child by far
exceeded the pain of childbirth. Floyd L. Schwan says,
"Contractions can be expected and should not come as a
surprise. Some mothers have very slight discomfort; for others
it is severe and very painful. So it is with birthing groups. But
no matter what has been experienced, the new life is cause for
celebration."'

Many cells never give birth. Though the following list is by

no means exhaustive, my cell experience and research have
surfaced three common reasons for a cell not giving birth.

1) Group members become too comfortable with each other.

 They cling tightly to their relationships and do not want
to let go, even if it means that new people would be won
into the Kingdom. This is the church-growth disease
koinonitus, which is caused by over-emphasizing
Christian fellowship and overlooking Christ's commission
to reach those who don't know Him. Indeed, cell members
are encouraged to develop intimate relationships, but not
to the point of excluding others. Remind them that even if
they leave the cell to plant another group, they can still
contact friends in their former cell. In fact, the mother and
daughter cells might reunite on occasion to celebrate the
greater goal of evangelism and church growth.

2) Members don't know the great joy that accompanies

giving birth to a new cell, contributing to the growth of
the church, and growing Christ's kingdom. Explanation
alone cannot solve this dilemma. This joy must be
experienced.

3) After experiencing the beauty of God's Spirit moving in

the small group, there is a fear that the next group will fall
short. People have an often unexpressed concern that the
new group could not possibly be as anointed as the
present one. It's the age-old problem of believing that the
bygone days are somehow superior to the present or
future. Solomon addresses it: "Do not say, 'Why were the
old days better than these?' For it is not wise to ask such
questions" (Ecclesiastes 7:10). To overcome this
tendency, cell leaders and members must continually be
reminded that the Spirit of God will make the next cell
group just as special as the present one. The words of
 Ralph Neighbour Jr. should be heeded, "The beauty of
the cell church continues even when the group gives
birth because the power of the Spirit continues to work in
the life of the new group."'

PROMOTION OF NEW CELLS

Cell leaders and interns who have multiplied their cell

groups should be highly esteemed before the congregation.'
Dale Galloway talks about the importance of motivating your
cell leaders by giving them attention, appreciation and
affirmation,' and this is especially true of those who have
birthed a daughter cell.

KNOW WHEN TO MULTIPLY

And just how do you know when it's time to multiply your
cell group? Is there any specific size a group much reach
beforehand?

Unless small groups remain small, they lose their

effectiveness and their ability to care for the needs of each
member. Growth in size normally excludes growth in intimacy,
and this is the most compelling reason to multiply. As the size
of a small group increases, there is a direct decrease of equally
distributed participation. In other words, as the small-group
size increases, there is a growing difference in the percentage
of remarks made by the most active person and by the least
active person.'

From a practical standpoint, therefore, cell groups must

multiply to maintain intimacy among members while continuing
to reach out to nonChristians. Each cell's emphasis on
evangelism and on non-believers joining the group spurs the
cell's growth. This continual growth compels the cell to
multiply to remain effective.

Cell church experts agree that a group must be small enough

for all members to freely contribute and share personal needs.
They don't agree, however, on what that means in exact
numbers. Many believe that the perfect size lies between eight
and 12 people. Dale Galloway said, "The ideal number for good
group dynamics and for caring and dialogue is somewhere
between eight and 12. Participation is much greater when you
stay within those numbers."6 John Mallison, a veteran small-
group practitioner, writes, "Twelve not only sets the upper limit
for meaningful relationships, but provides a non-threatening
situation for those who are new to small group experiences. ...
It is significant that Jesus chose 12 men to be in his group."'

On the other hand, Carl George sets the number at 10. He is

more emphatic that this is the perfect size for a cell group
because it is "... the time-tested, scientifically validated size
that allows for optimal communication."" Perhaps a bit
dogmatic, George's point is well worth noting. He believes that
a group must remain small in order for a leader to give quality
pastoral care.

The experience of Love Alive Church in Tegucigalpa,

Honduras, supports an optimal number of 10. For a long time,
this church waited until a group had 15 people before
multiplying. They saw, however, that it was difficult for a group
to maintain an average of 15 people over a long period of time.
So a few years ago, the leadership decided that any group
averaging 10 people on a regular basis would be a candidate
for multiplication. Dixie Rosales, the church's cell director,
reports that the change helped revolutionize small-group
multiplication in the church. Many more groups qualify for
multiplication now, and the proliferation of cells is spreading
more rapidly throughout Love Alive Church.

A VARIETY OF WAYS TO MULTIPLY

Cell leaders need to prayerfully weigh some options before

multiplying a group. Let's look at an overview of the two
approaches-cell planting and cell multiplication-and at the
variations within each.

CELL PLANTING

With cell planting, a member of an existing group starts his

or her own cell from scratch. Planters normally launch a cell by
gathering their oikos members (friends, family, work contacts)
into a new cell group. The planter continues to have a
relationship with the mother group, or at least with the group's
leader. Cell planting is the primary style of group multiplication
at the International Charismatic Mission in Bogota, Colombia,
and at the Living Water Church in Lima, Peru. Bethany World
Prayer Center in Louisiana also now emphasizes this method.

CELL MULTIPLICATION

In the so-called "motherdaughter" multiplication approach,

an existing cell group oversees the creation of a daughter
group by providing people, leadership, and a measure of
personal care to help support it. A group is formed from within
the mother cell and is sent to form a daughter cell. This is the
traditional, most frequently used method of cell multiplication.
Most churches in my case study concentrated on this method,
with only occasional ventures into cell planting.

Traditionally, the mother cell forms a new nucleus consisting

of the new leader, the new intern, and a few members from the
mother cell. Of the eight churches I studied, six also included a
treasurer (responsible for the cell offering) on the new team.
Note that the leader of this team probably served as the mother
cell's intern. Whether the intern stays in the original group or
launches out to start a new group depends on that person's
maturity and leadership level.

The second most common variation of the motherdaughter

approach is for the cell leader to launch out with several
members of the mother cell. In this scenario, the cell intern then
takes the helm of the mother cell. Track records at many
churches worldwide show that both of these variations work
well.

FORM NEW GROUPS WITHOUT DESTROYING THEM

Successful cell multiplication is an art. The leader must

exercise great care and sensitivity in forming the new group, or
run the risk of alienating the members. Donald McGavran
makes the revolutionary claim that the greatest barriers to
conversion are social rather than theological,' and this often
holds true in cell evangelism. It's always better to form new
groups according to natural oikos relationships. Why alienate
a nonChristian by insisting that he or she form part of a new
group of strangers?

MULTIPLY ALONG RELATIONAL LINES

Again, those people who have formed natural links to each

other should stay together. If someone has invited a visitor, he
or she will go with the invitee. Perhaps the reflection of a
district pastor in Cho's church will be helpful,

As much as possible, we divide groups based on natural

networks. For example, if the assistant in that group
brought two other cell members to the Lord, then that
individual will split off with those members to start a new
group. If there are no natural networks, then we divide the
groups based on geography. "I'

Bob Logan adds,

A group ripped asunder without regard for the naturally

occurring segments or affinity clusters within the group
will make a big mess. If you split a group by arbitrarily
counting off, or in this culture, even by using
geographical boundaries or some means other than
affinity clusters, you may end up with many injured group
members. However, if you identify naturally occurring
affinity or relational clusters within your group, plant a
leader for each (or watch to see what leader naturally
emerges to the top of each), and then divide the group by
these clusters, the result will be much more beneficial. To
encourage the formation of these clusters, start early in
the group's life to experiment with different cluster
 compositions. Perhaps allow your members to divide by
their own devices into groups or three, four, or five
members. Note who gravitated to whom, and who took
leadership. Try this for three or four weeks to see if any
specific clusters are gelling."

The wise cell leader will continually analyze natural

friendship links. When the time comes to give birth, the leader's
discernment will prove very helpful.

Second, if natural links can't be established, the more mature

Christian believers accompany the intern and the newcomers or
less mature stay with the original cell leader.

Before the birth occurs, the new group's members should

meet together by themselves. For example, it's a good idea for
this nucleus to gather with the mother cell for the "normal" cell
meeting. After the entire group worships together, the new
nucleus and intern separate into a different part of the home for
discussion, planning, and prayer. This helps ease the two
groups into their separate identities, and to experience what
their cells will be like after they multiply. This also forges solid
links for the new group."

BEGIN WITH A PARTY

Ecuadorians love to celebrate. When my wife gave birth to

our daughters, we received a constant barrage of visitors and
wellwishers. Likewise, the birth of a new cell group is a joyous
occasion. Celebrate the new birth! Invite as many people as
possible. Some will stay and join to strengthen the new group.
Bethany World Prayer Center celebrates cell multiplication with
parties. Often the entire cell will go to a park and have a big
barbecue.

I attended a "birthday celebration"-complete with a birthday

cake-for a new cell at Bethany. What a joyous occasion! We
sang, heard testimonies, feasted, and fervently prayed for the
new daughter. The top leadership connected with the mother
cell testified, prayed, and commissioned the new daughter. The
leader of the cell reflected back to harder days when only a
handful attended. But at the birthday party, all could see God's
sovereign hand. Recognizing a new birth in this way provides
the "jump start" necessary for the new group to run well. It
also creates an opportunity to encourage and pray for the new
cell leadership.

LENGTH OF TIME TO MULTIPLY

In many of the most rapidly growing cell churches around

the world, it takes an individual cell about six months to
multiply." Neighbour writes,

Long years of experience with groups has verified that

they stagnate after a certain period. People draw from one
another for the first six months; after that, they tend to
'coast' along together. For that reason, each Shepherd
Group will be expected to multiply naturally after six
months or be restructured.'"

My research of the five Latin America countries shows that

a cell multiplies in exactly six months. But that time swells to an
average of nearly nine months when the Singapore and Korea
statistics are included, because those churches multiply cells in
closer to 18 months. Floyd L. Schwarz reaches these
conclusions:

Through the years, we have noticed that the average is

about 6 months. Some groups will be ready to birth a new
group in 3 or 4 months, but some will need 9 to 12 months
to raise up leaders who can take new responsibility in
another circle of love. It is not the size of the group that
determines its ability to multiply; it is the health."

WILL YOU CLOSE CELLS THAT DON'T MULTIPLY?

Whether cell groups should be allowed to continue

indefinitely without multiplying is a very hot topic, with
advocates on both sides.

Cells that fail to multiply don't face a closure date in Cho's

church or in the five Latin American churches that I studied. In
fact, cell pastors in Colombia and El Salvador said it was a
"sin" to close a group. These churches in Latin America, as
well as Yoido Full Gospel, keep cells open as long as possible.
They will, however, make drastic adjustments-including
changing leaders and/or members-to multiply groups.

The other side has a number of advocates as well. Faith

Community Baptist Church in Singapore teaches cell interns,

Generally, the life span of any Cell should be between six

to nine months. We have discovered that any Cell which
does not multiply after about 12 months will usually
stagnate, lose its life or dynamism and eventually die.
Every Cell should have an ending of some sort, and each
 member should realize this from the beginning.
Multiplication is a time of celebration. The Leader must
help to make multiplication a pleasant occasion for
everyone.16

Pastor David Tan of First Baptist Church in Modesto,

California, once said, "Everything that has life has a cycle. As
you study the cell, it must give life. If you keep a cell that is not
multiplying, it will die. The choice is life and death." At First
Baptist, cells have one year to multiply; after that, they are
integrated into existing cells. Win Am finds that groups
meeting for more than one year without multiplying have only a
50 percent chance of doing so in the future."

ADVANTAGES OF CLOSING CELLS

• The cell cannot stagnate and become ingrown. Members

are given new vision as they integrate into dynamic,
multiplying cells.

• The cell begins with the goal of multiplication.

• Leaders are less likely to "burn out," and members do not

feel the pressure of a life-long commitment. There is a way
out.

• Existing cells receive additional members.

DISADVANTAGES OF CLOSING CELLS

• Leaders and members often have a sense of failure when a

group is asked to close.
 • Pressure is placed upon cell leadership and cell
membership to multiply or fail.

• Groups that close can match groups that open so there is

no net growth.

When a cell group becomes cancerous and dysfunctional,

closure is the best policy. But such decisions should stay
within the upper circles of cell leadership. It's unwise to teach
or promote cell closure ("multiply or close") to cell leaders and
interns, because this places undo pressure on the cell leader
and cell group. It's hard enough for a lay person to multiply a
cell without the added burden of "possible failure." While
some can handle this kind of pressure, others will avoid cell
leadership because of it, thus preventing future leaders from
volunteering. For example, cells in one church I visited were
stagnating and failing to attract new leadership, and several
cell leaders attributed this pattern to the possibility of cell
closure. While closure may be necessary at times, this should
not be the norm. And certainly no cell should be closed before
every possible avenue to multiply the group has been
exhausted.
 ell planting has always existed in the cell church.
It's now at the forefront of cell thinking, due largely to the
influence of the International Charismatic Mission in Bogota,
Colombia. To stay on the cutting edge of cell ministry, it's
essential to understand ICM and the "Groups of 12 Model."

GROWTH OF THE

INTERNATIONAL CHARISMATIC MISSION

Pastor Cesar Castellanos instills in his people a vision not

only to belong to a cell group, but also to lead one. He believes
and teaches that the anointing to lead a cell group rests upon
every person in the church, not just a chosen few.

In 1983, Pastor Castellanos was ready to give up after

struggling as a pastor for nine years. Then the Lord showed
him that the number of converts he would pastor would be
more than the stars of the sky and the sand by the seashore.
Within months his new church, the Mision Carismatica
Internacional, had grown to over 200 people.

Charisma magazine reports, "The Castellanos attribute the

church's growth to their emphasis on home cellgroups-a focus
they believe the Lord gave them after they visited David
Yonggi Cho's Yoido Full Gospel Church in South Korea in
1986."'

Figure 2 ICM. Celebration Attendance and Number of Cells

GROUPS OF 12 MODEL

After using a cell strategy for seven years Pastor

Castellanos received a vision from God that the cell system
should be based on the example of Jesus and His 12 disciples.
So Pastor Castellanos hand-picked 12 pastors, with whom he
continues to meet weekly. (These 12 senior pastors now
oversee the satellite churches, the various departments,
leadership training, and administrative functions.') Each of
these 12 pastors has 12 under him or her, and the process
continues down to include each member of the church. Each
person remains with the original Group of 12 in which he or she
began the discipleship process, unless unusual circumstances
necessitate changing to a different group.

In this model, the new cell planter (disciple) meets with his
cell leader (discipler) on a continual basis. Until a person finds
his or her 12 disciples, that person continues to lead a cell
group. After finding 12 disciples (who must be active cell
leaders), the discipler primarily concentrates on supervising the
12, although he or she might continue to lead a normal cell
group.'

It's important to remember that these are not static, ingrown

disciples. To be called a "disciple," one must lead a cell group.
The Groups of 12 concept is really a way to multiply leadership,
and therefore groups, more rapidly. Instead of waiting for an
entire cell group to naturally give birth, this concept compels
cell leaders to actively look for lay people to lead new cell
groups, and thus become disciples in the process.

At ICM, every cell member is a potential cell leader, and this

philosophy is followed in practice. As soon as a person is
converted, he or she begins a "training track" that leads to cell
leadership. Becoming a cell leader is the mark that a person is
developing spiritually. In most churches, many are trained in
the hope that a few will become leaders. ICM expects it of
everyone.

Every cell member is a potential leader of cell leaders. Cell

leaders who raise up another leader immediately become
overseers. This system does not require a lot of top-level
organization and seems to work well on a grass-roots level.
 ICM has taken cell groups beyond most cell-based
churches, and the results have been staggering. At the
beginning of 1997, this is how it looked:

Table 5 ICM: Cell Group Statistical Breakdown

Successful cell leaders at ICM plant a number of new

groups, raise up new leaders for other groups, and are now
leaders of leaders. If one has accomplished this and is training
leaders, that person receives a promotion in the church. Most
likely, he or she will be asked to come on the pastoral staff. If
that does not happen right away, that person at least will
receive clear, positive recognition from within the church.

God clearly is at work at ICM, but it's hard to place this new
work in a box. Paul Pierson, professor of mission history at
Fuller Seminary, once said, "When God is truly at work, it is
often very messy."'
 The Spirit of God shows the leadership at ICM what to do
on a daily basis. Youth Pastor Cesar Fajardo once said that he
doesn't want to write a manual about the cell philosophy at
ICM because it would be out of date in a few months. He and
the other leaders at ICM are radically committed to following
the Spirit's leading, even though it means breaking with the
established molds of cellchurch traditions.
 Table 6 ICM: Distinctions of the Cell Structure

A few other elements stand out at ICM:

CELLS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENTS

Cell groups are organized almost completely under

homogenous ministerial departments at ICM.° Depending on
the size and specificity of the ministry, there might be many cell
groups or very few.' The larger ministries meet as separate
congregations during the week.' The major departments have
an evangelistic emphasis in their congregational meeting, and
altar calls are given.' The cell leaders in each of these ministries
receive the newcomers, counsel them, call them within 48
hours, and make sure that they are involved in a cell group.
Each department has plenty of ministry openings, and the
natural link between cell group and ministry helps the
newcomer become involved in the church. One important
distinction is that the cell group always meets in the home,
whereas the large department meeting always takes place in the
church.

Relationships are well-maintained in this model, because

there is constant contact between leader and disciple. That's
part of the reason why Bethany World Prayer Center adopted
this model. In the previous leadership pattern, the new leader
of the daughter cell often broke relationship with the leader of
the mother cell after multiplication. The new leader developed
fresh relationships with the supervisor, zone pastor, and district
pastor. At ICM and in Bethany's new system, relationships are
maintained.

CELL ADMINISTRATION

ICM's organization around the Groups of 12 is a new,

creative version of the Jethro concept (Exodus 18). Even
higher-level leaders who oversee thousands are still
responsible for their Groups of 12.
 FIGURE 3 ICM: Cell Administrative Structure

In this model, the titles "district pastor," "zone pastor" and

"supervisor" are not used. The principle of pastoral care,
however, is very evident.

DECENTRALIZATION OF MINISTRY

ICM has more fully decentralized its cell structure than some
other cell churches, and this might be a key to its amazing
growth. In the traditional cell model, new cell leadership is
"passed on" up the hierarchical leadership structure. Others
take responsibility for the success of the new cell (e.g.
supervisors, zone pastors, district pastors). But in the Groups
of 12 Model, the leader of the mother cell has the primary
responsibility of developing and pastoring new leadership. The
model creates an entrepreneurial challenge for cell leaders to
find and develop as many new leaders as possible.
 CONTINUOUS MINISTRY

Church never stops at ICM. Services in the main sanctuary

run from the early morning prayer meeting until late into the
evening. There is rarely a moment when one of the pastors or
lay people is not preaching the Word of God, worshipping, or
praying.

Prayer continues from 5 to 9 a.m. every day. A different

pastor or leader is in charge of each of the four hourly
sessions, which draw between 500 and 1,000 people every
morning. The church has an all-night prayer meeting every
Friday. On special occasions, as drug trafficking and guerrilla
warfare worsen, the church dedicates a 24-hour, non-stop
period to pray for the country.

ICM members appropriately describe their worship as

"explosive." I wrote the following after attending a Saturday
night worship service,

Here is the future of Colombia -young people touched by

the gospel. Here is life! This is Your sovereign work! The
young people dance in unison, in a single line using the
same hand and feet motions. Two girls lead the entire
congregation by modeling the motions. This is a clean,
dynamic expression of God's love. The shouts of joy
spread like wildfire across the auditorium. This is not just
wild, charismatic individualism. There is order
everywhere. Each jerk and hand motion is in unity. This is
Colombian style. Only Latin Americans could express
themselves so well with so little hesitation.
 An entire department is dedicated to this ministry. A full
band, complete with precision dancing, livens the sanctuary.

YOUNG PEOPLE

The young people's department, headed by Pastor Cesar

Fajardo, is ICM's most successful ministry. In 1997, youth cell
groups numbered almost 4,000. In keeping with the model,
Pastor Fajardo oversees his 12 disciples; each of those
disciples has 12 more, and the process continues down to the
new young people who enter each week. Key to the growth is
that each disciple also leads a cell group.

About 8,500 young people attended the Saturday night

youth service I visited in 1997. At that service, about 500
young people went forward to receive Christ. Each new
convert's name is documented and then delivered to a cell
group for follow-up. (Each month, the follow-up cards are
given to a different one of Pastor Fajardo's 12 disciples, and
this ensures that follow-up is evenly distributed.) Another
crowning event among the youth is the spiritual retreat
Encuentro (Encounter), which lasts an entire weekend and
serves to draw people to salvation and sanctification." The
vision of the young people is contagious, and their goal is to
reach 100,000 young people by the year 2000.

BETHANY WORLD PRAYER CENTER

Many believe that Bethany World Prayer Center is the most

successful "Pure Cell Model" church in the United States. The
reason for Bethany's success: This church learns from others.
It has gleaned cell principles from churches all over the world.
More recently, it has adopted much of the methodology of the
Groups of 12 model and is emphasizing cell planting, especially
homogenous groups. About 1,500 pastors attended its
biannual cell seminar in November 1997.

CHURCH GROWTH

The cell ministry officially began on April 1993 with 52

groups (made up from prayer ministry). By June 1996, 70
percent of Bethany's adults were attending one of its 312 cell
groups. During that time, about 1,500 families joined the church
through the cell ministry. Every week, between 25 and 30
people received Christ in the cell groups." Bethany's
attendance more than doubled to nearly 8,000 since initiating
the cell ministry in 1993.

The initial 52 groups multiplied in three months. Six months

later, those group multiplied. In 1996, cells took about a year to
multiply. Bethany officially implemented the Groups of 12
Model in early 1997, and cell groups skyrocketed from 320 to
520 groups in a matter of months.

CELL PRINCIPLES FROM BETHANY

Bethany has adapted its cell ministry to the Groups of 12

while retaining the bedrock cell principles gathered from the
worldwide cell church movement. Here are a few key principles
that can be learned from Bethany's history:

1. The leadership studied other cell models around the world

before initiating their own model. Several of these
experts-Ralph Neighbour Jr., David Cho, Cesar
 Castellanos, Karen Hurston-were invited to the church to
teach about cell ministry.

2. Extensive cell leadership training took place before

initiating the cell ministry.

3. The church was committed to the Pure Cell system from

the beginning.

4. The system was fine-tuned as needs were discovered.

5. Prayer was an important factor in the cell system.

6. Goals were established for cell growth.

THE GROUPS OF 12 MODEL

One of the essential principles that Bethany adopted from

Colombia is that every person has the anointing for
multiplication and the ability to win a multitude. As at ICM,
each leader at Bethany seeks out 12 disciples. They scan the
congregation to discover potential disciples to add to their
group. It's acceptable to have a mixture of mature leaders and
potential leaders. Discipling these leaders involves bringing
them through basic doctrinal teaching to the point of leading a
group. The district pastors, zone pastors and section leaders
also have a goal of leading 12 people to the Lord each year.

Zone pastor Bill Satterwhite, for example, converted his six

section leaders into disciples. But then he sought out others to
add to his group, specifically people with leadership potential
who were not in groups. In fact, one of his disciples was a past
cell leader who had dropped out.

THE GROUPS OF 12 CONCEPT AT THE CELL LEVEL

Each cell member is encouraged to plant a cell, but the new

leader then remains with the original cell for fellowship and
discipleship under that cell leader. The idea is to maintain
relationships. While the new leader is being discipled, he finds
and develops new people. The goal is for every cell member to
find five or six nonChristians and start a group with them. This
structure allows a person to fulfill God's calling to reap the
harvest.

EMPHASIS ON MULTIPLICATION

The pastors at Bethany make it very clear to the cell leaders:

"Don't allow your people to think that they are going to stay
together forever." Rather, they teach that cell multiplication is
the norm and that God places in everything the ability to
reproduce itself. Cells are living organisms that have the
capacity to reproduce, and district pastors teach that this is the
true foundation of the cells.

At least three types of cell multiplication are promoted at

Bethany:

1. Internal multiplication. A cell member brings in four or five

people and eventually takes them to form a new group.

2. External multiplication. Someone in the cell starts a

homogeneous group within the community. This is the
main reason for Bethany's current proliferation of cells.
 3. Traditional multiplication. This is the motherdaughter
method that Bethany has always practiced, only the cell
intern takes more responsibility now by developing a team
to start a new group. The intern disciples and actively
builds relationships with new converts with the goal of
starting a new group. Once the intern is discipling five or
six people, the new group begins.

HOMOGENOUS CELL GROUPS

Of the over 200 new groups recently started at Bethany

World Prayer Center, about 90 percent are homogeneous
groups based on relationships already established through
work, school or sports. Bethany realizes that most people in the
U.S. now find meaningful relationships at the workplace rather
than in the neighborhood, and that people are more likely to
get involved with those they already know through their
current involvements on the job or at school. Thus,
homogenous groups are an effective way to evangelize and
disciple nonChristians.

The groups' basic goals are building relationships with God

and with one another, and reaching the lost. These groups are
flexible and can fit into any time-frame. If the members have
only 30 minutes for lunch, that's OK; they don't have to finish
the whole lesson.

A homogenous leader has a dual commitment to lead his

own cell group and to receive discipleship in his original cell
group. To avoid schedule conflicts, Bethany asks leaders to
limit the new groups to times when they are already meeting
with potential members.

This new emphasis at Bethany follows Ralph Neighbour Jr.'s

emphasis on interest groups, which he calls "share groups"
and "target groups." He says,

There must be a way to go to areas where you do not

know anyone-where no natural oikos contacts exist. This
is done through "targeting" special groups of people who
have a common need or interest. Thus, you and your
team may decide there are families living in a certain
estate who need a Christian witness. By discovering their
needs, interests, etc., you can find a reason to invite
these strangers to a 10-week group meeting."

He goes on to say,

Target Groups collect people with common interests. For

example, those interested in guitar playing, bicycling,
hiking, tennis, swapping computer talk, etc. are areas that
readily attract people to meet together. Such interests give
you a natural contact with people who do not know you,
and who also do not know the Lord. They also collect
people with common concerns. Lonely people, parents of
rebellious children, diabetics, single parents, victims of
substance abuse, widows, the unemployed, etc. are all
groups of people who can be reached through Target
Groups."

Neighbour recommends that these groups be limited in

scope and in duration (10 weeks) to accomplish a particular
purpose. But Bethany's homogeneous groups are ongoing and
become the cell group for those who attend.

TRAINING NEW CELL LEADERS

Bethany creatively combines personal cellgroup training

with classroom instruction. Training hasn't changed much
since adapting the Groups of 12 model, except that the
sessions are offered more frequently. Each district trains new
leaders monthly in a five-hour course that combines traditional
cell instruction with Bethany's adaptations. To be a leader (as
of July 1997), one has to: attend the church for six months; be
an active member of a Touch Group; take a Leadership
Discipleship Track (six-weeks training in cell group, four-weeks
training in classroom); and attend one of the five-hour intern
training seminars that are offered monthly in each district. The
48-week process that takes a new believer all the way to
leadership is called "Accomplishing the Four Purposes." As
part of ongoing training, Pastor Larry addresses all leaders at a
monthly leadership summit, where he presents the vision for
the month and the month's cell lessons.

CELL ORGANIZATION

Bethany's organizational structure is impressive. The cell

offices contain a mailbox for each cell leader, tracking charts on
the wall, and statistical accountability for every level of
leadership. Strategizing and administration still takes place in
the district offices. The leadership structure of district pastor,
zone pastor, and section leader is also the same. Statistical
reports are still required of every cell leader."

FOLLOW-UP
 Zone pastors still greet new converts after the celebration
service. The baby Christians are assigned to a cell group, and
the cell and section leaders make an immediate visit. After
joining a Touch group, the new convert is invited to a "first
step" weekend retreat at the church, following the pattern at
ICM. After the retreat, the disciple follows the normal training
class with the goal of eventually becoming a cell leader.

SENIOR PASTOR INVOLVEMENT

The role of the senior pastor is crucial to the long-term

success of the cell ministry. Bethany's Pastor Larry Stockstill
models his commitment to cell ministry by his personal
involvement. He addresses cell seminars held at Bethany each
year. Each week, Pastor Larry:

1. Prepares the cell lesson.

2. Makes a surprise visit to a cell group to find out whether

his ideas work (e.g., cell lesson, etc.).

3. Links his Sunday morning message to the cell ministry.

4. Encourages with fresh vision all of the cell leaders.15

5. Presents the new daughter cells before the congregation

for prayer and encouragement.

6. Maintains the cell focus and guards against programs

sapping the cell vision.
 7. Meets with his cell staff.

8. Meets with twelve teenage boys that he is equipping as

leaders.

MISSION VISION

Bethany is committed to planting cell churches all over the

world, and this commitment reaches deep into the purse strings
of the church. Bethany's missions budget was $600,000 in 1985,
and it has increased $100,000 every year since. In 1996 the
church gave $1.8 million to missions."

Bethany requires its homegrown missionaries to first serve

successfully as cell leaders. Pastor Larry's ideal is for every
missionary candidate first to multiply a cell group and also
serve in an upper-level cell leadership position (i.e., section
leader, zone leader, district pastor)." Bethany currently
supports more than 90 of its own missionaries who serve in
more than 24 countries around the world."

THE CHRISTIAN CENTER OF GUAYAQUIL

CCG is an exciting model in Guayaquil, Ecuador, that is

multiplying cell groups rapidly. From 1992 to 1996, CCG grew
from 16 cells to 1,600-averaging 396 new groups per year.
According to the cell manual, the small groups at CCG are
expected to give birth within six months, and this is the goal of
every cell leader. Multiplication does occur, but CCG also
plants many cells from scratch. Although exact figures are not
available, one leader estimates that 80 percent of new cells are
planted vs. 20 percent that are birthed through multiplication.
CCG does not have a strict timeline for closing a group if it
does not multiply.

The machinery in place at CCG to start and pastor new cell

groups is impressive. This church is committed to reach
Guayaquil (over 2 million people) through cell groups and to
gather in the great harvest there.

EVANGELISM THROUGH THE CELL GROUP

Before starting cells, CCG administered a complete

Evangelism Explosion (E.E.) program. Although CCG still hosts
an E.E. clinic each year, the church adapts E.E. to its cell
ministry. Cell leaders are encouraged to take E.E., and E.E. visits
are delegated according to zones in each district. More
decisions are made for Christ in the cell groups than in the
church services, and those who do receive Christ in the
services usually are prepared beforehand by the cell groups.

It is important to note that leading a person to baptism, and

not just to accepting Christ, is the goal of cell leaders. No one
in the church is baptized unless he or she is part of a cell
group. Baptismal applications are brought to the church by the
cell leader, not by the applicant.

Once a person is baptized, attending a cell group, and

expresses interest in leadership, he or she attends a four-week
training class that covers the main points of the CCG manual
on cell group ministry. A person officially can lead a cell group
after completing the four-week course, although further
training is encouraged. CCG offers various levels of leadership
and biblical training, from this initial four-week class to a full
Bible degree from CCG's Bible College.

LEADING TWO CELL GROUPS

So many new groups are able to start at CCG because, on

average, every leader directs two groups. If someone is willing
to open his or her home for a cell group, the zone pastor
frequently will ask one of the existing cell leaders to direct the
new group.

GOAL SETTING

Each zone leader sets specific goals concerning the number

of new cells, cell attendance, conversions and baptisms. New
goals are drawn up each year in conjunction with district
pastors and are submitted to Pastor Jerry Smith for final
approval. Each week, district pastors evaluate their zone
pastor's progress; the zone pastor evaluates the
superintendents; and the superintendents encourage the cell
leaders based on goals. A statistical analysis is made every
trimester (based on percentages) to show leaders how close
they are to reaching their goals.

VISITATION

Each zone pastor makes approximately 40 visits each week

to cell members, new converts and visitors for a total of about
920 visits a week. These zone pastors are always alert to the
possibility of opening a new home for a cell plant, multiplying
an existing cell group, or recognizing emerging leaders. Many
new groups start as a result of the diligent visits by zone
pastors.
 Elevation in ministry at CCG is largely based on successfully
starting and leading cell groups. Most zone and district pastors
earn their position because of past success. Thus, the hope of
many superintendents and cell leaders is to one day become a
zone pastor or district pastor.

FAITH COMMUNITY BAPTIST CHURCH

FCBC's leadership realizes that its normal process of

motherdaughter cell multiplication is not producing the desired
result even though the plans and programs for cell evangelism
are excellent. Net cell gain has stagnated in the last several
years, but FCBC hopes to turn this around by emphasizing cell
planting. Small groups formed through cell planting offers a ray
of hope to FCBC.

THE VISION FOR CELL PLANTING

District Pastor Leong Wing Keen says that the 1998 annual
cell conference will emphasize cell planting. The Rev. Richard
Ong, executive director of Touch Ministries International, says
that the Holy Spirit is waking up the worldwide cell church with
similar ideas, specifically mentioning Ralph Neighbour Jr. and
the cell planting success at ICM in Colombia. Ong explains that
endless motherdaughter cell multiplication is just not possible
because a person's oikos relationships eventually run dry.
Campus /Combat Ministry Director Chua Seng Lee explains
that cell planting at FCBC originated in his district with
university students, and that this idea is taking hold
throughout the church.

HOW CELLS ARE PLANTED

 As of April 1997, the cell-planting concept mainly was still in
the idea stage at FCBC. Two cell-planting techniques are being
utilized, however. In the first, a cell chooses a target and begins
prayer walking the area. The cell then establishes contact with
someone in the targeted area (either a nonChristian or a church
sympathizer) who is willing to open his or her home for a cell.
Several stronger members (spiritual fathers) from the mother
group meet with the new group while continuing to attend the
mother cell. The goal is to eventually form two separate cells.

The second method links cell planting with FCBC's three

major harvest events. The homes of those who receive Christ
at these events are targeted for cell plants. These new converts
often are culturally or geographically distant from the mother
group and so are not naturally assimilated into it. Again, a few
of the mother cell's stronger members form new cells comprised
of these new believers. The stronger members continue
attending their own cell, while seeking to establish a new
group.
 n this traditional cell church multiplication method, an
existing cell group oversees the creation of a daughter group
by providing people, leadership and personal care. Several cell
churches around the world have perfected this method and are
ready to teach the rest of us what they've learned.

ELIM CHURCH

EC in San Salvador, led by Pastor Mario Vega, is a premier

example of expansion through motherdaughter cell
multiplication. Elim has grown to 5,400 strong cell groups in
just 10 years. Approximately 120,000 people attend cell groups
each week, averaging 21 people per cell. Elim's key appears to
be a combination of clear goal-setting, team planning, and
excellent leadership follow-up (through statistical control and
the Jethro system).

When EC adopted the cell system in 1985, the mother

church Elim immediately closed 25 affiliated churches in San
Salvador and unified them into one city church. Many cell
groups then were started from scratch. While the initial goal
was to open as many groups as possible without much regard
for quality or multiplication, the system now assures quality
control while maintaining the vision for rapid multiplication.

Elim aims to penetrate the entire city of San Salvador with

the gospel, primary through motherdaughter cell multiplication.
(Some cell planting is occurring in newly targeted areas.')
Pastor Vega says that of the 5,400 cell groups, about 1,000 were
cell plants; the other 4,400 resulted from motherdaughter cell
group multiplication.

At least three aspects of Elim's system are worth noting:

1. EC does not close cells that fail to multiply. Everything

possible is done to keep groups alive.

2. EC will not multiply a cell until 20 adults are attending the

group meetings. This rule is strictly enforced, unless the
host home is too small for a group that size or the new
daughter team is at a high state of readiness.

3. EC multiplies the nucleus before multiplying the cell.

Expansion of the leadership team is one of the major goals
of the church-wide Thursday night planning meetings.
Great care is given to prepare the new nucleus that will
guide the daughter cell group.

REASONS FOR SUCCESS

Throughout Latin America EC is known for multiplying

strong cell groups. There are at least four reasons for this
success:

1. Goal Setting. Each zone sets a "simple" goal for each year:
 double the number of groups, attendance, conversions
and baptisms. These goals are then divided by four to
arrive at a quarterly goal. All cell leadership at every level
is placed on a list according to how close they come to
reaching their goals. Each category of goal (baptism,
attendance, etc.) is given a certain weight. All leaders are
compared to one another according to how well they're
working toward 100 percent growth. The "healthy
competition" among pastors regarding those goals fuels
the high degree of motivation to grow.

2. Team Planning. The Thursday night team planning

meeting seems to be essential to cell group growth and the
eventual multiplication. At these meetings, strategies to
reach new people are developed, visitation is planned, and
multiplication is envisioned. The new team begins to take
shape during these planning sessions.

3. Organization. Elim has developed a highly efficient

system of statistical tracking that counts each of the
120,000 people who attend the cell groups during the week.
The system is indigenous.' The statistical follow-up of
every meeting gives pastors and supervisors a progress
report of each cell, and it motivates the leaders to reach
out. In addition, the smooth functioning Jethro system
provides help and training for cell leaders. These two
aspects of the cell system work together to maintain a
growth rhythm.

4. Evangelism. The most effective form of cell outreach at EC

is friendship evangelism. Leaders instruct their groups to
 make friends, win their confidence, and then invite them to
the meeting. The goal is for each of these people to receive
Christ and become a member of the church. Other
evangelism is practiced (door-to-door visitation, movies,
dinners, etc.), but the most effective form takes place
among family, neighbors and friends.

LEADERSHIP TRAINING

Each district offers ongoing, four-week training courses for

potential leaders. As one group graduates, the next begins.
These classes, designed to instill Elim's cell philosophy,
usually are taught by a two-person team (two zone pastors or
the district pastor and zone pastor.

Table 7. Training Course at Elim

LOVE ALIVE CHURCH

 Love Alive Church in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, approaches
cellgroup multiplication with an incredibly effective creativity.
In September 1996, the church opened 200 new groups
simultaneously. Several aspects of cell-multiplication
methodology are unique to this church.

SIMULTANEOUS MULTIPLICATION

Cell groups at LAC multiply at the same time and normally

on a pre-determined date each year. Only about 10 percent of
new groups open at other times. LAC aims for the one-year
mark because leadership believes cells take that long to
solidify.' Focusing on an overall multiplication date results in
several advantages:

1. Top leadership can plan more concretely concerning

future goals.

2. The training of new leadership teams can take place at the

same time in the church.

3. Leaders of sectors, zones, and districts can consolidate

their time and energy by focusing on one particular time
period of multiplication.

4. New cell groups opening together receive tremendous

support, ensuring that weaker groups won't fall through
the cracks.

5. The church can better focus its prayer and support.

10-MEMBER CELLS
 LAC used to multiply a group at 15 people, but maintaining
15 people over a long period proved difficult. A few years ago,
leadership decided that a cell would be a prime candidate to
multiply if it averaged 10 members. If a cell is regularly attended
by seven to nine people, the supervisor often asks the leader
to make specific evangelistic goals to reach new people. It is
possible, however, to multiply a group with only eight people,
because the key is having a strong new leadership team in
place. If a cell group does not grow, however, steps are taken to
discover the spiritual condition of the cell leadership team.

TEAM CONCEPT

Each new cell must have a three-person leadership nucleus

(leader, assistant leader and treasurer) before a cell is birthed.
Every month, the supervisor reports to the zone leader about
the condition of the groups, including the formation of new
leadership teams, under his or her care. The zone pastor
accordingly counsels and encourages the supervisor
concerning the preparation of the new leadership team that will,
in effect, serve as missionaries. The information is passed on to
the district pastor, who ensures through the zone pastors and
supervisors that the leadership teams are ready to operate.

RELATIONSHIP WITH MOTHER CELL

Dixie Rosales, LAC's director of cell ministry, attributes the

high quality of cell groups to the motherdaughter relationship.
He believes that the established cell must take responsibility
for the health of the new group if the new group is going to
succeed.'
 LAC cells meet on Wednesday night. When a massive
multiplication occurs, the new cells meet on Tuesday night for
the first three months. For these three months, the mother cell's
leadership team directs the Wednesday cell and also attends
the new Tuesday cell group to offer support and
encouragement.' After the first three months, the new groups
begin to meet on Wednesday night and become official cell
groups.

COUNSELING AND ASSESSMENT FOR TWO MONTHS

Counseling and assessment takes place for the first two

months after a massive multiplication. Every other Thursday
night, the new cell team (leader, assistant and treasurer) meets
with the immediate supervisor to receive edification from
Scripture, prayer, and counseling.' Along with the section
supervisor, the district pastor and the zone pastor must also
attend these assessment meetings.

THE MULTIPLICATION PROCESS AT LAC

The process for starting new groups is taken so seriously at

LAC that it begins five months before the multiplication date.
Cell leaders work hard to develop new leadership from within
their groups. These potential leaders are baptized, take
discipleship classes, and participate in the life of the cell group.
The seven-stop process is outlined below:

1. Goals for multiplication. The process begins when a cell

leader communicates the goal for multiplication to the area
supervisor, who reports this to the zone pastor, who in
turn tells the district pastor. The district pastor meets with
 the director of cell ministry to assess the number of groups
that can multiply. Final approval of how many new cells
will open rests with the head pastor.

2. Host home and new leadership team. The cell leader and
team searches for a home in the same area that will provide
an acceptable environment for a new cell. The supervisor
meets with each leadership team monthly, and one of the
objectives is to discover, stimulate, and prepare the cell
team to give birth to a new group.

3. Selecting the leadership team. Because a new group

cannot start without a leadership team (leader, assistant
leader and treasurer'), every cell strives to form this new
leadership nucleus-LAC calls them "missionaries"-that will
open a new growth group.

4. Interviews. In the third month of multiplication

preparation, the district pastor interviews new leaders
about their devotional life, marriage, available time for the
church, and personal attitudes. This interview is to ensure
that the leader is able to remain strong under pressure and
that the cell group has a good chance of surviving!

5. Training and presentation. During the fourth month, the

new leadership teams attend a special training session that
covers such topics as: how to lead the lesson, how to
evangelize, how to develop worship, and how to confront
problems in the group.' Before multiplication, the new
leadership teams are presented before the church, and the
whole church prays and fasts for the success of the new
 groups.

6. Cell group evangelism. In the fifth and final month, there

is an intense effort to evangelize in the area in which the
new growth group will open. The new leadership team,
members from the mother group, and even the area
supervisor evangelize the neighborhood together." Finally,
the day comes for the groups to open.

7. Assessment. As previously explained, the new cell teams

meet with their new supervisors and zone pastors for
prayer, encouragement, and counseling. This is an
essential time for the leadership to receive vision and help.

ELEVATION IN MINISTRY

Moving up the cell ministry leadership ladder depends on

several factors, including the person's time commitment,
spiritual commitment, or God's calling on their life. Personal
success clearly leads to greater responsibility at LAC." Those
in top leadership positions have experienced success in
multiplication and leadership. Amazingly, all district and zone
pastors hold full-time jobs and are not paid by the church,
although they have incredible authority within the church.

Some aspects of the cell meeting are distinct at Love Alive:

1. Everyone in the meeting receives a copy of the lesson.

2. The order of the meeting is flexible.

3. Anyone of the team members can lead the lesson.

 4. The meeting house does not change week after week.

DOVE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP

Pastor Larry Kreider never intended to start a church. He

tried to integrate the van loads of young people whom he had
won to Christ into the existing church structures. Yet, for some
reason, the new wine kept bursting the old, existing wineskins.
He finally yielded to God's call on his life and started DOVE
Christian Fellowship in 1980. From humble beginnings, the
church grew to over 2,000 people in 10 years. Pastor Larry's
congregation spread out across a seven-county area of
Pennsylvania. He describes his experiment this way,

These believers met in more than 100 cell groups during

the week and on Sunday mornings met in clusters of cells
(congregations) in five different locations.... Our goal was
to multiply the cells and celebrations, beginning new
Sunday morning celebrations and new cell groups in
other areas as God gave the increase.... During these
years, churches were planted in Scotland, Brazil, and
Kenya. These overseas churches were built on Jesus
Christ and on these same underground house-tohouse
principles."

Pastor Larry believes that multiplication and reproduction

most clearly demonstrate God's heartbeat for a lost and dying
world. He says that if we are going to be in tune with God, we
must be willing and committed to rapid multiplication." In May
1996, DOVE Christian Fellowship had 5,000 believers
worshipping in five distinct congregations. The cell groups are
the heart and base of the church. Larry describes his
commitment to the pure cell paradigm of ministry in his 1995
book entitled House to House.

FAITH COMMUNITY BAPTIST CHURCH

Since FCBC initiated the cell structure in May 1988,

motherdaughter multiplication has been the norm. The
leadership expects each cell to multiply within one year; if it
fails to do so, the group is integrated into other existing ones.
FCBC's creative organizational system combines the efficiency
of the geographical district with the need for specialized
ministry better than any other cell church. Cell multiplication
occurs within each district.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRICTS

These districts are described as homogeneous with

heterogeneous cell groups. The districts reach out to families
who are culturally similar. Groups with children are called
intergenerational cells. District divisions encourage cells to
reach out to neighbors, as well as to assimilate church converts
who live nearby. The goal for the year 2000 is 5,000 cell groups
in Singapore."

YOUTH ZONE

This zone reaches youth ages 12 to 19 and requires more

supervision than others. Instead of the normal ratio of one
zone supervisor to five cells, youth zone supervisors oversee
only three cells. Youth cells evangelize through personal,
relational evangelism instead of evangelistic events.
 CAMPUS AND COMBAT DISTRICT

This district serves young adults ages 18 to 25. Chua Seng

Lee, Campus and Combat director, establishes cells on
university campuses and in military camps in Singapore. In this
district, the standard FCBC cell lessons are adapted, leadership
commitment is often shorter, and more cells are planted. Youth
Zone graduates enter this district after high school; young
people older than 25 graduate into the district cells. Only future
workers are allowed to stay within this district after age 25.

MUSIC ZONE

This creative zone is comprised mainly of members from

Touch Music Ministry. Cells are fully integrated with people
not involved in music, though members often are friends of
those in music ministry. Because of the music ministry's high
demands, leadership integrated the cell and the ministry. Jim
Egli wrote in 1993, "The reason why they are organized into a
separate Zone is so that those in the music ministry do not
need to develop two sets of relationships. Since the music
ministry involves considerable time commitment, this eases
their time and is freeing to them."15

CHINESE DISTRICT

Although English unifies the four major languages spoken

in Singapore, not everyone can speak English well. This district
reaches out to non-English speakers through cells. One
Sunday morning service also is dedicated to them.

HANDICAP DISTRICT
 This district reaches the hearing-impaired, wheelchair-
bound, intellectually disabled, and visually handicapped
people. These people often do not feel wanted nor cared for in
normal geographical cell groups, but their needs are met in this
district. This district office is organized with the same charts
and procedures as the other districts.

The homogeneous nature of each district helps

multiplication to occur more naturally. The creative
organizational structure at FCBC is a model to the cell church
worldwide. Cell multiplication flows more rapidly along
homogeneous lines and FCBC has structured itself to reap the
harvest.

man once had a beautiful garden which

yielded rich and abundant food. His neighbor saw it and
planted his own garden the next spring. But he did nothing to
it. There was no watering, no cultivating or fertilizing. In the
fall, he returned to his devastated garden. There was no fruit
and it was overgrown with weeds. He concluded that
gardening did not work. On further thought he pondered that
the problem was bad soil or maybe he lacked a "green thumb"
like his neighbor.

Meanwhile, a third neighbor began gardening. His garden

did not immediately yield as much as the first man but he
worked hard and continued learning new skills. As he toiled, he
learned. As he put his new learning into practice year after
year, his garden reaped an increasingly abundant harvest.

I hope the truth of this parable is obvious. I traversed the

globe to discover the secrets of small group growth.
Interestingly, it was the same principles in every country,
culture and church that made the difference between cell
growth or stagnation. Hard work and the steady application of
proven principles set apart the successful group leaders. The
insights outlined in this book will work for you if you are
willing to pay the price. They are not magical principles. They
require time and effort.

My research revealed that successful cell leaders spent

more time seeking God's face, dependent on Him for the
direction of their cell group. They prepared themselves first
and afterwards they prepared the lesson. They prayed
diligently for their members as well as nonChristian contacts.
Their goals for multiplication were revealed in the listening
room and these leaders simply obeyed marching orders.

But successful cell leaders did not stop with prayer. They
came down from the mountain top to interact with real people,
full of problems and pain. They pastored their cell members,
visiting them regularly. Those who multiplied their groups were
not immune to "dark nights of the soul." They also passed
through the valleys but they declined to stay there. They
refused to allow the obstacles-that all cell leaders face-to
overcome them. They fastened their eyes on one goal-reaching
a lost world for Christ through cell multiplication.

You too can lead your cell group to growth and

multiplication. This "anointing" doesn't rest on a chosen few.
The introverted, the uneducated, and those in the lower social
bracket were just as successful as their counterparts. Nor did
one particular gift of the Spirit distinguish those who could
multiply their groups from those who could not. Successful cell
leaders don't depend on their own gifts. They rely on the Holy
Spirit as they marshal the entire cell to reach family, friends, and
acquaintances.

As I trekked around the world to discover these principles, I

met successful cell leaders in all eight different cultures. It
became clear to me that culture is not the determining factor in
cell multiplication. Whether a cell leader initiates a group in
Korea, the United States or Latin America, success depends on
hard work and the steady application of these basic principles.
I also met cell leaders in each culture who concluded that
"gardening didn't work," thus producing very little. Beyond a
willingness to work hard, there are two more principles that
must grip you.

First, be crystal clear about your goal-cell multiplication. The

successful cell churches around the world are focused on
growth. They don't waver on this point. Small-group
multiplication embraces so many other leadership qualities that
it must be the central focus of cell ministry. Most people equate
cell multiplication with evangelism, but evangelism is only part
of the equation. The leader who has multiplied his or her group
has developed and trained new leaders, ignited a passion for
evangelism, prayed fervently for each member, pastored the
core members, visited the new ones, and communicated a clear
vision of cell multiplication to the rest of the group.

Secondly, you must make leadership development your chief

priority. Successful small group leaders view each member as a
potential leader. In dynamic cell churches (like ICM), everyone
is a potential leader and the genetic code of cell multiplication
is instilled in each believer from the onset.

The home cell group explosion is rippling around the world,

but it hasn't yet reached its peak. The purpose of this book is
to help you fine-tune your small group ministry so that it can
have a powerful impact in a hurting world. Whether your small
group plants new cells or gives birth to daughter cells, the goal
is the same-explosive cell growth that leads to multiplication. If
you work hard, seek God, and patiently put the principles of
cell growth into practice, you will see an abundant harvest!
 Questionnaire: English

Personal Information

Important: Only choose one box under each

question

1. Country identification

❑ Colombia (1)

❑ Ecuador (2)

❑ Peru (3)

❑ Honduras (4)

❑ El Salvador (5)

❑ Korea (6)

❑ Singapore (7)

❑ United States (8)

2. Gender of the leader

❑ Masculine (1)

❑ Feminine (2)

3. Social level
 ❑ Poor (1)

❑ Middle lower class (2)

❑ Middle class (3)

❑ Middle upper class (4)

4. What is your age?

5. What is your civil status?

❑ Married (1)

❑ Single (2)

❑ Divorced (3)

❑ Separated (4)

❑ Living together (5)

6. What is your occupation?

❑ Blue collar (1)

❑ White collar (2)

❑ Professional (3)

❑ Teacher(4)

❑ Other (5)
7. What is your level of education?

❑ Elementary (1)

❑ High School (2)

❑ University (3)

❑ Graduate level (4)

❑ Other (5)

8. How many assistant leaders do you have in your group?

❑ 0 assistant leaders (1)

❑ 1 assistant leaders (2)

❑ 2 assistant leaders (3)

❑ 3 or more assistant leaders (4)

9. How long have you known Jesus Christ?

❑ Six months (1)

❑ One year (2)

❑ Two years (3)

❑ Three years (4)

❑ More than three years (5)

10. How much Bible training have you received?

❑ Less than the average cell member (1)

❑ Same as the average cell member (2)

❑ A little more than the average cell member (3)

❑ Much more than the average cell member (4)

11. How much time do you spend in daily devotions? (e.g.,

prayer, Bible reading)

❑ 0-.5 hours (1)

❑ .5 hours (2)

❑ 1 hour (3)

❑ 1.5 hours (4)

❑ More than 1.5 hours (5)

12. How much time do you spend praying for the members of
your group?

❑ Daily (1)

❑ Every other day (2)

❑ Once a week (3)

❑ Sometimes (4)
13. How much time do you spend each week preparing for
your cell group lesson?

❑ 0-1 hours (1)

❑ 1-3 hours (2)

❑ 3-5 hours (3)

❑ 5-7 hours (4)

❑ More (5)

INFORMATION ABOUT CELL GROUP LEADERSHIP

14. As the leader of the cell group, how many times per month
do you contact the members of your group?

❑ 1-2 times per month (1)

❑ 3-4 times per month (2)

❑ 5-7 times per month (3)

❑ 8 or more times per month (4)

15. How many times per month does your group meet for social
occasions outside of the regular cell group meeting?

❑ 0 (1)

O 1 (2)
 ❑ 2, 3 (3)

❑ 4, 5 (4)

U 6ormore (5)

16. As the leader of the cell group, how many times per month
do you contact new people?

❑ 1-2 times per month (1)

❑ 3-4 times per month (2)

❑ 5-7 times per month (3)

❑ 8 or more times per month (4)

17. How many times each month do you encourage the cell
members to invite their friends to the cell group?

❑ Each cell meeting (1)

U Every other cell meeting (2)

❑ Sometimes (3)

U Not very much (4)

18. In the last month, how many visitors did you have in your
cell group?

❑ 0 visitors (1)
 ❑ 1 visitor (2)

❑ 2-3 visitors (3)

❑ 4-5 visitors (4)

❑ 6 visitors (5)

19. Do you know when your group is going to multiply?

❑ Yes (1)

❑ No (2)

❑ Not sure (3)

20. In your opinion, which of the following areas helps you

most in your cell ministry?

❑ Personality (1)

❑ Biblical Training (2)

❑ Spiritual commitment (3)

❑ The gifts of the Holy Spirit (4)

❑ Pastoral care (5)

21. What is your primary spiritual gift?

❑ Gift of evangelism (1)

 ❑ Gift of leadership (2)

❑ Gift of pastoral care (3)

❑ Gift of mercy (4)

❑ Gift of teaching (5)

❑ Other (6)

22. In your opinion, what is the most important reason why

some cell groups are able to multiply?

❑ Effectiveness of leader (1)

❑ Hard work of the group members (2)

❑ The location where the group meets (3)

❑ The material that the group uses (4)

O The spirituality of the group (5)

23. With regard to your personality, which of the following is

your tendency?

❑ Introverted (1)

❑ Extroverted (2)

❑ Neither (3)

24. With regard to your personality, which of the following is

your tendency?

❑ Relaxed (1)

❑ Anxious (2)

❑ Neither (3)

25 How long has your cell group been functioning? (weeks

that it has been in existence)

26. What is the level of homogeneity in your group? (e.g.,

similar race, social class)

❑ Very high (1)

❑ High (2)

❑ Medium (3)

J Low (4)

U Very low (5)

27. Has your group multiplied yet?

❑ Yes (1)

❑ No (2)

28. How much time did it take for you to multiply your group?

29. How many times has your group multiplied since you've
 become the leader?

❑ 0 times (1)

❑ 1 time (2)

❑ 2 times (3)

❑ 3 times (4)

❑ 4 or more times (5)

INTRODUCTION

'David Yonggi Cho, Successful Home Cell Groups. (Miami,

FL: Logos International 1981)

CHAPTER 1

'Jim Egli, director of new products at TOUCH Outreach

Ministries and a Ph.D. student at Regent University, adapted
my questionnaire (improved it) and administered it to 200 cell
leaders at Bethany World Prayer Center in Baker, LA. His
findings coincide with mine, and thus confirm the validity of
this study.
'At YFGC, approximately 153,000 people attend the mother
church on any given Sunday. There are, however, an additional
100,000 people attending the ten YFGC satellite churches in
different parts of Seoul, Korea. These satellite churches are
considered extensions of the mother church and are therefore
included in the mother church attendance, thus totaling 253,000
people in the Sunday morning worship services. The 25,000 cell
groups only operate in the mother church. It's unknown how
many cells function in the ten extension churches (official
statistics at YFGC only mention the 25,000 cell groups of the
mother church).

CHAPTER 2

'Elizabeth Farrell,"Aggressive Evangelism in an Asian

Metropolis," Charisma magazine, Jan. 1996, pp. 54-56.

'Ralph W. Neighbour Jr., Where Do We Go From Here: A

Guidebook for the Cell Group Church (Houston, TX: Touch
Publications, 1990), p. 193.

'Robert Wuthnow, I Come Away Stronger: How Small Groups

Are Shaping American Religion (Grand Rapids, MI: William B.
Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1994), p. 370.

* Wuthnow, p. 371.

`Lyle E. Schaller, The New Reformation: Tomorrow Arrived

Yesterday (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1995), p. 14.

"Michael C. Mack, The Synergy Church (Grand Rapids,

MI: Baker Book House), p.53.
7 Mack, p. 94

'Dale Galloway, The Small Group Book (Grand Rapids, MI:

Fleming H. Revell, 1995), p. 150.

'Carl George, Prepare Your Church for the Future (Grand

Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1991), p. 99.

"The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language,

Third Edition ©1992 by Houghton Mifflin Co.

" Ibid.

Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia. ©1994,

1995 Compton's NewMedia, Inc.

"Mikel Neumann, Home Groups for Urban Cultures: Biblical

Small Group Ministry on Five Continents. Forthcoming,
1997. Used by permission of the Billy Graham Center,
Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL 60187-5593.

13 Larry Kreider, House to House (Houston, TX: Touch

Publications), p.84

"Neighbour, p. 247.

'°C. Kirk Hadaway, Stuart A. Wright, and Francis DuBose,

Home Cell Groups and House Churches. (Nashville, TN:
Broadman Press, 1987), p.66

"Howard A. Snyder, The Radical Wesley and Patterns for

Church Renewal (Downers Grove, IL: Inter Varsity Press, 1980),
p. 63.

"William Brown, "Growing the Church Through Small Groups

in the Australian Context." D.Min. dissertation. Fuller
Theological Seminary, 1992, p. 39.

"Doyle L. Young, New Life for Your Church. (Grand Rapids, MI:
Baker Book House, 1989), p. 113.

"George G. Hunter III, To Spread the Power: Church Growth in

the Wesleyan Spirit (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1987), p.
58.

'Brown, p. 39.

"Hunter, p. 56.

'William Walter Dean, in his dissertation on the Wesley class

system, writes, "Cell division was much less common than
might have been expected. The formation of new classes was
by far the most frequent approach to growth." William Walter
Dean, "Disciplined Fellowship: The Rise and Decline of Cell
Groups in British Methodism." (University of Iowa, Ph.D.
dissertation, 1985), 266.

Hunter, p. 57.

"T.A. Hegre, "La Vida Que Agrada a Dios." Mensaje De La

Cruz. April-May: 8-16, 1993, p, 8.

"Peggy Kannaday, editor of Church Growth and the Home Cell

System (Seoul, Korea: Church Growth International, 1995)
details Cho's emphasis on cell evangelism (p.41).

Hadaway, p. 17.

"The women at Yoido church are fully integrated into the cell
system, but a much lower portion of the men participate in the
cells. Recent statistics show 19,704 women's cell groups, 3,612
men's cell groups, 569 children's cells (Kannaday 1995:139).

CHAPTER 3

'David Yonggi Cho, Recruiting Large a For Staff Church.

Church Growth Lectures. Audio tape 2. Fuller Theological
Seminar, School of World Mission. Pasadena, CA, 1984.

'David Yonggi Cho, Growth. Church Manual No. 7. (Seoul,

Korea: Church Growth International, 1995) pp. 13-16.

'C. Peter Wagner, Spiritual Your Gifts Can Help Church Your
Grow (Glendale, CA: Regal Books, 1994), p. 157.

'This quote is from an e-mail that Jim Egli sent to his statistical
research professor at Regent University in spring 1997.

CHAPTER 4

'Robert J. Clinton, The Making of a Leader (Colorado

Springs: NavPress, 1988), p. 127. 'Clinton, p. 69.

'Ralph Neighbour, The Shepherd's Guidebook: A Leader's

Guide for the Cell Group Church (Houston, TX: Touch
Publications, 1992), p. 49.
'Neighbour, 1992, p. 48.

'Carl George, Haw To Break Growth Barriers (Grand Rapids, MI:

Baker Book House, 1993), p. 38.

'Oswaldo Cruzado, "El Tiempo Devocional" Un manual de la

Alianza en el Distrito Hispano del Este (The Christian and
Missionary Alliance, n.d.), p. 1.

' As quoted in Peter Wagner, Prayer Shield (Ventura CA:

Regal Books, 1992), p. 86. "Wagner, 1992, p. 86.

'Charles R. Swindoll, Intimacy with the Almighty (Dallas, TX:

Word Publishing, 1996), p. 28.

'Swindoll, pp. 17-18.

"Neighbour, 1992, p. 50.

"Matthew Henry, in Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Bible

(Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1991) on CD-ROM,
writes, "We may be present in spirit with those churches and
Christians from whom we are absent in body; for the
communion of saints is a spiritual thing. Paul had heard
concerning the Colossians that they were orderly and regular;
and though he had never seen them, nor was present with
them, he tells them he could easily think himself among them,
and look with pleasure upon their good behavior."

"C. Peter Wagner, Prayer Shield (Ventura, CA: Regal Books,

1992).
"Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God (Grand
Rapids: MI: Fleming H. Revell) p. 31.

A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God (Harrisburg, PA: Christian

Publications, Inc.), p. 91.

"Andrew Murray, With Christ in the School of Prayer (New

York: Loizeaux Brothers, Inc., Publishers, n.d.), pp. 16-23.

"Ed Silvoso, in That None Should Perish (Ventura, CA: Regal

Books, 1994), talks about an effective strategy of establishing
small groups dedicated to praying for the lost (pp. 253264).
Bruno Radi (Nazarene Church) has established a movement of
prayer cells in Latin America.

`C. Peter Wagner, in "Churches That Pray" (Ventura, CA: Regal

Books, 1993), explains the prayer movement phenomenon (pp.
13-32). Wagner is at the forefront of this movement as the
director of the A.D. 2000 Prayer Track.

Ibid.

"Cell Leader Intern Training, (Singapore: Touch Ministries

International, 1996), Section 5, p. 4.

"Floyd L. Schwanz, Growing Srnall Groups (Kansas City, MI:

Beacon Hill Press, 1995), p. 140.

"To order these prayer profiles, contact: The Unreached People

Project, 13855 Plank Road, Baker, LA 70714 USA, Phone: 504-
774-2002, Email: upg(a)bethany-wpc.org.
'C. Peter Wagner, Churches That Pray (Ventura, CA: Regal
Books, 1993), p. 119.

"Jeffrey Arnold, The Big Book on Small Groups (Downers

Grove, IL: Inter Varsity Press, 1992), p. 170.

"Ralph Neighbour Jr. "Barriers to Growth," Cell Church

magazine (Summer 1997), p. 16.

CHAPTER 5

'C. Kirk Hadaway, Church Growth Principles: Separating Fact

from Fiction (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1991), pp. 120-
121.

'Ted W. Engstrom, The Making of a Christian Leader (Grand

Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1976), p. 106.

'William Carey is often referred to as the "father of the modern

missionary movement." Carey delivered this quote as part of a
sermon on Isaiah 54:2.

David Yonggi Cho, Successful Home Cell Groups. (Miami, FL:

Logos International 1981), p. 162.

`David Yonggi Cho, Church Growth. Manual No. 7. (Seoul,

Korea: Church Growth International, 1995) p. 18

' Ibid, p. 18.

'Galloway, The Small Group Book (Grand Rapids, Ml: Fleming

H. Revell, 1995), p. 62.
"C. Kirk Hadaway, Stuart A. Wright, and Francis DuBose,
Home Cell Groups and House Churches. (Nashville, TN:
Broadman Press, 1987), p. 101.

'George Barna, The Power of Vision (Ventura, CA: Regal Books,

1992), p. 29.

"'Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus, Leaders: The Strategies For

Taking Charge (New York: Harper Perennial, 1985), p. 107.

"Raymond E. Ebbett, a C&MA missionary and cellchurch

planter in Spain, mentions this story in C&MA CELLNET #04B,
Fri. 6/20/97.

'2C. Kirk Hadaway, Stuart A. Wright, and Francis DuBose,

Home Cell Groups and House Churches. (Nashville, TN:
Broadman Press, 1987), p. 19.

"Karen Hurston, "The Importance of Small Group

Multiplication" in Global Church Growth (Vol. XXXII, no 4,
1995) p. 12.

"George Bama, The Power of Vision (Ventura, CA: Regal Books,

1992), p. 148.

"Quoted in C. Peter Wagner, "Pragmatic Strategy for

Tomorrow's Mission" in God Man and Church Growth (Grand
Rapids, M1: Baker Book House, 1973), pp. 146,147.

"Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus, Leaders: The Strategies For

Taking Charge (New York: Harper Perennial, 1985), p. 226.
"Richard B. Wilke, And Are We Yet Alive? (Nashville, TN:
Abingdon Press, 1986), p. 59.

"J. Peters Thomas, Thriving on Chaos (New York: Harper

Perennial, 1987), p. 284.

"Ibid.

2'In Cho's church, the goal is for each cell group to win one
family to Christ every six months. If the group does not
accomplish that goal, Cho send them to Yoido's Prayer
Mountain.

"Ralph Neighbour, New Believer's Station (Houston, TX:

Touch Publications, 1995), p. 75.

CHAPTER 6

Matthew Henry, Matthew Henrv's Commentary Bible the on

(Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1991), on CD ROM.
Commentary on John 4:27-42.

'Larry Kreider referred to this conversation with Cho during a

panel discussion at the Post Denominational seminar on May
22, 1996.

'Carl George, The Coming Church Revolution (Grand Rapids,

MI: Fleming H. Revell, 1994), p. 48.

'Roland Allen, Missionary Methods: St. Paul's or Ours? (Grand

Rapids: Eerdmans, 1962), pp. 84-94.

`Roland Allen, The Spontaneous Expansion of the Church and

the Causes Which Hinder It. 3rd Ed. (London: World Dominion
Press, 1956), p. 9.

'David Sheppard, Built as a City: God and the Urban World

Today (London: Hodder and Stoughton Publishers, 1974), p.
123.

'Aubrey Malphurs, Planting Growing Churches for the 21st

Century. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1992, pp. 145-
146.

'C. Kirk Hadaway, Stuart A. Wright, and Francis DuBose, Home

Cell Groups and House Churches. (Nashville, TN: Broadman
Press, 1987), p. 203.

"Eddie Gibbs quotes Wasdell as coining the term "leader

breeder" to describe leadership development in cell groups, in I
Believe in Church Growth (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing
Company, 1981), p. 260.

`°C. Kirk Hadaway, Stuart A. Wright, and Francis DuBose,

Home Cell Groups and House Churches. (Nashville, TN:
Broadman Press, 1987), p. 201.

"Journey Guide and other valuable cell leader tools are

available from TOUCH Outreach Ministries. For more
information visit their website (www.touchusa.org) or call 800-
7355865. (Outside the United States: 281-497-7901.)
"Ralph Neighbour Jr., The Shepherd's Guidebook: A Leader's
Guide for the Cell Group Church (Houston, TX: Touch
Publications, 1992), p. 42.

"Faith Community Baptist Church in Singapore trains cell

leaders to baptize and serve communion in the cell, but leaders
did not serve communion in the cell in the other casestudy
churches.

"Carl George, Prepare Your Church for the Future (Grand

Rapids, MI: Fleming H. Revell, 1992), p. 68.

"These are the leadership characteristics listed by Larry

Kreider in House to House (Houston, TX: Touch Publications,
1995), pp. 41-53.

"Karen Hurston, Growing the World's Largest Church

(Springfield, MI: Chrism, 1994), p. 68.

"Huuston, p. 194.

"Dale Galloway, The Small Group Book (Grand Rapids, MI:

Fleming H. Revell), p. 105.

"Quoted in Carl George, Prepare Your Church for the Future

(Grand Rapids, MI: Fleming H. Revell, 1992), pp. 203-204.

"'The amount of training at the time of the survey varied

greatly from church to church. Living Water in Lima, Peru,
required a one-year training course; The International
Charismatic Mission required a weekend retreat and a three-
month core course; Elim required a four-week leadership
training course; the leadership training at Faith Community
Baptist Church was more extensive.

"The head pastor of a C&MA church in Colombia used a

manual that recommends holding bimonthly training sessions
with all cell leadership. In my 3-1/2 years of missionary work in
Ecuador, these bimonthly training sessions proved to be the
backbone of the cell ministry.

"In his book Where Do We Go From Here? (Houston, TX:

Touch Publications, 1990, pp. 73-80,) Ralph Neighbour Jr. talks
about the apprentice system (or Jethro model) that is so
common in cell churches today.

The main books used for leader training are El Lider En Los
Grupos (Group Leaders C.A.F.E. 2000), and a book written by
C@sar Castellanos (1996) called Encuentro (Encounter).

"At ICM, it is common knowledge that its young people's

ministry is the most effective in the church. Leaders there say
that ideas and methods are tested among the young people; if
they work, they then are implemented in the entire church.

There is a growing movement toward cell planting, which

places a high emphasis on individual evangelism and
multiplication. Team ministry is also a part of cell planting
through the discipleship process ("Groups of Twelve").

"At times the administration might have a meeting for all the
treasurers to share about a pressing financial need in the
church. All of the money received in the group goes directly to
the church, with the exception of those groups that contract
buses for the Saturday service. In that case, every other
offering is for the church. Treasurers are entrusted to take the
tithes and offerings of the people.

'Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus, Leaders: The Strategies for

Taking Charge (New York: Harper Perennial, 1985), p. 71.

"Quoted in Thomas J. Peters, Thriving on Chaos (New York:

Harper Perennial, 1987), p. 315.

'Ibid., pp. 316-317.

CHAPTER 7

'The most common interpretation of "new people" refers to

those who have visited the cell group or the church but are not
yet committed as members.

'Larry Stockstill, "'Calling Out to Win the Lost:' An Interview

with Larry Stockstill," Ministries Today (July/August, 1996),
pp. 37-40.

'Herb Miller, How to Build a Magnetic Church. Creative

Leadership Series. Lyle Schaller, ed. (Nashville, TN: Abingdon
Press, 1987), pp. 72-73.

'Galloway, The Small Group Book (Grand Rapids, MI:

Fleming H. Revell, 1995), p. 62. `Miller, p. 32.

'Richard Price and Pat Springer, Rapha's Handbook for Group

Leaders (Houston, TX: Rapha Publishing, 1991), p. 132.
'Ralph Neighbour Jr., The Shepherd's Guidebook: A Leader's
Guide for the Cell Group Church (Houston, TX: Touch
Publications, 1992), p. 61

"Ralph Neighbour Jr., Building Awareness Opening Hearts

(Houston, TX: Touch Publications, 1992), p.72.

'David Yonggi Cho, Church Growth. Manual No. 7. (Seoul,

Korea: Church Growth International, 1995) p. 19

CHAPTER 8

' Dale Galloway, The Small Group Book (Grand Rapids, MI:
Fleming H. Revell, 1995), p. 122.

'David Yonggi Cho, Recruiting Staff For a Large Church.

Church Growth Lectures. Audio tape 2. Fuller Theological
Seminar, School of World Mission. Pasadena, CA, 1984.

'Michael C. Mack, The Synergy Church (Grand Rapids, MI:

Baker Book House, 1996), p.53.

'A quotation from Larry Stockstill's handout from the Post-

Denominational Seminar (May 22, 1996).

`The number 700,000 is a membership figure of people who

tithe to Yoido Full Gospel Church and thus are on the roll.
Sunday morning attendance does not come close to 700,000.
One Sunday in April 1997, about 153,000 people attended
Yoido's seven services. About 100,000 more attended one of
the 12 regional chapels throughout Seoul, Korea.
'Karen Hurston, Growing the World's Largest Church
(Springfield, MI: Chrism, 1994), p. 107.

'Paul Meier, Gene A. Getz, Richard A. Meier, and Allen R.

Doran, Filling the Holes in Our Souls: Caring Groups that Build
Lasting Relationship (Chicago: Moody Press, 1992), p.180.

'Peter Wagner, ed., Church Growth: The State of the Art

(Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1986), pp. 74-84.

"Dale Galloway, 20/20 Vision (Portland, OR: Scott Publishing,

1986),'p. 144.

"'Peggy Kannaday, ed. Church Growth and the Home Cell

System (Seoul, Korea: Church Growth International, 1995), p.19.

" Small Group Evangelism (Pasadena, CA: Fuller

Theological Seminary, 1996).

"Peace, p.36.

"Peace, p. 27.

"Howard A. Snyder, The Radical Wesley and Patterns for

Church Renewal (Downers Grove, IL: Inter Varsity Press, 1980),
p. 55.

"David Sheppard, Built As A City: God and the Urban World

Today (London: Hodder and Stoughton Publishers, 1974), p.
127.

"David Hocking, The Seven Laws of Christian Leadership

(Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1991), p.63.

"Stephen Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (New

York: Simon & Schuster, 1989), p. 239.

"Judy Hamlin, The Small Group Leaders Training Course

(Colorado Springs, CO: Navpress, 1990), pp. 54-57.

,,The two E's (evangelism and edification) or the two M's

(ministry and mission) provide easy memory guides. First, cells
minister to one another and cells must multiply by reaching
out.

"Four booklets of the Track Pack (Houston, TX: Touch

Publications, 1996) focus on teaching the new believer to reach
out to nonChristians. Also in The Shepherd's Guidebook: A
Leader's Guide for the Cell Group Church (Houston, TX: Touch
Publications, 1992), p. 27, Ralph Neighbour Jr. deals with the
different classes of believers.

"Ralph Neighbour Jr., Building Groups Opening Hearts

(Houston: Touch Publications, 1991), p. 60.

CHAPTER 9

'F.F. Bruce, The Epistles to the Ephesians and Colossians in

The New International Commentary in the New Testament
(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1957), pp. 309-310.

'David Yonggi Cho, Successful Home Cell Groups. (Miami, FL:

Logos International 1981), p. 59.
'Carl George, The Coming Church Revolution (Grand Rapids,
MI: Fleming H. Revell, 1994), p. 94.

'Ron Nichols, Good Things Come in Small Groups (Downers

Grove, IL: Inter Varsity Press, 1985), p. 25.

`George G. Hunter III, Church for the Unchurched (Nashville,

TN: Abingdon Press, 1996), pp. 116-117.

'Ronald J. Sider, Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger (Downers

Grove, IL: Inter Varsity Press, 1984), p. 187.

'Ibid, 185.

'The Touch Community Service Center is a separate, non-profit

organization that receives financial assistance from the
Singapore government. For this reason, open proclamation of
the gospel is not permitted. Most, not all, of the staff members
belong to the church. "Judy Johnson, Good Things Come in
Small Groups (Downers Grove, IL: Inter Varsity Press, 1985), p.
176.

CHAPTER 10

'Schwanz, p. 144

'Ralph Neighbour, Where Do We Go From Here? (Houston, TX:

Touch Publications, 1990), p. 70.

'In David Cho's Successful Home Cell Groups (Miami, FL:

Logos International 1981), Chapter 13 discusses the importance
of recognizing cell leadership before the congregation.
' Dale Galloway, The Small Group Book (Grand Rapids, MI:
Fleming H. Revell 1995), p. 126.

`John K. Brilhart, Effective Group Discussion 4th ed.

(Dubuque, Iowa: Wm. C. Brown Company Publishers, 1982), p.
59.

'Dale Galloway, The Small Group Book (Grand Rapids, MI:

Fleming H. Revell, 1995), p. 145.

'John Mallison, Growing Christians in Small Groups (London:

Scripture Union, 1989), p. 25.

"Carl George, How To Break Growth Barriers (Grand Rapids,

MI: Baker Book House, 1993), p. 136.

'Donald McGavran, Understanding Church Growth. 3rd edition

(Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company,
1990), pp. 215-216, 223.

"Karen Hurston, Growing the World's Largest Church

(Springfield, MI: Chrism, 1994), p. 93.

Robert E. Logan, Beyond Church Growth (Grand Rapids, MI:

Fleming H. Revell, 1989), p. 138.

"Bob Logan and Jeannette Buller offer excellent insight about

cell multiplication in a computer diskette called CompuCoach
96. This program for Windows and Apple systems focuses on
church planting.

"Ralph Neighbour, The Shepherd's Guidebook: A Leader's

Guide for the Cell Group Church (Houston, TX: Touch
Publications, 1992), pp. 32-35.

"Ibid, p. 113.

"Floyd L. Schwanz, Growing Small Groups (Kansas City, MI:

Beacon Hill Press, 1995), p. 145.

`FCBC Trainees Manual, Section 6, p. 3.

"Carl George, Prepare Your Church for the Future (Grand

Rapids, MI: Fleming H. Revell, 1992), p. 101.

CHAPTER 11

[bid, p. 44.

'At least half of the leadership staff are women. Claudia

Castellanos has modeled a strong leadership influence. She
formed part of the Colombia senate in 1989.

'The new thrust in March 1997 was for each discipler of 12 also
to maintain an evangelistic cell group.

'The young people's cell groups are a separate category. They

organize their own statistics and program.

'One of Pierson's areas of expertise is in the spiritual

movements that have impacted the history of mission.

'The departments include: young people, professionals,

worship, spiritual warfare, men's ministry, women's ministry,
counseling, ushers, counseling, follow-up, social action,
pastoral care, accounting, video, sound, bookstore, etc.

'A ministerial department such as sound, social action, or

accounting has fewer cells than the larger ministries such as
young people, worship, men's ministry or women's ministry.
But the leaders of these smaller ministries have 12 disciples
who in turn have cell groups.

'In October 1996, the larger departments holding their weekly

congregational meetings in the sanctuary were: Men, Spiritual
Warfare, Healing and Miracles, Worship, Couples, Women, and
Young People. Adolescents and small children have their own
cells. In October 1996, the junior high department had 171 cell
groups. They also had their congregational meeting and met
again on Sunday morning. The cell groups for children might
be best described as home Bible clubs led by adults. But the
goal is to encourage the children to make their own disciples
and to take more responsibility in leading the group. The
children also have their congregational meeting during the
week.

'Normally, between 20 and 500 people respond to the invitation.

° When I visited [CM in March 1997, nine Encounters were

scheduled for one weekend with approximately 500 young
people attending.

"Larry's quote in Ministries Today (July, 1996, 39). Those

"saved" is one category in the required weekly cell report
forms.
"Neighbour, Building, pp. 72-73.

"Neighbour, Building, p. 73.

"As of July 1997, Bethany was having trouble receiving the

weekly statistical reports from the new homogenous cell
groups.

"More recently, he gathers all of the cell leaders together on a

monthly basis instead of a weekly basis. According to Pastor
Larry, supervision is just that supervision. Each month, he tries
to pump up leaders with an understanding of the importance of
their role.

'"Larry Stockstill, "'Ceiling Out' to Win the Lost.' An Interview

with Larry Stockstill, Ministries Today magazine (July/August,
1996), pp. 37.

"Pastor Larry made these comments during his senior pastor's

luncheon at the June 1996 cell conference. However, these
requirements have not been "fleshed out."

"This statistic was in the Church Visitor's Guide (June, 1996), p.

16

CHAPTER 12

'If a targeted area cannot easily be reached by multiplying a

group, Elim is finding that it is often better to look for someone
in that area to open their home for a cell plant and then provide
a trained leader to start a new group.
' Elim had not been influenced by outside missionaries. Nor
was Pastor Sergio Sol6rzano trained in the United States or
Europe.

Some years, the focus is on nurturing cells as opposed to

multiplying them and, thus, no groups multiply.

' When new cells are planted, frequently no existing group

takes responsibility for the new group.

'The mother cell's leadership team makes a large commitment:

two cells a week for three months. So the leadership team is
encouraged to meet on a rotating basis. For example, if there
are five members on the leadership team, perhaps three will
attend one Tuesday and the other two the next Tuesday.

'A strict order for these counseling/ assessment times is laid

out in LAC's cell manual.

'The director of the cell groups says that he might allow a

group to start with a combination of leader and assistant or
leader and treasurer. However, a new group needs at least three
members before beginning.

'Because of the in-depth process of leadership preparation,

only one of every 10 cell groups fails.

'For the first three months, the new groups follow specific
material called "The Victorious Christian Life." These lessons
cover topics designed to teach faith, obedience, confession,
trials, prayer, and the Word of God.
"This evangelism takes several forms. The entire zone might
plan an evangelistic activity (e.g., movie, special speaker). The
cell group might reach out to the neighborhood through some
special type of outreach (e.g., invitation to Mother's Day
celebration or a special dinner). These special group events do
not occur on Wednesday, when the group must follow the
normal cell group format.

For example, Dixie Rosales is director of the entire cell ministry

at LAC in Tegucigalpa. He started as a cell member 1986, soon
became assistant cell leader, and then was asked to lead a new
cell. That new cell eventually gave birth to four new groups.
Dixie then was asked to be a zone pastor over 25 cell groups.
Because of his success there, he now directs the entire cell
ministry.

"Larry Kreider, House to House (Houston, TX: Touch

Publications), p.7.

"Larry is talking about both rapid cell multiplication and church

multiplication (i.e., church planting). He made this statement on
May 22 during the Post-Denominational seminar.

14 This goal is very high. At this point there are some 530 cells
in the church.

"Jim Egli, North Star Strategies Special Report #5, (Urbana,

Illinois, 1993), p. 12
 INTRODUCTION

"She likes attending my cell group, and yes, she'll eventually

become a Christian," Rene said to me. Rene's confidence that
Mary would eventually receive Jesus was based on the fact
that dozens and dozens of people have received Christ through
his cell group. Rene and his wife Patricia welcome
nonChristians. They make them feel like family. They sense the
liberty to share their fears, doubts, and feelings.

On one particular night, I visited Rene's cell group. I noticed

that one couple said very little. When asked to share their
thoughts on a biblical passage, it became apparent that they
lacked a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Rene didn't
pounce on them with the good news. In the warm, open
atmosphere of Rene's home, they eventually felt free to express
themselves. Rene closed the cell, asking anyone to repeat the
"sinner's prayer" with him. With the compassion of Christ,
Rene pointed them to the Savior.

Rene and Patricia have multiplied their cell group several

times. They know what it takes to effectively lead and multiply
a cell group. This study guide is designed to help you become
a more effective cell leader. You can join the ranks of Rene and
Patricia as you learn and implement the practices of effective
cell leaders.

This study guide will help you digest these practices as

they are outlined in Home Cell Group Explosion and give you
tangible ways to apply them.

Each chapter in the study guide contains four sections. The

Summary of Chapter section will give you an overview of what
was covered in the chapter. I've tried to lay out a bird's-eye
view of the main points in the chapter. The Questions for
Further Thought section is designed to stimulate discussion.
I've primarily used open-ended questions. The Related Bible
Passages section covers the major themes of the chapter. First
read the passage and then answer the application question(s).
The fourth and final section is called Practical Activities. In this
section, you'll discover hands-on activities to help you apply
the principles of the chapter.

How to Use Each Study Guide

My advice is to first read or reread each chapter in the book.

After doing this, feel free to pick-and-choose which questions
in the study guide best apply to your immediate needs. You
might decide, for example, to concentrate on the Summary of
Chapter section, a few questions from Questions for Further
Thought and one or two activities from the Practical Activities
section. Or, you might focus on the questions from the Related
Bible Passages section and one activity from the Practical
Activities section. Use your creativity to apply this study
guide to your particular situation.

One person deserves special recognition. Steve Cordle,

pastor of Crossroads United Methodist Church in Pittsburgh,
prepared his own study guide for Home Cell Group Explosion
while he waited for mine. Steve graciously sent his guide to me
and then allowed me to pick-and-choose from it. I used several
of his questions and group dynamics. Thanks, Steve. I want to
thank Jon Swenson, student at Regent University, for sending
me his study guide for Home Cell Group Explosion, and for
BroDon Parks for inspiring Jon to write it.

My prayer is that this study guide will help you become a

more effective cell leader as you lead people in ministry both in
and out of the group.
 1

SUCCESSFUL CELL-BASED

CHURCHES

Summary of Chapter

1. The purpose of every small group is the same as the purpose

of the church: growth and multiplication (p. 15).

2. Many subjective opinions about church growth prevail

today because of the lack of hard evidence.

3. Cell leaders should learn from successful and seasoned cell

leaders to help them succeed (pp. 15-16).

Questions for Further Thought

• In your opinion, why is it true that North America is no longer

the fountain of Christianity for the rest of the world? (p. 15). •
Describe in your own words the illustration that Donald

McGavran used to describe church growth in two Bible

believing churches? (p. 16) • Do you believe God wants his
church to grow? Why or why not?

• How would you feel if you were a member of one of the large
churches described in this chapter?
• Is it better to see a baby born into a hospital ward with the
hope of finding a family in which to grow and mature, or is it
better to have a baby born into the context of an existing
family? Describe how this illustration applies to new converts
won in the church worship services versus those saved in a
home cell group.

Related Bible Passages

• Read 2 Peter 3:8-9.

• Why hasn't Jesus come before now? If Christ is waiting for

more to be saved before coming again, how should this
motivate the church? Your cell group?

• Read 1 Timothy 2:3-5.

• How does God's will that all men be saved apply to your
cell group? How does it relate to the growth of your
church?

Practical Activities

• Read about a growing cell church.

• Visit a growing cell church.

• Jot down the positive ways your cell group has been a tool
for outreach (the one you lead or attend).

• Jot down the reasons why your cell group has not been
focusing on nonChristians.
• Pretend an invading nation will take over the U.S. this
weekend and will immediately move to shut down all
churches. Your church building will be confiscated, and your
pastor might be arrested. In the next five minutes get together
with two other people and devise a plan that would allow the
essence of your church's mission to continue.

CELL CHURCH BASICS

Summary of Chapter

1. Definition of a cell church: a church that has placed

evangelistic small groups at the core of its ministry (p. 17).
Cell churches position their small groups to evangelize and
multiply over and over again (p. 21).

2. Small groups comprise the backbone of the largest cell

churches in the world. Cells are not simply another program
(p. 19).

3. Small groups in the U.S. tend to promote personal edification

over diligent outreach (p. 18).

4. The average time for a cell to multiply in the effective cell

churches surveyed was nine months (p. 22).

Questions for Further Thought

• What does the word "cell" communicate about small groups?
(p. 19) What is your opinion about the use of this word?
What is your favorite name for small groups? Why?

• Review the four stages of a cell (pp. 19-21). What stage is

your cell group in right now? Is your group ready to go on to
the next stage? Why or why not? What can you do right now
to move forward as a cell group?

• What should be the goal of the cell? (p. 21) What is your
personal reaction to this goal statement?

• Review the factors that do not affect cell multiplication (p. 26).
In your opinion, why do many members feel like they are
unable to lead a cell group? How do the results of this
research make you feel in your leadership role?

• Review the factors that do affect cell multiplication. In what

area(s) are you doing a fairly good job? Explain (e.g., natural
talent, desire, etc.). In what area(s) do you need to improve
the most? Why?

Related Bible Passages

• Read Acts 2:45-47.

• What were the two distinct meeting places of the early

church according to verse 46? In today's church, why do
you think the celebration structure gets the most
attention? Why is there such a need for both structures
today?
• Read Acts 20:20-21.

• How did Paul proclaim the gospel to the early believers?

Describe an experience of an unsaved person in a cell
group (good or bad). If the person was positively touched
by the gospel, how did the group minister to that person?
If it was a bad experience, what could the group have done
to minister to the nonChristian? Do you believe that the
proclamation of the gospel from house to house is an
effective way to evangelize today? Why or why not?

Practical Activities

• On a scale of 1-10, determine if your small group is more

outreach oriented or inreach oriented (1=inreach and
10=outreach). Use the same measurement to determine the
orientation of other small groups in your church.

• Jot down four reasons why it's more natural for small groups
to focus inwardly on themselves rather than outwardly on
others.

• Jot down five practical ways that your small group can begin
to reach out to nonChristians in the next three months.

RELAX! YOU DON'T NEED

TO BE A SUPERSTAR
Summary of Chapter

1. Leadership giftedness: The survey shows no connection

between spiritual giftedness and success in multiplication (p.
29). Successful small group leaders rely on the giftedness of
everyone in the cell (p. 30).

2. Personality: Potential cell leaders who tag themselves as

"introverts" often say they lack the necessary ingredients to
grow a healthy small group. The survey shows that both
extroverted and introverted leaders successfully multiply cell
groups (p. 31).

3. Other factors that are not related to leadership effectiveness

in small group multiplication are: gender, occupation, and
education.

Questions for Further Thought

• What is (are) your spiritual gift(s)? What kind of gifted people

do you need in your cell to compliment your own gifts and to
help your small group grow?

• Many churches argue that every lay person can successfully

lead a cell group (p. 30). Do you believe that everyone can be
a cell leader? Why or why not?

• How do you feel about the fact that having an outgoing

personality is not necessary to make you a good cell leader?

• What is your reaction to the finding that the level of

education does not determine your effectiveness as a cell
 leader?

• What are some of the common reasons that you've used (or
heard others use) for not being able to lead a cell group?

Related Bible Passages

• Read 1 Corinthians 1:26.

• In what areas do you feel weak as a cell leader? How do

you see God using you in your weakness? In what areas
does the unique way that God created you help you in cell
leadership?

• Read Proverbs 13:4 and 14:23.

• How do these verses relate to the survey research? On a

scale of 1-10, how diligent are you? In what specific area of
cell leadership do you need to be more diligent?

Practical Activities

• Ask the members of your cell group to list their spiritual gifts.
After each person shares his or her spiritual gift, determine
together how each one can use their gift(s) in the cell group.

• Share with the leader over you (coach, zone pastor,

supervisor, G-12 leader, etc.) how the truths in this chapter
have helped you in your small group leadership.

• Ask the members of your cell group what they think are the
essential characteristics of effective cell leadership. Then
 share with them the results of the research survey.

PRAY!

Summary of Chapter

1. The leader's daily devotional time (i.e., in prayer and study of

the Word) has more impact on a group's success than any
other thing the leader can do (pp. 33-34).

2. Spending time with God in daily devotions is the most

important discipline in the Christian life. The goal of personal
devotions is to know Christ more intimately (p. 37). Cell
members will follow a person who hears the voice of God and
knows the way.

3. Personal devotions include a specific time and place. It's best

to set a certain amount of time to spend in personal devotions
(p. 36).

4. There is a scientific relationship between a cell leader

praying regularly for cell members and his or her ability to
multiply the cell group (p. 38). Fasting and prayer add the
one-two punch to cell leadership success (pp. 40-41).

5. Praying cells are powerful cells. Prayer must permeate the life
of the cell (pp. 41-42). Successful cell churches have learned
 to fervently pray and to build prayer into the life and fabric of
the church (pp. 43-44).

Questions for Further Thought

• How did you feel when you read about the findings that
regular daily devotions and prayer for cell members enabled
leaders to multiply their cell more rapidly?

• Why do you think that cell leaders who pray regularly for cell
members are able to multiply their own cell groups more
rapidly? (p. 38)

• How often do you pray for the members of your cell group (if
you're a cell leader)? In what ways has praying for others
helped your ministry?

• How has spending time with God made a difference in your

life?

• Are you experiencing effective daily devotions now? If so,

share how you've arrived at this point. If not, share what your
struggles are.

• Describe a time in your cell group when you experienced

powerful prayer?

Related Bible Passages

• Read Colossians 4:2-4.

• Why did Paul ask for personal prayer from the Colossian
 church?

• Read similar passages in which Paul asks for prayer:

• 1 Thessalonians 5:25; Romans 15:30; 2 Corinthians 1:11;

Philippians 1:19; Philemon 22 (Notice how Paul developed
a prayer shield - a protective prayer covering - through
prayer from others).

• Describe in your own words what it means to develop a

prayer shield? If you have a prayer shield, describe how it
functions for you? If you don't, what are you going to do
practically to develop one?

Practical Activities

• List some of the impediments that hinder you personally from

spending quality, daily time with God.

• Make a list of the members of your small group (past and

present) along with their prayer needs. Begin to pray daily for
those on the list.

• List the ways that your cell group has prayed during the
meeting time (e.g., as a group, individually, etc.). Plan to vary
the prayer methodology in the upcoming cell meetings.

• Read Peter Wagner's book, Prayer Shield (Regal Books, 1992)

in order to understand the importance of intercessory prayer.

• Make a list of people who might be willing to form part of

your prayer shield. Approach these people in order to solicit
 regular prayer (at least once per week, or perhaps daily).

SET GOALS

Summary of Chapter

1. Growing churches are goal-oriented. All the cell churches in

this study were guided by clear, precise goals for cell
multiplication (p. 45).

2. Those cell leaders who knew the date for their cell
multiplication were far more likely to actually multiply their
cell than those who failed to set a goal (pp. 45-46).

3. Pastor Cesar Castellanos and David Cho are examples of

senior pastors who set clear goals for their church and
encourage leaders under them to do likewise (pp. 46-48).

4. Cell groups have the tendency to turn inward and to become

self-absorbing, and therefore need a clearcut goal to keep
them outwardly focused (pp. 49-50).

5. There is more than one way to successfully multiply a cell

group. The right way is what works (within biblical
guidelines). The key is to experiment until you discover what
works for you (pp. 51-52).
Questions for Further Thought

• Review the four principles for goal setting on page 48 that are
recommended by Yonggi Cho. Which one of these speaks to
you now as a leader?

• Why might some leaders be reluctant to set goals for cell

group multiplication?

• Do you have a set date to multiply your cell group? If so,

when? And how do your cell members feel about it? If not,
why? And how can you work with your cell members to set a
date?

• Why do cell groups have a tendency to turn inward and

focus on themselves instead of reaching out to others? Has
this been true in your cell group? Explain.

• What are the hindrances to multiplication in your cell group?

What are you doing to correct those problems?

Related Bible Passages

• Read Matthew 6:25-28 and James 4:13-15.

• What do these passages say about how we view the

future? With these passages in mind, what kind of
cautions should we exercise when making future goals?
Give specific examples.

• Read Joshua 14:6-15.

 • How did Caleb include God in His future goal? (v. 14)
Using the example of Caleb, describe your goal for cell
group multiplication.

Practical Activities

• Write down the names of the potential leaders in your cell

group.

• Talk to your supervisor (or G-12 leader) about the names you
have listed. Receive his advice.

• With your supervisor, plan a specific date for cell

multiplication. Then share with the group the planned date for
multiplication.

• Prepare a series of four mini-exhortations on the need to reach

out through cell multiplication. Every other week for two
months, share these themes during the vision casting time in
the cell group.

RAISE UP NEW LEADERS

Summary of Chapter

1. Believers must win the lost for Jesus Christ. The urgency of
winning lost men and women to Jesus Christ demands that
 we use all available laity (p. 53).

2. Ephesians 4:11-12 teaches that church members must do the

work of the ministry. The traditional church relies on certain
gifted, educated people to minister. In most churches, 10% of
the laity do 90% of the work (pp. 54-55).

3. In the cell church, many more lay people are mobilized to

serve. Cell church ministry is decentralized because many
members use their gifts to minister to others (p. 56).

4. Cell groups are leader breeders because they facilitate the

development of new leadership. Cell leaders have a pastoral
role; they are not Bible teachers (pp. 56-57).

5. Steps to raise up new leadership include: praying for new

leadership, involving potential leadership in the functions of
the cell, testing faithfulness, consulting with higher-level
leadership, increasing ministry responsibility in the cell and
fully training new leadership (pp. 60-64).

Questions for Further Thought

• How do you feel about seeing everyone in your cell group as

a potential leader? Do you believe that it's possible? Why or
why not?

• In your opinion, why are so many lay people inactive in the

traditional church today? Why do you think some churches
are hesitant to use lay people in cell leadership?

• Review the pastoral functions of a cell leader on pages 57-58.

 Is one more important than another? Which ones are you
practicing right now as a cell leader? Which ones do you
need to work on?

• In your opinion, why is it dangerous to view cell leaders as

Bible teachers? (p. 58)

• What have you been doing to raise-up new leadership in your

cell group? In what areas do you feel that you need to work
harder?

• Read about decentralizing the ministry on page 56. How do

you feel about this concept? Where does your church fit in
relationship to this concept?

Related Bible Passages

• Read 1 Peter 4:7-11.

• According to these verses, how should the urgency of

Christ's second coming (v. 7) affect our lifestyle?

• How can you apply verse 10 to your own life? To the cell
group?

• Read 1 Corinthians 3:5-11.

• Describe the various roles mentioned in these verses?

How can you apply these verses to your role as a cell
leader?

Practical Activities
• On a scale of 1-10, rate the urgency level for reaching
nonChristians in your cell group.

• Ask everyone in the group to write down the percentage of

lay people involved in your church right now. Afterwards
compare notes, asking some to give reasons for their
responses. Discuss practical ways to increase the level of lay
involvement in the church.

• Interview a cell leader who has multiplied his or her cell group.
Write down the principles of cell multiplication that you
discover.

• Meditate on the book's central premise that every person is a

potential leader. Plan specific steps to use each cell member in
some aspect of the cell. Write down the level of training
(equipping track) of each member of your cell. Encourage
each member to complete the cell leadership training.

• Reflect on the faithfulness and commitment of the people in

your cell group. Recognize these persons at the next cell
meeting.

ATTRACT VISITORS

Summary of Chapter
1. Those cell groups that frequently receive visitors multiply
more rapidly (p. 69).

2. Successful cell leaders visit newcomers immediately.

Immediate, personal visitation to the home of a newcomer is
one of the most effective ways to assure that the newcomer
will return to the church or cell (pp. 70-73).

3. When transitioning to the cell model, it's wise to focus on

the new people, rather than pressuring older members to
change (pp. 71-72).

4. Growing cells and churches constantly invite new people.

Successful cell leaders exhort the cell members to invite close
friends, family, and work associates to the cell meeting (pp.
73-75).

5. Practical suggestions to attract visitors include holding

social events, seeker-sensitive cells, moving from house to
house, and praying for nonChristians to attend (pp. 76-77).

Questions for Further Thought

• Review the findings of Herb Miller (p. 74). Have you

personally found this to be true? Share your experience. Why
do you think it's so important to visit a newcomer
immediately?

Describe the last time a nonChristian visited your cell group?

In your opinion, why did the person attend? How does the
presence of a nonChristian in the cell group affect the cell
atmosphere?
• Who was the person who led you to Jesus Christ? A family
member? Friend? Why do you think that relationships are so
important in attracting visitors and leading people to Jesus
Christ?

• Has anyone accepted Christ in your cell group? Share the

experience. Describe the effect a new Christian has on the
atmosphere of a cell group.

Related Bible Passage

• Read John 4:39-42.

• The Samaritan woman first testified to those of her own

village (most likely friends and family). How have people
been influenced by your testimony? Give examples.

Practical Activities

• On a scale of 1-10, rate your cell's interest in inviting

newcomers (1= lowest interest, 10=highest interest).

• Pass out index cards to members of your cell group. Ask each
person to write the names of three nonChristian friends or
relatives (oikos). For the next three months, pray in the cell
group for these people. Pray that they might attend the cell
group.

• Plan a special activity in the cell group, with the specific

purpose of inviting those whose names are written on the
cards. List two activities that have worked in your cell group
to attract nonChristians.
• Show a portion of a well-known video that would interest
nonChristians and discuss spiritual truths.

• Plan a dinner with the goal of attracting nonChristians.

• Plan a sports event/ picnic on Saturday with the goal of

inviting visitors.

• Ask the members of the group if they'd like to hold the cell
group in their home on a rotating basis.

• Place an empty chair in the midst of the cell group. Ask two
people to pray for the next invitee who will sit in that chair.

REACH OUT AS A TEAM

Summary of Chapter

1. Intimate fellowship (koinonia) occurs among group members

in the process of reaching nonChristians (p. 80).

2. Most evangelism programs emphasize individual evangelism

- hook-fishing - rather than group evangelism - net-fishing. In
contrast, small group evangelism is a shared experience in
which the entire group reaches out to nonChristians (pp. 81-
82).
3. Small groups attract nonChristians by the unity and love
among cell members (pp. 82-83).

4. Most nonChristians will not attend church services without

first developing friendships with believers from the church.
The cell group is an excellent place for nonChristians to
develop friendships before attending the celebration service
(p. 83).

5. Transparent sharing in the group is often the best

evangelistic tool to reach nonChristians. In this context,
nonChristians understand that believers are not perfect - just
forgiven (pp. 84-88).

Questions for Further Thought

• Review the difference between small group evangelism and

personal "one-on-one evangelism" (pp. 79-82). Which type of
evangelism have you found to be most effective? Give
personal examples.

• Describe what your small group has done in the last six
months to reach-out to nonChristians?

• Describe the atmosphere and level of relationships among

your cell members. Is it attractive for nonChristians? Why or
why not?

Related Bible Passage

• Read Acts 8:1, 4 and Acts 5:42.

 • Some churches focus on attracting nonChristians to the
church building. Cell churches seek to evangelize from
house to house. In your experience, what have you found
to be more effective? Why?

Practical Activities

• Ask each member of your cell group to describe on a scale of

1-10 the transparency level of the group (1=lowest
transparency level, 10=highest transparency level). If the
level is low, ask members to list reasons why there is a lack of
openness.

• List the advantages and disadvantages of individual

evangelism. Do the same for group evangelism. Share your
discoveries with your cell group.

• Read the example of Bill Mangham's cell group on pages 79-

80. Meet privately with each members of your cell group in
order to plan a group outreach. Determine how each member
can participate in the outreach meeting.

EVANGELIZE

BY MEETING NEEDS

Summary of Chapter
1. Hospitality was regularly practiced in the house churches of
the New Testament and is an effective evangelistic tool today
(p. 91).

2. When nonChristians see practical love in action, they are

often drawn to receive the free gift of eternal life (pp. 91-92).

3. The largest church in the world, Yoido Full Gospel Church,

primarily wins nonChristians by first finding a need and
meeting it. The "need-oriented" evangelism practiced at
YFGC is a key factor in the rapid growth of the church (pp. 92-
93).

Questions for Further Thought

• Describe an experience when someone reached out to you in

a time of need? How did it make you feel?

• What are some of the ways that your group can practically
reach out to those in need?

• What is the danger of creating a dependency when trying to

reach out to physical needs? How might that happen?

• Are there current needs within your cell group? (e.g., lack of
work, no car, etc.) In what practical ways can your group help
meet those needs?

Related Bible Passages

• Read Acts 2:44-47.

 • How does the atmosphere of sharing that took place in the
early church compare with the atmosphere of your cell
group? List some things that you can practically do as a
group to share with those in need.

• Read 1 John 3:16.

• Describe what happened in your cell group when an

immediate need was mentioned.

Practical Activities

• Plan a lesson for the group on this subject and then have the
members of the cell share if they have particular needs. Plan
ways with the group to practically meet that particular need
(e.g., offering, mowing lawn, ride home, etc.).

• Determine which nonChristian contacts (oikos) of cell

members have serious physical needs. Go together as a group
to meet that particular need. Invite the person to the cell
group.

• Read Steve Sjorgen's book Conspiracy of Kindness (Vine

Books, 1993) and list the ways that your small group can meet
the needs of those around you.

10

PREPARE FOR A
 SMOOTH DELIVERY

Summary of Chapter

1. It's important to understand the process of cell multiplication

in order to have a successful delivery (pp. 95-96).

2. Many cells never experience the joy of giving birth to a new

group because:

• Members become too comfortable with themselves,

developing the church disease called koinonitus (p. 96).

• Members don't know the joy of giving birth to a daughter

cell (p. 96).

• Members fear that the new cell will have less warmth and
spiritual dynamic than the mother cell (p. 96).

3. Cells must multiply to maintain intimacy. The optimum size of

a small group is between 8-12 people. Whenever the cell goes
beyond 12 people, it is wise to give birth to a new cell (pp. 97-
98).

4. The two primary ways to multiply a cell are through cell

planting (individual members - with perhaps one or two
others - starting new cell groups from scratch) and
motherdaughter multiplication (giving birth to a new, separate
group, complete with leader and new members). In both types
of multiplication, it's best to multiply cells along relational
lines (i.e., friends go with friends) (pp. 98-100).
5. The normal length of time to give birth is between six and 12
months (pp. 101-102).

Questions for Further Thought

• Review the three reasons why cell groups don't multiply (96).
Share which of these situations you have experienced
personally. Which of these situations are your cell members
struggling with? Explain.

• What size group do you think is optimum to maintain quality

and intimacy? Share your experiences in different sized groups.
Why must a group never go beyond 15 people?

• What method of cell multiplication (cell planting or

motherdaughter multiplication) have you discovered to be the
most effective? Why?

• How do you feel about the idea that a cell should close if it
fails to give birth? (pp. 102-104) Do you think a cell should be
given a certain time frame to multiply before closing it? How
long? Why?

Related Bible Passage

• Read Acts 13:2-3.

To what extent has the Holy Spirit been involved in

preparing and sending off the new leader or leadership team
from your cell? What can you do to emphasize God's work
in multiplication?
Practical Activities

• Prepare a study from John 16:21-22 about the joy of giving

birth to a new cell group. Share it with your group.

• During the next cell meeting, interview a mother of more than

one child about the birth pains during her first pregnancy.
Ask her if it was worth it and why. Ask her why she wanted
to have another child. Apply what she says to the pain of
giving birth to a new cell, and the joy of having spiritual
children.

• Determine the relational lines within your group by examining

the natural friendships of those in your group. Determine
which type of multiplication will be best for your group.

11

UNDERSTAND

CELL PLANTING

Summary of Chapter

1. Cell planting occurs when individual cell members leave the

mother cell to start new cells among friends and family (oikos
network). Often one or two members from the mother cell will
accompany the cell planter (pp. 105-112).
2. Some churches expect each member of the cell to plant a new
cell, while maintaining an intimate, pastoral relationship with
the parent cell leader (pp. 106-107,113).

3. Cell planting is most effective among homogeneous groups.

That is, the cell planter starts the new group among like-
minded people, e.g., fellow workers, relatives, etc. (pp. 112-
117).

Questions for Further Thought

• Describe your experience or knowledge of cell planting?

• What principles of the G-12 model are you currently using in

your cell group? (e.g., every member a leader, every leader a
supervisor, etc.).

• What are the advantages of cell planting? What are the

disadvantages?

• If you have been involved in cell planting or know of

someone who has, share the experience.

Related Bible Passages

• Read Acts 14:21, 23.

• Paul and company were church planters, par excellence.

They won souls and gathered them into churches. What
are the similarities between church planting and cell group
planting? What are the differences?
• Read Mark 3:13-19.

• How does the G-12 model resemble Christ's ministry with

His disciples? What are the differences?

Practical Activities

• Read Groups of Twelve: A New Way to Mobilize Leaders and

Multiply Groups in Your Church by Joel Comiskey. List those
principles that you can apply right now in your group.

• Prepare two cell lessons on the priesthood of all believers

(Rev. 1:6; Eph. 4:11-12) with the goal of challenging each cell
member to see their potential in leading a cell group.

• Evaluate each member of your cell group and determine which

members might be ready to launch a cell plant. Begin praying
regularly for this; then encourage them in the process of
preparation. Once they accept the challenge make specific
plans with them.

12

UNDERSTAND MOTHERDAUGHTER MULTIPLICATION

Summary of Chapter

1. Motherdaughter cell multiplication emphasizes the creation

of a new, fully-functioning, cell group at the moment of new
birth (p. 121).
2. Key principles behind successful motherdaughter
multiplication include: planning meetings with the nucleus of
the cell, clear goal setting, and friendship evangelism (pp.
122-123).

3. It's possible to emphasize a specific day or month for all cells

to multiply (p. 124).

4. All churches featured in this chapter focus on multiplying

the leadership core, rather than sending one or two people off
to plant a new cell.

Questions for Further Thought

• Was your current group the result of a motherdaughter

multiplication? Planted from scratch? Some other
combination? Which method of multiplication do you prefer?
Why?

• Do you think that churches in the U.S. could successfully add

another weekly planning meeting above and beyond the cell
meeting? Why or why not?

• Do you like the idea of simultaneous multiplication? (p. 124)

What are the advantages? What are the disadvantages?

• Why do you think the team concept in cell multiplication is

more effective than the lone-ranger mentality? (p. 125)

• Are you involving other cell members in the cell leadership?

What can you do to increase involvement?
Related Bible Passage

• Read Ecclesiastes 4:12.

• These verses are often applied to the firm bond of

marriage. In what ways can you apply these verses to cell
multiplication? Give practical examples.

Practical Activities

• Make a list of those people who comprise the nucleus of your

cell. Pray for them to accept the responsibility of forming part
of the team.

• Invite your nucleus to your house for a meal. During this

meeting, explain the team concept. Ask them to commit
themselves to faithfully participate in the cell with the goal of
giving birth to a daughter group.

• Attend a cell seminar.

 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

by Joel Comiskey

FROM 12 TO 3

Joel Comiskey has spent years researching the G12 structure

and the principles behind it. This book focuses on ways your
church can apply the G-12 principles rather than adopting the
entire G-12 model. It provides readers with a modified
approach for applying what Joel calls the G-12.3. This
approach is adaptable to many different church contexts,
including your unique environment. 184 pgs.

GROUPS OF 12

Finally, the definitive work that clears the confusion about the
Groups of 12 model. Thousands of pastors have traveled to
International Charismatic Mission to see it in operation. In this
new title, Joel has dug deeply into ICM and other G-12
churches to learn the simple G-12 principles that can be
transferred to your church. This book will contrast this new
model from the classic structure and show you exactly what to
do with this new model of cell ministry. 182 pgs.

REAP THE HARVEST

This book casts a vision for cell groups that will work in your
church. Based on research of the best cell churches around the
world and practical experience by the author, Reap the Harvest
will reveal the 16 proven principles behind cellchurch growth
and effectiveness. It will also provide you with a strong biblical
and historical foundation that anyone can understand. Great to
share with key leaders as you transition to cell groups. 240 pgs.
LEADERSHIP EXPLOSION

Cell Groups are leader breeders. Yet few churches have enough
cell leaders ready to start new groups. In this book, you will
discover the leadership development models used by churches
that consistently multiply leaders. Then you will learn how to
create your own model that will breed leaders in your church.
208 pgs.
HOW TO LEAD A GREAT CELL GROUP MEETING...
...So People Want to Come Back,

Joel Comiskey takes you beyond theory and into the

"practical tips of the trade" that will make your cell group
gathering vibrant! This hands-on guide covers all you need to
know, from basic how-to's of getting the conversation started
to practical strategies for dynamic ministry times. If you're
looking to find out what really makes a cell group meeting
great... this book has the answers! 144 pgs.

CELL GROUP LEADER TRAINING

RESOURCES

CELL GROUP LEADER TRAINING:

Leadership Foundations for Groups that
Work,

by Scott Boren and Don Tillman

The Trainer's Guide and Participant's Manual parallel the

teaching of Comiskey's How to Lead a Great Cell Group
Meeting. Through the use of teaching, creative activities, small
group interaction, and suggested between-the-training
exercises, this eight-session training will prepare people for cell
group leadership like no other tool. The Trainer's Guide
provides teaching outlines for all eight sessions and options
for organizing the training, including different weekly options
and retreat options. The Trainer's Guide also has bonus
sections, including teaching outlines for the Upward: Inward:
Outward Forward Seminar and detailed interview discussion
guides for The Journey Guide for Cell Group Leaders. This
comprehensive training tool will establish your group leaders
on a sure foundation.

8 HABITS OF EFFECTIVE SMALL GROUP LEADERS,

by Dave Earley

Are your cell leaders truly effective in changing lives? They

can be! After years of leading and overseeing growing small
groups, Pastor Dave Earley has identified 8 core habits of
effective leaders. When adopted, these habits will transform
your leadership too. The habits include: Dreaming • Prayer •
Invitations • Contact Preparation • Mentoring • Fellowship •
Growth. When your leaders adopt and practice these habits,
your groups will move from once-a-week meetings to an
exciting lifestyle of ministry to one another and the lost! 144
pgs.
LEADING FROM THE HEART,

by Michael Mack

Recharge your cell leadership! Powerful cell leaders share a

common trait: a passionate heart for God. They know their
priorities and know that time with Him is always at the top of
the list. Do your cell leaders attract others? Is their cell
ministry central to their lives? This book will renew their
hearts, refocus their priorities and recharge their ministry. If
you have a sense that your leaders are tired of ministry or
frustrated with people, this tide will help! And, if your leaders
have great attitudes and you want to help them move to the
next level, this book will move them into new fields, white for
harvest! 152 pgs.
UPWARD, INWARD, OUTWARD, FORWARD
WORKBOOK Improving the 4 Dynamics of Your
Cell Group,

by Jim Egli

This easy to use workbook, combined with the facilitator's

presentation (Part 2 of this Guide) will help your cell groups
grow in the four basic dynamics of healthy cell life. Upward:
Deepening your relationship to the Father; Inward: Deepening
community between cell members; Outward: Reaching the lost
for Jesus successfully; Forward: Developing and releasing
new leaders. 72 pgs (Participant's Guide.)
Free articles from CellChurch Magazine & CellGroup Journal

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