Church in Many Houses Read Through: Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Moving From “Growing Deeper” to “Reaching Outward”

Summary: While not the complete totality, you cannot have healthy growth in your life in Christ if you are not actively and consistently involved in looking outward to share the love of Christ. The cell model provides an opportunity for this to happen and to enable pre-believers see the work of Christ in the Body of Christ.

“We encourage Christians and churches round the world not to focus on their own needs and desires! If you do, you will surely shrivel up and die”– Chinese house church leaders” (Location: 789)

Note:In our lingo, the key to being able to go church shopping is “I’m not being fed”.

“Cell groups reach out to pre-Christians to offer new life in Christ.” (Location: 802)

Note:The term “pre-Christian” can be a helpful reminder that we have no idea what God is doing in this person’s life.

“Perhaps the biggest difference between program-based small groups and cell groups is that small groups are generally focused inward while cell groups are focused outward. Program-based small groups are usually avenues for Christians to “go deeper” through Bible study, prayer, and fellowship. Cell groups also study the Bible, pray together, and form close relational bonds; but a healthy cell is resolutely pointed out the door, too. Cell ministry is not about organizing the congregation into groups for better care; it is about reaching and discipling new believers. This outward emphasis does not hinder the spiritual growth of group members, it enhances it.” (Location: 802)

Note:We have believed the lie that spiritual growth comes at the cost of reaching out. But we don’t have to live that way. Oftentimes the best way to grow deeper is to look outward.

“In the popular book and movie trilogy, Lord of the Rings, a small band of mythical creatures embark on a quest to save the world. Their task is to destroy a magical ring, so that it can never fall in to the possession of an evil entity which wants to use its power to rule “Middle Earth”.” (Location: 808)

Note:**All Tolkien fans groan when they read “creatures” in this sentence.

“Groups and churches are healthiest when they are pursuing the quest to reach pre-Christians. As they share the love and good news of Christ with others, they also grow spiritually. If a church allows evangelism to slip from the primary focus to a secondary activity, not only will the church’s numerical growth slow down, the church will also decrease in spiritual vitality.” (Location: 832)

Note:One reason why a culture of outward focus is healthier is because we are constantly forced to realized how much we need God’s grace everyday. We don’t sink so quickly into thinking we have it all together.

“In spite of persecution, 30,000 Chinese per day are coming to faith in Christ.” (Location: 835)

Note:I am interested to know where this statistic came from. I’m skeptical.

“Larry Kreider points out,   ‘The primary focus of each home cell group should be outreach and discipleship, rather than fellowship, although great fellowship will be a healthy by-product of the home cell group that is constantly reaching out to others’.” (Location: 855)

Note:There is a fellowship that is unique to the Body of Christ. But there is also a love that can only be seen and experienced when the believer interacts with a pre-believer.

“We need not fear that emphasizing outreach will weaken our spiritual depth.” (Location: 860)

Note:I would argue that an individual will not be able to grow to a depth necessary without engaging with pre-believers over Scripture. The reason is that a pre-believer can be honest about where we are just living out a Christian culture, not the true Faith. We need that interaction!

“There are two main ways groups can reach out and grow numerically: 1) directly, by inviting unchurched pre-Christians to their group meetings, or 2) indirectly, by inviting unconnected worship attenders to their cells.” (Location: 867)

Note:Here the author is sliding back into the numerical growth trap. He would do better to keep his focus on “healthy growth” rather than “numbers”.

“Direct cell outreach is very exciting because it decentralizes evangelism and makes each cell an entry point for new people.” (Location: 871)

Note:In this example, isn’t the believer still farming out the responsibility of sharing the gospel to the cell group? The individual would have had to already share something of the gospel to arrive at the point of inviting a pre-believer into seeing a group of believers. It seems to me that the author should be focusing on the unique witness opportunities available when the pre-believer can observe and interact with a group who share a common bond in Christ.

“We find that the majority of new people (though not all) attend a worship celebration before they attend a group.” (Location: 876)

Note:How much of this is unique to the American culture?

“A mainline church leader once emailed me, “I really like the idea of outreach-focused cell groups. But in my denomination most parishioners believe evangelism is the pastor’s job. They seem terrified of inviting someone to worship. Will lay people really do this?”” (Location: 885)

Note:The pastor, and author, are equating “evangelism” with inviting someone to a service or group. This is a trap.

“Believers will reach out if they have: 1) the passion, 2) the training, 3) the determination, and 4) the prayer life to sustain their efforts.” (Location: 887)

Note:This is all individual focused. Evangelism starts with God. When someone come to know and love Him through His work in their lives, they will share that with others.

“Church consultant Bill Hull, author of The Disciple Making Pastor, says, “I think this reflects the deadening effect of much institutional Christianity. When you have a pulpit-centered, institutional church model, where accumulating Bible knowledge and being involved in insulated programming shuts you off from the world, it desensitizes Christians to others’ needs. There’s an old axiom, ‘No contact, no impact’.”. (Location: 901)

Note:This is both pastorally and congregationally fed. It is so easy to slide into.

“I encourage them to tell the group who they are seeking to reach, and then to enlist the group’s prayer support. Then, at future meetings, the leaders give updates on how their outreach efforts are going. And, of course, it is important to share the victories. This way the group gets involved in the action.” (Location: 910)

Note:I have been incredibly encouraged when others have done this with me.

“One time-tested format for training individual believers to share their stories is to ask them to think through the following three prompts:   a. Before I followed Christ… b. How I started following Christ… c. Since I followed Christ…” (Location: 921)

Note:This is the format Paul followed as he was dragged before crowds and leaders in the book of Acts.

“a. Make a list” (Location: 928)

Note:If we pray for everyone, we essentially are praying for no one.

“The most effective cell churches see their mission as nothing less than reaching their city for Christ. Cell ministry is a city-taking strategy; it will not work if it is seen as simply a membership care tactic.” Location: 954

Note:We are not truly caring for our members if we intentionally, or unintentionally, encourage them to stay wrapped up in themselves.

Church in Many Houses Read Through: Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Challenge of Thinking Differently

Summary: The cell-based church is not merely a church with a small group program. The cell-based church fundamentally sees itself in a different way and behaves appropriately.

“Most people, especially long-time church members, carry a mental picture of “church”. Just as a mosaic is made up of many small pieces of colored material which are artistically arranged to form an image, our picture of “church” is formed by a cluster of assumptions. Based on our experiences, we form assumptions about the nature of ministry, the role of leaders, basic expectations of members, and so on. We may not even be aware of our presuppositions, but they profoundly influence us anyway.” (Location: 692)

Note:We need to consider and confront this as we ask the question, “How many hurdles are we asking an unbeliever to jump over when we invite them into a study or service?”

“However, I also came to realize that at the core of the resistance was a conflict of assumptions. Cell ministry is not really about structure and method. It is about values. It is driven by a specific way of thinking about the church. Conflict arose because the assumptions upon which cell ministry are based are quite different than those of the program-based church of which all of us have been part.” (Location: 707)

Note:We are blind to our assumptions until we are confronted with them. In order to be confronted we have to ask, read, listen, imagine, and study to get a better view.

“The biggest difference between a program-based church and a cell-based church is not the existence of small groups. A church can have dozens of small groups and still be thoroughly program-based. The biggest difference between a program-based and a cell-based church lies in the understanding of ministry upon which the church is built.” (Location: 714)

Note:This is key!

“There are five essential philosophical shifts program-based churches need to make in order for the cell approach to succeed.   These are:  

1) From “growing deeper” to “reaching outward”

2) From membership to disciple-maker

3) From educating to equipping 

4) From programs to relationships

5) From a church with cells to a church that is cells.” (Location: 726)

Note:I think #2 has a differing view of “membership”. See Jonathan Leeman’s book on Church Membership. I look forward to reading how he defines it later in the book.

“As we prepare to take a fresh look at commonly-held assumptions, it might be helpful for you to pause and take a brief personal inventory of what you currently believe about topics such as:  

Church: When someone says the word “Church” – what image comes to your mind? Some may see a building. Others may picture a worship service, or possibly acts of service to the poor. What is your dominant image?   At your church, what does it mean to be “active”? Does it mean attending worship services? Volunteering in service in the church or community? Something else? What do you think of when someone says they “go to church”?  

Church Membership: When one is a member of a church, to what do they belong? An organization? A family? A mission?  

Ministry: What does it mean to be in ministry? What kinds of activities does it involve? Who does ministry? How are people prepared to do ministry?  

Spiritual Growth and Maturity: What exactly does it mean to grow spiritually? What does spiritual maturity look like?” (Location: 735)

Note:Ask these!

“Our society may be changing around us, but little has changed within us. Technology continues to advance at dizzying speeds, changing the way we work, play, communicate, and learn. Major political changes have altered world alliances and the balance of power. Nonetheless, all human beings still have a deep need to be in relationship with God and with others. The priorities of the cell church focus on meeting those deep, unchanging needs. In many ways, shifting to a cell ministry mindset does not spur the church to keep up with the times, they help the church become independent of them.” (Location: 757)

Note:This last sentence is especially poignant.

“Cell ministry can cut against the grain of our American radical individualism, entertainment orientation, and consumerism.” (Location: 766)

Note:We don’t want to admit this, but it is true in so many of us. I find it easier to come, listen, and leave than to prepare, participate, and grow.

“Instead, we can think of the church as a furnace. Any working furnace will produce heat, but some are more efficient than others. The point is not that the program-based church will not produce any heat (disciples). However, when it is working right, the cell-based church is the most efficient way of making disciples who make disciples. That is why the world’s largest churches are cell-based churches.” (Location: 775)

Note: “Don’t reject this idea merely because you feel like it is attacking what you have done all your life.”

Overall, I think the main takeaway to this chapter is that we need to reconsider our assumptions of what the church “looks like”.

Church in Many Houses Read-Through: Ch 3

Chapter 3: The Example of Jesus and Wesley

Summary: We can see the Cell approach in the ministries of Jesus and Wesley. This should give us pause if we think our schemes are better.

Quotes and Commentary:

“Humanly speaking, Jesus’ lasting impact came through the people he left behind. Jesus’ strategy for changing the world was to train disciples who could make disciples of others. It wasn’t Jesus himself who carried the message of the Gospel to Rome and beyond, it was his followers who did so.” (Location: 515)

Note:What would have happened if Jesus had decided to focus more on his public ministry with the miraculous healings, the feedings, and rebuking the religious leaders? What would have happened had he fashioned his ministry after the popular schemes today?

“Jesus’ goal was not to gather followers. Jesus’ goal was to train twelve people to carry out his mission. Jesus was not upset or worried when the crowds started to desert him. His only question was whether or not his twelve would turn aside. In John 6:66-67 we read, “From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. ‘You do not want to leave too, do you?’ Jesus asked the Twelve.” Though the crowds left Jesus, he knew his 12 could eventually reach them again. But if the 12 turned away there would have been no one equipped to carry on Jesus’ mission once he left the earth.”(Location: 520)

Note:An interesting observation.

“The eight steps Coleman identified are: 1. Selection. 2. Association. 3. Consecration. 4. Impartation. 5. Demonstration. 6. Delegation. 7. Supervision. 8. Reproduction.” (Location: 551)

Note: These are pretty standard and have been assimilated by many strategies.

“As he was preparing to ascend to heaven, Jesus gave his followers this Great Commission; “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19) How did Jesus’ followers know how to go make disciples? They knew because Jesus had just made disciples of them! They could replicate the process Jesus had used with them.” (Location: 554)

Note:Here I think we find the reason why leaders struggle so much when they try to encourage others to disciple others. The oft heard phrase is, “They just don’t know how!” I think this is the case because church members 1) are making excuses because of a heart issue, 2) they haven’t taken enough time to think about their own past and how they have been discipled, or 3) because they have never been discipled themselves.

“Clearly, the point of the class was not the acquiring of information, but rather mutual encouragement in living out the faith.” (Location: 630)

Note:This strategy was assimilated by Wesley because of his view of sanctification. Just because someone doesn’t hold to a Wesleyan view of sanctification does not mean the cell concept is moot. I think a better option would be to insert one-to-one Bible reading here when the individuals have a good concept of application.

“All local churches are to be God’s instruments for changing the world by making disciples through the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Location: 656)

Note:It is pretty difficult to get around the concept of the church making disciples in the New Testament. But often times we become complacent when we keep the believers who are “already in” happy.

“If you are looking for a way to keep church members happy, then I would not advise you to adopt the cell based approach.” (Location: 660)

Note: Because it can be uncomfortable. Sitting and listening to someone speak is easy. No one needs to know what you think, no one can even ask. You can nod in approval and look good for doing it. But sitting down and talking about Scripture with someone else can be difficult.

Overall, there is a false sense of security for us when we feel as though we have accomplished our duty by hearing someone preach. If we want transformed lives and if we want to see other lives transformed, it has to become personal and relational.

I had never thought of this…

Here is a quote from the excellent book, “Gentle and Lowly” by Ortlund.

Just as the purer a heart, the more horrified at evil, so also the purer a heart, the more it is naturally drawn out to help and relieve and protect and comfort, whereas a corrupt heart sits still, indifferent. So with Christ.

Ortlund, Gentle and Lowly, 62

I had never considered this before. The whole chapter deals with this in depth, but to me it was something I am sure I had heard many times, but had never truly considered. While Christ is rightfully set against my sin, the fact that it is my sin moves him to come out to me, to pursue me, to heal me. He is not an angry, sulking victim who can give nothing but a sneer. He is kind and compassionate, ready to restore.

The heart of God

Psalm 146 (ESV):

Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord, O my soul!

I will praise the Lord as long as I live;

I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

Put not your trust in princes,

in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.

When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;

on that very day his plans perish.

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,

whose hope is in the Lord his God,

who made heaven and earth,

the sea, and all that is in them,

who keeps faith forever;

who executes justice for the oppressed,

who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets the prisoners free;

the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.

The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;

the Lord loves the righteous.

The Lord watches over the sojourners;

he upholds the widow and the fatherless,

but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

The Lord will reign forever,

your God, O Zion, to all generations.

Praise the Lord!

The heart of God goes out to the oppressed.

Church in Many Houses Read-Through: Ch 2

Chapter 2: What Happened when Martha Went to Church

Quotes and Commentary:

Summary: The cell group model enables a smooth transition for individuals to enter into a body of believers, be discipled, and begin to disciple others.

“I was now officially the pastor of a church that had no members…” (Location: 285).

Note: What?! How can you have a covenanting body of believers without the believers?

“The mission of each church is to reach unreached people and to lead them to become disciples of Jesus” (Location: 296).

Note: That is the mission of every disciple, it is the congregated membership to which they come once they become believers.

“At Crossroads, we describe the process of disciple-making in terms of four basic steps: 1) reach, 2) connect, 3) equip, and 4) send” (Location: 375).

Note: The author uses “reach” to denote what happens when they invite someone into the cell group, however according to his story, and also regular experience, the reaching takes place while building the relationship which would enable someone to invite another into a Bible study. I think in this area the book, “The Trellis and the Vine” has a much better scheme.

“At its essence, a cell group is a set of Christ-centered relationships which is focused primarily on evangelism and discipleship” (Location: 395).

Note: The best way to do this is using one to one Bible reading. I like the idea of using the questions from the sermon, however, I think the one to one and the sermon questions could be merged.

“Cell groups meet outside the church building. Most often they gather in homes, but they could also meet in restaurants, parks, or work places. Their location significantly influences the group dynamics. A group that meets in the church building inevitably takes on a classroom or an “institutional” feel which can hinder personal transparency and warmth. Also, pre-Christians are not as comfortable entering a church building as they are going to a home or a restaurant. Since evangelism is one of the main functions of a cell group, the meeting place should help, not hinder, outreach. Meeting in homes also locates ministry in the midst of multiple neighborhoods, spreading the Gospel across an area instead of stockpiling believers in a central building” (Location: 399).

Note: Absolutely!

“One of the most common meeting formats used in cell-based churches is that of the “4 W’s”. They are: 1. Welcome – getting acquainted. 2. Worship – exalting God through song or other means. 3. Word – study of the scripture. 4. Works –ministering to one another and planning group activities” (Location: 407).

Note: This is easy to remember, but probably not necessary to follow if the group is used to one to one Bible reading.

“Applying the Scripture: the group discusses questions designed to apply the Bible text which was taught in the weekend message. The group leader does not teach a lesson, but rather facilitates discussion of a set of questions which have been provided by the church for that week”(Location: 414).

Note: It is crucial for these groups to understand that teaching in this setting does not look like a classroom session. While that is easier in many respects, that is not immediately reproducible nor help everyone look for the answers themselves.

“Newcomers Class: Not all cell churches would include this component in their strategy, but it is an important one at Crossroads. The Newcomers Class provides a practical first step for people who are new to the church. Participants learn about the vision and values of the church, and if they have not already done so, they are given the opportunity to make a commitment to follow Christ” (Location: 441).

Note: This would be an excellent opportunity to teach through the Big Story of the Bible and presenting a full view of the gospel.

“The apprentice role is a transitional role, not a permanent one” (Location: 462).

Note: If the overarching idea is to multiply, this is crucial. Some might be thinking that it is necessary to lower our expectations of the leader, but in reality we must raise them to accomplish this. Anyone can stand and give a lesson, but it takes a greater effort to mentor someone else to lead a group in studying the Bible together.

“At Crossroads, coaches are always “player-coaches”; that is, they not only minister to leaders, they also lead cell groups themselves” (Location: 471).

Note: No matter what terminology we may use, when the leadership is separated from the interaction of the flock, that disconnect will be multiplied over time.

“This structure is often called the “Jethro principle”, named after Moses’ father-in-law. Exodus 18 recounts that Jethro saw Moses being consumed with the demands of managing the problems of the entire nation. So Jethro encouraged Moses to divide the people into manageable groups, then delegate the leadership responsibilities for each among capable individuals. When adapted to a church’s cell group context, the essential principle is that every leader in the church provides and receives ministry to a limited number of people” (Location: 473).

Note: This idea is a direct blow to the ego of those of us who think we can do everything. We cannot.

Overall, in order to best disciple and instruct individuals in the whole council of God, we need to be intentional about giving them a place to learn, share, and grow in their own abilities to disciple others.

Taking the Roof off

Francis Schaeffer uses the illustration of “taking the roof off” in reference to dismantling intellectual safety structures which we build to protect ourselves from reality itself. We convince ourself that a lie is true. We ignore the facts which make us uncomfortable. We do this in order to live a life of our choosing, namely one where God does not occupy his rightful place. Reality has a way of coming crashing down on us, so we build a roof to shelter us. We protect ourselves.

If it is true that we believe lies or ignore parts of God’s reality, then the most loving thing that someone can do is to take that roof off and allow us to feel reality as it really is, to experience the rain as well as the sun. Until that roof is gone we live with a false security.

But taking the metaphor a bit further, we can critique our own flawed methodology. If someone arrived at my home and began yelling and mocking me for my roof, I would not sit and listen to them. If they began punching holes in my roof without permission, I would be inclined to call the authorities.

Yet that is often what we think of when it comes to apologetics. The loving act of providing a reasonable critique of the world’s lies and defense of the gospel is not done through one liners, angry shouting, or in televised debates with skilled orators. It is done with boldness and grace, fervor and love. It is done when some level of trust has been built.

If someone were to come to my home and point out rotten spots in my roof, showing where the structure was compromised and the materials disintegrated, I would begin to listen to their solutions. I wouldn’t expect less from an inspector, and I for sure wouldn’t expect less when it comes to my worldview.

Church In Many Houses Read-Through: Ch. 1

Chapter one: Signs of Hope

Summary: The cell based model has numbers to demonstrate its effectiveness in reaching a group of people with the gospel.

Quotes and Commentary:

“But the effectiveness of these dynamic cell churches demonstrates that a local church can significantly penetrate a region with the light of the Gospel” (Loc. 178).

Note: Models can be effective even if the founding principles are not biblical. And models can be ineffective even if the founding principles are biblical. We have to strive to see both.

“God has chosen to make his Church the instrument through which He will extend His kingdom. When the Church reaches the unreached by demonstrating and proclaiming the Gospel, God’s kingdom advances.”

Note: This wording used here of “Kingdom advancing” is often thrown around without a proper understanding of the theology of the Kingdom.

“Noted cell church researcher Joel Comiskey offers this simple and clear definition of a cell church: “a church that has placed evangelistic small groups at the core of its ministry” (Loc. 215).

Note: While a “cell group” is “a group of 3-15 people that meets weekly outside the church building for the purpose of evangelism, community, and discipleship with the goal of multiplication” (loc 236).

“One way cell groups differ from other small groups is that they are fundamentally outward focused“ (Loc. 240).

Note: While not a strict distinction, I think the concept built into cell groups is distinct from most small groups, at least in practice.

“The goal of the cell-based church is to help equip Christians for the ministry of making disciples who make disciples” (Loc. 245).

Note: Again, this is in contrast with many small group models which attempt “to keep” people a part of the body. It can do both, but when we focus on “keeping people in” I think we forget to focus on “bringing people in.” You can have the “keeping” without the “bringing”, but I don’t think you will see the “bringing” without getting the “keeping” tossed in.

“We can see the early church’s rhythm of ‘cell and celebration’ in these passages from the book of Acts: ‘Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts’ (Acts 2:46) ‘Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.’ (Acts 5:42)” (Loc. 249).

Note: This is very true. So much so that I think we could handle a lot more development of the New Testament texts here.

Overall, relying on numbers and “effectiveness” can be misleading. Models can be effective even if the founding principles are not. And models can be ineffective numerically even if the foundational principles are biblical. The point is to be faithful in doing what is biblical. So this chapter could use a whole lot more biblical basis, which would be easy since the concept of small groups meeting together to study the Word and inviting pre-believers in is biblical.

Bored with prayer

“I’ve heard Mark Dever say that we should pray so much in our church gatherings that the nonbelievers get bored. We talk too much to a God they don’t believe in” (Prayer: How Praying Together Shapes the Church, 15).

I think what I find so convicting about this quote is that I have felt awkward for the opposite reason. I have wanted others to not feel bored because of prayer. How backward of me.

But I think we could extend the quote to the personal level as well. What if every time I had coffee with a friend I let them know that I am praying for them? Would it hurt our relationship if they knew I was speaking to a God they didn’t believe in on their behalf? I don’t think so, at least it hasn’t yet.

If I believe God to be who he says he is, then one of the most loving things I could ever do for my friend or neighbor is pray for them, and to let them know that I am praying. Anything less than that should inform my friend about what I truly think about them, or my God.