About Us
As well as meeting on Sunday, we also meet in smaller groups during the week. In the New Testament Church, Christians used to meet in the temple for teaching from the Apostles and also, from house to house. We call our 'house to house' meetings, cell groups.
Each cell has about 8-14 members, once a group reaches 12-14, they multiply forming two groups. Cells are for everyone and are a place to grow and develop together.
What happens at a cell meeting?
We use what has become widely known in as 'The 4Ws'. The 4Ws is a simple way of structuring Christian meetings and used throughout the world in church small groups.
The meeting starts with a Welcome, which could involve a simple get-to-know-you (nothing cringe-worthy or embarrassing), or just tea/coffee & hellos. We then have a time of Worship for about 10-15 minutes, followed by the Word.
The Word is based on the message given the previous Sunday. On Sunday we listen to someone preach, but in cell, we ask, "What does it mean and how does it apply to my life?"
We place high value on Life Teaching and believe that everything preached should have some practical use. Applying the teaching through cell helps, us make sense of Sunday preaching and develop us as Christians.
We finish cell with the Witness, which is usually a time of prayer. The focus of the Witness is outward, so prayer should aim at improving our witness for God or on people external to the group.
Core Values
We have five core-values, which apply to our cells:
- Cell is Church:
Cells are a valid and integral part of church. They are 'church' in the same way that Sunday Meeting is church and carry the same status. - Every member ministry:
We allow every member to get involved, through leading the one of the 4Ws and hosting the meeting. Cell is a place to grow our gifts, a comfortable place to make mistakes. - Mutual Accountability and Support:
No-one is expected or encouraged to 'share all', but cell should be place where people feel free to receive the help and support they need. The expectation on cells is to look after their members and help them through good and bad times. People are accepted and made welcome as they are. - Outward focus:
Cell is not a clique; it tries hard to connect with people outside of group. - Achieving Excellence:
The Christian Centre wants excellence in everything we do. God does all things well; we as his people want to do likewise. Cell helps us achieve excellence in whatever we do. Whatever our career or family situation we try to do it for God in an excellent manor.
History
We started running cell groups in the February of 2003. Before this, focus was on our Sunday services and a poorly attended mid-week bible study.
Something was missing from the life of the church that connected theoretical Christianity with our daily lives. Sunday meetings did not seem to meet the need and the bible study was just another meeting.
After studying various systems, we settled on running cell groups. Like Abraham, we were on a journey, unsure where we would end-up but sure God had called us to leave behind our former methods. In order to try-out cell meetings, we formed a 'leaders cell'. The leaders met from February to September, after which we launched cells across the church.
The journey has taken us through a sometimes rocky and sometimes smooth route. We now have a number of cells that are ready to multiply.
What does the bible say about cells?
It is clear that the early church met in both large and small gatherings. It's not clear what they did in these groups, the bible does not tell us. It was probably so we were not 'boxed-In' and constrained that the Holy Spirit chose to keep this a secret.
It would be very surprising if the early church called their groups 'Cells', and even more surprising if they were ran according to the 4Ws. The Holy Spirit has given us freedom to develop a system appropriate for each generation and culture.
We know that in the large gatherings they heard teaching from the top leaders and Apostles. We also know that they had communion in their smaller groups; something we do from time to time. We can also see that they practiced an every member ministry approach in these house churches. Paul talks about everyone having something to share in the church meeting and it being appropriate for them to do so. Since the church he was a addressing numbered over 180 000 he must have been referring to small group meetings.