I have noticed something very exciting happening in my church lately- people don’t need my permission to do things.

 

Other pastors try to encourage, cajole, pressure their people to talk about their faith with their friends, but I just hear stories of how it is happening naturally. There is no training programme, 40 Days of Purpose, Evangelism Explosion or visiting evangelist.

 

One of the great benefits of being a cell church, that is a church which honours both large groups and home-based small groups as important expressions of the Body of Christ, is that leadership is dispersed and not just embodied in one person. (See our web site for articles on the cell church). Everyone gets to share in ministry under the guidance of mature christians, and so it is not a big leap for people to think they can do stuff.

 

People will find their own calling and their own ways of doing things. One lady in our church who is a teacher is inviting some teacher friends to her home to watch the movie “The War Room.” One of our men who travels big distances finds opportunities to talk to customers about Jesus and daily texts encouraging scriptures to his friends. Others find ways to encourage and support one another in informal ways.

 

This takes a lot of pressure away from the Pastor. I don’t have to try to do everything because the church is being the church- every member learning how to embody Jesus in their normal every day life.

 

At the heart of this is the core value that christians grow best when they meet together intentionally in cell groups. Our Sunday gathering gives me the place to provide oversight and good teaching as well as providing a focus for the unity of the congregation. The weekly cell groups provide fellowship and encouragement together with a base for outreach.

 

I praise God for what He is doing with our people.