Back to the Drawing Board!

by | Sep 7, 2008 | Cell Church Ministry | 3 comments

jeffJeff Tunnell here, filling in for Joel Comiskey, who is ministering in Uzbekistan.

When coaching with Joel Comiskey he would say “the heroes are pastors who continue to lead their own cell as long as it remains practical” (Forgive exampleme, Joel, if this is not a verbatim recounting, but it is what stuck with me). So, after a break of not leading a cell, so that I could give myself to developing our coaching process, my wife and I will open a new cell this month.

Putting the basic pieces together again will be fun, exciting and no doubt much work: forming, storming, performing, reforming, calling, no shows, being friends of sinners, reaching out to the neighbors, leading someone to faith in Jesus, and starting the discipleship process. All of this will bring us face-to-face with the same issues our leaders experience and produce fresh empathy within us. Our coaching will improve and the weekly celebration messages will once again be complimented with illustrations and stories of cell life that connect with existing leaders (and hopefully inspire new leader multiplications!)

Just to put it out there, we are inviting two couples that we believe will become multiplication leaders within six months. We will continue to meet with them after they launch new cells and maintain the relationship as before in the cell.

In one of the comments last week on the blog on leadership we read, “People will do what you do not what you say.” I think we have dropped a few cells because I was not seen leading the charge. We are about to erase that excuse!

Do you pastors lead your own cells? Have you seen enthusiasm wane when you were not leading by example?

Jeff Tunnell

3 Comments

  1. jim

    I don’t lead my own cell, though I’ve considered it. My reason: concern that cell leaders would feel threatened as people desired to be in the “Pastor’s Cell.”
    What do you think?
    Jim+

    Reply
  2. Scott in vegas

    I’ve always used the math that the people following us will do about half as much as we do, take twice as long to do it, start 6 months after we’ve already start (…waiting to see if we are committed), and be half as effective. Many times people exceed this math, which is then an pleasant surprise…but I never expect people to do that which i’m not willing to do.

    Jim – agreed that there will be some competition, but the negative of the competition is far outweighed by the clear, strong example given by the head person. If we are committed to small groups, then leading one, in my opinion, is essential, otherwise the growth and expansion of the small groups and relational ministry will be limited. This has been my experience as the pastor and a small group leader (which are very different roles ironically).

    Scott in Vegas
    http://www.newchurchreport.com – New Church Report

    http://cells-twelves.blogspot.com – Expectation Blog

    Reply
  3. Jeff Tunnell

    When you open your own cell, practice all the principles that you want your leaders to follow: pray about who you want to be with you in leadership, ask them to come alongside and begin praying with them about who to invite. Then reach out to those who ARE NOT IN A CELL yet and begin growing the cell yourselves. I would not make it an “open” cell (available to anyone) until almost full already and thereby eliminate transfers from other existing cells. I think that opening your own cell will INSPIRE the other leaders greatly vs. threatening them!

    Reply

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jefftunnell

jefftunnell

Jeff Tunnell is a JCG board member, pastor emeritus, and cell church advocate.

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