Jeff Tunnell here, filling in for Joel Comiskey, who is ministering in Uzbekistan.
Proverbs 27:17 states “Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens the wits of another. (NRSV)
Coaching another cell pastor for the last couple of years has produced a growing relationship of great value. Dan and I live in different states, so we talk each week on the telephone. We set it up for 30-minute coaching, but I find myself taking advantage of my friend by keeping him on the call a little longer because he is ‘sharpening me’ as the proverb states.
Dan has sharpened my wits and become a friend. Our journey in transitioning an existing church to cell-based has given us a lasting bond and camaraderie that is healthy and refreshing. Pastors could use more encouragement because of their constant hard work to advance the Kingdom of God. Cell church pastors often travel a lonely road filled with potholes of misunderstanding that come from the very people they are leading.
Here’s a recommendation for you: find another pastor to keep an appointment with, commit to a once-per-week call and pray for one another as you lead your cell church. Enjoy the synergy that comes from the Holy Spirit in your midst. Bear one another’s burdens and celebrate the victories too. If you are an international reader of this blog, consider a program like Skype to connect with someone you’ve come to know from a conference or even here on the blog. Even MSN Messenger type programs could provide a “real-time†connection for dialogue and encouragement.
Another way of saying “iron sharpens iron†is this: “Conversation promotes intelligence, which the face exhibits.â€
How have you found this to be beneficial? How long have you had someone to talk with concerning your cell church journey? Are you searching for this type of connection?
Jeff Tunnell
I believe the other scripture that goes with that is in the multitude of counsel there is safety. God never created lone rangers. We need that insight from another man of God in order for God to do what he wants to do in our lives. I call it the Visionairy/Vision Connection. You see we were regular members of a church, but we got in volved with what our Man of God was doing and as we were doing that he begain to unveil our call to us( while we were faithfully helping our man of God) So we were promoted as Cell Group Heads over our 11, 000 member church(in several locations). My man of God is a pastor of pastor, so he has 1000’s of spiritual sons and daughters in the ministry and now since our promotion God has gifted and graced us with an anointing to go in and help the pastors intitiate the cell group vision. Pastors have a challenging assignment as it is, but as Moses did Joshua, he will send his precious men and women of God the other ministers and people that are called to assist, or speak into their lives so that they can preach the gospel. When God connect pastors together it is awesome because they have a wealth of information that they can share with each other and its good to be able to just enjoy the sweet fellowship of someone who is going through similar challenges and victories. I enjoyed your article
Charlene
I don’t have any connection like this right now. Right now my wife and I are searching for someone in our city (Calgary, AB, Canada) that we can learn from and be a part of their ministry so we can learn before we attempt to plant something ourselves. We aren’t sure where to start on our own
How about checking in with Henry Schorr, 403-277-7258, Centre St Evangelical Missionary Church or info@centrestreetchurch.ab.ca He says he has 7 years of Cell experience and 50 Cells
Thanks for your comments CharleneI. have a monthly pastor’s cell that includes a dozen pastors from different churches in my area. Been working at it for a year now and it is growing too!