Concentration Demands a Paradigm Shift

Church Leadership

by Joel Comiskey

Winter 2014

What would happen to your church if people understood that the first place to be involved was a cell group? If they knew that the cell group was the best place to discover and exercise their spiritual gift (s) and to receive discipleship? What if nothing was as important?

And shouldn’t this be the case? After all, isn’t the cell the church? Wasn’t this the main place where people were involved in the first century church? Wasn’t this where discipleship took place back then?

Yet, as I look out on the church scene today, I often see pastors pleading with their people to get in a cell group and desperately trying techniques to make attendance in cell groups more palatable. Yes, I do believe we need to understand our culture and people’s busy schedule, but if we truly understood the importance of life-giving, holistic, New Testament cells, we would make holistic cells the church’s priority. We would assume and even expect 100% involvement. We would then proceed to do whatever it took to make it a reality. We wouldn’t ask our people to add a myriad of programs and ministries that scatter their attention and confuse their priorities.

So. . . s more fundamental problem is misplaced priorities. Let me ask you, pastor, do you truly believe that the cell is the church? Do you believe that it’s the key place where discipleship takes place, where the gifts are discovered, and where true community happens? Is cell involvement is just as important (or more important) than involvement in the larger gathering? If so, you and your church will unashamedly prioritize cell involvement and do what it takes to make it the base of your church.

Joel