By Joel Comiskey, Lead
In a world where individualism often takes center stage, the biblical principle of oikodomeo—”to build up” or “to strengthen”—reminds us of the importance of edifying one another in small groups.
Oikos is the Greek word for house, but it goes deeper than a nuclear family. Oikos refers to the extended house network, including cousins and even workers. The Greek word Oikodomeo is the verb form of house and refers to building or edifying people (reconstruction). Ralph Neighbour and others in the cell church movement have rightly reminded us over the years of the priority of reconstructing the lives of cell group members, both believers and non-believers.
God calls us to make disciples who make disciples through rebuilding believers who, in turn, reach out to those who need to start the rebuilding process.
A thriving cell group is not merely a gathering of believers but a community where members intentionally invest in one another’s spiritual journeys. Through prayer, scripture, accountability, and acts of love, we can cultivate an atmosphere where each person feels supported, valued, and strengthened in their walk with Christ.
When focusing on oikodomeo, we can concentrate on whoever shows up to the cell group rather than become discouraged if so-and-so is not there. It’s easier to rebuild lives in a smaller group. What kind of edification (oikodomeo) occurs in your cell group?
Let’s dedicate March to discussing how oikodomeo plays out in disciple-making. Whether you’re a leader or a member, your role in strengthening others is vital to the health of the group and the broader church. Let’s discover how we can intentionally build each other up for God’s glory. Click here if you’d like to receive the daily blogs in your inbox. We’ll cover:
- March 2-8: the biblical base for edification and how oikodomeo relates to building up God’s household.
- March 9-15: Value change in the cell group. Because of the intimate focus, cell group ministry can go much deeper than Sunday celebrations. How is God changing people in your cell group?
- March 16 to March 22: How oikodomeo relates to making disciples. The goal of the cell church is to make disciples who make disciples. We want more and better disciples, so eventually, cells must multiply. However, we want to ensure that maturity has occurred in those who leave and those who stay.
- March 23 to April 1: Empower all members to participate in the building (oikodomeo) process. The best small groups mobilize all members to minister. In other words, oikodomeo happens most effectively when everyone is involved in the process—not just the leader. How can leaders help members participate in the process?