Watch a bird in flight, and you will notice the two wings do not flap randomly; they are in perfect sync with one another. The cell church is often called a “two-winged” church, able to reach new heights because of the connection of its large-group and small-group wings. Just as in the early church, a synergy combines the dynamic of corporate gatherings and the intimate sharing of home groups (Acts 2:42-47). What does it mean for your large-group and small-group wings to move in harmony with each other? Most cell churches create this synergy in part by dovetailing their home groups to their Sunday sermon themes. (For example, seven of the eight major cell churches researched by Joel Comiskey for Home Cell Group Explosion use a dynamic cell church agenda to tie their cell grop themes to the Sunday messages.)
Write a Dynamic Cell Church Agenda
Correlating your cell church agenda to your sermon themes is not difficult, but a few important things really make it work. If you write dynamic cell agendas tied to your Sunday messages, your two-winged church can soar to new heights.
WHAT NOT TO DO
The cell groups are to follow the same theme and Scripture as the Sunday message, but they are not to discuss the sermon. Your goal is to have people interact with God’s Word, not with the sermon. Also, if the sermon itself is the reference point, visitors and those who missed the celebration service will feel left out.
When you write questions for the cell church agenda, do not include questions that assume previous Bible knowledge. Focus on the plain meaning of the passage and its application. I remember leading a cell group with two brand new Christians in it. I asked how the message of the passage was exemplified in incidences from Jesus’ own life. While it created lively discussion, the new believers sat silent, intimidated by others’ Bible knowledge. Unfortunately, they did not return to the next week’s cell gathering. Cell groups are different from Sunday school classes. The focus is on life application of the Word, not knowledge of the Word. Focus your questions on the simple, powerful message of the Bible passage and on how we need to respond to God.
RELATED: Various Cell Church Models
Also, do not use a long passage. Pastor Dion Robert oversees one of the most dynamic cell churches in the world, in the Ivory Coast. His cell groups focus on just one verse each week. I don’t restrict cell agendas quite that much, but the lesson remains: Stay focused. It is all right for cell leaders to occasionally deviate from the given agenda, but this should be the exception rather than the rule.
ESTABLISH A SIMPLE SYSTEM
Writing agendas for home groups doesn’t take a lot of time, but it does require a simple system. The first step in creating this system is deciding who should write the agendas. Many senior pastors write their own because the agendas are crucial to the life of their church. Other pastors find they are not talented at crafting questions, so they delegate it to someone more gifted in this area.
The person writing cell church agendas for home groups needs the message theme a few days ahead of time so the cell leaders can receive the agendas the day of the sermon. Don’t worry if the sermon changes at the last minute—the agenda will still be of value and can still be usable.
If possible, distribute the cell church agenda to cell leaders in multiple ways. For example, we have mailboxes for the cell leaders, and the agendas go in those boxes each week. But they are also sent via email to those who have email accounts. That way, some who missed Sunday service or forgot to check their box get the agenda in a timely manner.
For maximum life-change, follow a sermon topic for four to six weeks. This allows God’s Word to soak in and take root in cell members as they hear the Word and discuss related issues over a period of weeks.
