My best selling book is How to Lead a Great Cell Group Meeting So People Want To Come Back. Many chuckle at the phrase, “So People Want To Come Back,” and yes, we want people to come back. But getting people to come back to a cell meeting should never be the principal motivation. A much purer motivation is making sure each member is ministered to and transformed during the process. If transformation takes place, yes, they will come back. So what are key tips to ensure needs are met and people go away satisfied? Several come to mind:
How to Lead a Dynamic Cell Meeting
1. Emphasize the ice-breaker.
Many cell leaders minimize the icebreaker or don’t use it at all. I think this is unfortunate. A great icebreaker can get everyone talking and prepare people to enter into worship and the cell lesson. Remember that people have come from work, school, or household responsibilities. Most likely they are tired and thinking about other things. The ice-breaker opens up doors of communication and brings people together in a relaxed, informal manner. The icebreaker helps members to share transparently in a fun, free-flowing way.
2. Don’t neglect worship.
Many facilitators jump into the lesson after the icebreaker. Perhaps these cell leaders prize intellectual interaction more than spiritual experience. Yet we need to think of the needs of the cell members and not primarily the desires of the cell leader. Cell members need to grow in their faith and interact with God in a group setting. Worship in the cell group provides a time for members to minister to one another and to use their spiritual gifts. It also allows each person to interact with one another, rather than the leader dominating everything. What kind of worship am I referring to? It might be Bible reading, singing songs, popcorn praise and prayer, praying for one another, and other creative ideas. There are a variety of ways to worship, but the key principle is to actually do it!
