Cell group
Encyclopedia
The cell group is a form of church organization that is used in some Christian
churches
. Cell groups are generally intended to teach the Bible
and personalize Christian fellowship
. They are always used in cell church
es, but also occur in parachurch organization
s and other interdenominational settings, where they are usually referred to as such as Bible study groups. They are known by a variety of other names, including growth groups, connect groups, care groups, life groups, fellowship groups, small groups and home groups. David Hunsicker suggests that the "cell" group concept in church structure "is becoming prominent in almost every denomination in American Protestantism."
The cell group differs from the house church
in that the group is part of an overall church congregation, whereas the house church is a self-contained congregation.
is the basic unit of life in a body. In a metaphorical sense, just as a body is made up of many cells that give it life, the cell church
is made of cell groups that give it life.
Colin Marshall uses the term "growth group", suggesting that the aim is for group members to "grow in Christ", and, through the group, for the gospel to "grow and bear fruit."
Another term, typically employed in Missional Communities
, is huddle. This refers to a small group in which discipleship
is emphasized and in which membership is by invitation only.
es are mentioned in the New Testament
, the institution of a "well-organized, structured church" resulted in the decline of the small home groups. The concept was resurrected at the time of the Protestant Reformation
and "Ulrich Zwingli inadvertently pushed the Anabaptists in the direction of small groups when he started meeting with a small gathering of men who were interested in learning New Testament Greek. The concept of small groups was revived again in the late seventeenth century by Anthony Horneck
in Great Britain and Philipp Jacob Spener in Germany.
Spener published his Pia Desideria in 1675 and laid out his program for the reformation of the Lutheran
Church, emphasising the use of small groups. He suggested the reintroduction of "the ancient and apostolic kind of church meetings," held "in the manner in which Paul describes them in 1 Corinthians
14:26–40." Spener goes on to suggest
Influenced by Pietist
conventicle
s, John Wesley
took on the concept of small groups, and has been called the "Father" of the modern small-group concept. John Wesley formed societies
to "bring small numbers of people together (usually twelve) to pray, read the Bible and listen to exhortations, and to encourage and enjoy each other's company."
, if any, but in any of the members' homes, rooms in the church building or other third-party venues.
Cell meetings may consist of a fellowship meal, communion, prayer, worship, sharing or Bible study and discussion.
The use of small Bible study groups is related, but not exclusively associated with, the large churches sometimes called megachurch
es. In these congregations, small groups perform much of the ministerial work of the church, including teaching the Bible. David Hunsicker suggests that Willow Creek Community Church
"has exploded through an effective use of small group strategy."
A number of lesson plans, workbooks, and programs have been developed to facilitate the study of the Bible in small groups. The Alpha Course
, originally developed in a Church of England
context, but now ecumenical, is one such course intended for use by small groups that provides a synoptic introduction to the entire Bible. The more theologically evangelical Christianity Explored
course was devised as an evangelical response to the Alpha Course. Other denominations have similar resources available, such as the Roman Catholic
Great Adventure Catholic Bible Study and the United Methodist Church
's Disciple series.
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
churches
Christian Church
The Christian Church is the assembly or association of followers of Jesus Christ. The Greek term ἐκκλησία that in its appearances in the New Testament is usually translated as "church" basically means "assembly"...
. Cell groups are generally intended to teach the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
and personalize Christian fellowship
Communion (Christian)
The term communion is derived from Latin communio . The corresponding term in Greek is κοινωνία, which is often translated as "fellowship". In Christianity, the basic meaning of the term communion is an especially close relationship of Christians, as individuals or as a Church, with God and with...
. They are always used in cell church
Cell church
A cell church is a Christian church structure centering on the regular gathering of cell groups. Small group ministries are often called cell groups, but may also be called home groups, home friendship groups, home care groups, house fellowships, or life groups.A church with cell groups is not...
es, but also occur in parachurch organization
Parachurch organization
Parachurch organizations are Christian faith-based organizations that work outside of and across denominations to engage in social welfare and evangelism, usually independent of church oversight. These bodies can be businesses, non-profit corporations, or private associations. Most parachurch...
s and other interdenominational settings, where they are usually referred to as such as Bible study groups. They are known by a variety of other names, including growth groups, connect groups, care groups, life groups, fellowship groups, small groups and home groups. David Hunsicker suggests that the "cell" group concept in church structure "is becoming prominent in almost every denomination in American Protestantism."
The cell group differs from the house church
House church
House church, or "home church", is used to describe an independent assembly of Christians who gather in a home. Sometimes this occurs because the group is small, and a home is the most appropriate place to gather, as in the beginning phase of the British New Church Movement...
in that the group is part of an overall church congregation, whereas the house church is a self-contained congregation.
Terminology
The term cell group is derived from biology: the cellCell (biology)
The cell is the basic structural and functional unit of all known living organisms. It is the smallest unit of life that is classified as a living thing, and is often called the building block of life. The Alberts text discusses how the "cellular building blocks" move to shape developing embryos....
is the basic unit of life in a body. In a metaphorical sense, just as a body is made up of many cells that give it life, the cell church
Cell church
A cell church is a Christian church structure centering on the regular gathering of cell groups. Small group ministries are often called cell groups, but may also be called home groups, home friendship groups, home care groups, house fellowships, or life groups.A church with cell groups is not...
is made of cell groups that give it life.
Colin Marshall uses the term "growth group", suggesting that the aim is for group members to "grow in Christ", and, through the group, for the gospel to "grow and bear fruit."
Another term, typically employed in Missional Communities
Missional Communities
A Missional Community is a group of anything from 20 to 50 or more people who are united, through Christian community, around a common service and witness to a particular neighborhood or network of relationships...
, is huddle. This refers to a small group in which discipleship
Disciple (Christianity)
In Christianity, the disciples were the students of Jesus during his ministry. While Jesus attracted a large following, the term disciple is commonly used to refer specifically to "the Twelve", an inner circle of men whose number perhaps represented the twelve tribes of Israel...
is emphasized and in which membership is by invitation only.
History
David Hunsicker points out that while house churchHouse church
House church, or "home church", is used to describe an independent assembly of Christians who gather in a home. Sometimes this occurs because the group is small, and a home is the most appropriate place to gather, as in the beginning phase of the British New Church Movement...
es are mentioned in the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
, the institution of a "well-organized, structured church" resulted in the decline of the small home groups. The concept was resurrected at the time of the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
and "Ulrich Zwingli inadvertently pushed the Anabaptists in the direction of small groups when he started meeting with a small gathering of men who were interested in learning New Testament Greek. The concept of small groups was revived again in the late seventeenth century by Anthony Horneck
Anthony Horneck
Anthony Horneck was a German Protestant clergyman and scholar who made his career in England. He became an influential evangelical figure in London from the later 1670s, in partnership with Richard Smithies, curate of St Giles Cripplegate....
in Great Britain and Philipp Jacob Spener in Germany.
Spener published his Pia Desideria in 1675 and laid out his program for the reformation of the Lutheran
Church, emphasising the use of small groups. He suggested the reintroduction of "the ancient and apostolic kind of church meetings," held "in the manner in which Paul describes them in 1 Corinthians
First Epistle to the Corinthians
The first epistle of Paul the apostle to the Corinthians, often referred to as First Corinthians , is the seventh book of the New Testament of the Bible...
14:26–40." Spener goes on to suggest
This might conveniently be done by having several ministers (in places where a number of them live in a town) meet together or by having several members of a congregation who have a fair knowledge of God or desire to increase their knowledge meet under the leadership of a minister, take up the Holy Scriptures, read aloud from them, and fraternally discuss each verse in order to discover its simple meaning and what- ever may be useful to the edification of all. Anybody who is not satisfied with his understanding of a matter should be permitted to express his doubts and seek further explanation. On the other hand those (including the ministers) who have made progress should be allowed the freedom to state how they understand each passage. Then all that has been contributed, insofar as it accords with the sense of the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures, should be carefully considered by the rest, especially by the ordained ministers, and applied to the edification of the whole meeting.
Influenced by Pietist
Pietism
Pietism was a movement within Lutheranism, lasting from the late 17th century to the mid-18th century and later. It proved to be very influential throughout Protestantism and Anabaptism, inspiring not only Anglican priest John Wesley to begin the Methodist movement, but also Alexander Mack to...
conventicle
Conventicle
A conventicle is a small, unofficial and unofficiated meeting of laypeople, to discuss religious issues in a non-threatening, intimate manner. Philipp Jakob Spener called for such associations in his Pia Desideria, and they were the foundation of the German Evangelical Lutheran Pietist movement...
s, John Wesley
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
took on the concept of small groups, and has been called the "Father" of the modern small-group concept. John Wesley formed societies
Methodist Circuit
The Methodist Circuit is part of the organisational structure of British Methodism,or at least those branches derived from the work of John Wesley. It is a group of individual Societies or local Churches under the care of one or more Methodist Ministers. In the scale of organisation, the Circuit...
to "bring small numbers of people together (usually twelve) to pray, read the Bible and listen to exhortations, and to encourage and enjoy each other's company."
Structure
Cell groups are made of small numbers of Christians, often between 6 and 12, and led by a cell leader. Members may be in the same cell group because of common locality, schools or interests. Cell meetings are usually not conducted in the church sanctuarySanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
, if any, but in any of the members' homes, rooms in the church building or other third-party venues.
Cell meetings may consist of a fellowship meal, communion, prayer, worship, sharing or Bible study and discussion.
The use of small Bible study groups is related, but not exclusively associated with, the large churches sometimes called megachurch
Megachurch
A megachurch is a church having 2,000 or more in average weekend attendance. The Hartford Institute's database lists more than 1,300 such Protestant churches in the United States. According to that data, approximately 50 churches on the list have attendance ranging from 10,000 to 47,000...
es. In these congregations, small groups perform much of the ministerial work of the church, including teaching the Bible. David Hunsicker suggests that Willow Creek Community Church
Willow Creek Community Church
Willow Creek Community Church is a non-denominational, multi-generational Evangelical Christian megachurch located in the Chicago suburb of South Barrington, Illinois. It was founded on October 12, 1975 by Bill Hybels, who is currently the senior pastor...
"has exploded through an effective use of small group strategy."
A number of lesson plans, workbooks, and programs have been developed to facilitate the study of the Bible in small groups. The Alpha Course
Alpha course
The Alpha course is a course which seeks to explore the basics of the Christian faith, described as "an opportunity to explore the meaning of life" . Alpha courses are currently being run in churches, homes, workplaces, prisons, universities and a wide variety of other locations...
, originally developed in a Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
context, but now ecumenical, is one such course intended for use by small groups that provides a synoptic introduction to the entire Bible. The more theologically evangelical Christianity Explored
Christianity Explored
Christianity Explored is an informal Christian evangelistic teaching course developed by Rico Tice and Barry Cooper at All Souls Church, Langham Place, a leading evangelical Church of England church, and published by The Good Book Company....
course was devised as an evangelical response to the Alpha Course. Other denominations have similar resources available, such as the Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
Great Adventure Catholic Bible Study and the United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
's Disciple series.