You probably have never heard of the term "Cell Church" or "Cell Groups". What do we mean by these terms? (see comparison)
Relationships that continually give to others
Like the human body, which is made up of millions of cells (the basic unit of life), the life of the Cell Church is also in its cells (small groups in Christian community). In this context, believers actively seek a relationship with God, each other and with unbelievers.
At Wellspring Church, we call our cell groups “LIFE Groups” (an acronym for Living In Fellowship to Evangelize) because that is what we are all about. Through the committed relationships we form in our LIFE Groups, members encourage each other on to maturity in worship, edification, fellowship and evangelism. Our desire is to make more and better disciples of Jesus through the relationships we build in our groups. This is true Christian community.
Meetings
It is nearly impossible to nurture committed, effective relationships in the context of a large group. Our LIFE Groups become the places where nurturing relationships, a sense of community, effective ministry and powerful evangelism develop most naturally—just as they did in the first century church (Acts 2:42-47). A gathering of our cells for weekly celebration (Sunday Celebration Worship Service) joins all of the cells together as part of the larger body to provide corporate worship and times of teaching that bring balance to our small groups.
Every Member in Ministry
A foundational belief at Wellspring is that all Christians should be growing in discipleship by being mentored and mentoring someone else. This provides believers with support and rapid growth at all levels of maturity. Mentoring also helps us fulfill the biblical mandate that all Christians be equipped for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:11,12) and extends the discipleship process into the cell level of the church body. Discipleship and ministry take place primarily in the LIFE Groups, not just “at church.” Finally, the result of all-member equipping and ministry is a natural lifestyle of evangelism. Evangelism is not a church activity, it is simply an extension of who we are as followers of Jesus.
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