Synopsis
of the "Gemeentevreugde" or
the Cell Community Model
Being Church
means relationships
at different levels
The church begins where believers live
together in love, functioning as an extended family. Furthermore,
love is shown in ever-widening circles of the larger congregation
and the church as a whole.
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The
main purpose God has for his Church
That the community of love would live to
the full God's unconditional and unselfish love so that others may also
learn to know Him as Father.
The way in which to
reach this aim
It is essential that the mutual relationship
of love amongst believers should also be practised and experienced in a
small group, the cell community. In practice this means:
-
an active, living relationship with
God: out of gratitude daily obedience to the Lord
must become a way of life; at the meetings the presence of Christ is experienced
in faith and He is praised and worshipped as King in song and prayer.
-
an all-embracing relationship with other
believers: the communion of faith is actually a relationship
of love between believers. Is is a total involvement in one another's
lives. This means they live as a family; they are friends; they support,
encourage and pray for one another. The meetings are secondary in
importance because they are only means of revealing the unity and
strengthening the bonds as a family.
-
a relationship of service towards those
outside the community of believers: the love
of Jesus is purposefully and unconditionally extended to all with whom
we come into contact. People are led to Christ and become part of
the community of love; they are helped and accompanied on the way to live
as disciples of Christ.
The life of the
cell community
The cell community lives under the control
of the Holy Spirit:
-
the group is formed prayerfully,
depending on the guidance of the Holy Spirit;
-
families or individuals are
added in answer to prayer;
-
everyone has a ministry in accordance
with the gifts of the Spirit;
-
each one who takes the lead
in a certain area is appointed by the Lord Himself.
The cell community lives as a real family:
-
bonds of love are consciously
formed between those who join in;
-
mutual support and practical
help are offered in many ways;
-
the bonds of love are strengthened
by regular gatherings organised by the cell community. A weekly family
meeting, a prayer session for those who can attend, as well as social get-togethers
(such as enjoying a meal together, or camping) are the normal meetings
of a cell community.
The cell community lives as part
of the larger congregation:
-
the believers are not only part
of a spiritual family but at the same time also part of a larger family
clan and of a spiritual nation;
-
the ultimate goal is that each
believer should be part of a community of love where each one is involved
in the others' lives;
-
in each congregation there should
be a policy that provides for believers who are part of a cell community
as well as for those who have not yet joined such a group.
What is expected
of each member
1. A life of loving service to
our Lord Jesus Christ; total availability to Him
for 24 hours every day.
2. A commitment of dedication to the
spiritual family. This should be
-
a written commitment to the
group and
-
should be expressed by keeping
in touch with the others' needs, sorrows and joys, and
-
by submission to the group.
3. To give yourself by;
-
being there for each other;
-
sharing your needs and joys
with the loving community;
-
caring for the needs of others;
and
-
reaching out to people who do
not know Christ, as well as to those in physical and social need.
4. The development of
a personal ministry with the gifts given to you by the Spirit
5. Involvement in the
larger congregation and in the church as a whole.
What a cell community
should not be
-
A clique: an isolated
group that does not understand God's vision and does not want new members
to join;
-
A homogeneous group:
a group of likeminded people or an interest group that have chosen one
another and very often are interested only in their own needs. One
cannot choose one's natural family and the same applies for one's spiritual
family.
-
A care group: such
people tend to think only about their own needs;
-
A therapeutic group:
such groups concentrate mainly on problems;
-
A study group:
placing emphasis on Bible study and knowledge - this can cause a young
christian to feel out of place because he/she knows so little;
-
A house church:
an autonomous group that wants to function without the rest of the body
of Christ;
-
An ordinary small group:
this is normally seen only as a support for the larger congregation and
the accent is on meetings instead of on relationships.
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