Instructions For Christian Cell Groups


Christian cell groups

ATTITUDE


We pray because we love God and men.


Praying is simple:




God has ordained that He will build His kingdom on earth through your prayers. If you do not pray, darkness will prevail on this earth (Matthew 6:9-13). But if we pray, the power of God is released to change every situation for the good.


If you love God and men, then you must pray. You are the key to the transformation and salvation of nations, of governments, of the church, of your church brothers and sisters, of your family, your wife, your husband, your children, your neighbours and the unsaved.


It is the will of the Lord that all His people pray. Jesus wants the Church, you and me, to be "a House of Prayer" (Mark 11:17). And as He taught them, He said, "Is it not written: 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it 'a den of robbers.' " (Mark 11:1?)


PERSONAL (INDIVIDUAL) PRAYER




Every child of God can talk. Therefore every child of God can pray and must pray. It will change your life and the world around you.


Spend time to pray everyday. Start with 10 minutes and build up from there.


Beginners can use this Prayer Handbook as a guide. Do not rigidly follow the prayers. Feel free to modify or discard any prayer. A suggested routine is as follows:


DAY 1:
Sing a song of praise and worship. Commit The Day To God in prayer (Page B1). Prayer for Day 1: Good Government (Page B5). Prayer for personal needs and needs of others.


DAY 2:
Sing a song of praise and worship. Commit The Day To God in prayer (Page B1). Prayer for Day 2: Good Family (Page B9). Prayer for personal needs and needs of others.


DAY 3, etc:
(Follow the routine as for the previous days. Choose the Prayer for the Day. e.g. Day 3. etc). Prayer for personal needs and needs of others.


GROUP (CORPORATE) PRAYER




When believers meet together, they should pray for specific needs. Every church meeting should be a prayer meeting.


When God's people come together, a special presence of God is manifested. God promises to answer all prayers when believers agree in prayer (Matthew 18:19-20).


The following prayer routine can be followed:



In large group prayer meetings. the shy and the new believers will not dare to share or pray. Only a few would participate in the above routine.


THE PRAYER CELL


A Prayer Cell consists of 2 or 3 believers, who agree to pray together. It is a small group prayer meeting. It encourages every believer, even shy beginners, to pray.


Yet, it has the power to move mountains, as Jesus promised: "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where TWO OR THREE come together in my name, there am I with them." (Matthew 18:19-20)


The Prayer Cell can meet anytime, anywhere. It can meet by itself at any convenient time, during any day of the week. Prayer Cells can also meet during part of a larger meeting (Bible Study. Prayer Meeting, Ladies' Fellowship, Men's Fellowship, Youth Fellowship, etc).


The Prayer Cell can be temporary or permanent. Every believer is encouraged to commit himself to one permanent Prayer Cell. Each permanent Prayer Cell should meet regularly (preferably once a week).


Each permanent Prayer Cell should be registered with their own Care Group Leaders, or with the Pastor so that every Prayer Cell can be contacted and be informed of specific prayer needs. To ensure that contact is carry out efficiently, each Prayer Cell will have a leader appointed by the Pastor, Care Group Leaders, or Prayer Department Secretary.


A believer can commit himself to more than one Prayer Cell. E.g. When a mature believer desires to build up younger believers at different times of the week in different Prayer Cells.


The Principles of Small Group Prayer Meetings can be applied to Prayer Cells. These Principles are as follows:



FOR SHY BEGINNERS:


When a believer is just learning to pray in a Prayer Cell, the following routine can be followed:



PRAYER NET


Through the Prayer Cells, all believers will form a Prayer Net to cover in prayer all the needs of the individual believers, the church, and the nations. Through the Prayer Net, all needs can be made known quickly to other believers and brought before God's throne of grace.


The day will come when each of us will have urgent and serious prayer needs. If no one join Prayer Cells to form a Prayer Net today, who will pray for your needs during your emergency? Do you expect others to pray for you when you have an urgent need in future while you are not concerned when others need you to pray for them now? It is therefore vital that we be part of the Prayer Net by joining a Prayer Cell. In this way, we show our love to God and men.


Jesus desires the whole church. you and me, to be a House of Prayer. In the eyes of God, everyone must and should be an active member of a praying network.


Register your Prayer Cell with your Care Group Leaders (in the Men's Fellowship, Ladies' Fellowship, Youth fellowship, etc), or directly with the Prayer Department Secretary. In this way, your Prayer Cell can be notified for prayer duty when the need arises. In this way, the Prayer Net is mobilized for specific prayer needs.


CONSISTENT PRAYER


God wants us to be consistent in prayer. We are to be committed to pray, regularly, by ourselves and with others.


It is only when we pray consistently and regularly that we will not fall into the traps of the devil, and face unnecessary troubles and calamity. Jesus said, "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation" (Matthew 26:41). If we do not pray, sooner or later, we will fall into the temptations of the devil and will face dryness, problems and crises.


On the other hand. as we pray consistently, God uses us to be a blessing to others. Through your prayers, God's kingdom is built on this earth (Matthew 6:10).


Through your prayers,



THE PRAYER HANDBOOK


This book is prepared for use by young believers or old believers who have not learnt how to pray. The Prayer Handbook should be used in the home or in the Prayer Cell whenever a believer is learning how to pray.


Older believers in a Prayer Cell who already know how to pray must always use the Prayer Handbook to help those who have newly joined their Prayer Cell and who do not know how to pray. After a believer has gained confidence in approaching God in prayer, he or she can improvise and modify the prayers in the Handbook.


START TODAY


Commit yourself to a Prayer Cell today. Foim a Prayer Cell with those you can work with. You can join a Care Group (Men's Fellowship, Ladies' Fellowship, Youth Fellowship), and be part of a Prayer Cell in the Care Group. Or You can join the Prayer Meeting and be part of a Prayer Cell in the meeting.


DEFINITION OF A CARE GROUP


A Care Group can be defined as a group in which its members provide mutual care for one another, so that everyone can be encouraged to grow into the maturity of Christ.


A Care Group must therefore be small enough so that its members may interact with one another, show concern for one another, encourage one another, and help one another through prayer, physical help, and material and emotional support.


Thus the Men's Fellowship, Ladies' Fellowship, Youth Fellowship, Worship Team, etc., can each be a Care Group. If the Fellowship is too large, it can be divided into many smaller Care Groups.


FIVE REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN A CARE GROUP


To encourage one another


God has made us to be dependent on each other in the body of Christ for encouragement. We need encouragement from one another to do the work of God. We who are mature are obliged to encourage the weaker believers.


However, even mature believers need encouragement. This is because everyone faces temptations, trials and discouragement. It is easy to grow lukewarm and cold, and be led away by the world from the things of God. To encourage one another, you need to meet with others.


You need to join a group whereby you may regularly and consistently encourage one another. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another---and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24-25)


We can encourage one another to:



To express your love for other believers


Jesus gave us a new commandment whereby He commands us to love one another as He has loved us. A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.


All men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another. (John 13:34-35) If we love one another, we will want to help our brothers who are in need. We show our love by spending time with them, listening to their needs, praying with them, and helping them in every other way.


To do all this you need to commit yourself to a group of believers so that we may show our mutual care and concern. When we express our love for others, we are living in obedience to the commandments of our Lord. In this way, we grow to maturity.


If you are a mature believer, you should all the more show your love for the new believers who are young in the Lord. We who are more mature and older in the Lord should spend time to help and encourage the young ones. In this way, we are truely walking in love.


To be a witness to the world


The world has no community that has ever lived in peace and love, except the community of the body of Christ. Jesus said that "if we love one aother, all men will know that you are my disciples" (John 13:35). Thus whenever we show love and concern for one another as a group of believers, we bear witness to the world that we are disciples of Jesus.


By our love for one another, we draw tthe people of the world to the reality of a living God in our midst. Thus a Care Group showing mutal love among its members is a powerful witness to the world around us. Conversely, if a Christian brother does not care for another brother, or a Christian sister is indifferent to the needs of a fellow believer, our selfishness becomes a negative testimony to the world.


Non-believers will see that we are no different from the world --- selfish, uncaring, unconcerned, minding only our own business. This breaks the heart of God. God wants us to be "our brother's keeper" (Genesis 4:8-9). This has always been His desire from the very beginning when He first made man.


To use our spiritual gifts and establish our personal ministry


God has given each of us many gifts to fulfill our unique calling. As we obey God. and use our gifts to bless others, we will build our ministry. Each of us has a ministry, a unique and special ministry.


When we are faithfully using our gifts to build up others, Jesus will commend each of us and say. "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:14-29). The Care Group provides a place for us to use our giftings to bless others, in the ministry of helps (transport, welcoming strangers, hospitality, administration, music, worship leading. etc.). ministry of counselling, intercession, generosity, mercy, healing, teaching. caring. prophesying. evangelism, etc.


However, if we do not serve within the context of a Care Group, we will find that a lot of our giftings will remain unused and our ministry will never grow. We will then receive our Lord's condemnation instead of approval (Matthew 25:14-29).


To build others up with our unique giftings


God us made us members of one Body through His Spirit when we believe in Christ Jesus (1 Corinthians 12:12-31). We are interdependent on one another. You have been given gifts that others need. Likewise, God has made you dependent on the giftings of others.


Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are INDISPENSIBLE. (1 Corinthians 12:14-15,21-22)


No man is an island. No one can grow to complete maturity by himself. The whole Body of Christ will also not grow to complete maturity if parts of its body are missing. Thus every one of us has a vital and essential role in building up the body of Christ to maturity. If you are not around to use the unique and special gifting that God has given to you to build up others, the whole Body will be stunted.


Your are therefore important to the Care Group. Others need you and your unique giftings. You will find that you need others too, sooner or later.


THE CARE GROUP MEETING


Regular meeting


Every Care Group will meet regularly, preferably once a week. However, the weekly meeting may be cancelled because of special meetings in the church or because of holidays, etc. Weekly meetings are needed in order that we may consistently and regularly provide care for one another.


Special meetings


Special meetings may be held for special speakers. missions emphasis week, church celebrations, etc. This will usually be conducted in the church premises, rather than in homes. For such purposes, all the Care Groups may come together to participate in these meetings.


What to bring for the weekly meeting


Basic things to bring for the weekly meetings include:



Venue


Every believer is encouraged to open up his/her home for the Care Group meetings. In this way, your home is used for the glory of God and is blessed by His presence. Others will know where you are staying and can provide help in times of physical need.


In view of the fact that many believers live in flats, it is also necessary to have Care Groups that are small, e.g. consisting of 10-15 members only. Care Groups which grow big will have to divide to ensure that there is opportunity for everyone to know one another in a group.


Transport


Members who do not have transport are encouraged to contact their Care Group Leaders so that the necessary transport can be arranged.


Format Of Care Group Meeting


The following elements will non nally be part of a Care Group Meeting, although the Leader has the flexibility to modify it as he/she is led by the Holy Spirit. These elements include:



Contacts


Please contact the Pastor or your immediate Care Group Leaders for help if you have a need in any area: