Cell Church Solutions
In 2004 CCS, a tax exempt, non-profit organization created this website to promote their vision of helping to complete the great commission in this century by providing resources and coaching to plant new cell churches and transition existing churches to cell-based ministry.
Content is from the site's 2004 archived pages.
Cell Church Ministry in North America
I stayed away from cell church circles until 1996. I wasn’t impressed with cell church rhetoric; I even resisted it. Something changed radically in 1996 that made me a cell church enthusiast. The difference? I visited cell churches. I saw the power of cell evangelism and multiplication. I witnessed the intimate pastoral care provided by the cell leaders. I realized that this was what I was looking for in church life and ministry.
Examines North American culture and how to overcome the obstacles that confront small group ministry here.
Editorial Reviews
Review
"By Joel Comiskey is clearly identifying the obstacles and solutions, the reader is compelled to consider becoming a cell/celebration church." -- Dr. Kevin Mannoia, Graduate Chaplain, Azusa Pacific University
"Comiskey provides practical answers to the tough questions asked by people with a passion for growing communities in North America." -- Dr. Peter N. Nanfelt,President, The Christian and Missionary Alliance
"Dr. Comiskey is the most persuasive chronicler of the cell church movement. His new book is ground-breaking and challenging." -- Richard Peace, Ph.D.,Professor of Evangelism and Spiritual Formation, Fuller Theological
"I've read everything Comiskey has written! The reason is that hes so practical! Cell Church Solutions wont disappoint you." -- Jay Firebaugh,Senior Pastor of Clearpoint, Houston, Texas
"Joel Comiskey throws a lifeline to church leaders who are struggling to measure up to the "super star" pastor status." -- Damian Williams,Church Planter, Cross Current Ministries, Washington DC
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"While Cell Church Solutions (CCS) presents an innovative approach to expanding church membership through the establishment of cell-based ministries, its scalability and social attractiveness warrant skepticism. The emphasis on small, intimate group settings might not fulfill the broader community engagement and fellowship many seek within their religious experiences. Furthermore, CCS's commercial undertones, marked by promotional strategies involving prizes and partnerships with commercial entities for fundraising, raise concerns. The juxtaposition of material incentives with spiritual growth, such as the sale of precious sterling silver rings, could be seen as misaligning with the core values of simplicity and spiritual purity traditionally associated with religious teachings. This commercialization aspect might dilute the spiritual message and mission, making the model appear less as a genuine spiritual endeavor and more as a business venture under the guise of religious expansion." Wilson Jameson
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From the Publisher
FOREWORD I have been waiting for this book for a long time. I know of no other one like it. This book holds major keys for us to prepare for a coming move of God in North America. We desperately need revival, and we must begin now to prepare. We live in exciting days in the history of the church. I believe we are on the verge of a great end-time harvest. Just as God magnetically drew the animals to Noahs ark, He is drawing multitudes of people to Himself in these last days. I meet them week after week as I travel throughout the nations. Statistics show us that the number of people being saved today compared to twenty years ago is escalating. Clearly, the wind of the Holy Spirit is sweeping our world in an unprecedented manner. But I have often grieved when I return to America. What will it take for North America to experience another move of God like we see in many other nations? Much of the answer is contained in this book. The tide is changing! America is beginning to prepare for revival. During the next few years, as we race toward the last chapter in history, we have a mandate to prepare for hundreds of thousands of souls coming into the kingdom of God in our communities. A great harvest is promised, and it is sure to come (Acts 2:1718). We must continue to prepare and be ready to care for the harvest when it pours in. I grew up on a farm. I know that various crops are ready to be harvested at different times of the year. We had to be alert, with our barns and equipment ready, so we could harvest our crops when they were ready. Jesus tells us to be constantly alert and ready. "Do you not say, Four months more and then the harvest? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest" (John 4:35). Through the ages, the Lord has continually drawn people to Himself. Sometimes, however, a large portion of the harvest was lost because Christians were not alert and ready. One such huge harvest for which the church in America was not prepared occurred from the late 1960s to mid-1970s. It was called the "Jesus People Movement." This movement began when a number of believers in Christ entered the hippie counterculture and shared the gospel of Jesus Christ, resulting in a massive number of conversions to Christianity among young people. By early 1971, there were Jesus People coffeehouses, communes, and other types of establishments in every state and province across the United States and Canada. But much of the church was unprepared for this radical new breed of Christians. The tension between the Jesus People and the established churches was a source of irritation for the Jesus People, who saw the church as slow-moving and steeped in tradition and legalism. The church often could not understand these kids with long hair and sandals. Although some churches and Christian communities did welcome these new converts with open arms and disciple them, many new believers fell by the wayside and were disillusioned.
Lets not make the same mistake again! People need more than good sermons to grow; they need a relationship with God and with other Christians with a vision to reach their world. The wineskins for this to be accomplished are healthy cell groups. Early this year I was in Manaus, Brazil, where a few months earlier they had baptized ten thousand new believers in one day! But they had the cell groups prepared to disciple these new believers. Could it be that in North America the Lord is waiting for us to prepare the new wineskinsnew cell groups in our churchesfor the coming move of God? Cell Church Solutions is not about another cell church method. It is filled with examples of dozens of healthy cell churches in America that are preparing now for the coming harvest. Joel has done his homework well. Only the Holy Spirit can build the church, and this book gives us tools and biblical insights the Holy Spirit can use in our churches to prepare our towns and cities for the coming revival. Larry Kreider DOVE Christian Fellowship International
About Cell Church Solutions
CCS is a tax exempt, non-profit organization dedicated to helping to complete the great commission in this century by providing resources and coaching to plant new cell churches and transition existing churches to cell-based ministry.
In 2002, Joel Comiskey and Ross Lindsay, a tax lawyer who took Comiskey’s cell church course at Columbia International University, saw the need for a non-profit cell church organization and began the process of making it a reality. Along with Dr. Lindsay, two additional pastors have now joined the board of CCS, Rob Campbell -- Cypress Creek Churchand Steve Cordle -- Crossroads Church.
At the first board meeting in November 2003, God moved in an exciting way, and we felt the need to:
- Establish a first-class web presence: www.CellChurchSolutions.com
- Start a publishing arm: CCS Publishing
- Offer cell coaching to pastors: www.CellChurchSolutions.com
- Support cell churches and cell church pastors in poorer, developing countries through sending short-term mission groups as well as cell church consultants and trainers
History of Cell Church Solutions
CCS is a tax exempt, non-profit organization dedicated to helping to complete the great commission in this century by planting new cell churches and transitioning existing churches to cell-based ministry.
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The Coaching Process
We at CCS understand the difficulty in transitioning to the cell strategy. It's our conviction and experience that hands-on coaching is the best way to assure success. A coach, as opposed to a consultant, comes along side a pastor with a strategy of:
- Celebrating
- Listening/caring
- Development/training
- Strategizing (e.g., preparing small group infrastructure, training track, leadership care structure, etc.)
- Challenging
To do this well, we at CCS propose that you consider the following coaching plan:
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Pricing: negotiated between coach and pastor
Please call 1-888-344 CELL (2355) |
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We at CCS count it a privilege to have this opportunity to work among you and believe that God wants to do great things.
Our Coaches:
- Joel Comiskey
Dr. Joel Comiskey
Joel Comiskey (Ph.D. Fuller Seminary) is an internationally recognized cell church coach and consultant. He has served as a missionary with the C&MA in Quito, Ecuador and is now founding pastor of a cell- based church in Southern California.
Joel has written best selling books on the worldwide cell group movement. He teaches as an adjunct professor at several theological seminaries.
Joel and his wife, Celyce, have three daughters and live in Moreno Valley , California . - Steve Cordle
Rev. Dr. Steve Cordle
Dr. Steve Cordle pastors a church of 65 cells, 1000 worship attendance, and currently launching satellite campuses.
Pastor Steve's book When Church Moves in Next Door talks about the principles necessary to grow a healthy cell church.
Steve wrote his doctoral dissertation on small group ministry and specifically in the area of coaching. In 1991, he planted Crossroads from scratch that has now grown to over 1000 in Sunday attendance. - Rob Campbell
Rob Campbell pastors a non-denominational church of 105 cells, 1100 worship attendance and 42 partner churches and church plants. Pastor Rob's book Dance with me Daddy explores how to grow a healthy church Pastor Rob started CCC in 1993, and has seen incredible local church growth through cell ministry but this church is committed to planting cell churches worldwide. CCC highlights powerful prayer and excellent youth and college and career cells ministry.
CCS Newsletters
- Previous email updates
- June 2005 newsletter-Four Streams of Ministry
- July 2005 newsletter-Evangelism Myths
- August 2005 newsletter-Power of Prayer
- September 2005 newsletter-Yoido Full Gospel Church
- October 2005 newsletter-The Holy Spirit's Work in the Cell
- November 2005 newsletter-The International Cell Church Movement
- December 2005 newsletter-Diligence (spoudé) in Cell Ministry
- January 2006 newsletter-7 Keys to Effective Cell Church Ministry
- February 2006 newsletter-Making Disciples who Make Disciples
- March 2006 newsletter-Homogeneous Groups in the Cell Church
- April 2006 newslettter-Everyone can be a Disciple Maker
- May 2006 newsletter-Prayer and Penetration from the world's largest churches
- June 2006 newsletter-Learning Lessons from the World's Largest Cell Churches
- July 2006 newsletter-Family first
- August 2006 newsletter-The Cell is the Church
- September 2006 newsletter-The Importance of Cell Evangelism
- October 2006-The Importance of the Lead Pastor in Cell Ministry
- November 2006- Cell Church in Post-Christian Culture (part 1)
- December 2006- Cell Church in Post-Christian Culture (part 2)
- January 2007-Two Extremes in Cell Multiplication
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CCS August 2006 Newsletter: the cell is the church
The cell is the church. Most of those in the cell church movement would agree with this statement. But its application shocked me after talking to a church planter who I coach. This church planter started a cell in his home and will have three cells by September. Yet he was very discouraged saying, “I’m just not sure if I’m the one who should lead this church plant. I don’t think I have what it takes to lead a team to a successful launch.” I just listened. He continued, “I should have more people by now so that I can eventually launch this church.”
“But you already have a church,” I countered.
“But I need to have a lot more on the launch team to truly launch the church in the future,” he replied.
Deeply ingrained in this church planter was the notion that his church really didn’t exist until they had a major launch with a lot of people sometime in the future. In the meantime, he was simply gathering people who were preparing to launch the real church. While he waited for the big launch, he was beset with feelings of failure because he was told by others that he should have many more people in his pre-launch group.
All this begs the question of: what is the church?
I counseled my friend to see his first cell as the church. I told him to enjoy the multiplication of individual cells, knowing that he had already planted the church. Eventually, he would bring those cells together in a celebration service to enhance the edification and receive more teaching. At that time both the cell and the celebration would be the church.
This church planter felt like a failure because he wondered if he had enough gifts and talents to launch a huge, successful gathering that he and others could finally call “the church.” I wanted the church planter to feel the pure joy of knowing that he had already planted the church. Why? Because the cell is the church! Obviously his job was to steadily reach out, multiply cells, etc. But because I believe the cell is the church, I believe it’s harmful to act like a huge Sunday event in a rented building will truly launch the church (this is more of the programmed idea of the church). Again, so much boils down to how we view the church.
You might not be planting a cell church. Perhaps you’re trying to transition a more traditional church to the cell church strategy. Yet you might be facing this same dilemma. One pastor confided that his cell members viewed their cell groups as a programmatic extension of the real church that met on Sunday morning.
The cell is the church—so is the celebration
Such faulty thinking causes cell members and cell leaders to lightly treat cell attendance but highly prioritize Sunday morning worship. Often it takes a while for member to fully realize that the cell is the church. Cell leaders truly function as pastors, and they should be encouraged to act out this responsibility.
How have you viewed the cell? Do you see it as the church?
CCS News
We had a great CCS board meeting in Port A., Texas with Bill Easum. He suggested a few major changes (including a name change, which I will talk about later). Yet, for the most part we felt affirmed that God has placed CCS on the right track. Rosalyn gave a report on her efforts to raise funds via an online webstore. There was a small profit from the cleaning supply company due to strong sales in wholesale plastic trash bags and can liners. Most of the profit was a result of her new trash bags & bins resource - a large bulk distributor who was also a member of her church. By slightly undercutting her competitors, Ros was able to capture a large new customer base for not only trash bags, but for paper towels, and other paper products. We are very pleased to see this effort paying off as it will enable our work to reach a larger audience. Way to go, Ros!
We are a resource ministry attempting to equip the worldwide cell church through books, articles, and coaching. We eventually want to raise up area representatives around the world. God seems to be guiding us to begin online group and personal coaching. Thanks for your continual prayers.
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- From September 14-17 I will be speaking/consulting in Vero Beach, Florida at a cell church called Central Assembly. Contact person: Jon Hamilton at jhamilton@wscf.com
- 14-17, My five-book equipping track--that will take a new believer (book 1) all the way to leading a cell group (book 5)--will be ready to ship on September 31,2006! I believe that each of these five books will be a great blessing to the body of Christ. God has given me an excellent team to make these books possible. Please check out the complete front and back covers for Live!Encounter!Grow!Share!and Lead!Along with the five books that each member can use, CCS Publishing will offer a CD of teaching outlines and PowerPoints so that church leaders can teach the material in a group setting. We at CCS want this training track to work for you. We’re offering a pre-release special of all five books for $39.95. Quantity discounts are also available.
- Summer special on books will continue through September. Remember that you can save $6.00 on the retail price of Cell Church Solutions(now $8.95 rather than $14.95). Save $5.00 on The Spirit-filled Small Group(now $7.95 rather than $12.95). Save $4.00 on An Appointment with the King(now $6.95 rather than $10.95). This is a very limited sale. Act now.
- Check out the CCS Web site that is offered in English, Spanish, Korean, and Chinese (we’re still working, however, on translating everything to Korean and Chinese). Every suggestion you have to improve the site is greatly appreciated.
- Cell Church Solutions is a tax exempt, non-profit organization and your financial contributions are greatly appreciated. Check out the CCS board letter that outlines how you can give and what you’d be giving for (for example, a portion of the money received is helping translate the web site into these various languages).
- Do you need coaching to help you on the cell church journey? CCS offers coaching both in English and Spanish.
