What Is A Cell Church?

“In everyday terminology [a cell church] is simply a church that has placed evangelistic small groups at the core of its ministry.  Cell ministry is not “another program”; it’s the very heart of the church.  As Lawrence Khong, pastor of Faith Community Baptist Church in Singapore, says:

There is a vast difference between a church with cells and a cell church. ... We [cell churches] don’t do anything else except the cell.  All the things the church must do—training, equipping, discipleship, evangelism, prayer, worship—are done through the cell.  Our [weekend] service is just the corporate celebration.

 Cells are open, evangelism-focused small groups that are entwined into the life of the church.  They meet weekly to build up (edify) each other as members of the Body of Christ, and to spread the gospel to those who don’t know Jesus.  The ultimate goal of each cell is to multiply itself as the group grows through evangelism and then conversions. This is how new members are added to the church and to the kingdom of God.  Members of cell groups are also encouraged to attend the [weekend] celebration service of the entire church, where cells come together for worship.” 1

The cell is called the Basic Christian Community.  The cell is the basic building block of the church.  In other words, if there were only one ‘cell,’ there would be ‘church.’  However, unlike ‘house churches,’ a single cell does not stand alone… all cells in a community or region gather to worship God as the ‘Great Congregation’  (see Psalm 68:26).

 In a program-based church, it is possible to attend the weekly worship service and not be involved in any other programs of the church.  In a cell-based church that is impossible.  The cell church is organized around its cells.

Each cell [group] is led by a Cell Leader and a Cell Leader Intern.  Cells meet every week in one of the member’s homes.  They are not bound to one home, moving freely between homes.  This helps to build a special bond between the members.3

In a cell, edification takes place as members care for one another, using spiritual gifts and support systems.  Each cell is on a mission.  It is constantly in touch with the unreached and is constantly ministering to them.4

 The motivation for cell ministry is evangelism and church growth.  Some people believe that the main purpose of cell ministry is edification of the saints, or even pastoral care.  But the largest cell churches in the world tell a different story.  These churches strategically planned to conquer their cities for Christ, and their cell ministry made this feat possible.5

1 Home Cell Group Explosion, p. 17, by Joel Comiskey, Touch Publications 

2 Where Do We Go From Here? By Ralph Neighbor, Touch Publications 

3 Cell Leader Intern Guidebook, p. 27, compilation by various authors, Touch Publications 

4 Cell Leader Intern Handbook, p. 29, by Ralph W. Neighbour, Jr., Touch Publications

5 Reap the Harvest, p. 47, by Joel Comiskey, Touch Publications