Cell Church is a strategy for church growth, discipleship and leadership training that impacts communities with the benefits of the Gospel. It thrives in many countries and has grown as a movement in churches across many cultures.
Our vision for Kenya is to see the church experience and express the love of God through adopting the threefold 'DNA' strands of cells:
loving God
loving one another
loving the lost.
This project trains churches in how to establish and multiply cell groups that are the focus of growing disciples, pastoral care, accountability and empowerment for the ministries of church members. It is espexted that this will lead to an independent Kenyan network of cell churches that will coordinate the training of still more churches, and which will reflect theologically on the indigenous expressions of cell that will develop.
The main objectives are:
1. To envision 25+ churches per annum to adopt and develop cell church principles, seeking particularly to develop this expression of church amongst the Forgotten People Groups.
2. To support church leaders through the process of change that establishes cell church.
3. To train potential cell leaders to co-ordinate effective groups that grow and multiply.
4. To train cell mentors in each church to support and encourage the cell group leaders.
5. To train and develop a local group of trainers committed to extending the work.
6. To establish a sustainable, effective Cell Church we will encourage local practitioners to network together to share best practice. This will commence with a national conference in 2012 with the aim of creating a National Cell Church Resource Centre by the end of 2015.
7. To report progress regularly to SIM International with the aim of extending the opportunities of Cell Church to other mission fields.
A recent e-mail from the local cell champion in Western Kenya:
God has opened for us more doors for training and we are getting very encouraging and very positive praise reports. Two weeks ago I went to Mt Elgon and met six pastors.
I just introduced the cell vision to them and they said they are organizing whole day cell training where twenty different pastors plus their leaders will attend. This time I will go with Pastor Barasa.
Lack of finances has been a major hindrance for us not to travel very far and frequently. God is really our provider and we have to look to him always. Our branch church at Malaha is doing the best and the church has added by 6O members since we had training.
The pastor is very happy with the training and he says he can now rest and read the word and pray. People are reaching the community like bush fire in a dry season. People are caring for one another and he now gets good reports from members.
Pastor Felix (Kisumu) is also doing very well and am planning to visit him. As for us (Kakamega church) we now have 24 cell groups and the Lord is increasing the church. While at Mt Elgon I also met a Bishop from Uganda and as I ministered he took a lot of notes. At the end of the meeting he said we must also go to train in his church at Uganda. Please pray for God to provide for our missions.
With love Felisitas
