Cell Leaders - Training material

G BASICS
Watoto Churchs Story:
How it began
Why and How it became cell-based
BIBLICAL BASIS FOR CELLS
In the Old Testament, the concept of cells is rooted in the Jethro principle of
leadership, whereby leaders were appointed to oversee thousands, fifties
and tens of people. Exodus 18: 14-23 states that:
14

When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he
said, What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as
judge, while all these people stand around you from mornings till evening?
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Moses answered him, Because the people come to me to seek Gods will.
Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between
the parties and inform them of Gods decrees and instructions.
16

17

Moses father-in-law replied, What you are doing is not good. 18 You and
these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too
heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. 19 Listen now to me and I will give
you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the peoples
representative before God and bring their disputes to him. 20 Teach them his
decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how
they are to behave. 21 But select capable men from all the peoplemen who
fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gainand appoint them as
officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22 Have them serve as
judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to
you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load
lighter, because they will share it with you. 23 if you do this and God so
commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go
home satisfied.
From this passage, it is clear that Moses was trying to do all the work himself.
He felt that since he was Gods anointed leader, all of the work rested upon
his shoulders. However, the burden was too heavy for him. The counsel of
Jethro not only liberated him to concentrate only on the difficult cases, but
it also provided a better system of care for the people.
In the New Testament, The first example of a small group is the 12 disciples
that Christ chose. He intimately interacted with them throughout his ministry
on earth.
It is also worth noting that it was typical of the early church to meet in
homes. Luke in Acts 2: 46-47 mentions that the believers met both in the
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Cell Leaders - Training material

temple and in homes. Acts 20: 20 quotes Paul telling the elders of the church
in Ephesus that he preached and taught them publicly and from house to
house. Other Scriptural references are 1 Cor. 16:19; Romans 16:5;
Colossians 4:15; Philemon 1:2
DEFINING A CELL-BASED CHURCH
According to Joel Comiskey (a cell church consultant), A cell church in its
simplest form is a strategic approach that emphasizes both cell and
celebration on an equal basis. In the cell church, cell is the church and
celebration is the church. Every worshipper is encouraged to attend both the
weekly home cell and the weekly celebration service.
Moreover, the ministries in a cell based church support cells and celebration.
That is why anyone participating in any church ministry is also actively
involved in a cell.
In addition, like the human body which is made up of millions of cells, the life
of the cell based church is in its cells. In other words, cells are the backbone
or center of its life and ministry. Thus, in cells believers actively seek a
relationship with God, a relationship with each other and a relationship with
unbelievers in order to win them to Christ.
DEFINING A CELL
It is a group of 3-10 people who meet weekly in the community for the
purpose of fellowship, discipleship and evangelism with the goal of
multiplication.
A cell can also be defined as the body of believers in a small group who meet
to worship God, minister to one another and evangelize the community.

PURPOSE OF A CELL
How can we distinguish a cell from other small groups and programs within a
church? Several components help us understand what a true cell is:
1. Community (fellowship)
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Cell Leaders - Training material

Community or fellowship is an essential part of any cell group. In a cell we
have opportunity to develop meaningful and long lasting relationships. As
relationships grow, walls come down and we experience true community.
Scriptures depict the church as Gods family (1 Timothy 3:15). That is why
cells must remain small to make sure everyone can share and communicate
as an intimate family. This is something that hardly happens in a large group.
2. Spiritual Growth (discipleship)
Cells are not simply social gatherings that focus on fellowship and
refreshments. Cells must help people to grow in Christ as they apply Gods
word to their lives and situations (Colossians 3:16;1 Thessalonians 5:11; 1
Corinthians 14:26). Coming together as a cell is a time not just to hear about
God but to connect with him. In this environment people are edified and
equipped to serve.
3. Evangelism
Cells must have a purpose beyond themselves. The greatest difference
between cells and other small groups or fellowships is emphasis on
evangelism and multiplication in the cell. Cells are for others and must
always open to non-Christians (unbelievers). The heartbeat of cells is to
penetrate the community with the love of Jesus. That is why cells meet in the
community, whether that means a home, factory, university, restaurant, or
wherever else. The goal is to reach people where they work and live. Our
strategy should not be Let them come and experience Christs love. It
should instead be We will take Christs love where they are.
4. Multiplication
Like a cell of an organism, home cells are born to multiply. The DNA of the
cell is to give birth to a daughter cell so that more people are discipled to
make others disciples of Jesus. Healthy cells give birth to new cells.
Reproduction happened continually in the New Testament as house churches
multiplied (Acts 2:46-47).
TYPES OF CELLS
At Watoto Church we have heterogeneous and homogeneous cells.

Heterogeneous Cells
These are cells whose members are both male and female. They meet
weekly in homes, workplaces or schools. Cells in this category are:
1. Adult Cells- for adults
2. University Cells- for college and university students
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Cell Leaders - Training material

3. City Light Cells - for high School students
4. Childrens Cells for children

Homogeneous Cells
These cells are for people who share the same interests or
experiences. They include:
1. Cells for married people
2. Cells for young workers

CELL STRUCTURE
Watoto Church cell structure consists of five levels:

Cell
A cell consists of 3-10 people under a cell leader.

Section
A section is made up of five cells and overseen by a section leader.

Zone
A zone comprises 3-5 sections under a zone leader.

Region
A region is composed of 3-5 zones under a regional leader.

District
A district consists of 3- 10 regions and is overseen by a district
pastor.

THE FIVE Ws OF A CELL

The five Ws (Welcome, Worship, Word, Works and World) are components of
a cell that are meant to make it a meaningful experience for people. Each
one of them serves a specific purpose.
Welcome (15-20 minutes)
The purpose of welcome is to connect each person in the group to everyone
else. It includes an icebreaker that eases and stirs people to begin talking. An
icebreaker can be a question like, What is your favourite sport or where did
you live when you were 12?

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Cell Leaders - Training material

A snack or meal is also served and visitors or new people are introduced
during welcome time.
Worship (15 minutes)
The worship time centers on who God and what He has done. The cell
exists to give glory to God, and the worship time initiates that process.
You can worship through singing songs, praying, reading a Psalm, or
meditating on God in silence. Whether you have a musical instrument or
not, the goal is to give Him glory through worship. You can use song
sheets, a worship CD or worship without accompanying music.
Word (40 minutes)
The word time allows God to speak directly to His people through the
Scriptures. Great leaders draw out others to share their thoughts and
apply Gods word. The questions on the cell guide are normally based on
the sermons preached during the weekend celebration services.
REMEMBER, the best cell leaders are facilitatorsnot Bible teachers or
preachers. Cell leaders should not talk too much because the goal is not
information, but transformation. In addition, good leaders help steer the
group away from discussing national or world politics, weaknesses of the
church and its leadership or opinions of different preachers, pastors or
authors. Again, the goal is to apply Gods word to daily living. People
should go away changed by Gods eternal message.

Works (10 minutes)

This is when the members practically demonstrate care for each other.
They share personal needs and pray about them. It is also a time to
encourage people to exercise spiritual gifts for the benefit of others.
Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit is therefore required.
World (10 minutes)
This is the outward looking part of the cell. It focuses on reaching out to
others, which may be planning an evangelistic activity, planning a seed
project, encouraging members to invite unbelievers to a cell or praying for
friends, workmates and family members who need Jesus.
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Cell Leaders - Training material

A MEANINGFUL CELL MEETING

In order to have a fruitful cell meeting, the following practical tips are helpful.
Getting to the venue
Ensure that visitors have clear directions to find the meeting venue. A
standard map with directions is useful. If the cell meeting is to be held at a
different location other than the usual one, notify all members in advance.
One of the cell members could also be posted at the entrance to the venue
to welcome first time visitors and direct them to parking space or yard.
Preparing the atmosphere
Many cells meet in homes and others meet at workplaces or schools.
Regardless of where your cell meets, it's important to prepare the
atmosphere to make sure the meeting place is welcoming and enjoyable.
Ensure that the house or room is tidy, well aerated and has adequate
lighting. This might mean that you the cell leader talk to the host in advance.
Also encourage the members to be aware of the importance of personal
hygiene such as bad breath, body odours etc.
Seating Arrangement
Arrange the seating so each person can see every other person in the group.
A circle is the best choice. As the leader, place your chair so it's on the same
level as the rest of those in the groupneither at the center nor in the
background.
If the room is spacious, it's best to move the chairs into a close circle, thus
occupying only a portion of it. Just remember that large rooms may be
excellent for large groups, but they kill a discussion in small groups. When
people are spread far apart, its harder to openly share thoughts and
feelings.

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Cell Leaders - Training material

Refreshments
Refreshments arent peripheral to the cell meeting. They are a vital part of it.
Simple refreshments should be prepared beforehand. However, do not let the
host carry the responsibility of providing refreshments alone. Cell members
must share the burden. Feel free to ask them to bring something. Moreover,
after the meeting, its good for members to give a hand in cleaning utensils
used.
Distractions
Minimize distractions by asking members to turn off telephones or set them
in the silent mode. Turn off TV sets, radios and computers during a meeting.
Yes, our lives are busy all the time, but during the 1 and hours, make sure
that people can concentrate on one another. Its also important to put pets in
another room or outside.
Time to Start and Close
As a leader, endeavour to arrive at the cell meeting venue 20 or 30 minutes
early to make sure everything is ready to start. If the leader begins on time
regardless of latecomers, he or she is sending the signal that every part of
the meeting is important.
But also plan to close on time. The meeting should not last longer than 1 and
1/2 hours. Members have a lot of responsibilities, which include going to
work, spending time with the family and others. Some people might stop
attending cell if the meeting is too long or ends late.

Facilitating a Meeting Competently

In order to facilitate a cell meeting effectively it is critical that the leader:

1. Prepares spiritually and mentally for the meeting by praying and studying
the cell guide in advance.
2. Uses the cell guide creatively. That means avoid being mechanical by just
reading directly off the Cell Guide.
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Cell Leaders - Training material

3. Simplifies or rephrase difficult questions so that people can understand
them. It is also helpful to use biblical examples to illustrate biblical truths.
4. is sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in order to focus on the
needs of the people
5. Does not allow members or visitors to sidetrack the meeting with
irrelevant questions or views.
6. Reminds the people of the crane campaign and collects the money before
the meeting is closed.
7. Ensures that the cell report form is comprehensively filled i.e. everyones
name, phone contacts and significant events during the meeting or any other
praise report is recorded on it.
8. Communicates church events before people disperse.

QUALIFICATIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF LEADERS

CELL LEADER
A Cell Leader is pastorally responsible for a cell consisting of 3-10 people
Qualifications

Must be faithful, available to serve and teachable (FAT)

Has completed new life class
Must be a committed member of Watoto Church
Must be accountable to the leadership over him or her.
Must not be a new convert
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Cell Leaders - Training material

Must be a man or woman with a sound Christian testimony

Responsibilities
Like a section, zonal and regional leader, a cell leaders responsibilities fall
into 2 categories: Leading and Shepherding
Leading:

Facilitates weekly cell meetings

Completes and submits weekly reports
Oversees all cell activities- outreaches, seed projects etc
Promotes and rallies people around the vision of the
Church.
Identifies and mentors cell interns.
Sets goals and strategies for cell multiplication( giving
birth)
Attends sectional team meetings and other
cell or
ministry related meetings as required

Shepherding

Provides pastoral care for cell members in terms of

prayer, counseling and visitation
Builds relationships with cell members
Models the Christian lifestyle within and outside the cell.
Follows up cell members, visitors, and new converts.
Participates in ministry activities such as counseling,
discipling new converts, ushering etc during weekend
celebration services.

SECTION LEADER
A section leader oversees 3-5 cells

Qualifications:

Must be faithful, available to serve and teachable (FAT).

Must have successfully served as a cell leader before
must have completed new life class and discipleship training
Must be accountable to the leadership over him or her
Must not be a new convert
Must be a man or woman with a sound Christian testimony
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Cell Leaders - Training material

Responsibilities

Leading

Motivate and empower Cell Leaders to run with the

vision of the church.
Identify & mentor new Cell Leaders
Set goals and strategies for the growth the section
Organize regular meetings with cell leaders
Provide weekly information to the zone leader about
your section
Attend zonal team meetings and other cell or
ministry related activities as required

Shepherding

Providing pastoral care for Cell Leaders and

members through
prayer, counseling,
discipleship, visitation and follow up
Building solid relationships with cell leaders
and maintain regular contact with them
Visiting cells regularly to encourage and
assess their health or welfare
Model the Christian lifestyle before believers
and non-believers
Attending celebration services and being
available to serve in any area of ministry

ZONE LEADER
A zone leader oversees 3-5 sections.
Qualifications

Must be faithful, available to serve and teachable ( FAT)

Must have successfully served as a section leader before
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Cell Leaders - Training material

Must be accountable to the leadership over him or her

Must be a person with a sound Christian testimony

Responsibilities
Leading

Build relationships and maintain contact with the Section leaders

and their interns.
Empower Section and Cell leaders to lead effectively.
Identify and mentor a zonal intern or interns
Align the leaders and members of the Zone with the vision of the
church
Set goals and strategies for the growth of the Zone
Attend the regional team meetings and any other cell or ministry
related meeting as required
Compile and submit weekly zonal reports to the church

Shepherding

Provide pastoral care to leaders and members in the zone by

means of prayer, counseling, discipleship, visitation or follow up
leaders and members in the zone
Regularly visit cells within the zone to encourage and assess their
spiritual health
Attend the weekend celebration services and is available to serve in
any area of ministry. For example, praying with people during altar
call, counseling, ushering etc.

REGIONAL LEADER
A regional gives oversight to 3-5 zones
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Cell Leaders - Training material

Qualifications

Must be faithful, available to serve and teachable (FAT)

Must have served as a zone leader before
Accountable to the leadership over him or her
A person with a sound Christian testimony

Responsibilities
Leading
Aligning leaders and members in the region to the churchs
vision
Setting goals and strategies for the growth of the region
Training and empower leaders on his team to lead effectively
Meeting regularly with his or her leaders
Identifying and mentor a regional intern or interns
Attending the district team meetings and any other cell or
ministry related event as required
Preparing and submit weekly regional reports to the Church
Shepherding

Provides pastoral care to the leaders and members in the

region through prayer, counseling, discipleship and follow
up
Regularly visits cells in the region to encourage and assess
their wellbeing.
Available to serve in any area of ministry during the
weekend celebration services
Available to perform any task that may be assigned by the
district pastor

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