Cells are the basic components of life with the essential life-giving DNA. They grow and divide.
Cell Church is about community. It’s not about ‘lots of new ways of living our Christian lives’. It’s about expressing more thoroughly the things we already value.
These pages set out our vision for Cell Church in Seasalter. On this page you will find an explanation of the structure of Cell meetings and a look at the key Values of Cell.
Other pages cover different topics, follow the links to learn more –
Placing Cell in a national and local context.
A discussion on Cell leadership issues.
Cell Questions – and answers !
Further reading and website links
The Structure of a Cell Meeting
Welcome
The group gathers together for a time which allows each person to be valued, and creates a sense of community. This focused start gives a sense of direction to the meeting.
Worship
Simple, creative worship helps the group to connect with God. In a Cell, worship can be as varied as the members of the group.
Word
‘What is God saying to me or to us as a Cell group?’
In a Cell the emphasis is always on applying God’s Word practically. To do this we will often take the passage from the previous Sunday with 2 or 3 simple questions which help us to respond.
Witness
The Cell finishes in the most practical way possible. Here the focus is outwards. We may pray for each other, or for our friends and families. We may plan a social to meet with them, or to serve them in some way. The possibilities are endless – so everything is rooted in prayer.
Cells develop their own special character. But cells always pay attention to each of the four ‘W’s.
The structure of the Cell meeting expresses the values of our church. These are:
All Involved
Every person is listened to and valued, and all are encouraged to find and develop their gifts.
Becoming Disciples
We encourage each other to grow in our life with Christ. As we learn to apply God’s Word to our lives, so our lives reflect Christ more.
Creating Community
This means more than just attending a meeting! We learn to grow together, share each others’ burdens, accept each other, forgive one another and serve each other.
Doing Evangelism
This means more than sharing our faith, it includes acts of kindness and love. The Cell prays for others, serves them, and invites then to come and see.
Encountering God
As a group we set aside time to meet God. As we do so, we experience his presence and power in our midst.
A Message from the Rev Steve Coneys
I believe that there is an open door for us to take the next step as a church called by God to grow in each dimension of its community life, inwards, upwards and outwards. The move of two of our three congregations to a new and larger facility gives us the opportunity to become a New people in a new building.
I do not believe that simply creating more programmes of ministry and finding more people to do more things is the way to enter into the next stage of this church’s life. The more natural line of development is to bless, release and deepen the sense of community which is already experienced as good news in our church. This is what Cell based church does, in a way which releases the ministry of the many rather than depending on the ministry of the few.
Cell therefore plays to our existing strengths, in that it affirms the core value of community at the heart of our church. It also is the right shape for the culture which is emerging around us, which favours relationship and participation rather than passivity, and values experience as the litmus test of authenticity.
St Alphege, Seasalter ~ walking together in faith
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