Indeed, that sort of cellular Christianity is not reflective of the early church, nor does it reflect accurately the Catacomb Church in the USSR or the secret churches in China, where in mainland china the Chinese Orthodox Church, an autonomous part of the Russian Orthodox Church, was suppressed (there is a beautiful cathedral in Harbin that is just being used as a museum).
Another problem with the model
@bling proposes is that such small discipleship groups have a bad record when it comes to pastoral abuse. This has been the case both with individual groups, and also, discipleship groups created under the aegis of some megachurches. I much prefer the model of the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches where one has freedom to seek out and follow a gerons or geronda (spiritual elder or elderess) on ones own, if one feels so inclined, with broad discretion on the part of the laity about how and if they desire that. I like those churches which afford the faithful a great amount of freedom, which also includes Anglicanism, Lutheranism and Methodism (the Reformed tradition, and Congregationalism within it, of which I am a part, historically seems to have been hit-or-miss in this respect, with some Reformed and Congregational churches excelling and others being more repressive. For example, in far too many of UCC parishes, with a solid exception in the form of the small grouping of traditionalist Faithful and Welcoming parishes, which I believe number 75, at most, someone who was pro-life or adhered to a Scriptural view of marriage, might receive a cool reception.