Cell Group - Who decides what to teach?

[Stefos]

"My beef is with institutionalized churches & house churches who don' follow the biblical, and hence ONLY, pattern."

Yeah, I've run into a lot of House Church people with that "beef." For a lot of them it was a full on chip on their shoulder. Like I said before, I've run in to plenty of judgmental "righteous condemnation" from House Church people that was as bad or worse as anything I've seen from the "Frozen Chosen" of the denominational churches.

Yes, I've been in congregations that tried to micromanage their Cell Groups. I have also, bless God, been in fellowships that allowed the Holy Spirit to minster through the people. I've since moved away, but I hope to reconnect with a new group soon.

Hi again,
I'm sorry your experience was one of getting slammed.
That isn't my intent but you don't seem to "get it" with me:

I want to see biblical based gatherings, not cell groups NOR house churches. Period. Regular "churches" & Cell groups & House churches are all wrong if they don't follow the biblical pattern.

If any body of believers gathers together, the biblical model is as follows:
-Elders giving oversight (See I & II Timothy for biblical Elders qualifications)
-Deacons serving as needs arise (Same as above)
-All members functioning: meaning they have space to
-Apostles, Prophets, Teachers, Evangelists, Pastors equipping the saints
and walking in their respective ministries

You have been beguiled by American Christianity which purports to be "biblical" and is not.........It isn't.

I don't care if it's a Calvary Chapel, Greek Orthodox (where I was brought up in mind you), 4 square church, non-denominational, House Church, etc.

The only standard is the biblical one.

I'm tired of the Intellectual churches (Predominantly Evangelical) & I'm tired of the Crazy Charismatic churches (Predominantly Non-denominational) and the dead churches (Predominantly Catholic & Greek Orthodox) and graceless churches (Predominantly Fundamental churches).

Read the word and see what picture is created, not what "Pastor" told you.
I'm sorry but believers have glorified the Pastor and neglected everything else about God's government & the role believers place in gathering together.

God bless you as you follow Jesus, biblical style.
Stefos

 

[ByTheSpirit]

^^^ Truth

 

[Alithis]

I agree with you entirely, which is why I stipulated in my OP "Cell Groups that are part of a larger local church organisation."

Many large churches operate a network of small home fellowships where the work of teaching, discipleship, and general pastoral care is done by appointed elders. The whole corporate body meets together on weekends for worship, but the real work of the senior pastors is in building up the elders for the work of the ministry.

this is a very effective way of developing closer fellowship.
I disagree with a dictate of teaching topic though.
Sure ,rules on doctrine that are Not to be taught (like the sop rules on cf)is fine .And should be strongly outlined.
but dictating the topic for many groups ,could, shut down the Spirit from ministering specifically to the present need each group.

I used to run such a cell group and know all too well how detached preset
topic can be from the present needs of people.

 

[phydaux]

"you don't seem to "get it" with me"

No, I really think I do.

Part of my Christian experience as a young person was being a struggling young Christian in the Navy on a large ship. I tell you, it's hard to appreciate the kind of anti-God environment that gets generated in such a place, isolated at sea for MONTHS at a time, and I was thankful for the 6-10 brothers & sisters who were on that ship.

When we were at sea we would fellow ship together as much as possible, and meet for prayer and bible study together. At times it was really awesome.

Most of the time it wasn't.

We had a lot of people from a lot of different backgrounds. Mainline denominational, modern non-denominational, full gospel charismatic. Lots of times in our meetings things would come up, and it would turn into a total disaster.

"You're not following the Bible."

"You're being too judgmental."

"You've been taught false doctrine!"

"You're not filled with the Spirit!"

Eventually some members of psudo-christian groups tried to join our fellowship, and the group as a whole had to do a lot of self & scriptural examination as to what it was that constitutes the Gospel and Christianity.

Ultimately we decided there were a very few things that someone had to cling to, and if you clung to those things then you were a brother. Everything else was a minor issue that good people could differ over, yet still be brothers. If you departed from any of those things then you were not a Christian, regardless of what you called yourself. We eventually united together, even though we had to ask one person to leave because he was spreading a false understanding of the nature of Jesus, and preaching a works-based gospel.

We were reminded of the old saying:

In essentials, unity.
In nonessentials, liberty.
In all things, agape.

So yes, I really do understand when I find someone who is convinced that they are right, and other people are wrong, and that they have a special anointing from the Holy Spirit to show others just how wrong they are.

I also understand how awesome it can be for brothers & sisters to fellowship together in love, and just how much death to self & reliance on God's Spirit that requires.

Anyway, that's where I come from.

Jesus loves ya, bro, and so do I.

 

[Alithis]

"you don't seem to "get it" with me"

No, I really think I do.

Part of my Christian experience as a young person was being a struggling young Christian in the Navy on a large ship. I tell you, it's hard to appreciate the kind of anti-God environment that gets generated in such a place, isolated at sea for MONTHS at a time, and I was thankful for the 6-10 brothers & sisters who were on that ship.

When we were at sea we would fellow ship together as much as possible, and meet for prayer and bible study together. At times it was really awesome.

Most of the time it wasn't.

We had a lot of people from a lot of different backgrounds. Mainline denominational, modern non-denominational, full gospel charismatic. Lots of times in our meetings things would come up, and it would turn into a total disaster.

"You're not following the Bible."

"You're being too judgmental."

"You've been taught false doctrine!"

"You're not filled with the Spirit!"

Eventually some members of psudo-christian groups tried to join our fellowship, and the group as a whole had to do a lot of self & scriptural examination as to what it was that constitutes the Gospel and Christianity.

Ultimately we decided there were a very few things that someone had to cling to, and if you clung to those things then you were a brother. Everything else was a minor issue that good people could differ over, yet still be brothers. If you departed from any of those things then you were not a Christian, regardless of what you called yourself. We eventually united together, even though we had to ask one person to leave because he was spreading a false understanding of the nature of Jesus, and preaching a works-based gospel.

We were reminded of the old saying:

In essentials, unity.
In nonessentials, liberty.
In all things, agape.

So yes, I really do understand when I find someone who is convinced that they are right, and other people are wrong, and that they have a special anointing from the Holy Spirit to show others just how wrong they are.

I also understand how awesome it can be for brothers & sisters to fellowship together in love, and just how much death to self & reliance on God's Spirit that requires.

Anyway, that's where I come from.

Jesus loves ya, bro, and so do I.

this kind oF unity you mention ,where folks are ,for love,able to put aside non essential doctrinal preference ,you did so well to establish.such dischord is spiritual by nature.
Usually it is strong common diversity which procures such unity.
ie - if you had all been forbidden to fellowship at all ..you would have increased in unity very quickly.