Body and Cell

"In July, we scrapped our house groups. In October we began meeting in cell groups. We did not realize what a revolutionary step we were taking..." So begins Howard Astin's account of his church's transformation from a caring but inward-looking parish to a Christian community where every member really counts. In St John's, Bradford, a tough inner-city church, the focal point of the week is now the cell group meeting. Pastoral care; teaching; lay training; nurture of new members: all are handled by a network of small cells, which offer easy, non-threatening points of entry for visitors. Leaders concentrate on equipping church members. The result has been sustained growth, both in numbers and quality of discipleship. The transition to a cell structure has not been easy or painless, but definitely worthwhile.