Notes on Witness
Landmarks
Effective cell groups identify those landmarks that lead us to faith.
The following four represent some of these landmarks and identify ways in which the cell group should concentrate their witness in these areas.
- Ask and intercede
- Break out and bless
- Come and see
- Decide and receive
The first two remind us of God's invitation to us, and the second two of the invitation we offer to others.
Ask and intercede
Read Matthew 5 vs. 44-45.
When it comes to witness, prayer is paramount - when we talk to God about people and tell him how we feel, he shares his own heart with us. If you want to see a person as God sees them - spend more and more time with him in prayer. If you want to change the way you feel about someone, you need to change your heart - spending time with God means ultimately we see them as he sees them! This is why cell groups are encouraged to be active in prayer in strategic ways.
With the early church, Paul prayed for the equipping of the saints and for the quality of their witness - in the same way, we are encouraged to pray for anything and everything that will allow and equip the church to communicate the good news freely and powerfully.
As we pray for the network of unchurched friends we need to concentrate on being specific and strategic.
Break out and bless
How can you be relevant to the outside world - the world outside our churches? How do we communicate the fact that there is life on the inside? To achieve the desired effect you may need to consider reordering what goes on in the life and heart of the fellowship remembering the body of Christ is made up of people not bricks and mortar. Somehow we need to start opening windows of friendship, understanding and acceptance to those who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus. We need to be prepared to meet people where they are. We need to take the church to the people rather than waiting to see if the people come to the church. Be creative in the ways in which you do this. You will need to be adept at building bridges. We need to become good news before we proclaim it. Remember - evangelism is a process rather than a one off event. We need to live the truth and be the good news.
Problems are solved and friendships are formed as Christians share their resources - particularly with non-believers. Sharing expertise, skills gifts etc. is an ideal way to begin.
Come and see
As a basic tool in the guide to witnessing, everyone has a story worth telling. We can all be well equipped and armed with our own little testimony. People are more likely to respond to an invitation to come and see rather than come and hear. Think of this in the context of the local church - what can you invite people to come and see. Cell based churches will provide the 'come and see' event as part of their programme but the cell group itself provides the real attraction. Anything from a social evening to a cell guest night can provide a showcase for the cell with a story to tell.
Decide and receive
Cell based churches should reinforce the importance of providing opportunities for non-believers to belong before they can believe and we see a change in their behaviour. Alpha is excellent in promoting this - but if you want to model a new way of living, a ten week course will sell a person short. The nurturing process has always been important for the non believer, but this is now paramount if the church is to survive. Nurturing is about living together in relationship and personal growth is all about values and lifestyle not calendars and agendas - this is what cell life should be all about. Accountable and loving relationships are crucial in working and wrestling through what it means to be a Christian. Belief and behaviour change as truth is modelled inside the community.