Are you talking about 2-3 people or 2-3 families as a cell group? Could a husband and wife make up the 2?
I am speaking of 2-3 people. I think having this kind of relationship in marriage is really the point of a great marriage BUT extremely few couples can handle it and I confess I really do not.
The real necessity is to be close enough in time together to surface problems and brokeness and have the ability to speak into each others lives. HUMILITY!!! and HONESTY!!!! The foundation of this is a deep desire to live in God's presence and to be holy. If people really do want to be holy they must be willing to be humble and honest and let themselves be EXPOSED.
Hi Brad,
(sorry I meant to post this under your Wednesday Jan 31st post, not your son as Kurt Cobain post)
The last couple of your posts have been an excellent deconstruction of a crisis that is at the core of every church in one way or another.
As you've said before in so many words, the church needs to be built on Jesus as the chief cornerstone when it comes to the rhythm that Jesus modelled of people operating in relationships together, and understand that any institutional authority for the church that Paul recognized was merely intended to compliment that.
The problem is that walking with Jesus demands that we must always be ready for the unexpected things that Jesus brings into our path. In fact, putting our plans "on the altar" continually before God is a key existential component of having faith and living by faith.
The very "insitutional-ness" of churches makes this difficult. It is hard enough for an individual to put plans on the altar. It is quite another thing for the plans of a collective group of people to put their plans on the altar. The challenge of faith for churches and those who lead them is to hold onto their "institutional-ness" lightly enough to continually allow for the rhythm of the unexpected. This is part of the DNA a church needs to have the development of radical Jesus-modelled relationships as the primary goal. This is because radical Jesus-centered relationships happen as people are "on the go" with Jesus.
It is exceedingly easy for churches to fetishize programs, growth, flow, balance sheets, titles, edifices and schedules. It is the fetishizing of these things that is one of the subtle ways that Satan encourages people to allow the trappings of institution to grow like a kudzu vine around the collective existential journey of faith that Jesus has called the church to embark on with him.
It is when churches understand that the behavior of Jesus of Nazareth and the model of Jesus of Nazareth in regard to relationships is part of cornerstone that Christ is for the church that the church will use that aspect of Jesus' life and ministry as the plumbline to evaluate whether various forms of institution idolatry are subverting the Gospel.
It is when the churches failure to do this that churches do not set the aim of the ministry to meet those whom the Father is drawing to Him, but to meet those who are looking for a smooth and happy church experience.
Our pastor called these cells of 2 or 3 people "tiny groups" 
So I know we're going the same direction here. I really like your statement: "It is not that small groups work in themselves but that these relationships surface and make visible our weaknesses." It is in the context of community that we can go beyond the surface issues of health and weather. Keep reflecting and implementing! lgp
Two or three people together is the level at which love grows, also Jesus' number for an effective prayer group.
Joe
I am enjoying your blog.
Our church has started a cell group ministry in our small town.
I am leading one.
I created Cyber-Cell to share what we will be discussing at our cell group Bible discussions to all of Blogdom.
Thanks for your insight on Cell Groups.
God Bless you my Brother.
Brad, stumbled across your blog -- chock full of insights -- thanks for sharing...
Peace,
Ryan Bolger
Thank you very much for the post. The Organic Church has been revealing and a culmination of many things God has been revealing to be of late.
Again, simply thank you for your clarity.
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One train of thought with a big caboose:
Given #1: Godliness/Holiness is the central purpose of the disciple's life.
Given #2: The central purpose of the instituted church is a world-wide commissioning of these holy people to bring this message of holiness to the ends of the Earth.
Implication: The church (in order to fulfill this mission) must make sure that it is made up of discipleships increasing in holiness.
Question: Why is it then that our core structures (when we think of church) such as worship services and small groups can "succeed" so well and yet not help anyone become a lick more holy?
Conclusion: We need to form central and biblical structures that will fail if there is not increasing holiness. Holiness must be the linchpin that holds the whole structure together. Remove it and there is no church.
Where does the Biblical number "666" ocurr within the context of The Beast, the San Francisco Bay Area???
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"Sigmund Freud effect":::Can't treat disfavor with pharmeceuticals.
You are all disfavored. You may have been evil/preditory in your last life and this disability is how they are punishing you.
Handicapped people have a special perspective. They need to recognize this advantage, for most in society will never have this constant companion reminding them of their disfavor.
There are many options open to them and they can place you in a worse role in your next life.
Be god-fearing. Resign to be a good person and try to repair your relationship with the gods.
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The gods are sending a clue Yahoo is good with this Chinese censorship issue.
The American idea of freedom is a shock rocker anally masterbating with a crucifix. This is what the disfavored are free to enjoy in this open society, and due to their disfavor a certain percentage will either be pushed into it or will comply, ensuring damnation. It's kind of like the KKK and Apartheid issue below for whites of the modern era or how democracy ensures a false sense of security.
US popular culture is obsence. Intentionally. The gods are preying on the disfavored who remain, those foolish enough to participate.
The Chinese have favor and the gods allow the government to protect the citizens, but Chinese cut-off is fast approaching, for soon westernization will level this playing field as well.
This is yet another "BIG LIE" they sold to the disfavored, and it will ensure the homogination of Earth's cultures via westernization.
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There is a BIG LIE here. Sigmund Freud proves it.
Wine proves it. Democracy proves it. Materialism/greed proves it.
They continued to sell boss even after they forced failure, another example of a BIG LIE.
The middle management tactic allows them to maintain this perception of an "absentee good (Christian) god", ensuring one of the goals of the United States remains useful::::NO FEAR!!!
The gods instruct Artificial Intelligence to employ evil as temptation.
Resign to be good.
Too many of these Southern rednecks are like disfavored blacks involved in black popular culture. They are merely benefactors of the god's Manifest Destiny positioning. Expect some compensatory elements to be due, rendering the long-term prognosis for the blacks potentially better.
The gods offered the story of Eve tempting Adam FOR A REASON!!! THE FEMALES ARE THE KEEPERS OF THE PEOPLE::::AS THE WOMEN GO SO GO ALL THE PEOPLE!!
Honor the gods for the modern convieni
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