October 23-24, 2008
How to design and launch a cell group-based ministry transition that works for your church
"We were considering how to best go about implementing cells at Southcliff when I attended your Making Cell Groups Work conference in Tennessee at Faith Promise Church. I cannot thank you enough for the equipping that I received during those two days! Because of the help that you provided, I was able to navigate through some difficult decisions and have been working to provide a foundation on which our small groups can function effectively."
—Kyle Gilbert, Associate Pastor,
Southcliff Baptist Church, Fort Worth, TX
A long-term, strategic plan of action is required to make cell groups work in your church.
Our goal is to help you design and launch a successful cell ministry that works with your leadership style, your church’s background, and most of all, God’s plans for your future. This seminar is not a “one structure fits all” kind of event. We’ll provide you with the knowledge, tools, and support you need to launch groups that effectively minister to each other, reach the lost, and produce discipled leaders.
Who should attend?
This event is designed for the lead pastor and his team. Because the content shared is designed to help senior church leaders deliberately shut down existing programs and mid-week services to do ministry through "basic Christian communities" (cells or holistic small groups), we highly discourage staff pastors or lay leaders to attend without their lead/senior pastor for obvious reasons. However, we won't turn you away if you want to attend this event without your lead pastor present.
The right destination isn’t the only element to success.
Leaders and churches led to minister through a system of cell groups (vs. programs) have a similar destination. Each church desires to effectively reach and disciple their world for Jesus through basic Christian community, but each church also is unique! While the principles involved in reaching their destinations are similar, the starting points for each church are very different.
Many pastors have made the mistake of charting their new course from the wrong point. The most direct road to failure is to take an origination point from where a pastor wishes his church was, or from a point where a consultant told him the church should be to begin their transition.
Making Cell Groups Work will outline the goals of effective and successful cell group ministry and how it should work with practical steps to take when you get back home and begin.
What will you receive?
When a lead pastor and his team leave this seminar, they will understand an integrated approach to cell group ministry that:
- Provides Godly leadership and oversight
- Facilitates quality body life and member-to-member ministry
- Supports both small- and large-group church expressions
- Utilizes necessary structures and functions that will allow your ministry to thrive.
You'll know:
- What a productive, healthy cell group system looks like and how to achieve it.
- Clear steps for developing cell groups in your unique environment.
- How to lead an effective cell group initiative as the senior pastor.
- How to start groups without ending up with a "sickle cell ministry" that does not multiply with new believers or new leaders.
- How to train leaders so they will succeed.
- How to oversee leaders and care for them (coaching).
- How to reach people for Christ through groups.
- How to equip cell members into spiritual maturity.
Launching a new, highly-relational ministry in your church requires a successful change process. We’ll explain the process and give you time to talk through a gameplan with your team (which we hope you'll bring!)
Transitioning from programs to a cell-based expression will involve significant change for staff, lay leaders and members alike. It will require a new set of skills on your part as a senior pastor if you want to be successful.
Making Cell Groups Work is specifically designed to bring together the object of change (a specific model of doing ministry) and the process of change. The seminar materials and our facilitating experts will help you develop a 3-5 year team-based change strategy.
The content and methodology of this workshop draws on a large body of material dealing with leadership change. Our research among a diverse group of growing churches will help you avoid the “one-size-fits-all church growth plan.” Through participation in this seminar, you will gain a firm foundation and a personalized strategic plan that will meet your church’s specific needs and goals.
Will this seminar answer your questions?
We’ve collected all the questions we’ve received through the years and addressed each one in as much detail as possible. And while we’re on the subject of questions, you’ll have plenty of time to interact with your trainer and dialogue about what to do in your unique situation.
Our hope is that this free training will establish a long ministry friendship that will give you the freedom to call us anytime for help. After all, we're a ministry whose mission is to support a church's path into holistic small group-based ministry.
This is the kind of event that won’t be forgotten.
We know you’ve got numerous conference binders collecting dust on your shelf and you don’t need one more! Making Cell Groups Work will provide you with a plan that you can use and will make a positive impact in the life of your church. Best of all, when you leave the seminar, you’ll have the tools to create a personalized strategy for success!
Pricing:
This is a FREE workshop! Register early because these events fill up fast (limited to just 30 participants per event). While we don't charge for the training, there is a $25 cost for a syllabus, which must be purchased in advance (at the time of registration).
Because these events aren't free for us to offer (we must pay for the venue and give a gift to a couple of local pastors who provide a Q&A time for the participants), we will be asking for a tax-deductible donation to our ministry during the event, so please consider what you or your church might be willing to donate in exchange for what we are providing.
Schedule of Events:
Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday.
Thursday:
8:45 am - Registration Open
9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. - Sessions (we'll break for lunch, of course)
7 p.m. - Hang out at Randall and Etna Neighbour's home
Friday:
9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. - Sessions
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. - Box lunch and Pastor's Q&A time with guest pastors whose churches are doing ministry through cell groups
12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. - Final Sessions
PLEASE PLAN TO ATTEND THE ENTIRE EVENT ... THE STUFF YOU MOST WANT TO LEARN ABOUT IS SHARED AFTER LUNCH ON FRIDAY!
2008 Dates:
October 23-24 (NOTE CHANGE OF DATE)
Location:
Union Baptist Association Conference Room
2916 West T. C. Jester Blvd., Suite 200
Houston, TX 77018-7006.
Call our office (1-800-735-5865) to register today!
For your convenience, we provide the following information on nearby hotels.
Courtyard by Marriott
2504 North Loop West
Houston, TX 77092
713-688-7711
Sheraton Houston Brookhollow
3000 North Loop West
Houston, TX 77092
713-688-0100
Using Hotels.com or Travelocity to book rooms at these hotels may yeild the greatest discounts (versus calling them to secure a room). There are also budget motels in the area off Interstate 290, but they are ten to fifteen minutes from the conference site.
Airports, Shuttles, Taxis and Rental cars...
The hotels and the conference site are approximately the same distance from both Bush Intercontinental Airport and Hobby Airport. However, Hobby is situated on the south side of Houston and you'll be driving through downtown and that can be hairy for some who are not used to Houston's numerous freeway exhanges and our lovely gridlock traffic.
A taxi from either airport will carry a cost of $40-$55 each way, plus a fee per bag. A taxi from the hotels we've listed to the conference location won't be nearly as much, but it will probably be $10 or more each way. Some of the hotels have shuttle services, but you will need to call them directly to see if they can accomodate you with a shuttle ride to and from the conference venue.
There is a good shuttle service will get you from the airports to the hotels listed above for $25 per person, per trip. You don't need reservations, and you can find them in the baggage claim areas of both airports.
We highly recommend you rent a car for this event if there are more than 2 people in your party. If you take a shuttle, you may have to walk to the conference venue which is 20+ minutes each way... possibly in the rain—can you say Ernest Hemmingway? Please rent a car!
The Sheraton Brookhollow does have a free shuttle for any destination within 5 miles, and the conference venue is well within this radius.
REGISTER NOW BY CALLING 1-800-735-5865
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