There are many gatherings in our church. If someone was to ask which was the most important, I would answer it would have to be a gathering that the whole church is involved in and a gathering of more ‘being’ than ‘doing’. First is church service and second would be cell groups.
Worship is dedicated for the relationship with God while a cell meeting is a place dedicated for the relationship between other people. It is a gathering to practice the first and great commandment by Jesus to love thy neighbour.
It is because of this that I believe it is important to devote yourself to gatherings of ‘being’ before getting involved with gatherings for ‘doing’. If a church member does not commit to the church service, for example, not attending regularly or being late all the time, I would ask the member to stop any ministry they are involved in. Such a person may not be a good example for others, but the main reason is because without worship, you will not be able to serve. Even if you do get involved, it is more likely it will be for self-achievement and self-satisfaction.
Cell groups are as important as the church service. It is like a gathering of spiritual family. Unlike ministry teams, cell groups are only centred by one belief, the belief in Jesus. Because of this, it may not be easy to get along with each other and you may even experience conflict due to the lack of similarities. However, commitment to these gatherings is most important because it is this very reason where we can concentrate on the relationship itself which holds the very essence and character of a true church.
Forming a relationship with someone can be joyful but in many cases it can also be dangerous and difficult. It requires hard work to adapt to another and it is easy to unintentionally hurt one another through words and actions. You could say to love another is to take the risk of being hurt.
God’s work is to love one another as he showed us the example through the sacrifice of His only son. He commands us to love our neighbours and love one another as He has loved us which means to take that risk.
Our church considers cell groups to be very important. When becoming a church member, we encourage to participate in the cell meetings as this is the way to become a man of God. Currently we have increased to 38 cell groups. There are 10 cells for married couples and 2 cells for foreigners and English-speaking members. All other cells are divided according to age groups. My main hope is that all church members will be able to build a strong relationship with God and with others through worship and gatherings.
