¿Qué es la diferencia entre un grupo pequeño, una célula, y una iglesia en casa?

A menudo se pregunta, ¿qué es la diferencia entre grupos pequeños reuniéndose en las casas, células que se reunan en casas, e iglesias en las casas (iglesias orgánicas/simples) que también se reunan en hogares. ¿No son todas la misma cosa?

Rad Zdero, en su libro, Nexus: The World House Church Movement Reader hace una buena explicación sobre las diferencias.

Muchos creyentes hoy en dia forman parte de los grupos pequeños de sus iglesias. Estos pueden ser estudios Bíblicos, grupos de oración, grupos de apoyo, etc. Sin embargo, los grupos pequeños son utilizados en formas diferentes según el tipo de iglesia. Casi todas las iglesias utilizan a los grupos pequeños de alguna forma u otra. Estos generalmente saben reunirse en los hogares y animan la participación activa de los asistentes. Pero a partir de allí terminan las similaridades.

Aunque reconocemos y celebramos la mano de Dios en todos los modelos de hacer iglesia, hay importantes diferencias entre las iglesias tradicionales, celulares, e iglesias en las casas.

Las iglesias tradicionales utilizan a los grupos pequeños como una iglesia CON grupos pequeños (a menudo usan equivocadamente el término célula.)

Las iglesias celulares ponen el énfasis de la vida de la iglesia en el grupo pequeño. Usan correctamente el término célula para distinguir entre la reunión del grupo pequeño, y la del grupo grande (celebración) cuando todas las células se reunen juntas en un solo lugar. Una iglesia celular es una sola iglesia DE grupos pequeños.

Una red de iglesias en casa entiende que cada iglesia en casa es una iglesia completa y autónoma en si misma. O sea la iglesia ES el grupo pequeño. Una iglesia en casa es una iglesia en todo sentido y hace todo lo que una iglesia tradicional o celular hace.

What curious alchemy is this?

For every person that seriously decides to follow Jesus, there is a price to be paid. As Jim Elliot wrote, "The will of God is always a bigger thing than we bargain for." In his own particular case, it meant giving up his life on a river bank in the eastern jungles of Ecuador.

One of the oft neglected little secrets that is seldom shared with want-to-be apostolic church-planter-types is how much will be demanded from them by their Lord in choosing to follow and serve Him.

In all fairness, Jesus himself warned those thinking about following him, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it." Yet few of us really believe that we have to deny ourselves anything in order to follow Christ. Nor do we have a clue about what it means to take up his cross and lose our lives for his sake. Aren't we good Christians if we are good people?

Few of us--including myself--have experienced anything close to what Christ says is the norm for those who choose to follow Him. We don't give up much of anything, and certainly suffering for his sake is relatively unknown to most of us. We somehow expect that if we do suffer a little, He will surely take notice and reward us for our faithfulness. Not so. The above invitation only promises that we will find life when we lose it for His sake. Nothing more is guaranteed.

So why follow Christ if the price is so high?

Catherine Marshall said it well, "I can see that Jesus drew men and women into the Kingdom by promising them two things: first, trouble--hardship, danger; and second, joy. But what curious alchemy is this that He can make even danger and hardship seem joyous? He understands things about human nature that we grasp only dimly; few of us are really challenged by the promise of soft living, by an emphasis on me-first, or by a life of easy compromise."

In our dealings with those we mentor, disciple and train, we try to be as straight forward and realistic as we can about hardship and suffering. Once released onto enemy territory the going gets rougher, not smoother.

Nice Christian cliches like "Yes, it will be hard, but the Lord will give you the grace and strength to withstand whatever the enemy might throw at you" are quickly forgotten when real and unexpected hardship hit the new worker. While this and similar statements are certainly true, we feel people need to be ready for just about everything to go bad for them--at least for a while. This is Satan's way to try and knock out early any well-intentioned do-gooders. I also suspect the Lord allows it as well. Much like he allowed Satan to mess with Job. Who are the ones He can count on long-term? Who will fall by the wayside when the going gets rough? All that to say, it isn't easy to do what Jesus asked us to do. There is a price that will be paid in more ways than we can imagine.

2 Corinthians 11:23-28 is a partial list of Paul's trials and sufferings. I believe the Spirit inspired Paul to share his sufferings so that we aren't surprised when similar things hit us as well.

Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.

While our own list does not come close to the kinds of sufferings Paul endured in his own obedience to Christ; nevertheless, we openly share the kinds of things we have personally endured. We repeat over and over, "this is the norm, not the exception."

Over the years of service here in Ecuador our own 2 Corinthians list goes something like this,

Are they servants of Christ? (We are out of our mind to talk like this.) We are more. Twice, thieves have broken into our home and stolen our earthly valuables. Twice we have been assaulted at gunpoint and robbed. In one robbery our car was stolen (later retrieved.) We have had our skull cracked by the butt of a pistol and dumped onto the street bleeding and dazed from the blow. Fire in our house. We lost our daughter for seven weeks when her biological mother took her back without our ever knowing her whereabouts or well being. We have had stones thrown at us and been cursed as devils. Our car windows and headlights have been bashed by angry people intent on hurting us. Many times we have been verbally threatened and warned to leave...or else. We have had brothers in Christ refuse to shake our hand or talk to us, and have been publicly denounced as heretics. Our car has been broken into so many times I have lost count (the latest being only a few days ago.) We have been wrongfully sued. One place where we were gathered with fellow believers the house was stoned by a mob of angry people. Trees have been cut down to intentionally block roads where we have gone to preach the Gospel. We have been shot at (luckily they missed!) We have had to escape at night down dangerous mountain dirt roads fleeing from an angry mob coming after us with sticks, machetes, torches and broken bottles. Not to mention all the common ailments of being human: sickness, depression, loneliness, family problems, being cheated, separated for years at a time from family and loved ones, lied to...lied about, and discrimination for being an American. And, like Paul, we too face daily the pressure of our concern for all the churches.

Still want to be a follower of Jesus? Still want to serve the King as one of his ambassadors to the nations?

What I have described is truly only kindergarten stuff for what most of the people we serve alongside with go through for the sake of Christ. Many have faced death, imprisonments, gasoline poured on them and matches lit in their faces, persecutions of all descriptions, hunger, loss of everything they own, humiliation, kicked out of their homes, lands taken away from them, disowned by their families, kidnappings, shot at, stabbed, disease, raped, verbally and physically abused...and the list goes on and on with all these simply being because someone decides to follow and obey Christ. The emotional and physical scars and wounds are very real.

Yet, like Paul says, "I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ...that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death..."

These things are very much a part of what it means to follow Christ. Somehow we have lost sight of the things that really matter and have entangled ourselves in the affairs of everyday life. We are more concerned about our well being and comfort than we are about pleasing the one who enlisted us as soldiers of the cross (2 Tim.2:4). Christianity has become more about the latest fads, gadgets, going to church, slick conferences, debating nuances of Biblical interpretation, and taking one another out to dinner where we discuss the latest Christian books.

Very few of the people we work alongside have ever experienced "that side" of Christianity. Theirs is a much harsher reality where they find themselves clearly marked targets for Satan's constant onslaughts. Yet, honestly, I stand amazed at the joy and spiritual power in their lives and ministry.

May Paul's words encourage us today as they certainly did for those 1st-century Philippian believers "I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am...I can do all things through Him who strengthens me...keep living by that same standard to which we have attained [and] join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us..."

The passion of the sheep

The following is taken from Mercy Simson's blog While We Slept. What she describes is a beautiful picture of the kind of relationship intended between shepherd and sheep.

The village where we live mostly consists of farmers who cultivate land, tend cattle and grow chicken and goose. A herd of cows or sheep grazing the meadows is a common sight here. One day as I was walking our dog along the fields, the herd of sheep that were grazing beside became restless and started to bleat. First I thought they were afraid of my big black dog, so I shortened the leash. Suddenly all the sheep started to move briskly towards one direction. For a slight second I thought perhaps they sense an earth quake. Now the bleating grew louder and the sheep became more restless. I kept walking past them, having a close eye on them.

Right around the corner, a tractor turned in. I could only hear its engine now. The farmer in the tractor greeted me with a smile and a nod as he passed by and slowly drove towards the sheep. By now the sheep were bleating louder and nonstop. I stood there for a while totally amazed. Not only the sheep will hear its master’s voice, modern day sheep can hear the noise of their master’s tractor as well. There are quite a lot of farmers in our village and some of the farmers have more than two tractors.

The farmer went inside the electrified fence and the sheep were so fulfilled. He patted some of them, each one wanted it to be known that “my master is mine; and I am his”. Each one wanted his touch. They crowded around him forever bleating just to get their master’s attention. Where ever he walked they followed. He took a little lamb into his arms and walked further, the mother followed him closely knowing full well, her little one is in safe hands. The farmer went once around the fence, checking carefully for any damages, he checked the water trough. He then went into the shed that was there and all the sheep just stood quietly outside except for a few that were still so excited to see their master come to them. All their eyes stayed focused on only one spot – the door. When he came out after a minute or two, they were happily bleating again. He brought out a salt block and put it out for them. They weren’t so interested in the salt block; they just wanted to be close to their master.

I found a wooden bench to sit and just watched the whole drama. Tears were flowing in my eyes and I started to pray for such a passion of the sheep towards my master. To graze the green pastures with a longing to hear him come, way before my eyes could see him; way before my mind could grasp him. A passion to see my master enter my world and to pat me. A passion to be drawn close to him and follow his every move. To feel safe in my master’s arm because he provides and he protects and he doesn’t threat.

The farmer got out and secured the fence carefully behind him. He sat in his tractor and drove past me with a smile and a nod. I nodded back to him and pretended a smile to hide my tears. I continued watching the sheep. They ran bleating adjacent to the tractor as far as the fence allowed them to as if to say, “come back”. Then they stopped. They saw the tractor disappear in their eyes. They kept on watching towards where the tractor disappeared hoping their master would change his mind and turn around any time now. They stood there for quite a while and their bleating slowly faded. Some started to walk towards the salt block, some went grazing, and some kept watching the far end of the muddy road.

I stood up from the wooden bench and walked past the sheep. I could almost hear their passion on their innocent faces ask, “If you see my master, will you tell him, I long to be in his presence?”

What is it that really matters?

I am convinced one of Satan's major schemes is to distract us from the few things that are truly important.

As Jesus says in Luke 10, Martha, Martha...you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.

In practical terms, how does one go about choosing Jesus first?

God is showing me that I don't have to respond or act upon all that gets tossed my way. Just because someone throws me the ball, doesn't mean I have to catch it.

It also means simplify. Reduce. Unclutter my life. Define what is really important in regards to the Kingdom and focus on doing fewer things better. If the enemy can somehow fill my day with endless trivial tasks, I will not have the time, energy, or focus to deal with the really important things.

Everyday there are just too many ministry opportunities, tasks to perform, expectations, reports to absorb, books/articles to read, requests for prayer, favors asked of us, calls for help, meetings to attend, programs, work-related tasks needing attention, and daily responsibilities with family.  About 3/4 of the things I engage with are things I don't care anything about, but do them anyway so as not to offend anyone, and stay on people's good side.

The truth is, few of us are able to process all the data and requests that get sent our way. It is unrealistic to expect people to process and act upon so much new and changing information without it affecting the side of things that do matter and have eternal consequences.

Back to Jesus, Mary and Martha...What are the many things that keep me worried and upset? Jesus says only one thing is needed, and Mary had figured it out. I think Mary was so in love with Jesus that very little of the stuff her sister was distracted with seemed all that important in comparison. Mary was commended for choosing--and it is a daily choice--Jesus first. When Jesus, his kingdom, and his righteousness come first, the other stuff might not get done, but our lives will be more of a blessing, and will bear the fruit promised by Jesus in John 15.

Training

In Rad Zdero's Nexus: The World House Church Movement Reader we are quoted on p. 371 as saying, "The missionary task is to equip others. The job of missionaries is primarily one of praying, modeling, teaching, training, and mentoring. (Ephesians 4:11-12)."

I feel one of our greatest contributions as missionaries to the fulfilling of the Great Commission in this generation is primarily in the area of training. Yes, we are all called to go, make disciples, baptize, and teach. However, if we invest ourselves in praying, modeling, teaching, training, and mentoring others to also engage in these tasks, we are more likely to see the results described by Christ, "...some 100, some 60, and some 30 times what was sown."

In my files I have a copy of What We Can Learn From The U.S. Marines by Curtis Sergeant. Several of these are instructive for those engaged in reaching people groups/nations, making disciples, and church planting movements...

The Marines are a highly effective fighting force who take great pride in the fact that the U.S. government will send a handful of Marines to do what it would call a battalion of other soldiers to do. They are known not only for effectiveness but also for their speed and versatility. There are many unique things about the Marine Corps as compared with the other branches of the U.S. military...

For the Marines, training is one of their highest values. They recognize that, as the training goes, so goes their performance. For the Marines, the purpose of all training is to help Marines achieve success in combat. Training is not something that is delegated. Every officer is personally responsible for the training of those under his command. In the Marines, training is continuous. To quote the Warfighting Manual, “You are either in contact, moving to contact, or training.” And again, “The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war.”

All Marines are trained in basic combat skills. This is true for every file clerk, every cook, every medic, every lawyer. Everyone in the U.S. Marine Corps is trained in basic combat skills. This has tremendous implications for us. Every business services manager, every English teacher, every short-term volunteer, everyone who is involved with the target people group should be trained in basic evangelism and discipleship and church-planting skills.

For the Marines...everyone is in training, period. From the loftiest general to the lowest enlisted man, everyone is in training. The Strategy Coordinator must be a continuous learner as well. It is a guarantee of failure if the SC ever stops learning and growing. A strategy coordinator is responsible for training those with whom he or she works, or for seeing that they get trained. Modeling and mentoring are therefore essential skills.

For the Marines, training is challenging and focuses on a central task. They don’t spend time training people for peripheral tasks or in peripheral issues...

Marines make extensive use of...actual combat stories that are instructive for communicating ethos, tactics, principles, or philosophies. In telling these stories they communicate more than facts; they communicate an attitude...Debriefing is especially important for an SC. Debriefing experiences with personnel increases the value to that person by crystallizing and cementing lessons learned and also helps to make those lessons and insights available to those who are doing the debriefing and, hopefully, to others. Debriefing is a valuable tool which should never be neglected.

The above is not just theory about what we think should be done. It is what we do.

To illustrate just how serious we are about training, this past weekend we were involved with multiple training opportunities:

Friday we had the opportunity to speak to a large crowd about what the N.T. teaches about the church and what the N.T. churches did when they gathered.

Saturday morning we attended a training conference for leaders. We too consider ourselves to be learners and try to take advantage of every opportunity to learn so that we might be better trainers and teachers.

After leaving that leadership training conference, I went to a local church to share with their leadership team our COSECHA church planting materials and answer their questions and encourage them to engage in multiple church planting.

Sunday I was invited to a celebration where 7 house churches had gathered who are all actively engaged in new church planting. I shared with them a synopsis of the 2-hr training conference I had given on Friday, spending a great deal of time in Q&A about various theological and practical matters regarding different people they were working with.

Today (Monday morning) we will be training 150+ pastors with our CAPACITAR PARA MULTIPLICAR materials in "how to start house churches" (ought to be interesting!)

Monday afternoon, we will be training 20-30 house church leaders in practical ministry matters, and ongoing theological education (TEE).

Tuesday evening we will begin a new round of church planting training with a group of GCCs (Great Commission Christians).

Wednesday evening we will be doing the same with another group of interested GCCs.

Thursday evening, we will be repeating the Tuesday/Wednesday trainings with yet a third group of new trainees from across the city.

Why am I sharing this? It is because training and mobilizing are two of the most important ways we can contribute to Kingdom efforts taking place in Ecuador. We have got to stop theorizing and talking about what needs to be done, and start doing it.

If only 10% of the 500+ people we engage with training this week actually start multiplying churches, we are talking about many souls and new churches being added to the Kingdom.


--*Source, "What We Can Learn From the U.S. Marines" by Curtis Sergeant

La Gran Comisión y como la ponemos en práctica hoy en día

Mateo 28:18-20 - “Versión Moderno”

Mateo 28:18  Toda autoridad ha sido dado a los siervos pastores, líderes de las denominaciones y misioneros y obreros con credenciales otorgados por hombres. Ellos les dirán lo que tienen que hacer, cómo hacerlo, y cuando. Todo hay que hacerlo decentemente y en orden como dicen las Sagradas Escrituras.

Mateo 28:19a  Por lo tanto, cuando hay un énfasis o programa evangelístico de la iglesia, vayan con la bendición de los líderes y evangelicen a los perdidos, predicándolos la Palabra del Señor. Invita al pecador a orar una oración de salvación y cuando diga el “Amén” usted responderá, “Gloria a Dios...¡un nuevo hermano en Cristo!”

Mateo 28:19b  Ya que no entendemos claramente como hacer discípulos como Jesús nos mandó hacer, hagamos todo lo posible para cumplir con el "Plan B" de animar a los que oren la oración de arrepentimiento a buscar una iglesia evangélica (preferiblemente la nuestra.) Allí podrán escuchar los mensajes del pastor e involucrarse en todos los buenos programas que tiene la iglesia. De esta forma aprenderán todo lo que es necesario para ser un buen discípulo de Cristo.

Mateo 28:19c  Ya que solamente tienen la autoridad los pastores y líderes con credenciales para bautizar, entonces nuestra responsabilidad es llevar a los nuevos convertidos a la iglesia y presentarlos al pastor para que él u otra persona designada los prepara en clases bautismales. Estas clases deberán durar por lo menos 13 semanas. Al cumplir satisfactoriamente con la materia estudiada, el candidato tendrá que esperar hasta la próxima fecha programada por la iglesia para efectuar su bautismo. Cuando ese día llegue, habrá que vestirse con una toga blanca y uno de los pastores de la iglesia llevará a cabo el bautismo. (OJO: ¡Hay excepciones de poder bautizar a las personas quienes no han podido primeramente poner en orden su vida familiar y/o matrimonial! A estas personas se les tendrá en limbo espiritual hasta que puedan comprobar su estado legítimo de relación conyugal.)

Mateo 28:20a  Por último, el nuevo bautizado tendrá que aprender las reglas y forma correcta de andar como creyente evangélico bautizado. La lista varía de una iglesia a otra pero podría incluir varios de los siguientes puntos:

• asistir regularmente a los cultos, reuniones y programas de la iglesia*

• si aun no le hayan regalado una Biblia, hay que conseguir una y empezar a leerla*

• aprenda a cantar las alabanzas lo más antes posible ya que estas van a ser la forma principal que se le permitirá participar en los cultos y reuniones de la iglesia*

• el creyente tiene que cuidar de la forma como se viste y se arregla--¡especialmente las hermanas! (varía de iglesia a iglesia así que hay que poner atención en como los demás se visten para no causar escándalos con sus nuevos hermanos)*

• dé el diezmo entero de lo que gana y entrégueselo al Señor en el alfolí (en otras palabras, dé el 10% de lo que gana a la iglesia donde Ud. se congrega)*

• ya tiene que dejar de fumar, bailar, tomar licor, ver novelas en la TV, hablar malas palabras, ir a fiestas mundanas, jugar naipes, o ir al cine (esta lista también varía de iglesia a iglesia)*

• también tendrá que dejar atrás sus viejos amigos del mundo (con la excepción de predicarles la Palabra de Dios) y en adelante relacionarse solamente con su nueva familia de la fe*

• aprenda lo más pronto posible el vocabulario aceptable para un creyente, “DIOS TE BENDIGA”, “GLORIA A DIOS”, “AMEN”, “MI AMADO PASTOR”, “ALELUYA”, “A SU NOMBRE GLORIA”, y muchas frases más que le servirán como un buen comienzo para y así poder hablar como todos los demás hermanos*

Mateo 28:20b  Al aprender y poner en práctica todas estas cosas puede estar seguro que la promesa del Señor se cumplirá, “y he aquí, yo estoy con vosotros todos los días, hasta el fin del mundo.” 

Me pregunto, ¿son estas las ideas de lo que el Señor Jesús tenía en mente cuando nos dió la Gran Comisión?

Toda potestad me es dada en el cielo y en la tierra. 

Por tanto,  id,  y haced discípulos a todas las naciones,  

bautizándolos en el nombre del Padre,  y del Hijo,  y del Espíritu Santo; 

enseñándoles que guarden todas las cosas que os he mandado;  

y he aquí yo estoy con vosotros todos los días,  hasta el fin del mundo.  --Jesús

¿Qué piensa Ud.?

----------------------
* a propósito, ninguna de estas cosas fueron mandadas por Cristo. Ni una sola. Si no fueron estas cosas las que el Señor nos mandó enseñarles, ¿qué significan sus palabras, “enseñándoles a guardar todo lo que os he mandado?”

Why we have not seen CPM in Ecuador

There are at least two reasons why we have not seen a Church Planting Movement (CPM) in Ecuador. Both have to do with baptism.

1) only recognized licensed, credentialed pastors can baptize
2) only sinners who have first straightened out their moral lives can be baptized

Closely related to these two, would be a third reason:

3) pastors/leaders unwilling to release those God has entrusted to them as legitimate Jesus-commissioned disciples to go, make disciples, baptize, and teach.

In the cases where believers are released to go fishing, they are instructed to bring everything they catch back home where the newly caught fish are made to look everyone else.

In my book--or my understanding of God's Book--all these are extra-biblical requirements that go beyond what Scripture actually teaches. It wouldn't be so bad, except these beliefs are keeping us from effectively bringing in the harvest.

Obviously, though, my understanding is flawed in some way because 19 out of 20 pastors/leaders we deal with hold to all three positions and no amount of talk, dialog or Bible Study seems to change their mind. If I sound a bit frustrated, it is because I am a bit frustrated!

Ecuador is a harvest field. There are few places on the planet as responsive to the Gospel as this country. Yet, the greatest barriers to bringing in this harvest are not political, any lack of resources, or even other religions. We are the problem! We who profess to be Christ followers are the dam holding back the rising river waters.

Yes, I believe, sooner or later the Lord of the River will do one of two things: the rising waters will eventually build so much pressure that the dam bursts; or, the river will take on a new course around the dam.

Right now neither of these two alternatives have taken place. But eventually something MUST give way. I guess I am the eternal optimist and am holding out for both to happen. I just hope it is within my life time!

Thank you for pausing a minute and praying for God's Spirit to do something in our midst that has nothing to do with any of us, or the dam. Something that only God can do to bring this nation unto himself.

The clergy-laity divide (Jon Zens)