Connecting NCD to cell church in an in-depth way, this groundbreaking book demonstrates how NCD and cell church complement one another, working symbiotically to grow healthy, God pleasing churches.

Acquaint yourself with NCD principles by reading this book. Natural Church Development presents research from around the world showing how eight quality characteristics appear to be shared by healthy, growing churches.

Why cell church? Is it because David Cho's church, the largest church in the history of Christianity, is a cell church? Is it because someone said the number twelve will bring blessings and growth? Is it because cell church is the strategy that many "great" churches are using? Ralph Neighbour repeatedly says, "Theology must breed methodology." This book sets forth the biblical theology for cell based ministry. Without biblical truth, we don't have a firm under-pinning upon which we can hang our ministry and philosophy. On the other hand, we can plod through most anything when we know that God is stirring us to behave biblically. Cell church is not the latest, greatest church growth strategy. If it were, it would simply be a passing fad until the next hotter, more relevant strategy comes along. In fact, in many places around the world, cell church transforms the church through a purification process. Church growth is slow but cell church helps Christ's church go deeper. Joel Comiskey has been studying the cell church movement since 1991 and has discovered that the cell church strategy doesn't produce rapid growth in itself. God reserves growth for himself. He wants to receive the glory for all church growth. The first section of this book covers the Trinity, the model for all small group community. The good news is that the Trinity works within believers to mold and shape them into his image. This section explores God's emphasis on the family, starting from Genesis, Christ's formation of a new family, and then the early church's focus on family. Comiskey believes that family is the principal image of the church in Scripture. The last chapter in this section explains Jesus and his kingdom and more specifically how Jesus trained his disciples to evangelism through home-based outreach. Section two reveals how the early church met in homes. It explores what they did in those home meetings, the size of the house churches, and how home evangelism took place through ancient oikos relationships. Comiskey looks at how New Testament leadership developed naturally through the house church structure and how the early church connected the house churches into celebration gatherings (large group meetings). The last section applies all eight chapters to the church today. This last section draws out the New Testament insights that are applicable to the 21st century church.

Conveys the key concepts of Natural Church Development in an informative and easy reading style. Designed to be used with congregations who complete the NCD survey.

Although the largest churches in the world are cell-based, many have questioned whether the model will work in North America. The Church In Many Houses: Reaching Your Community Through Cell-Based Ministry makes the case that the cell model will work— if key assumptions about spiritual growth and the nature of the church are reexamined and renewed. By drawing on scripture, research, and insights gained through personal experience as the pastor of a growing cell church, Steve Cordle identifies the four pivotal philosophical shifts necessary for the cell approach to work. These are mindset shifts that move from: programs to relationships—the purposes of the church are best fulfilled in the cell group instead of in programs member to disciple-maker—every member can and should become a group leader educating to equipping—spiritual growth is not knowing more but applying more “come and see” to “go and show”—the power of penetration evangelism. Impose a cell structure upon a congregation that has not yet made these philosophical shifts we are likely to fail. But when people adopt these biblical mindset changes, the cell approach will seem natural, and will result in great unity and effectiveness. The Church In Many Houses will help congregations make the changes that are necessary for success.

Revised introductory brochure for Natural Church Development

Develop a strategy to discover and develop the God-given, unique nature of your church.