Download Planting a Jr. High Cell Group Guide (Brian Runk)

Planting a Jr. High Cell Group
Strategy before the harvest meeting:
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Give a heads up: Announce the plant 1-2 cells meeting before to the students. Give
the student the basic idea that you will split into two groups (leaders and students).
Inform them you will be doing a final meeting all together and at that meeting you
will give details about who is on each side of the split.
Teach on multiplication and planting (why we do this): Have the senior leader do a
teaching on why we are splitting (see outline below). Get them exited for the
blessing of the growth and the future blessing of taking this step. Then use a white
board or handout to show what leaders and students will be on each side. (or you
could do this teaching on why we plant a week before, and then have
encouragement/testimonies and do a party for your harvest meeting)
Prep them to handle concerns/problems in godly way: Tell the students that the
leaders have prayerfully consider this and come up with the best plan they could.
Tell the students, if they are really struggling with which side they are on, NOT to
publically share with the group or to complain to friends, but to talk to a leader
after the meeting in private.
o Be prepared for key students that you think may struggle with plant. How
can you encourage them to move forward?
o Talk to sphere coach (Brad, Brian, Joe) first if you need to switch a
student to the other side of plant.
 There may be legitimist reason to switch a student that we
were not aware when making the plan.
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Have a fun party time after to celebrate
Vision for Planting
Biology: Cell division and duplication
Cell division: an elegant process that enables organisms to grow and reproduce.
Through a sequence of steps, the replicated genetic material in a parent cell is equally
distributed to two daughter cells.
 Your human body is made up of around 10 trillion cells, and you started from
single cell!
 We call this “cell group” because the goal is to duplicate into 2, and two into 4,
and 4 into 8.
 We do this not just by getting big enough (having enough people), but by also by
growing spiritually ourselves so we can have 2 strong groups.
What is our purpose of the church? How do cell groups fit into this?
To be a community of people who grow closer to God and share God’s love with others
so they come to know him.
Acts 2:42-46- Point out spiritual growth through devotion, real community, and
salvations
God wants groups to multiply & divide: break out to world.
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Acts 1:6-8
Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, Ends of the
earth
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Acts 2:41, 46, 47
Jerusalem: The start of a great church
Acts 4:32-35
A great church
Acts 5:12-16
Enjoying God’s work
Acts 8:1-3
Persecution
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Acts 8:4-7
Judea & Samaria
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Acts 10:44-45
Ends of the earth
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WE ARE CARRYING THE TOURCH!
Does cell group fit the mission, why?
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Bible study and Prayer (devotion)
Staying small (deep community, meeting in houses, sharing meals)
Moving out (planting so we can reach more people)
YES!
What are the benefits & costs to planting a new cell?
o
Benefits and opportunities
 More room for new people!
 More in depth discussions!
 Chance to improve and deepen friendships
 Step into new roles: Prayer, Sharing, Serving, Influencing, Teaching, est.
Cell is too big so there is no need to step up...
 Step in faith- Opportunity to trust God and grow.
o
Costs
 Don’t all get to be together and it’s a sacrifice.
 Keep up your friendship from other side (blowout, school, est.)
o
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Benefits too great to pass up!
What are you afraid of? Have you ever gotten over a fear?
 Shouldn’t let fear guide our lives
 Instead, a love for reaching more people
More Vision:
 ex. 5000 people in this church & it started with 1 bible study....
 What if both of our cells could plant again? How many more people that
would impact vs. if we close the doors now and say we are too big for
more
 We can trust God to provide for us.
Explain how we are going to plant
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Explaing that leaders considered many factors
(Friendships/Schools/Leaders/Geography).
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Illustrate plant plan on white board or with hand out
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Pray together for what God has done and the future of each cell