by Scott Boren

8 stages for navigating the transition to the cell-based church

Lead your church from no cell groups to an expanding cell group base!

These eight stages have been developed from interviews with US cell-based pastors so that you can learn from their successes and failures. Here's the process and a brief description of each point:
1. Envision by Discovery: Discover how cells work and define your church's mission.
2. Develop Vision and Strategy as a Team: Gather the right team of leaders.
3. Assess Your Church's Current Reality: Your starting point is not the same as the church down the road.
4. Prepare Your Church Through Repentance: Develop a deep hunger for God among your leaders and members.
5. Launch Your First Groups with Kingdom-seekers: Select the right people for your first cells.
6. Generate Cell Group Momentum: Develop new leaders relationally versus treating cells as another program.
7. Establish the Hidden Systems that Support Cells: Put all the pieces in place to support the life in your cell groups.
8. Expand Your Cell Groups to Reach the Unreached: Increase the impact of your cell groups to transform more than just your church and neighbourhood.

Making Cell Groups Work breaks down the transition process into eight manageable parts. If your church is just beginning its transition, this process will help you focus on building cells on a sure foundation. If you are in the midst of developing cell groups, it highlights where to focus your energy. No matter where you are with your church, this book will help you identify your current stage of cell development and articulate a plan to address that stage.

This is one phenomenal book!

 Making Cell Groups Work: $29.95  ISBN   Quantity Discount available.  [More information]

by Jim Egli

Leader's Guide: Pastors consistently confess that their cell groups struggle with reaching out to unbelievers. Based on years of research, Jim Egli has developed six cell group lessons (or six sessions for a one-day training event you can offer in your church) to help your cell group members develop and "outward" focus. Your cell group members will learn how to pray together for unbelieving friends, discover non-threatening ways to minister to their needs, and develop plans to invite them to cell-based activities and upcoming cell meetings. These six lessons will shift a group from an "us four no more" mindset to an experience of the joy of giving the love of God to those who need it the most. Requires one participant's guide for each cell member and one Leader's Guide per cell group facilitator. ISBN 1-880828-45-6

Participants Guide: Pastors consistently confess that their cell groups struggle with reaching out to unbelievers. Based on years of research, Jim Egli has developed six cell group lessons (or six sessions for a one-day training event you can offer in your church) to help your cell group members develop and "outward" focus. Your cell group members will learn how to pray together for unbelieving friends, discover non-threatening ways to minister to their needs, and develop plans to invite them to cell-based activities and upcoming cell meetings. These six lessons will shift a group from an "us four no more" mindset to an experience of the joy of giving the love of God to those who need it the most. Requires one participant's guide for each cell member and one Leader's Guide per cell group facilitator. ISBN 1-880828-46-4

 Leader's Guide: $23.95  Participants Guide: $15.95  Quantity Discount available.

by Joel Comiskey

Research has proven that the greatest contributor to cell group success is the quality of coaching provided for cell group leaders. Following in the footsteps of his best-selling book How to Lead a GREAT Cell Group Meeting, author and church consultant Joel Comiskey provides a comprehensive guide for coaching cell group leaders. 
Chapter topics include:
What a coach does to be effective in his or her role
Learning to listen to cell leaders and members
Learning to celebrate when good things happen in a group
Learning to care for cell leaders
Learning to help cell leaders create a strategy for growth and health
Learning how to challenge a cell leader to grow and see things differently

This book will prepare your coaches to be great mentors, supporters, and guides the cell group leaders they oversee.

THIS TITLE WILL BE RELEASED IN APRIL, 2003. YOU MAY BACKORDER THIS TITLE TODAY, AND IT WILL BE SHIPPED IMMEDIATELY AFTER WE RECEIVE IT. (Separate s/h costs will be added if you purchase this title with other in-stock items.)

 How To Be A Great Cell Group Coach: $23.85  ISBN 1-880828-46-4  Quantity Discount available

by Joel Comiskey

The concept of the Groups of 12 began in Bogota, colombia, but now it's sweeping the globe. Joel Comiskey has spent years researching the G-12 structure and the principles behind it. From his experience as a pastor, trainer, and consultant, he has discovered that there are two ways to embrace the G-12 concept: adopting the entire model or applying the principles that support the model.

From 12 to 3 focuses on way your church can apply the principles rather than adopting the entire G-12 model. It outlines the principles and provides you with a modified approach for applying what Joel calls the G-12.3. This approach presents a workable pattern that is adaptable to many different church and cultural contexts, including your unique environment. The book concludes with a section that applies the G-12.3 to various kinds of churches, including churches that have established cell group ministries. ISBN 1-880828-41-3 • JC8

If you enjoyed Groups of 12, you'll love this book!

by M. Scott Boren and Don Tillman

Pick up this training and get busy. It’s really that easy!
This Trainer’s Guide leads you through each step of training. You need not be a small group expert! Just download the PowerPoint® presentations from our web site, read through the week’s training, pass out a Participant’s Guide to each leader, and walk them through the material. Practical exercises are included with each session. Most of the hard work of preparation has been done for you.

Adapt it to fit your church calendar.
Optional formats include a 2-day retreat, a one-day seminar, 8 one-hour sessions or 8 one and a half hour sessions. You choose the best format for your church’s calendar.

Everything you need to produce quality leaders.
After 20 years of training cell group leaders, we have assimilated the time-tested methods for training effective leaders. This training will lay a great foundation for up-and-coming leaders and establish your current leaders in effective practices that will revolutionize their groups!

Your current and future leaders will learn how to:
Prepare their hearts for leadership
Lead an effective meeting
Ask good questions
Lead a group into transparent sharing
Minister to members outside the meeting
Reach unbelievers through cell-based relationships
Work through conflict into purpose-driven community
Mentor a new leader
Involve children in the meetings and group life


This Trainer’s Guide includes two bonus sections:
A guide to facilitate Upward, Inward, Outward, Forward, a one-day strategic planning workshop for cell group leaders and members.
The interview guide for the Journey Guide for Cell Group Leaders, a self-evaluation tool to determine what potential leaders need in order to be effective.

 Trainer's Guide: $82.95  Quantity Discount available.

by M. Scott Boren and Don Tillman

This participant's guide will be an invaluable source of information for each of your group leaders!

Your leaders will discover the principles and techniques that will give them the confidence to lead an effective small group. The training, along with this participant's guide, will walk your leaders through time-tested, values-shifting excercises. The information within has been used around the world by churches of all sizes.

As your leaders walk through this training, they will gain skills to get a group started on the right foot and take their group to the next level of ministry to each other and the lost world. It will show them how to:
Prepare their hearts for leadership
Lead an effective meeting
Ask good questions
Lead a group into transparent sharing
Minister to members outside the meeting
Reach unbelievers through cell-based relationships
Work through conflict into purpose-driven community
Mentor a new leader
Involve children in the meetings and group life


Often, training programs are simply an "information dump," and do not truly move a person from theory to practice. This training was designed to move beyond information to help your leaders experience an exciting and transforming ministry. It will lead yoru leaders through a life-changing season in their spiritual life and shape their hearts for a powerful ministry of sharing Christ's love in a small group environment.

This training was designed by M. Scott Boren and Don Tillman. Scott is a staff pastor at a transitioning church and Don is a successful church planter and coach for planting pastors. They took great pains to insure this training is easy to teach, adaptable to any type of small group or cell structure, and fun for the participants. (REQUIRES TRAINER'S GUIDE)

 Participant's Guide: $23.95  Quantity Discount available.