Hi GreenGoblin,
I am 27 this year, been a christian for 10 years, been a student
leader in a school christian community, a worship leader in church
and the youth ministry. And guess what? I am NOT in a cell group.
All my youths and the youth pastor are in a cell group but I am not
and sometimes people wonder.
You are right to wonder about all these things but before anything,
I would like to urge you not to become disillusioned or angry or
disappointed by such feelings.
Firstly, CELL GROUPS are pretty much a CHOICE thingy. NO ONE can
say that if you do not go to a CELL GROUP, you are a bad christian.
Neither can anyone tell you that CELL GROUP is the BEST WAY for a
christian to grow closer to GOD and to your fellow christian
brothers and sisters.
Secondly, you are right when you say that CELL GROUPS are not
necessary to talk abt God's words or knowing each other but CELL
GROUP is just a name, but you can call it any other name but it
actually just a structured format of fulfilling the purpose of
'gathering together and encouraging one another'. Therefore, CELL
GROUPS are not necessary BUT the gathering and encouraging of each
other is IMPORTANT.
Therefore, WHY DID I NOT JOIN A CELL GROUP?
I would like to say beforehand that CELL GROUPS are good but not
NECESSARY. And I would say it is pretty a personal choice
thingy.
For me, the decision to not join a CELL GROUP is this: friends and
priority.
I was in a cell group and going to church every saturday and then
to church service every sunday. I remember maling a list of
priorities in my life and it goes in the order of importance : GOD,
FAMILY, CHURCH/MINISTRY, FRIENDS.
THe GOD AND FAMILY was OKAY but UNFORTUNATELY, my committment to
the church and ministries are so much that it come to a point of
time whereI did not even see my friends, non christian ones, for
months. I begin to wonder that if I put friends as a priority, I
have to spend time with them, even if they are not the top
priority! Thus I eventually decided that i would join in youth
activities on certain saturdays (to still join the fellowship) and
give some saturdays to join my outside friends (to still be there
for them). And the only way for me to be on such flexibility is to
NOT join a cell group. i am a firm believer that if I say I wanna
be a light and the salt to your frens, you have to be there for
them not just talk only.
Why I am sharing with you is because I do not want you to become
frustrated over this issue. There is no compulsion in God's
kingdom. We are a body but yet we are pretty individual.
Pray to God. You must remember the importance of gathering togather
and encouraging one another and I dun mean by just go to church to
say hello how are you, that kinda of thing but i mean quality time
together. So I can be frank with you, if you are able to see
yourself spending quality time with your fellow brothers and
sisters WIHTOUT being in a CELL GROUP, like I did, then I would say
that if its your choice not to be in a cell group, by all means do
so but explain to your leaders your reasons.
