Product Description

"In July, we scrapped our house groups. In October we began meeting in cell groups. We did not realize what a revolutionary step we were taking..." So begins Howard Astin's account of his church's transformation from a caring but inward-looking parish to a Christian community where every member really counts. In St John's, Bradford, a tough inner-city church, the focal point of the week is now the cell group meeting. Pastoral care; teaching; lay training; nurture of new members: all are handled by a network of small cells, which offer easy, non-threatening points of entry for visitors. Leaders concentrate on equipping church members. The result has been sustained growth, both in numbers and quality of discipleship. The transition to a cell structure has not been easy or painless, but definitely worthwhile.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #277463 in Books
• Published on: 2002-01-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

About the Author
The Rev. Howard Astin has been minister at St John's, Bowling, Bradford, an Anglican church, since 1988. He is a Director of Cell UK, an organisation to promote the development of cell church.

Customer Reviews

An Introduction to Cell Church Principles
An account of how St John’s, Bradford’s made the transition to cell church. I found it interesting and easy to read. It's good on principles, especially those underpinning the reasons for cell and the four Ws which form the basic structure of a cell meeting: Welcome, Worship, Word & Works. Despite being rooted in the journey of one particular church I sometimes a bit short on detail.
Richard Seel.

A great incite for churches wanting to know more about cells
This is the personal account of a vicar who changes the church's paradigm about house groups and sets cell groups in motion. It's a must for any church thinking of a progressive move through the millennium. It is not too difficult to follow with light-hearted passages and examples.