This plan is designed to have a Facilitator guide the study and a Facilitation Assistant support the study. All instructions are identified for Facilitators but it is meant to be shared
Prepare Ahead
- Read Cell Vision Statement
- Meditate on John 17
- Facilitator/Assistant of each group to discuss ahead to share different sections
Welcome
Facilitator: If there are new members today joining for the first time. Ask everyone to share their name, hobby, goals for the year. Feel free to change up the question here to dive into different areas of people’s lives (work, family)
Read the Cell Vision Statement together
Worship
Assistant: Please pray for the group to begin the study
Go into musical worship if someone is scheduled. Continue to ask if members of the cell is willing to in the future.
Word
Passage
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
John 17: 20-23
Context and Sermon
Facilitator, this context section sets the foundation of the discussion. Going through the main takeaways
- You can begin this section by asking the cell what their immediate thoughts are for this passage.
After a round of responses and conversation, read through the below and provide context of the passage and sermon ahead of the discussion.
Jesus’ vision for Christian fellowship is that we have a unity with one another that looks like the unity between God the Father and God the Son.
This kind of unity is humanly impossible but made possible for all those who are in Christ. This means it’s possible for all Christians, yet our experience of fellowship is full of unmet needs, messiness, and suffering. It is in this reality that we are called to have a life with God in fellowship where transformation to Christlikeness is the goal of fellowship. In other words, fellowship is not for fellowship’s sake.
We need to have a vision of fellowship that is like Jesus’ vision. Before Jesus went to the cross, his private prayer was recorded for us to read. The end of this prayer is John 17:20-23, and Jesus reveals his heart of hearts to be a vision of Christian fellowship. Because this was a prayer and not a teaching, Jesus doesn’t elaborate further on what fellowship looks or feels like. But we do have the rest of Scripture. The sermon outline is to continue building upon Jesus’ vision for fellowship with what God has revealed in Scripture.
Discussion
Facilitator: The discussion today will focus on fellowship and its purpose. The goal is to allow the cell to explore the purpose of meeting together so that there’s unity going forward
Facilitator: Ask the following questions, again, the goal is to facilitate conversation, not a Q&A, this section doesn’t have to have everyone share their personal thoughts but try to get everyone in the conversation. The sub-bullets are suggested follow up questions to guide the conversation
- Human Need: Do you see a need for fellowship in your life? Not just limited to “Christian” fellowship.
- Does that community satisfy any of your needs?
- Is there a need that you’re looking to satisfy here in cell?
- Messiness: Relationships are often challenging even in the best settings, share how you have experienced God through relational challenges.
- Where is that relationship now? Is it where you thought it would be?
- In Suffering: We are called to support each other, when have you experienced God through the support from someone else.
- How did that make them feel?
- What did they learn about God through that experience?
Witness
- Cell Commitment:
- As a follow up to the last point about suffering, shift gears into by asking the cell if everyone is ready to make a commitment to each other in this cell to identify and support each other in our struggles?
- Follow up: For people who missed last cell, did anyone reach out to them to check in? Continue this exercise by following up this week with anyone who couldn’t make it this cell
- Cell Activity: During the period of 7/22 – 8/4, cells anre encouraged to plan an activity to spend some time together outside of the normal cell setting. Assign 1 or 2 members to help plan for this activity. As an option, you can reach out to another cell to see if you can do a join fellowship activity!
- Cell Dates: Confirm future cell dates and mark it down in the document as far into the future as possible to help the planners schedule properly!
- Prayer: Break off into smaller groups 2-4, and share personal prayer and pray for each other