This plan is designed to have a Facilitator guide the study and a Facilitation Assistant support the study. All instructions are identified for Facilitators. A separate document (cell content) is meant to be shared.
This cell plan is based on the sermon given by pastor Santos on Sunday, August, 4, 2024.
Prepare Ahead
- Read Cell Vision Statement
- Meditate on 1 Peter 2:2-3. For greater context read and reflect on 1 Peter 1:13-2:10. If time permits read through the whole of 1 Peter (ch. 1-5).
- Facilitator/Assistant of each group to discuss ahead to share different sections
- There are a list of optional questions included for deeper sharing. Feel free to include any or all if appropriate and time permits. The questions are for deeper transparency, therefore, should be asked in gender specific settings.
- Link to sharable version for members: Cell Content
Opening
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, hobbies, etc.)
Icebreaker question: What is one challenging experienced you’ve faced or something you’ve had to learn (i.e. relocating for work, learning a new skill, etc.)?
Worship
Go into musical worship if someone is scheduled. Continue to ask if members of the cell are willing to in the future.
Assistant: Please pray for the group to begin the study.
Facilitator/Assistant: For those who would like to lot this portion of the night to something else feel free to use the prayer exercise: Prayer Exercise or begin the night with lecto divina.
Word
1 Peter 2:2-3
2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,
3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
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 (if you have done lecto divina) otherwise spend a few minutes meditating on the passage.
- If it is helpful, together as a group, read through the larger portion of scripture that includes the main passage (1 Peter 1:13-2:3 NIV or 1 Peter 2:1-12 ESV).
After a round of responses and conversation, read through the below and provide context of the passage and sermon ahead of the discussion.
Background/Sermon Highlights
- Written BY apostle Peter
- Written TO scattered Christians
- Written DURING a time of persecution
- Written FOR encouragement
Context of 1 Peter 2:2-3
- Peter uses an analogy of newborns to help all people understand that they can taste (i.e. experience) that the Lord is good even in times of real-life challenges
- This is an encouragement for how we can experience God as good when you “grow up in your salvation,” which means to experience an increased freedom from the power and presence of sin
- Newborn babies will physically die if they drink too much water, or anything other than milk
- Likewise, this analogy teaches us the essential nature of craving pure spiritual milk if we want to spiritually grow up in our salvation (i.e. experience that God is good in the increased freedom from the power and presence of sin).
Sermon Outline
Main Idea: Crave pure spiritual milk
- “Grow up in your salvation” – this analogy is about spiritual growth (i.e. freedom from power & presence of sin)
- “Crave” – like babies crave on instinct, Peter commands us to crave pure spiritual milk.
- “Pure” – like newborns, Christians can die if you feed them alternatives to spiritual milk
- “Spiritual Milk” – this represents the word, which is: (1) the written word, (2) the proclaimed word, and (3) the incarnate word
Discussion
Facilitator/Assistant: The discussion today focuses on spiritual growth. The hope of this conversation is to highlight the importance of “pure spiritual milk” and recognize ways in which we can improve our craving for it. Pray for the night to be one that encourages and/or challenges the group to desire God more.
Facilitator/Assistant: Ask the following questions, 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.
Note: Because the cells are still in their early stages the optional questions may likely not be appropriate to ask, however, if you sense an opportunity to dive deeper then feel free to use the optional question.
Reflection & Response:
- Spiritual milk was described as the written word, the proclaimed word, and the incarnate word – which of the three do you experience the most, and which of the three would you like to desire more of?
- Spiritual growth results from being fed pure spiritual milk – what has your experiences growing in the faith looked like?
- Note: The sub questions are not included in the ‘cell content’ version. The sub questions are meant to help guide the conversation based on the demography of the group.
- Non-Christians – From when you first heard of Jesus up to today?
- New Christians – From when you first believed in Jesus up to today?
- Seasoned Christians – For the last 5-10 years of following Jesus up to today?
- Note: The sub questions are not included in the ‘cell content’ version. The sub questions are meant to help guide the conversation based on the demography of the group.
- How has pure spiritual milk affected the way you view and interact with the power and presence of sin?
- Note #1: Facilitators/Assistants – You may want to either define or ask the group to define: sin, the power of sin, and the presence of sin, before discussing question 3.
- Note #2: Facilitators/Assistants – You may want to start off in a big group for questions 1 and 2, then later break off into smaller groups that are gender based for question 3 and any optional questions you may want to ask.
Optional Questions:
- How have you experienced God sanctify you from the power of sin in your life?
- How have you experienced God sanctify you from the presence of sin in your life?
- What areas of life do you need God to save you from the power of sin?
- What areas of life do you need God to save you from the presence of sin?
- Among the written word (Bible), proclaimed word (Gospel message), and incarnate word, which do you crave most?
- Among the written word (Bible), proclaimed word (Gospel message), and incarnate word, which do you crave least?
- How might the cell help you seek Jesus for salvation in the things you shared in #3-4?
Witness
- Reminder: There will be a summer adult zone fellowship on August 25th at 12:45 – 3:00 in the multipurpose gym. Please sign up through the link: gcgcny.link/zonesignup
- 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 are 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 joint 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!
- Christmas EV: On Dec 20, 2024, we will be having our annual Christmas EV dinner evening. This year, worship ministry is heading up the annual Christmas EV dinner with dinner, and then a Worship EV night, headed up by Xiao. We are starting to gather interest in people who would like to help out with this event, and we would like to start early (August) in planning and preparing and working together to bring the vision of the Christmas EV dinner together.
- We want to offer many opportunities to serve for this evening for anyone who is interested in the roles:
- 1. Event planning team (Will meet 3-4 times to keep the organizing of the event on track and check in with how everything is going)
- 2. Worship EV planning team (Will meet once/twice a month for Aug/Sept to discuss and plan out the worship portion of the evening. Doesn’t have to be part of the actual worship team)
- 3. Worship team (Will meet during November/December at least 4 times to practice through the worship set)
- 4. Hosting Team (Greeters – Generally just greet and meet people and get to know new people and friends who come. Help seat people etc)
- 5. Hosting Team (Waiting – We’d like to have something more special and formal for everyone, so we’d like to have some people who want help wait and serve tables)
- 6. Food Team (Prepare/coordinate/work on food for the evening)