Interview with
Rev. Stephen Durie
"Home Group
Experience of Shatin Anglican Church"
Q 1: When and how did
the perceived need for home groups arise in Shatin Anglican
Church?
I came to Hong Kong nearly
eight years ago to be the first Pastor of Shatin Anglican
Church. During the first year I was here the church grew
rapidly from a classroom full of 40 or 50 people to a hall full
of around 220 people each week. Those who study church growth
patterns have long observed that there is an visible "barrier"
at around the 200 attendance mark which churches cannot pass
without a delegated structure of pastoral care and systematic
training of lay leaders to that end. As Ephesians 4:11-12
indicates the role of apostles and pastors is not to do the
works of ministry themselves but to prepare (or equip) God's
people for works of service (to do the works of ministry) so
that the Body of Christ may be built up. I realised from my
first year as a pastor here that if we were ever to break "the
200 barrier" we would need to develop a system of lay
shepherding.
It seemed to me that the
most biblical and natural way to delegate pastoral ministry and
leadership was through Home Cell Groups (other churches use
various systems, but this seemed the best) and the training of
Cell Leaders. This conviction was deeply confirmed when in
October 1992 I visited David Yongi Cho's Yoido Church in Korea
&endash; a remarkable local church in Seoul of hundreds of
thousands of members where the life and growth of the church is
based on fervent evangelistic prayer and Home Cell Groups.
At that time in 1992 I did
not realise that a Cell Church Movement was beginning to well
up which would sweep across Hong Kong and the globe in the
1990's. (Around 55 Cell Based Churches began in Hong Kong alone
in the early 1990's)
So I had a vision to lead a
Cell Group Based Church but didn't know how to do it or where
to begin. At that time we had about one quarter of the
congregation in "House Groups" which were an uncoordinated
collection of Bible study & fellowship groups.
Then in March 1994 I first
attended the International Conference on Cell Group Churches
hosted by Faith Community Baptist Church in Singapore. There I
first began to realise the relationship between Training and
Equipping every member, and the ministry of the Cell Leaders
and Groups. I also began to see how Cells could be Evangelistic
as well as Pastoral and the key concept of growth through a
vision for multiplication. Without a Vision for Growth through
Cell Multiplication (a "Vision of Division") the Cell Church is
ineffective. One problem for traditional "House Groups" is that
they have little or no vision to pay the price of
multiplication in order to develop more cells and leaders. By
nature, we resist growth, change, and separation.
In early 1993 our "Church
Committee" (Council) had decided "we should especially focus on
the development of Home Cell Groups as the basic structure for
evangelism, pastoral care and prayer in the Church". So on 16th
May 1993 I wrote an open letter to the congregation to explain
this vision to be a Home Cell Group Based Church. At that time
we had little idea what it would mean or what we were talking
about.
The progress has been slow
but deliberate as, over the past six years, we have gradually
sown the fundamental concepts and introduced some of the
practises of a Cell Group Based Church. I have intentionally
moved slowly in order to "take everyone along" and because it
can be extremely difficult to make the paradigm shift from
being a Program Based Church with some house groups to being a
Cell Church where the Cells are the Church.
There have been lots of
distractions and diversions in ministry along the way but
finally on 1st July 1999 we held a Leaders Retreat of 40 church
ministry and Cell Leaders who unanimously reaffirmed the vision
to be a Cell Group Based Church. Then over the weekend of
22nd-24th October we held a Church Camp where we again shared
the Vision to be a Cell Church and explained some of what it
would mean in practical terms.
Q 2:. What are the
various lines which make-up the various groups, i.e.
geographical consideration, common age groups, marital status,
group focus?
Before I arrived in December
1991, Shatin Church had four house groups meeting in the Shatin
area. As the church was made up almost entirely of expatriates
these groups were divided along geographic boundaries but were
fairly homogeneous culturally and racially.
Over the years we have
opened many cells, multiplied a few groups and have seen many
close due to emigration. It has been an extremely difficult and
at times frustrating challenge to grow cell groups in a
congregation which from 1992 to 1996 was half made up of
itinerant short term missionaries and contract workers. During
the first five years of the church's life we annually lost over
45% of members to emigration. This meant we focused a lot on
large evangelistic events just to keep up with the drain. It
was not unusual to set up a Cell Group, see it grow and then in
six months see it decimated by emigration. During this period,
a small hand-full of Cell Leaders were legendary in their
commitment to the Vision. Their faithfulness without much
support sustained me.
During 1995 & 1996 it
became clear that local English speaking Cantonese and other
overseas Chinese were making up an increasing number of the
congregation. This helped give more stability to the church
and, together with the pre 1997 exodus of mission agencies,
helped slow the "drain" and indigenise the church.
Today the church has 21 Cell
Groups and 5 Sunday School Classes. The Cells include 6 Youth
Cells and 3 Philippina Cells. Approximately seven cells have
over 15 members and will be eligible to multiply
soon.
Also today, cells are not
divided only along geographical boundaries but to some degree
by marital status, age, gender, culture and language as well.
Six cells are made up of teenagers, two speak Cantonese, one
speaks Putonghua, three speak Tagalog, five are mainly women's
groups, one is oriented to young professionals & students,
one is more British, some are mixed and so on. These divisions
have evolved naturally in the life of the church as "like
attracts like" and homogeneous groups reach out more
effectively.
Q 3: Regarding group
focus, could you elaborate on the activities, and sort of
curriculum, which has aided the various
groups?
The Cell Groups follow (with
varying degrees of attentiveness) "Home Cell Group Guide Notes"
which I prepare each week for the following week. The Cell
Guide is not a Bible Study. It follows four "W's": Welcome
(possibly an Icebreaker or a meal), Worship, Works and
Word.
The Works time is for
planning upcoming outreach events, prayer walks etc and for
listing and interceding for non-Christian friends.
The Word time involves
reflection on some discussion questions which follow the Sunday
Sermon and Scriptures and are designed to help members
understand and apply the message in their own lives. At present
we are following a pattern of alternating "Evangelistic Cell"
meetings in which we are using Alpha in most of the Cells and
"Edification Cells" in which we focus on the four
"W's".
Q 4: Approximately,
what percentage of church members belong to a home group at
present, how faithful is attendance among the various home
groups, and is there much variance from group to group in terms
of faithfulness in attendance and growth in terms of both
numerical growth and spiritual growth?
Today our average Sunday
attendance is around 235, occasionally reaching highs of 280.
At the same time there are roughly 240 people regularly
attending cells and Sunday School. (Now swollen to 260 or 270
by our running "Alpha" in Cells) So at present we have more
people attending cells than attend the Sunday Service each
week. However some cell members attend no church service (are
not Christians) and some (most among the Youth) attend other
churches. This means there are a few who attend the church
service on Sunday who are not in cells. The number is low at
about 20 or 30. About 95% of the 100+ people who are on the
various Sunday ministry rosters are in Cell Groups. Attendance
in all cells typically averages 80% of members. The Youth Cells
are the fastest growing numerically. Spiritual growth is hard
to generalize but has been very significant in the
Cells.
Q 5: How are the home
groups led, i.e. by one leader for the duration, leader for a
term, frequent rotating or shared leadership among individuals
in the home group; and the role of the leader in the home
group?
Home Cell Groups are led by
a leader appointed by the Pastor. We are planning to provide
Cell Leader training. There is one leader for the Cell. An
Intern Leader is appointed early on in the life of the Cell to
ensure a smooth transition when the cell multiplies later. In
theory, there is close support and supervision of Cell Leaders
by lay Supervisors who oversee approx. three cells and by the
Pastor. We are just starting to appoint these Supervisors. At
all costs I have struggled to overcome the fallacy that says
"Oh we have no leader in our group &endash; we are all equal".
Good Leadership is about service with authority and is an
essential biblical requirement for healthy church life. Where
existing fellowships have been "transitioned" into Cell Groups
I have used the Acts 6 model of lay nomination followed by
prayerful Apostolic appointment as a way to select
leaders.
A cell leader maybe male or
female but they need the support and "release" of their partner
to do it.
The Leader is encouraged to
multiply others' opportunities for ministry by delegating
leadership of various parts of the meeting (eg. The Icebreaker,
Worship, Word, special events, individual follow up, pastoral
care etc). But this needs to be done under the Cell Leader's
oversight and according to the gifts of the members. The Cell
Leader is responsible for the Cell Group as their shepherd and
is always the one with whom "the buck stops". He or she is
appointed by and under the authority of the Pastor. The Pastor
may close a Cell Group down if it becomes unhealthy or fails to
develop over several years. We have never done this.
Q 6: Please give us an
accounting of the impact of home groups on the Shatin Church
and their core role in the life of the
church?
Today the impact is
enormous. The Cells are the Church. Most ministry and growth
takes place in cells and in relationship with other Cell
Members. Their core roles are evangelism and edification (which
includes pastoral care), in that order. From this year on, new
comers to the church cannot join ministries (such as teaching,
worship leading etc) unless they first join a cell.
Q 7: Do the various
home groups ever hold joint activities? If so, could you please
list some examples?
Cell Groups occasionally
hold joint meetings for example for a reunion a few months
after multiplying a cell into two. We have also had various
joint cell activities for fun and outreach (eg. Carols by
Candle and Campfire, Sunday Lunch etc). In theory, all Cells
belong to a Zone, which meets as a "Congregation" from time to
time. We have three Zones at present: Youth, Philippinas and
Evening Cells. In future we hope to add Cantonese speaking and
geographical zones. Our Sunday Service or "Celebration" is
considered to be a joint cell activity. This is part of the
"paradigm shift" involved in becoming a Cell Based
Church.
Q 8: What is the model
or models for the home group at Shatin
Church?
I have been influenced by
"Yoido Church" in Korea which focuses on prayer in Cell
Meetings; by "Faith Community Baptist Church" in Singapore
which uses Dr. Ralph Neighbor's Cell Structure, (4 W's) and by
Larry Stockstill's "Bethany World Prayer Centre" in the USA
which alternates "Evangelism" and "Edification" cells. For an
overview of various Cell Church Models and the principles they
have in common see Joel Comiskey's book "Home Cell Group
Explosion" 1998 Touch Publications.
Q 9: Would there be a
place for interaction between the home groups of Shatin Church
and Community Church? Have the home groups of Shatin Church
ever held joint activities with the home groups of another
church?
No, we have never held joint
activities with the cell groups of another church. Joint church
activities could be meaningful however we are anxious not to
overload our otherwise busy members with extra
events.
Q 10: Do the various
home groups meet weekly, do they share a meal together, and how
long do the meetings last? What day of the week do they usually
meet and what time, ie in the evening, starting at what
time?
Home Cells meet weekly. Some
share a meal, some don't. Leadership styles vary a lot from
group to group. Meetings last between one hour and four hours
depending on the group.
Two and a half hours are
recommended with flexibility for people to stay and chat longer
if need be.
An Alpha evening takes 3_
hours if you go by the recommended program. For most cells the
first W tends to be "Waiting" (for everyone to arrive). A wise
Cell Leader will try to start on time even if not everyone is
there yet. Cells meet whenever they like. Most meet Thursday,
Friday & Saturday evenings or Sunday after church. Starting
time for evening groups varies Western groups with children
involved tend to start earlier. Most groups start between 7
& 8 pm. I recommend "pot lunch" dinner at 7:00 and start
the meeting at 7:45 pm.
Q 11: For life in Hong
Kong, what is your perception of the need and relevance of home
groups for Christians?
Home Cell Groups are needed
and relevant for everyone. They are the Church in the
Community. People need a basic Christian community where they
receive support, counsel, encouragement, opportunities to grow,
moral support in outreach and family life etc.
Cells not only provide the
basic structure for Church Growth (numerically and
spiritually), but they allow for diversity in the Body, and
provide an extended family and accountability in Christian
life. Like anything worth doing they require serious loving
commitment and it may take several years before you see the
fruit.
Our kind and sincere thanks to Rev. Durie for his generosity
in sharing his experience and that of the Shatin Anglican
Church with us at Community Church of Hong Kong. We too at CCHK
are endeavoring to grow and nurture our church via groups and
are exploring various models. We currently have the following
groups:
"Spiritual Literacy" at 9:30 A.M.
(Sunday) beginning Jan. 23;
"Alpha Plus" at 6:45 P.M. (Monday)
beginning Jan. 24
"Disciples II" at 7:30 P.M.
(Wednesday) beginning Jan 26
"Paul's Prison Epistles" at 12:45
P.M. (Thursday) beginning Jan. 27
Please access our
programme page
for details of how to
enrol