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| Like cells in our body multiply and cluster together, the cells that Section Overseers have planted are integrated into one cell-based church. • Christians at Jerusalem gathered in the temple and in hundreds or thousands of homes but belong to one church, the church in Jerusalem, and operated as one integrated network of believers led by a council. 1. One coherent movement of cells Two key principles in confederating sections and cells as one coherent movement in a local church are: • Following God's appointment of governmental leadership for the Church, and • Honoring Christ as the 'head over all things to the church'. a. Following God's appointment God calls some people to be vision carriers for a specific mission. • Moses, Joshua, Gideon, David, Nehemiah, Peter, Paul, and many others were called and anointed to lead His people to fulfill specific missions. God has designed for His Church to be led by fivefold ministers. • God has given fivefold ministers as governmental leaders and anointed them to rally His people and to train them for spiritual ministry and advancing His global move (see Ephesians 4:11-16). A cell-based church fulfils one vision and is directed by a vision carrier. • All members, Interns, Cell Leaders, Section Overseers, and Pastors share the same vision and flow with the same anointing. The vision carrier establishes the vision with a fivefold governmental council. • Outreach director (with the office of an evangelist) oversees evangelism of the church to the community and the progress of the crowd. • Worship director (with the office of a prophet) oversees worship and maintains spiritual atmosphere of the church. • Membership director (with the office of a pastor) oversees the membership growth in cells and in the congregation. • Equipping director (with the office of a teacher) oversees trainings and the progress of the committed. • Ministry director (with the office of an apostle) oversees development of the core, planting of cells and development of sections. • All the networks of cells come under the leadership of the vision carrier and the fivefold governmental council. b. Consulting God's direction Christ is the head over all things to the church' (see Ephesians 1:22-23). • It is from the Head that all parts of the body is nourished and knit together (see Colossians 2:19). When members of a church are consulting the Lord, hearing Him instructing them how to minister, the entire membership will stay coherent. • Decisions pertaining to the vision and ministries must be made with consulting the Holy Spirit, even in corporate fasting and fervent prayer (see Acts 13:1-3). • God initiates a call and He moves the hearts of members to accomplish it. The Jerusalem Council convened and made decisions with the following steps: • Considering the matter, • Discussing in detail, • Bearing testimony to it, • Examining the Scripture, and • The apostle making the final decision. The vision carrier leads the fivefold governmental council in decision making. • He has the final authority, not an absolute authority, in leading the council. • He and the council members are mutually accountable to one another. Decisions are made with respect of the spiritual gifts available in the church. And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues (1 Corinthians 12:28 NKJV). • The apostle implements a vision from God. • The prophet discerns God's directions as the vision is implemented. • The teacher keeps the ministry development biblically sound and correct. • Those with the gift of administration recommend natural expertise and solutions for the best results. • Those with the ministry of tongues intercede for the vision as it is established. 2. Commissioning of Section Overseers Spiritual multiplication will take place when a church can commission many Section Overseers who can mentor disciples to fulfill the Great Commission. • A church is as strong as its core of ministering Christians who have seriously laid down their lives for the Great Commission. Section Overseers are the ministering Christians, the core-workers, and partners of the vision. • Church members of the core level produce the cycle of winning the community, drawing the crowd, building the congregation, and training the committed Section Overseers are spiritual leaders and should be spiritually mature and fit. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business (Acts 6:3 NKJV). • The seven were chosen to 'serve' (Gk: diakonein, means to serve. See verse 2). A deacon (Gk: diakonous, is literally 'a servant or a minister') is a ministering Christian, recognized in a local church. • Section Overseers, as ministering Christians recognized in a church should be people of good reputation, led by the Spirit, and of wisdom. • 'Good reputation' refers to godly conduct rather than just being famous. a. Having good reputation Section Overseers should have the qualities required of a ministering deacon (see 1 Timothy 3:8-13). • God fearing (reverent), • Honest in words (not double-tongued), • Self control (not given to much wine), • Pure motivation (not greedy for money), and • Good conscience (holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience). A Section Overseer who is married must be… • Faithful to his wife (husband of one wife) or husband, and • A good father (ruling his children well) or mother, • A good provider (ruling his own house well) or a good homemaker. • A Section Overseer who is a single person must have good moral conduct and self-discipline. A married male Section Overseer should have a God-fearing wife, who is… • Wise and positive in her speech (not slanderer), • Pleasantly tempered (temperate), and • Dependable (faithful in all things). • Likewise, a married female Section Overseer should have a wise, temperate and faithful husband. b. Being led by the Holy Spirit Stephen and Philip, who among the seven deacons, were 'full of the Holy Spirit' and they could minister with signs and wonders (see Acts 6:8; 8:7). • Being 'full of the Holy Spirit' means one walks in the Holy Spirit and is spiritually competent. Section Overseers conduct Christian living by walking in step with the Holy Spirit. • To 'walk in the Spirit' (see Galatians 5:16 NKJV) means to 'live by the Spirit' (see NIV). It is conducting your Christian living by consulting the Holy Spirit, to know and to live in the will of God. To 'walk in the Spirit' is to be 'led by the Spirit' (see Galatians 5:18 NKJV) or to be 'directed by the Holy Spirit' (see NLT). It is to 'keep in step with the Spirit' (see Galatians 5:25 NIV) or 'follow the Holy Spirit's leading in every part of our lives' (see NLT). • Walking in the Spirit enables you to fulfill the righteous requirement of God's law (see Galatians 5:16; Romans 8:3b-4). As you yield to the Holy Spirit, God puts the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit on your character (see Galatians 5:22-23). • By walking in the Spirit you receive the life of God (see Romans 8:6) and inherit the kingdom of God, which is to manifest His kingly presence through your life (see Galatians 5:16-26). Section Overseers who walk in the Spirit are spiritually competent, able to operate his spiritual senses and minister with God's power. • Paul understood that preaching and making intercession were serving God with his spirit (see Romans 1:9), his inward man (see 2 Corinthians 4:16). Your regenerated spirit is able to: worship (see John 4:24), pray (see 1 Corinthians 14:14), sing (see 1 Corinthians 14:15), bless (see 1 Corinthians 14:16), sigh (see Mark 7:33-34), groan (see John 11:33), be troubled (see John 13:21), be provoked (see Acts 17:16-17), be constrained (see Acts 18:5), and see (see Ephesians 1:18; Revelation 3:18). • When your spiritual senses are trained, you can discern the nine manifestation of the Holy Spirit and minister to people (see 1 Corinthians 12:8-10). c. A person of wisdom 'Full of wisdom' means giving yourself to wisdom. • Moses chose people who possessed spiritual knowledge, understanding, and wisdom to be responsible for all levels of spiritual leadership (see Deuteronomy 1:15). A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel (Proverbs 1:5 NKJV). • Wisdom starts with God's Word. The better you know God's Word, the more you will begin to see life from God's viewpoint. Once you can see things from God's perspective, you gain biblical conviction. Knowledge gives understanding and wisdom (see Proverbs 3:19-20). • People who seek after wisdom can give good influence out of their good hearts (see Matthew 12:34). Giving leadership to people who seek after wisdom will help to develop a culture of seeking knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. • Solomon pleased God so much because he asked for 'an understanding heart to judge' His people even in his dream (see 1 Kings 3:9). 'An understanding heart' literally means 'a hearing heart'. It is the ability to understand how people truly feel, to anticipate response and reaction, to judge strength and weaknesses, and to motivate people. With an understanding heart Section Overseers can understand the disciples and give appropriate mentoring. |
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