The cell group is a form of church organization that is used in many Christian churches. Cell groups are generally intended to teach the Bible and personalize Christian fellowship. They are always used in cell churches, but also occur in parachurch organizations and other interdenominational settings, where they are usually referred to as such as Bible study groups. In Methodism, they are known as class meetings and are a means of grace; in Catholicism, they are known as basic ecclesial communities.
The cell group differs from the house church in that the group is part of an overall church congregation, whereas the house church is a self-contained congregation.
Terminology
The term cell group is derived from biology: the cell is the basic unit of life in a body. In a metaphorical sense, just as a body is made up of many cells that give it life, the cell church is made of cell groups that give it life.
These groups are known by a variety of other names, including life groups, small groups, home groups, classes or class meetings (used historically in Methodism) and fellowship groups.
Colin Marshall uses the term growth group, suggesting that the aim is for group members to "grow in Christ", and, through the group, for the gospel to "grow and bear fruit."
Another term, typically employed in Missional Communities, is huddle. This refers to a small group in which discipleship is emphasized and in which membership is by invitation only.
History
Christian Bible
David Hunsicker points out that while house churches are mentioned in the New Testament, the institution of a "well-organized, structured church" resulted in the decline of the small home groups.
Radical Reformation
The concept was resurrected at the time of the Radical Reformation and "Ulrich Zwingli inadvertently pushed the Anabaptists in the direction of small groups when he started meeting with a small gathering of men who were interested in learning New Testament Greek. The concept of small groups was revived again in the late seventeenth century by Anthony Horneck in Great Britain and Philipp Jacob Spener in Germany.
Pietistic Lutheranism
Philipp Jakob Spener published his Pia Desideria in 1675 and laid out his program for the pietistic revival of the Lutheran Church, emphasising the use of small groups. He suggested the reintroduction of "the ancient and apostolic kind of church meetings," held "in the manner in which Paul describes them in 1 Corinthians 14:26–40." Spener goes on to suggest: This might conveniently be done by having several ministers (in places where a number of them live in a town) meet together or by having several members of a congregation who have a fair knowledge of God or desire to increase their knowledge meet under the leadership of a minister, take up the Holy Scriptures, read aloud from them, and fraternally discuss each verse in order to discover its simple meaning and what- ever may be useful to the edification of all. Anybody who is not satisfied with his understanding of a matter should be permitted to express his doubts and seek further explanation. On the other hand those (including the ministers) who have made progress should be allowed the freedom to state how they understand each passage. Then all that has been contributed, insofar as it accords with the sense of the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures, should be carefully considered by the rest, especially by the ordained ministers, and applied to the edification of the whole meeting.
Methodism
Influenced by Pietistic Lutheran conventicles, John Wesley took on the concept of small groups, and has been called the "Father" of the modern small-group concept. Wesley encouraged different kinds of small groups to develop, so that both leaders and members of the Methodist societies could receive support and challenge in their faith. He formed class meetings to "bring small numbers of people together (usually twelve) to pray, read the Bible and listen to exhortations, and to encourage and enjoy each other's company." Specifically, the format of the class meeting is described as follows:
Class meetings, in Methodist theology (inclusive of the holiness movement), are a means of grace for one's sanctification. Louisa Thomas writes, with regard to Methodist class meetings, that: