15th MCCC #3 –The Cell Church History–Skyline SIB #dumcMY #fb #MCCC

Pastor Dr Philip Lyn, 10/06/2011

A. The Background to Skyline

Skyline is located in the beautiful in Kota Kinabalu in 2001. The mother church, SIB LIkas wanted to plant a church in the city. They located a resort hotel called Sutera Harbour. But the rental is too expensive even with a 50% discount. The hotel later contacted them and offered a small room.
It grew from 60 to approximately 650 in 10 years. There are 5 elders (policy), 3 executive pastors (operations), associate pastors (regional / national ministry.) The associate pastors were former senior pastors. They and their families are integrated in the church.


All the pastors are not paid, they are bi-vocational. This is not planned.

The hotel offered the church a 18,000 sqft space on an permanent lease.
Vision:

• Love God
• Make Disciples
• Transform Communities

Every member knows about it. It is also a process statements. Pastor Philip advised senior pastors to make vision statements simple, clear and directional.

Pastor Philip described Skyline SIB a simple church, (they don’t do what they are not called to do.

They don’t stretch themselves unnecessarily) a disciple-making church and a community transformational church.

The church is using cells as a means to an end. At the core, they are a cell church, their life is in the cell, if the cell dies, the church dies. In the journey, they are not always so, a few important things are NOT done through cells.

The greatest asset: sacrificial leaders and people.

The greatest challenge is time.

Their philosophy of approach: aim for wins. If they can achieve 80% using 50% of the time, it’s counted as a win. It’s not perfection, it’s something ranging from good, very good and excellent.
4 Stages

• Growth – 2001 to 2006
• Grind – 2007
• Gambit – 2008
• Germination – 2009 onwards

It is now how you start but how you end. Watch out for the New Restaurant Syndrome.
1. Rapid Growth
2. “Central” (Sunday) Growth
3. Capped Cell Growth
i. Cell basics were good but “f”
ii. Cell journey was comfortable but “non-r”
4. Cap on Time
i. Bi-vocational Time Cap
ii. Bi-vocational Time Map
Pastor Philip admitted he was naïve to think that being a pastor all about preaching good sermons. He now realized it has a lot more to do with being at the grass root level.

B. The Early Skyline Share of Cells (2001 to 2006)

1. Passive in Posture – they expect the church to grow the cells.
2. Organic in growth – not intentional.
3. Relational in dynamics  - cliques
4. Ad-hoc in leaders’ emergence
5. Minimalist in training
6. Variable in multiplication timeline – “take your time”

They were “Amoeba Cells.”

C. Problems of Old Cells (2007 to 2008)

However good the Sunday celebration is, if the cell groups are not doing well, there is a backdoor for people to leak out and the church loses its momentum.

It’s hard to get people to serve in the cell groups. When there is a momentum, we just need to give it a gentle push and it will roll in to correct direction.

Skyline is a pure English church. They started with 2 services in 2006. It stretched the bi-vocational people even more. Some Sunday people started to go on Saturday. The numbers did not grow too much. Some people attended both services and hence the small growth may not reflect actual growth in numbers.

No cells are eternal in existence.

1. Cell Life Crisis

In a cell, the members feel comfortable and they do not want to do anything anymore – ‘been there, done that.”

2. Leadership Crisis

Not enough new cell leaders. The exiting cell leaders are not keen to multiply and hence new leaders cannot be raised up. Or the leaders are complacent and this is contagious. Or the cell leader may have served a few years and it’s time to move on but because he / she is so emotionally connected he / she refused to let go.

3. Cell Morale Crisis

No new salvations. No excitement.

4. Church Growth Crisis

Affected by the lack of growth in cells.

5. Bottle-neck Crisis

The growth is stagnant. The momentum is lost.
It’s normal to feel tired. But we need to recognize that we can be tired both spiritually and physically.

D. The Transition to New (Finite) Cells

Asked God for fresh vision / vehicles and drivers.
Vision (2001 to 2008):
To proclaim God’s grace and reflect His Glory.
That’s changed into the new one in 2009. The new vision statement which doubles as a succinct mission statement changed the face of Skyline. The church became by calling a church with a declared passionate love for God, a disciple-making church and a community-transforming church.
Pastor Philip shared a quotation from John Maxwell, “Anybody can steer a ship but it takes a leader to navigate the course.”
How do they love God?

• Punctual on Sundays (KPI)
• Passionate in Worship
• Participate in Cell / Church (KPI)
• Purity in Life
• Prayer Life (KPI)
• People (Marriage, Parents).

The KPIs are there to help them know where they are, to compare to where they are going so they know what they need to do.
How do they make disciples?
Disciple-making is a certain kind of Person (ABC mentor), radically committed to a certain kind of Purpose (disciple making), who through a certain kind of Process (mentoring), reproduces a certain kind of Product (ABC Disciple). (Edmund Chan.)
ABC

• Authentic – transparent and readl – Word-based life
• Broken – Christ-centred Humility – prayer-filled life
• Courageous – faith and boldness – Spirit-empowered life

Mentoring is a finite relational journey with an agreed process of disciple-making (modeling, tutoring, empowering and guiding) between mentor and mentee so that the mentee becomes a Christ-mastered follower.
Disciple Convert > Disciple Learner > Disciple Servant (mentor a few) > Disciple Mentor
The Cell is a good place to start dssciple-making but it is not enough. Mentoring it required.
Mentor-Mentee paring (time frame is 18 to 24 months)
Word and Prayer (12 months) > Authenticity and Brokenness

1. Choose a book of the Bible each (60 days) – any book!
2. Read daily, journal, prepare Bible study, prepare sermon, memorize verses, apply.
3. Meet monthly. mentor / mentee share discoveries, application
4. Mentor shares pointers gives feedback encouragement.
5. Meet to pray, pray over phone, pray for each other, journal prayers and answers.
6. Attend prayer meeting regularly

Spirit and Faith (9 to 12 months) > Courage
If you want to grow a church, raise leaders. If you want to explode a church, multiply leaders.
With the new vision, Skyline also realize they need to resurrect the cells.
1. Why?

• Brought Freshness 
• Brought Outward focus
• Brought Mobilization
• Brought in New Leaders
• Brought in Finite Vibrant Cells
• Brought in Aligned Cells

2. What is a Finite Cell? Definition
A cell with

• a clearly define lifespan (10 months)
• A gathering of critical number of committed people
• Under committed leader(s)
• called to do new things

3. When?
By end 2008: Thought through new vision
4. How? Time frame (6 months)

Sep	SPO team discussed
Oct	Getting the “Buy-In” Basic tacks to convince the unconvinced
Nov	Let go some old leaders, invite New and interview
Dec	Zones / Cells, ZLs and CLs list finalized
Jan	Cell sign-up begins second week Jan to end Jan (4 weeks). Draw coded lots during service to determine times of registration. (Min 7, max 12. Cells are hungry to get members.)
Feb	Training of CLs / ZLs – not mechanical, emphasis is on cell life
Mar	Cell Life Begins
Dec	Cell Life Ends

5. How does it work?

i	Finite Lifespan	Months
ii	Leaders	S and invited
iii	Members	V Sign-ups
iv	Starting No	7-12. No r List
v	Dynamics	4
vi	Word	Sermon-based. Sermon notes on website

A. Momentum of the New Cells (2010)

1. Primed for big uptake
2. Primed to succeed
3. Primed to grow
4. Primed to relate
5. Primed to server
6. Primed to raise new leaders
7. Primed for momentum

B. The Future of Finite Cells

1. Number of Cells 2011 -
2. Types of cells: Worship, Workplace (June)
3. Number of new leaders raised
4. Percentage of Skyliners in Cells: 2010 87%  2011 93%
5. Percentage of Skyliners in Community 46% (2010)
6. Number of Visitors @ Easter Oikos
7. Ratio of Visitors / Skyliners @ Easter Oikos
8. Number of Decisions @ Easter 2011

1. Easier and smoother once implemented: Exciting!
2. Options still open:

• Keep doing the same way
• Extend life span
• Return to infinite cells later

3. Workplace Open Cells
There are 12 zones.

Community Work in SIB

4-fold strategy in the Sabah Interior Bumiputra

1. Next Generation
2. Education
3. Nutrition
4. Documentation

Core reasons for doing the project:

1. Strategic
2. Viable
3. Template-able
4. Transferable
5. In the four areas mentioned above

Take home points:

1. Cell s will work if Vision is clear and is SP-driven
2. Cells are people and people get tired, don’t be afraid of making changes – do it earlier rather than later.
3. Cells can’t do everything but it can do many things well: SP has to decide which things. (Disciple-making is partial. Deep counseling is not possible.)
4. If your cells are healthy & happy almost nothing hurts!