It's easy for cell groups to become disillusioned or discouraged about the task of reaching out in love.

Here is a powerful testimony of what can happen when we deliberately step out to hear the Spirit of God.

From Cells Church International:

Healthy cells pulsate with love

“Love your neighbour as yourself.” Matthew 22:39

When I was serving the Lord in Cairo, I referred to the cell groups of Maadi Community Church as “love gymnasiums”. I came to see that Spirit-filled small groups are ideal places where group members can safely practise the love of Christ on each other before practicing that love outside of the group, on their “neighbours” (the saved and unsaved).

Healthy cells resist the natural tendency to remain inward focussed with their love and are deliberate in maintaining a healthy balance in the life of their group by practising outward focused love exercises. These groups believe that practising a balanced love is critical to their health and development. In our small groups development training we exposed our trainees to “reaching-in” and “reaching-out” in love exercises. The following is a powerful testimony from a member of the church who was touched by God through his participation in a simple act of reaching-out in love during training. This person is Nick Truscott, presently serving on our CCI Team as Senior Associate Director. Nick says…

I finally succumbed to an invitation to join a small groups’ development course. During the training we were challenged to complete several reaching-out in love exercises. One particular exercise challenged us to minister to street cleaners in Maadi; serving them with a refreshing drink and presenting them with a small monetary gift in an envelope that was marked in Arabic “God loves you.” I didn’t have a particular street cleaner in mind, but on the day I set out and walked down Road 83. I chose an old, small guy I saw sweeping the road. I asked his name, served him with tea, made some small talk in my very bad Arabic, and gave the gift to him as I shook his right hand. With my left hand on his shoulder I prayed a simple prayer in English – thanking God for him, for the work he did – asking God to bless him and his family, and asked the Lord to use this task to teach me a life lesson.

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