What are the principles of the consolidation?
The fundamental principles of the consolidation are:
1. Show the benefits of belonging to God’s family.
It's imperative that each new believer understand that church is a spiritual family and that belonging to it will bring protection, provision, formation, help in difficult times and growth in their lives. Many new people arrive with a mistaken concept of family because of the wounds produced there, but when they arrive at church they must get that acceptance, forgiveness and love that they didn't get in their main family. Church must be understood first as a family where people can feel safe.
“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.”
(1 John 4:7 NIV)
2. Show interest in the needs of people:
Be Interested in the needs of a new person gives us possibility to lead this person. We will never be able to pastor someone that we don’t love and we’re not truly invested in. To be able to do this, we need to love each person with God’s love that is unconditional and doesn’t depend on the other person’s behavior. We must never have secret agendas or wrong motivations when pastoring someone, only be interested in the wellbeing of this person, because the calling to serve God will happen in due time for each person.
Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds
Proverbs 27:23 (NIV)
3. Offer companionship to the new believers:
God created us to live in community and surrounded by friends, not as independent beings. The consolidation looks for each new believer to find a group of friends of their same gender and similar activities so they can grow up in their new life with Jesus. Youth must be with the young people, couples with the couples, men, women, even kids and teenagers must find a cell group where their friendship needs are met.
"James, Cephas and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised."
Galatians 2:9 NIV
4. Water the seed that has been planted:
Each word that is shared in the cell group each preaching at church, prayer times, each visit, each phone call, each convention, each advice talk that is carried out with the new believer has as purpose to water that seed that was sown in them and make it grow up until you see the fruit in the character of the person that we have won for Jesus.
“The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.”
(1 Corinthians 3:8 NIV)
5. Teach Christ, his love, and the abundant life he has to offer:
It’s important for the new believer to renew his mind and believe that God’s love has provided in Jesus’ sacrifice the answer for each and every one of their needs, be it physical, spiritual, emotional or financial. Many people come with the concept of a distant God that takes pleasure in watching people suffer when the gospel is about something entirely different, a loving God that looks for us and wants our wellbeing.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
(John 10:10 NIV)
6. Make everyone conscious of their decision for Christ:
The people that have received Jesus never dimension the abundant riches they have received when accepting Jesus. Many believe that only some problems have been solved, but it’s our duty that through cell groups and our relationship with them we let them know of all the benefits and responsibilities they have received when accepting Jesus in their lives as their lord and savior.
To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.
Colossians 1:27-28 NIV
7. Involve people in church activities:
Church must focus its activities in those that provide growth to the new believer such as cell groups and life class. These two activities will give growth and strength to the new believers and leaders should push forward to involve their disciples in this two fundamental activities in the work of the vision.
You might also be interested in: What is a cell group?
You might also be interested in: What is life class?
"not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
Hebrews 10:25 NIV
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