Indian Connection

I want to introduce you to Sanjay. He is one of the pastors who is in our International Cell Church Prayer network. He has a growing new ministry in Bangalore India.
The following are his faith vision goals for his ministry for 2009. I hope you will take time to pray for this new ministry.


1) God Has given me the vision for India… Before I die I want to see India called a Christian nation.
2) I have a vision for the perishing souls, especially for the young ones.
3) I have a vision to start an orphanage to become “Somebody” for those considered “Nobodies.”
4) I have a vision to start a Bible College to reach out to the unreached.
5) I have vision to build so many churches to worship the “True & Awesome” God.

Current Prayer Request

1) Pray for church growth that many new believers would be added to the church.
2) Pray for Outreach Ministry on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s.
3) Pray for the Hospital Ministry on Saturday’s.
4) Pray for the Bible College Teaching Ministry on Monday’s and Wednesday’s.
5) Pray for the Strength of God during the time of Persecutions.
6) Pray for the City of Bangalore which desperately needs the mercy of God, where in within 26 days of this 16 people got murdered, we do not want any innocent blood to be shed. This brings the curse of God upon the cities. We are Praying God to break that Yoke.
7) Pray for our Government which is anti-Christian.
8) Pray the unstated prayer requests.

Pastor Mudalgi’s e-mail address is sanjay_mudalgi@yahoo.co.uk if you’d like to communicate with him and encourage him.



The cell group of Matt Jones has adopted this pastor and recently was asked by him to pick a name for his ministry. They suggested Cornerstone Church of Christ which he liked and will have a naming ceremony on August 2nd.

Another Life Transformed for God's Glory

To lead a person to Christ is about the biggest honor and greatest adventure a person could experience. I had the honor and privilege to lead Dave to Christ on Nov 5th 2008. He followed this decision in baptism and faithfully attends my cell group with his wife Crystal who also followed the Lord in baptism. Below you can see the outline he used as he shared his testimony on January 4th 2009.

DAVID COOPER’S TESTIMONY

HI, MY NAME IS DAVE COOPER I HAVE JUST RECENTLY GIVEN MY LIVE TO

CHRIST AND BAPTIZED HERE AT ALLEN MEMORIAL. PASTORS BILL AND

MIKE WANTED ME TO SHARE MY TESTIMONY WITH THE CHURCH. THE

OLD ME WANTED TO SAY “NO!” BUT THE NEW ME WANTED TO SAY “YES!”,

SO I SAID “WHY, WHAT COULD I HAVE TO SAY THAT PEOPLE COULD WANT

TO HEAR?” THEY SAID THAT MY TESTIMONY IS A POWERFUL ONE THAT

COULD POSSIBLY HELP SOMONE ELSE FIND AND ACCEPT CHRIST INTO

THEIR LIFE. ALL THAT I HAVE TO DO IS ANSWER 3 QUESTIONS:

I. WHAT WAS MY LIFE LIKE BEFORE CHRIST?

II. HOW I MET CHRIST AND MADE THE DECISION TO INVITE HIM INTO MY LIFE?

III. WHAT HAS MY LIFE BEEN LIKE SINCE I ACCEPTED CHRIST IN MY LIFE?

· WHAT WAS MY LIFE LIKE BEFORE CHRIST?

I WAS BORN IN 1978
MY DAD WAS INCARCERATED BY 1981
MY MOTHER DIED OF HODGKINS DISEASE ON MAY 15, 1985 WHICH PUT ME IN TO THE CARE OF AUNT AND UNCLE.
THEY GAVE UNDYING LOVE,DEVOTION AND SUPPORT
MY ANSWER TO THEIR GIVING WAS ANGER, LIES AND DECEIT

· HURTING THE ONLY FAMILY I HAD LEFT
· MOVING AROUND LIVING WITH OTHER FAMILYS FOR ABOUT 7 YEARS
· WITH ONE FAMILY I MET WHO IS NOW MY WIFE CRYSTAL
· CRYSTAL HAD LEFT ME ONCE, UNABLE TO HANLDE MY LIFE STYLE
· VIOLENCE,AGGRESSION, DRUGS, ALCOHOL, AND ALL THE PARTYING I HAD DONE
o AGAIN I WAS ALONE

o I LATER MOVED IN WITH A CHRSTIAN FAMILY WHILE LIVING THERE:
· THEY TRIED TO GUIDE ME TO CHRIST
· I WOULD NOT OPEN MY HEART TO HIM
· I RECONNECTED WITH CRYSTAL
· WE SOON MARRIED HAD A CHILD AND MOVED BACK TO THE EASTERNSHORE

o BY COMING HOME I FACED ALL THE PROBLEMS I HAD LEFT BEHIND AGAIN
· CRYSTAL SHOWED ME LOVE AND SUPPORT
· NEVER LEAVING MY SIDE
· WITH HER HELP I CONQUERED MY PROBLEMS
· I WAS STARTING A NEW LIFE

WHICH BRINGS ME TO THE SECOND QUESTION.
· HOW I MET CHRIST AND MADE THE DECISION TO INVITE HIM INTO MY LIFE?

· NOW I WAS TRYING TO LIVE HONESTLY
· UNABLE TO FIND LEGITAMITE WORK
· WITH NO MONEY ABOUT TO LOSE EVERYTHING
o BUT IT FELT GOOD DEEP DOWN
· I STARTED ANOTHER MY JOURNEY TO FIND CHRIST

o SUSAN WHITE, A FRIEND OF THE FAMILY HAD TOLD ME SHE HAD ATTENDED A WONDERFUL CHURCH AND THOUGHT I MIGHT LIKE IT

· SO MY FAMILY ANDI CAME TO ALLEN MEMORIAL
· THIS WAS MY THE FIRST TIME IN CHURCH IN 9 YEARS
· AND I LOVED IT
o WE LISTENED TO A GREAT SERMON AND RECEIVED AN OUTSTANDING WELCOME IN THE WELCOME CENTER
· IN THE WELCOME CENTER WE WERE INTRODUCED TO A CONCEPT CALLED CELL GROUPS
· WITH THE WAY IT WAS EXPLAINED TO US WE COULDN’T RESIST ATTENDING ONE
· THE CELL LEADER TREATED US LIKE WE WERE FAMILY
· WELCOMED US INTO HIS HOME
· WE ALL TALKED ABOUT THE CURRENT LESSON
· THEN HE TOOK THE TIME TO LISTEN TO OUR PROBLEMS
· OFFEERED TO HELP IN ANYWAY HE COULD
o THIS MAN DIDN’T KNOW ME BUT HE ALREADY CARED AND MY FAMILY AND I WERE TOUCHED
o LATER THE NEXT WEEK I CAME INTO SOME MORE FINANCIAL COCNCERNS
· I CAME TO TALK TO PASTOR MIKE TO SEEK GUIDANCE
· AFTER TALKING ABOUT MY SITUATION HE ASKED IF I HAD GIVEN MY LIFE TO CHRIST.
· I SAID MY WIFE HAD BUT I FELT UNWORTHY DUE TO MY PAST.
o HE GUIDED ME THROUGH THE STEPS TO PEACE WITH GOD
· EXPLAINING NO ONE IS UNWORHTY
· WE JUST AREN’T AWARE THAT JESUS DIED ON THE CROSS TO FORGIVE US FOR OUR SINS
· NO MATTER WHAT WE DO THE LORD LOVES US
· WE JUST HAVE TO RESPOND TO HIS OFFER OF FORGIVENESS

ON NOVEMBER 5TH 2008 I ASKED THE LORD TO COME INTO MY LIFE AND FORGIVE ME AND TO HELP ME THROUGHOUT THE REST OF MY LIFE.

WHICH THEN LED HIM TO ASK ME IF I HAD GIVEN MY LIFE TO CHRIST? I

TOLD HIM MY WIFE HAD ALREADY COMMITED HER LIFE TO CHRIST BUT I

HAD NOT BECAUSE I FELT UNWORTHYBECAUSE OF MY PAST. HE WAS

PROMPTED AT THIS TIME TO GUIDE ME THROUGH THE STEPS TO PEACE

WITH GOD. HE EXPLAINED TO ME THAT NOONE IS UNWORHTY OF THE

LORD’S LOVE. THEY ARE JUST NOT KNOWLEDGEABLE TO FACT THAT HE

DIED ON THE CROSS TO FORGIVE US FOR OUR SINS AND NO MATTER

WHAT WE DO THE LORD LOVES US WE JUST HAVE TO RESPOND TO HIS

OFFER OF FORGIVENESS. ON NOVEMBER 5TH, 2008 I ASKED THE LORD TO

COME INTO MY LIFE.

· WHAT HAS MY LIFE BEEN LIKE SINCE I ACCEPTED CHRIST IN MY LIFE?


NOW A BORN AGAIN CHRISTIAN I HAVE HAD A LOT GOOD THINGS COME

INTO MY LIFE:

a) I HAVE GOTTEN THROUGH MY A LOT OF PROBLEMS THE RIGHT WAY

b) MY LIFE NOW IS HAPPIER THAN EVER FOR THESE REASONS

i) MY DAUGHTER AND HAD I NEVER REALLY CONNECTED BEFORE AND NOW WE ARE INSEPERABLE. I CAN TRULY FEEL HER LOVE TOWARDS ME.

ii) THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MY WIFE AND I COULD NEVER BE BETTER

iii) I AM FINALLY COMING INTO A SOMEWHAT MORE STABLE BUT LEGITIMATE FINANCIAL STATE

iv) I WENT ON AN ENCOUNTER WITH OTHER MEN LIKE ME AND RECEIVED A CLEANSING AND FRIENDSHIPS I COULD NEVER HAVE IMAGINED

v) I NOW ALSO HAVE INNER PEACE AND AM GRATEFUL FOR THE DIRECTION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO NOW LIVES IN ME.

vi) THE BIGGEST HELP NOW IS MY NEW WONDERFUL AND MUCH LARGER FAMILY THIS CHURCH. I ALSO HAVE A NEW FRIENDSHIP AND INTIMACY THRU MY CELL GROUP.THIS ALL HAS HELPED GET THROUGH MY RECENT PROBLEMS. FOR THAT I THANK YOU ALL BECAUSE WITH OUT YOUR PRAYERS, HELP, AND LOVE I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE IT THIS FAR

I APPRECIATE ALL THE LOVE CHRIST HAS BROUGHT INTO MY LIFE AND I

WILL NEVER SECOND GUESS THE ALMIGHTY POWER AND LOVE OF THE

LORD JESUS CHRIST.

Cell Insights for Growth
Week #1
Cell Groups are a Big Priority to God


If you are like me perhaps this thought has crossed your mind. “I’m just a cell leader.” Can I be the first to tell you that there is no such thing as being “just a cell leader.” In the eyes of God cells are a “Big Priority.”

God created all of us with a desire for community. This connecting with one another is essential because we were created to work together. Just look at the writings of Paul and you’ll see over and over again the term “the body of Christ.” Paul showed us how we are all interdependent and how no part could survive on its own.

1 Cor 12:21 (NCV) The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the foot, "I don't need you!"

Living a life of isolation has damaging results. Listen to this quote by Phil Zambaro a Stanford University professor, who writes,

“I know of no more potent killer than isolation. There is no more destructive influence on the physical health than isolation of you from me and us from them. It has been known to be the central agent in the etiology of depression, paranoid schizophrenia, rape, suicide, mass murder, and a wide variety of diseases.”

It has been said that our hunger for relationships is a key distinction of our humanity. Small group experts Bill Donahue and Russ Robinson write,

“God created us with a ‘communal gene,’ an inborn, intentional, inescapable part of what it means to be human.”

This explains why cell groups are so important to us at Allen and not just a ministry option. Think about this, people don’t just come to church to satisfy a spiritual itch. They come internally wired with a desire to “Connect.” What better way is there to satisfy this desire and need to connect than through an effective, growing and multiplying cell group.

This year as you learn to lead a cell group where people move from isolation to connection, from loneliness to love, recognize you are involved in one of the greatest ventures on the face of this planet. Your cell group is a “Big Priority” to God.

My prayer is that your cell will experience real biblical fellowship in 2009. Chuck Swindoll describes what happens when real biblical fellowship occurs. He says, “Fences come down. Masks come off. Welcome signs are hung outside the door. Keys to the doors of our lives are duplicated and distributed. Joys and sorrows are shared.”

Insight for Week #1
Your cell is a “big priority” to God!

Take time to thank God for the opportunity He has given you to be involved in a cell group. Determine to become with God’s help the best cell leader you can possibly be! Thank you for your hard work and diligence.

2008 in Review

Christmas 2008
Dear Family and Friends,
Greetings in the wonderful Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who’s birth we prepare to celebrate once again! It is so hard to believe that yet another year is almost gone. Since we cannot be with you, we wanted to give you just a little update on our lives this past year.

Michael and I have had a very busy year at Allen, and since we moved to our new building in Oct. 2007 we have seen tremendous growth. Many people have given their hearts to Jesus and people are being radically changed and transformed, and this is why we do what we do! We hosted a cell conference here in October with Joel Comiskey, the “guru” of cell church movement, and Michael has become one of Joel’s leading “go-to” people for pastors wishing to transition their congregations to a cell church model. This is not only here in the States, but globally, and as a result, Michael, myself and two others from our congregation are going to Hyderabad, India in March 2009 for two weeks to train a pastor there and his eight house churches in the cell church model and to encourage the body of believers there. We are so excited! We will also hopefully be going to Pakistan in either late 2009 or some time in 2010 to do the same with another pastor in Faisalabad that Michael is mentoring in cell church development.

Michael and I are now very proud grandparents of three grandchildren with another one on the way. Daniel and Stephanie’s son, Daniel Wayne, was born on Aug. 10th; Chris and Alma’s daughter, Evangeline Elizabeth was born on Sept. 11th, and our first grandbaby, Audrey Elizabeth, is already 16 months old and Mark and Callie are expecting their second in May. We were able to spend a week in Ohio in late October and stayed with Mark, Callie and Audrey. We had a fantastic time spoiling the grandbabies with early Christmas presents, and seeing all five of Michael’s sons, his mom and step-dad and his dad and step-mom, as well as Tom, Stephanie, Jen, Nick, Aubrey and Alexis. It was so wonderful to be with family again!

We took three days and went to up-state New York to visit Daniel and Stephanie two weeks after “Baby Dan” was born and that was such a treat! We also spent a fabulous and very relaxing week in Ninety-Six, SC with Michael’s dad and step-mom in their beautiful new home on a really neat golf course that runs along Greenwood Lake. They tired of the hurricanes in Naples, FL and relocated to South Carolina, and we are glad that they are much closer to us now.

I wish we had been able to see Doug, Denise and Erika, but there just wasn’t enough time or
days off to go to Connecticut this year. I sure miss my “baby brother!” Douglas Bradford is a freshman at New Mexico Highlands University and hoping to play football. He wants to get into law enforcement after college unless he makes a pro-football team, which would not surprise me at all! We also got to do two weekend getaways with our dear friends, Kip and Sharon, to Lancaster County, PA and of course did some major damage in the Amish furniture department! We are already planning to go back again next year.

I hate to admit it, but Michael and I have become “Wii” fanatics too! And much to Michael’s chagrin, I remain undefeated in Wii golf. He has tied me twice, but that is the closest he has gotten to beating me. Now Tiger Woods is another matter—I can barely get the ball off the tee with that game! Our next Wii purchase will be the Wii Fit, which we tried out on Thanksgiving at Kip and Sharon’s house. We are hooked big time! It is great exercise when you are stuck in the house during the cold winter days!

We have had a wonderful year, full of life, love and blessings on the Lower Eastern Shore of
Maryland! We pray that you have a peace-filled, Jesus-filled and joyous Christmas Season and we wish you much love and best wishes for a prosperous and healthy 2009.

Relationships the Key to Finding Christ

For 1 1/2 years I prayed for Matt and I asked God to draw him to Himself. Not only did I pray but I began to reach out to him and befriend him. He likes to golf so we began to golf together. Then I invited him to a "Connection Week Party" that our cell groups host every month and the rest is history! I will let Matt in his own words tell the story!

A New Beginning with Christ – This Is How It Happened!

Just like everyone, I have been exposed to sin throughout my whole life. Unlike everyone else, but probably like most, I pushed my sins away thinking that they would go away. Even after years of hiding out, sins would sneak up on me and remind me of what had happened. I may not have felt as bad as I did when it happened but I would still feel a certain level of guilt and uneasiness.

I knew for sure that by getting married it would make my past disappear so that my life would start over again. And by moving out of town I could run away from a life once lived.
I have a great wife, a healthy 12 month old foster child, a great job, a great family, but I still can’t let go of the past.

My wife, Kelly, used to attend Allen at its’ former location on a regular basis. I would go once every couple of months or so. Once Allen opened for services in its’ new building during the fall of 2007, we began to attend on a very regular basis, almost every Sunday. Excited by the fact that we were regularly attending Church, my in-laws began asking us to come to their Cell Group on Thursday nights. By the way, other than being two of the greatest people I know, the in-laws lead a Cell Group out of their house in Fruitland.

I never showed up. I did not go because I had an excuse; I had to work on Thursday. Notice I said I had an excuse not a reason. Kelly had an excuse also; she didn’t want to be “preached” to. Come on, are you kidding me? We would do anything with Kip and Sharon when they asked. Anything that is, except go to their group. We were both scared.

We were invited to attend a different group that meets on Wednesday night when I did not have to work. Now I was going to use the same excuse so that I did not have to go, I don’t want to be preached to. It didn’t matter what night of the week it was, we were scared of going to hang out with people that we may or may not know and read the Bible.

We received an invitation from the Wednesday group to come over for a game night, just show up with some food and play games for a couple of hours. Now we are talking. So we showed up and had a blast. We skipped the next three or four weeks and then there was another game night. Again, we loved it.

After talking about it, we decided that we should try to go one night and see what Cell Groups were really about. I believe that the first night we attended was on chapter 3 of the “Live” book. Other than the leaders, we actually knew a couple of the people that were there. So there we sat, waiting for someone to stand up and start reading scriptures from the Bible for the next hour.
IT NEVER HAPPENED!!!

What we experienced was a group of adults that were brought together to talk about the Lord in ways that we can all understand. Here we were, in an open room, surrounded by others that were not afraid to talk about their feelings, their lives, and their personal battles. We were all brought together as a group of one to discuss the lessons of the “Live” book, and those books that follow, and how they pertain to the Bible. Scriptures were read, but that was done a verse or two at the time, not chapter by chapter. I began to think to myself that this may not have been a bad idea to show up here tonight. As we drove home that night I remember telling Kelly, “I actually enjoyed that tonight”. She felt the same way. There was no pressure, no intimidation; there was no spot light that would shine down when you spoke out loud. This was as comfortable and non-confrontational as being with your best friends!

That is why we went the next week, and the next week, and the next……. It took a couple of months, but I finally began to realize the reasons that I would show up every Sunday and Wednesday night. I was looking for help. I never heard a voice, but someone was telling me where to get the help that I needed. I began to understand who God was and what His Son sacrificed. Now it was my turn to confess my sins and accept Jesus Christ in my life!

And that is what I did on July the 30th, 2008. It just so happened that this was a Wednesday, the day that our Group meets. Once we are all assembled and getting ready to open our discussion for the night I was asked to announce my big news of the day. I was caught off guard by the request but thought why not, I am surrounded by Christians. After letting everyone know that earlier in the day I accepted Christ in my life, I was shocked at what took place next – applause, cheers, and even a “Birthday” cake.

Even though it has only been one week, I can feel the guilt being washed away. I am beginning to read the Bible everyday and memorize verses that stick to me. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” I have probably heard that over a hundred times in my life but I never knew what it meant. I do now!

Here is a good one, take a minute or two to read Psalm 103:1-12. Those words are POWERFUL! After all of that time I thought I could run away from my past, but all I had to do was ask for forgiveness and receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. The past cannot be forgotten, but mine is being forgiven.

If it were not for the Cell Group, I may not stand where I do now. Who is to say? I just wish Wednesday came more than once a week! Thank you to Kelly and my family for their love and support. Words cannot describe how much I appreciate the guidance and leadership of someone that has become special part of my life, Michael Sove. By Matt Jones

Friends keep inviting and keep praying you'll never know when God will use that invite to change a life!

Encounter - Buiding an Altar

I just received this story from one of the cell group leaders and wanted to pass it on. We just started the Encounter book in our equipping track and this group truly had an Encounter with God as they gathered on Wednesday night.

Story from Diane Johnson.........

Little did I know when I did my Chapter 1 homework for my Tuesday morning cell group meeting that I would end up gathering rocks!

I had only attended Kathy Dyke's group one time and considered myself a 'newbie' to the group - even though the existing group of ladies welcomed me with open arms and smiling faces. A recent retirement gave me time to do the things I never had time to do in the past and I was excited to be able to be fed by attending Kathy's group on Tuesday morning and Bill's group which meets on Wednesday evenings - I am one of those people who need to hear things more than once for it to sink in! Back to the rocks.................

I started reading the chapter and got hung up on the verses that referred to Abraham building an altar. I have read and heard these verses MANY times in the past but never had it had the impact that it did this time - I couldn't get past it. "build an alter - Abraham built an altar to the Lord - build an altar and lay upon the alter those things that are keeping you from walking closely with God". WOW - where were these thoughts coming from? Logistically, all kinds of questions came to mind - being the type of personality that I am , I wanted to know how big an altar, where was I to build it, what size rocks, how high - You get the picture!

Then I started thinking about what would I need to put on this altar so that I could walk closer to God and realized there weren't enough rocks in the world for this. But I couldn't shake the idea that I was to help build an alter and I needed to share this with the cell group. One phone call to Kathy dispersed my fears of being out of line. Kathy helped me realize that God uses all of us to get a message across- it didn't matter that I wasn't a charter member of this cell group - God had chosen me to deliver this 'object lesson' and I found out that there are others like myself who need to physically perform the act of writing down our needs and laying them on the alter.

I thank the Lord for what the cell group has come to mean in my life - and I am doubly blessed to be able to attend 2 groups. I have no idea what God's plan is for my life but if it involves gathering rocks - Lord, let me do it to your glory!

If you would like to connect with this cell group which meets on Wednesday nights in Fruitland you can reach Bill and Kathy Dykes at wdykes@comcast.net .

International Cell Church Prayer Network Rebirth

God is so awesome and gives you the desire of your heart, especially when your heart matches His! Let me tell you an amazing story. In 1999 while on a 40-day fast, God broke my heart over the nations. He laid on my heart the vision for coordinating prayer for cell churches around the world. I began to pray over nations and ask God to connect me to a Pastor from that nation that I could pray for. I would ask them for their "Faith Vision Goals;" something they were dreaming about that only God could do! God beagn to give me contacts. The common denominator was Christ and Cell Church. In other words, churches who understood the importance of both large group celebration and cells. I call this the two-winged church where people meet together and then gather in cell groups during the week for more intimate growth and discipleship. To make a long story short, in three years I had 60 participants representing 40 nations. I would send out a prayer request for one of these Pastors daily and that request would circulate the nations. Wonderful things happened as we prayed for each other and the God given dreams. People started partnering for missions and many friends were made across denominational lines.

Recently God has given me the vision and passion to begin this process all over again. I envision having a cell church representing every country as well as a cell church representing all 50 States. I recently received an e-mail from the first Pastor in the new network for prayer. Here is what he said:

"Dear brother in Christ; I am pastor Suresh from India. I am doing my ministry in Hyderabad A.P iNDIA. Hyderabad is a big city in India I am started my church with 5 members now I have nearly 150 members I want learn more about cell church please pray for me and my church. I am working in poor slum area I have no church building we are conducting prayers in rented building. The believers very poor and laborers please pray for my family and church."

My cell group has adopted this Pastor and his family and church. We are going to pray for them and encourage them and do whatever the Lord directs us to do. I am very excited and hope that all the cell groups in our church will be able to adopt Cell Churches from the Nations!