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!