The Housecell Fellowship of the church will this Sunday 20th January mark its 2013 anniversary at the church’s head quarters, Mokola, Ibadan. The theme of this year’s event is “Get Connected”. As part of the activities lined up for the anniversary is the sensitization of the church’s members, the importance of housecell membership, locations of the cells, testimonies from members of the various cells, creation of new cells and a table stand where new cell members can obtain membership forms and be duly registered into the cell system.
The housecell is the smallest indivisible unit of the church where members can easily identify with one another and the church at large. News and Events spoke with Mr. Femi Asa (HOF – Housecell Fellowship). The following is the excerpt from the interview.
Que 1: Housecell day is an annual event of the Stone Church. What does it connote?
Ans 1: It is a day set aside to create awareness to the entire church about the housecell groups and their locations. We mark this day yearly to maintain the relevance of the cell system to the church. We believe the housecell is the building block and life wire of the church.
Que 2: The theme is “get connected”. Tell us more about it?
Ans 2: The theme is aimed at ensuring that every member of the church is connected to the housecell system. It is at the cell we are acquainted with the church members, their emotions and psychology. It is at this unit we measure people’s understanding of God’s word and encourage neighborhood evangelism.
Que 3: What should we expect in this year’s housecell day?
Ans 3: We expect the Holy Spirit to move. Going by the theme, we expect at the end of the programme we’re going to have increase in membership.
Que 4: Is there a plan to create additional housecells this year?
Ans 4: Yes. We create additional cells by demand. We also break housecell having between 20 to 30 people into two and create a new one in locations without cell where we have a minimum of 5 church members.
Que 5: Are you satisfied with the level of growth of the housecells?
Ans 5: No. I’m not satisfied. Just 7 to10 per cent of the church members attend the cells. With this figure the cells will not have a great impact in the lives of our brethren. The fellowship still has a lot to do to grow and have impact in the life of the church.
Que 6: What are the challenges of the housecells?
Ans 6: The major challenge of the cells is attendance. Another one is timing. Some people claimed the Sunday evening time of the fellowship is a time they need to relax and prepare for the new week’s tasks. But I think members need to be committed and sacrifice some time for cell fellowship.
Que 7: How do you intend to surmount the challenges?
Ans 7: Distance is a barrier we can easily handle. We do this by setting up a new branch where we have up to 5 people. In the last quarter of last year we opened 4 new housecells: Omitowoju, Ologuneru, Alalubosa and Idi-Ishin. As for timing and membership; we need more of encouragement, sensitization and personnel decision on the part of members of the church.
