Cell church refers to a church structure based on the regular gathering of small groups. Rather than focus on a large Sunday service, cell churches focus on developing close relationships between members by meeting regulary in houses or smaller meeting places. A meeting may consist of a number of elements including bible study, discussion, sharing, prayer and worship. Cells are encouraged to invite guests and teach them about Jesus. When a cell grows beyond a manageable size, the cell multiplies into two cells, and the cycle continues. In churches where there are a sufficient number of small groups, the members may hold a Sunday service as an extension

Some existing churches that work on a traditional pattern with one or more weekly services including the Sunday morning service operate a cell church as an extension of their existing congregational worship activities. These meetings are primarily bible study meetings with discussion and sharing but can work as a group-focused evangelism program that reaches a particular community.

Cell structure

There are a number of structures used to organise multiple cells within a church.

The G-12 Structure is one of the ways cell churches care for cell leaders. It consists of a leadership cell ideally consisting of 12 people who each facilitate their own cell, traditionally a group of 4 to 7 people.