Moving Forward

by Michael C. Mack

This cell agenda book contains six lessons for groups that will introduce cell leadership in such a way as to develop each member into a leader of a new group. Each week's lesson contains detailed instructions for the group leader, a weekly devotional, helpful notes for each question, "between the meeting" options for follow-up activities, and a weekly scripture memory verse, based on the week's topic. What makes this book powerful is the author's unique way of explaining that healthy small groups are like healthy families. There are spiritual parents and spiritual children, and the goal is not to divorce and split up the family, but help the spiritual children mature to the point that they want to move out of the house and start a spiritual family of their own. Many small group members who complete the six sessions come to the conclusion that they have maintained a concept of group life that is completely unhealthy and must be discarded. Yes, this book is powerful stuff to move complacent members into ministry and mission!

74 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2005

About the author

I'll never forget the F I received on an eighth-grade writing project. I had wanted to be a writer since the first time Mom put a crayon in my pudgy hand. When Mrs. Witte assigned our class an essay on the history of the State of Ohio, I filled a spiral-bound notebook with the stories of the state's settlers and other heroes. The big red F on the first page of my notebook was garnished with a note that accused me of plagiarism.

I pleaded with her. I tried to convince her I wrote the paper myself. Finally, I boldly asked her to prove her contention. She couldn't. My grade was revised to an A, plus an apology. I was a writer, and 40 years later I still am.

So far I've written more than 30 nonfiction books and discussion guides, hundreds of magazine and newspaper articles, and I've lost count of how many articles and blog posts on the web.

I recently released a new self-published book, World's Greatest Small Group, available in both print and Kindle versions on Amazon.

I blog regularly at Small Group Leadership and write a monthly "Best Practices" column for The Christian Standard magazine. I have edited books and other materials for major Christian publishing companies both on staff and as a freelance editor.

I am also a writer/editor in other fields as well, especially as related to living with diabetes, marriage and parenting, cycling (especially mountain biking) and other outdoor recreation, and other topics. I blog about life with diabetes, cycling, marriage and family, and other stuff I'm passionate about at Life's Highs and Lows.