Steve Gladen: Small Group Health VS Numerical Growth
All Types of Churches to Reach All Types of People A very small church may be very healthy; a very large church may be very unhealthy. This is also true of small group ministries—size is not indicative of health. When we have shared what works for us at Saddleback, sometimes the response is, “Sure, that works […]
5 Questions for a Stagnant Small Groups Ministry
Grow as a leader, strengthen your team & accelerate the health & growth of your small group ministry by attending one of our “Accelerate!” workshops. For more info or to register, VISIT In life and in ministry, there will always be ebbs and flows to one’s feelings and impact. These ebbs and flows are sometimes due […]
We Are All CEOs: 3 Ways to Encourage Your Small Group Leaders
The Power of Encouraging Words We see in Scripture that David was regularly “strengthened by the Lord.” Some translations say, “He encouraged himself in the Lord,” which means to strengthen or prevail (1 Samuel 30:6). And while I believe that God can give us a new spirit of strength in a way that we cannot, […]
Look Up, Look In, Look Out
About two years ago, I began to wrestle internally with what was going on within my life and ministry. I didn’t feel particularly close to God, His calling on my life, and even my relationships were starting to pay the price. I felt as if I had grown into a stagnant relationship. I knew I […]
3 Tips When Launching Interest Based Small Groups
God is so creative in how he made the human race to be so diverse! Different nationalities, unique languages, beautiful skin colors and various interests! Here are 3 tips when launching interest based groups… #1. Recruit leaders with an Appeal to their Interests It’s crazy how two complete and total strangers who have never met […]
3 Areas of Growth After Learning the Hard Way
I am not writing this as an expert, but I am currently learning some valuable lessons the hard way. In May, as this Small Group Semester came to a close, I began to call a few groups to ask about their summer plans. As I hung up the phone with one group leader, my worst […]
Preventative Maintenance > Fixing The Whole House
You need volunteers to support your small group ministry. You need to build your infrastructure. EVERY church does, including Saddleback! Infrastructures don’t build themselves, repair themselves, or naturally strengthen over time, whether we’re talking about physical structures or ministries we’re called to lead. In Southern California, most homes are built on a concrete slab […]
