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 […]
Are You Modeling “Better Together” Leadership?
The story begins in Exodus 17 where people are grumbling…and blaming Moses- “Why did you take us out here? Isn’t this journey ever going to end? Why can’t we find water? Didn’t you say God would provide?” Then, God tells him to go stand in the Nile river and strike the rock so water may […]
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, […]
Radical Hospitality
Cesar Chavez who was a civil rights activist once said, “If you really want to make a friend, go to someone’s house and eat with him…the people who give you their food give you their heart.” Have you ever been to someone’s house where they treated you as if you were royalty for no other […]
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 […]
Overcoming Offense at the Table
Jesus stated that one of the signs of the end times would be the exponential increase of “offense.” Not only can this poison unbelievers, it also threatens the health of the church as well. If Christ-followers aren’t knitted together in the opposite fashion of worldly individualism, they too will be ill equipped to navigate the […]
Small Groups vs Support Groups: What’s the Difference? Part 1 [Podcast]
[podcast src=”https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/4593714/height/26/theme/standard-mini/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/” height=”26″ width=”100%” placement=”top” theme=”mini”]Q What is the difference between small groups and support groups? How do we care for the people in our small groups in ways that are healthy without becoming therapists for them? How do we keep small groups on track for their intended purpose? If you or anyone on your team […]
What is a Healthy Small Group?
We all want healthy small groups. But without a central focus on God and growing in our faith, we are simply a gathering of people who meet for coffee when it’s convenient. Coffee is great but healthy groups practice spiritual habits that form hearts and lives into being disciples of Jesus. How do we recognize […]
Healthy Leaders Yield Healthy Groups
We all want healthy small groups. We want them thrive and see people’s lives being transformed into the image of Christ. But without a strategy to help our leaders be all God has called them to be, our leaders can become spiritually unhealthy. In many churches, small groups are the primary path of discipleship so […]
