Keep Your Eye On The Prize
When Huddle leaders around the world were asked for their most profound small groups learning last year, one pastor in Europe got straight to the point: “It is not numbers and growth but health and balance of purposes that makes the difference in the life of small group ministry. It was the greatest discovery I found […]
Why Should I Care so Much About Small Group’s Infrastructure?
Infrastructure: ˈinfrəˌstrək(t)SHər/ noun the physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a community, society, or organization. When we think of “infrastructure,” we may think of things like roads, pipes for water, sidewalks, and power lines. These are the structures needed to bring people and power to an area, like your house. Without infrastructure, […]
Boy…That Escalated Quickly!
If there is one thing we can all agree on when it comes to doing life together, it’s this fact, conflict will happen. But what do we do as a small group leader when there is that one constant prickly pear in the group? The one person who always seems upset about everything. Their Facebook […]
STEVE GLADEN: Three Seasons of Ministry: What I Wish I Had Known Pt 3 [Podcast]
[podcast src=”https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5020597/height/26/theme/standard-mini/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/” height=”26″ width=”100%” placement=”top” theme=”mini”]Three Seasons of Ministry: What I Wish I Had Known Part 3: Sustaining Steve Gladen has served as the Global Pastor of Small Groups at Saddleback Church since 1998. He oversees the strategic launch and development of over 7,000 adult small groups on multiple campuses. Steve has authored “Small Groups With […]
The Top 5 Podcasts of 2016
When I was a kid I loved the show MacGyver about a secret agent who saves the day once a week. In every show Mac, as his friends call him, ended up in some impossible life and death scenario where he used just his smarts, a stick of gum, a bit of wire and his trusty Swiss […]
An Exponential Leadership Lesson That Most Pastors Miss
I have been a student of small group ministry for many years. Recently I asked the leaders of SGN huddles around the world for one thing that they learned this past year that significantly changed their group strategy. The following is a very insightful comment from a pastor in Australia: “As a Pastor with multiple […]
How You’re Missing out on Feedback
Church people like to give feedback. It comes from a healthy place. Congregation members share directly because they are speaking the truth in love about something they see in you. Matthew 18 conversations help people get to the bottom of conflict. Sins get confessed. Miscommunicated sermon points get corrected. If you’re considering vocational ministry or […]
STEVE GLADEN: Three Seasons of Ministry: What I Wish I Had Known Pt 2 [Podcast]
[podcast src=”https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/4997044/height/26/theme/standard-mini/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/” height=”26″ width=”100%” placement=”top” theme=”mini”]Three Seasons of Ministry: What I Wish I Had Known Part 2: Stabilizing Steve Gladen has served as the Global Pastor of Small Groups at Saddleback Church since 1998. He oversees the strategic launch and development of over 7,000 adult small groups on multiple campuses. Steve has authored “Small Groups […]
4 Tips for Caring for Leaders in 2017
One of our primary tasks as small group point people is to shepherd our small group leaders. Small group leaders cannot shepherd their people if they do not feel cared for and supported. One of the key phrases I like to use when it comes to spiritual growth is model & invite. We as leaders […]
Three Ideas to Engage Your Lead Pastor as the Groups Champion
As an Associate Pastor who has oversight of small groups at my church, I see a large part of my responsibility as assisting the Lead Pastor to be at the center of our discipleship strategy. This is more of an art than a science, because the Lead Pastor has many demands on their schedule that […]
