SG² Steve Gladen on Small Groups

Between people marrying at older ages or never marrying, co-habitation, and divorce rates, there is a large increasing population of singles in our churches spanning several decades. Yet, singles often report feeling lonely, isolated, or stigmatized in the church which typically focus on marriages and families. So how can we serve singles better and help them connect and grow through small groups? Amanda Reyes has been on staff at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California since 2016 and currently serves as a Small Groups Minister, caring for Singles Small Groups. Just click the play button at the top of this post to enjoy this insightful discussion! To subscribe to our Group Talk Podcast, click HERE ★ Support this podcast ★

This podcast focuses on some key decisions that will have a critical impact on shaping the values, strategies, and culture of your groups ministry for years to come.  Steve is 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. He has authored Small Groups With Purpose, which has been translated into eight languages to date, and Leading Small Groups With Purpose. He frequently speaks at conferences and consults with church leaders both in the United States and around the world. He has a driving passion to see each church attendee connected to a qualified shepherd and become an integral part of their church body, living purposefully for Christ. Steve is also the Founder of the Small Group Network (SGN) giving influence and oversight to all the SGN initiatives. He earned a Masters of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary in 1985, and a B.A. in Biblical Studies, with minors in Greek and Philosophy in 1982, from Evangel University. Steve and Lisa have been married since 1989 and have two children, Erika and Ethan. Just click the play button at the top of this post to enjoy this insightful discussion! To subscribe to our Group Talk Podcast, click HERE Enjoy the warm beaches of SoCal, learn the cutting edge trends in small group ministry & network with the brightest small group point people from around the nation at the Lobby Gathering Small Group Conference in San Juan Capistrano! Register HERE ★ Support this podcast ★

Guest: Reid Smith Topic: How did you do? Year-end review of your church, ministry, and self. Why reflect on the past year what to evaluate? Measuring progress - hard versus soft data How do you know if group life and community is in the culture of the church? What are some measures to evaluate the fruit of your groups ministry in the past year? How did you grow (or not) in your own discipleship and leadership? Bio: Reid Smith has been equipping leaders for effective discipleship making in churches of all sizes and stages of growth since 1996. He currently serves as the Groups Pastor at Christ Fellowship in Palm Beach, Florida and has been working in various discipleship ministries at that church since 2008. He is a contributing author for Christianity Today’s smallgroups.com and Lifeway’s Ministry Grid. Reid is also a consultant, speaker and SGN's Director of Communities of Purpose. www.reidsmith.org.   Just click the play button at the top of this post to enjoy this insightful discussion! To subscribe to our Group Talk Podcast, click HERE   A message from Santa Steve: “Give yourself a Christmas gift that will not only strengthen your leadership, but your small group ministry as well! Lock in early bird price by Dec 31st, HERE!“ ★ Support this podcast ★

Everyone enters a new small group with spoken and unspoken expectations. Small group agreements or covenants are a helpful tool to discuss and establish the primary goals of the group as well as important guidelines for group members. We will discuss the process of establishing an agreement and the essential elements which need to be included.   Tracey Ware is a pastor in Melbourne, Australia with many years’ ministry experience in both NSW and Victoria. Tracey has a passion for small group ministry which goes back to her teenage years because it was in a small group that she was mentored, challenged and encouraged in her Christian faith. She serves as the volunteer Australian Leader of the Small Group Network, contributes monthly to SGN blog, started the first SGN huddle in Australia, and organized two Small Groups with Purpose Conferences with Steve Gladen in 2018.  Just click the play button at the top of this post to enjoy this insightful discussion! To subscribe to our Group Talk Podcast, click HERE Grow as a leader, strengthen your team & accelerate the health & growth of your small group ministry by attending one of our “Accelerate!” Small Group Workshops! For more info & to lock in EARLY BIRD RATES click HERE! ★ Support this podcast ★

This month's group talk podcast features an insightful discussion regarding the book "The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why it Matters" by Priya Parker. Host Carolyn Taketa joins joins special guests Nick Lenzi (Dinner Group Director) & Andrew Camp (Former chef) to discuss the art of gathering.   Andrew Camp is currently the Spiritual Growth Pastor at Mountain Life Church in Park City, UT, where he has served since 2016. Previously, he worked as a professional chef. Andrew has a masters degree in spiritual formation and soul care from Talbot Seminary. He is also a blogger for the Small Group Network. Nick Lenzi: Nick is the Dinner Group Director at Hoboken Grace Community Church in Hoboken, NJ. He is a former Wall Street financial analyst. Nick currently serves as the Small Group Network Finance Director and his team prayerfully seeks to increase our financial resources so we can equip more small group point leaders in building biblical communities all over the world. He is also the Mid-Atlantic Regional Leader for the Small Group Network. Just click the play button at the top of this post to enjoy this insightful discussion! To subscribe to our Group Talk Podcast, click HERE Grow as a leader, strengthen your team & accelerate the health & growth of your small group ministry by attending one of our “Accelerate!” Small Group Workshops! For more info & to lock in =EARLY BIRD RATES click HERE! ★ Support this podcast ★

Topic: A question we frequently field from our small group leaders is, "What should we study?" There is an overwhelming range of materials and topics to choose from and it is critical to choose curriculum wisely. What a group chooses to study has a significant impact on group dynamics and spiritual growth. On this podcast, we discuss some issues to consider when choosing small group curriculum. Guest: Chris Surratt Chris Surratt is a ministry consultant and coach with more than 24 years of experience serving the local church. Chris served on the Executive Team at Cross Point Church in Nashville, Tennessee, and Seacoast Church in Charleston, South Carolina, prior to becoming the Discipleship and Small Group Specialist for LifeWay Christian Resources.  chrissurratt.com. Just click the play button at the top of this post to enjoy this insightful discussion! To subscribe to our Group Talk Podcast, click HERE ★ Support this podcast ★

This month, we take a look inside one of the most innovative "teaching churches" in America, National Community Church in Washington DC. They are well-known for establishing "Free market groups," semester-based groups, and effectively reaching millennials in a transitory urban environment. Guest: Laura Holland Bio: Laura Holland has been serving as the small groups pastor for three years at National Community Church, a multi-site church in Washington, DC. She spent the first ten years of her professional life working on Capitol Hill and for the Department of Defense, where the need for a job that allowed her to talk to other people became abundantly clear. Just click the play button at the top of this post to enjoy this insightful discussion! To subscribe to our Group Talk Podcast, click HERE ★ Support this podcast ★

Who do you want on your team? And how do you recruit people to join you? Small groups ministry cannot be done by yourself. We all need a team of people with different personalities, gifts, and skills to build a thriving groups ministry. Listen to Steve share the top ten things he considers when he recruits a team.  Guest: Steve Gladen Bio: Steve Gladen has been the pastor of small groups at Saddleback Church since 1998 and serves as an elder of the church. He oversees the strategic launch and spiritual development of more than 7,000 adult small groups on multiple campuses. He is the author of Small Groups with Purpose, Leading Small Groups with Purpose, and brand new release, "Planning Small Groups with Purpose." Steve is also the founder and leader of the Small Group Network and a tireless advocate for healthy small groups ministries.  Just click the play button at the top of this post to enjoy this insightful discussion! To subscribe to our Group Talk Podcast, click HERE ★ Support this podcast ★

Since evangelism is critical part of discipleship, it is typically a high value for our churches. However, practically speaking, many of our groups do not engage regularly in intentional outreach to nonbelievers. In this episode with Joel Comiskey, we focus on why evangelism helps small groups thrive and how we can empower groups to engage in relational evangelism. Joel is the founder of Joel Comiskey Group and has written numerous books on cell groups-based churches. Joel consults with churches, coaches pastors in small group ministries around the world, and actively leads a life-giving small group. Joel recently published a book with co-author Jim Egli titled, “Groups that Thrive: 8 Surprising Discoveries About Life Giving Small Groups.” Just click the play button at the top of this post to enjoy this insightful discussion! To subscribe to our Group Talk Podcast, click HERE ★ Support this podcast ★

Pioneer of small groups ministry in the United States, Carl George has been an influential voice in churches for decades. Here, Carl shares his thoughts on the small groups movement over the years including trends, concerns, and the future of small groups ministry in the current cultural context.  Carl George, an internationally recognized church consultant, has helped congregations and leaders in over 100 denominations to increase their effectiveness. An experienced Pastor, Church Growth Institute director, and author, Carl has guided small group ministry design in many influential churches. Just click the play button at the top of this post to enjoy this insightful discussion! To subscribe to our Group Talk Podcast, click HERE ★ Support this podcast ★