SG² Steve Gladen on Small Groups

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 is wrestling with these questions, you've come to the right place! Jon Noto serves as Community Life Pastor at one of Willow Creek Community Church’s regional campuses. Jon coordinates discipleship and pastoral care, bringing his insights as a therapist to unite both ministries. Prior to serving at Willow Creek, Jon was a clinical therapist in a variety of settings, including Christian private practice and community mental health. Jon also writes for a number of online publications including the Small Group Network, smallgroups.com, along with his own website, theunwavering.com In this month’s “Group Talk” podcast, Host Carolyn Taketa asks Jon the following questions and more in this exciting interview… How would you define a support group? How can small groups help people differently than support groups can? What do support groups do well that we can apply to 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 ★

Daniel Thomas is the Campus Pastor & Director of Adult Ministries at Highlands Fellowship Church in Abingdon, Virginia. Prior to that role, Daniel served as Highland's Small Groups Director and Leadership Development Pastor. He is the Small Group Network Regional Leader for the Atlantic Coast. In this month’s “Group Talk” podcast, Host Carolyn Taketa talks with Daniel about the following topics in this exciting interview… The differences between small group models & finding the right one that fits your church culture What essential qualities to look for in prospective leaders Thinking differently & changing your methods to find new leaders The value of being connected to a network of small group point people The importance of creating easy on ramps when recruiting new leaders Just click the play button at the top of this post to enjoy this insightful discussion! ★ Support this podcast ★

If you are interested in learning about how online groups can help you & your church fulfill its mission of reaching the un-churched & making disciples, then you've come to the right place! Jay Kranda is the Online Campus Pastor at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, CA. The Online Campus includes over 20,000 people every week and 1,800 small groups, of which 40% are online. Jay is also the author of "Social Media Made Easy: Inexpensive Online Marketing Guide for Non-Profits" and hosts the podcast, "Social Media Church." In this month’s "Group Talk" podcast, Host Carolyn Taketa talks with Jay about the what, why & how of online small groups! Jay hits on the following topics in this exciting interview… How online groups can be used to reach millennials. The primary benefits of having online groups. When churches should consider launching online groups. How to use Facebook groups to begin experimenting with online groups. What platforms & software to use for online groups. ★ Support this podcast ★

The world is becoming increasingly complex, while at the same time becoming increasingly interconnected. The reality is that with each revolution the planet Earth makes around the sun, our countries, cities and communities look less and less like they used to. The world is a very different place than it was 50 years ago. There is a great migration taking place in many parts of the world, and the beautiful thing about these changes is how much smaller the world has become in the process. Exponential urban and immigration growth has given us unprecedented exposure and access to diversity, varied ethnicities and cultures and with it all, opportunities to learn from one another.  Increasingly, the churches in our cities are becoming microcosms of the cities themselves. Along with the beautiful array of culture and diversity can also come challenges in terms of meeting the wide range of ministry needs for diverse people groups, understanding other cultures and serving those we may not completely understand.  In this month’s Group Talk, Carolyn Taketa welcomes Mark Nam, to talk about these challenges and opportunities. Does your ministry have a plan and system to welcome and minister to refugees, foreign domestic workers and diverse ethnicities? How can your church address issues of justice and reconciliation? Is your church even a place where those of different cultures would feel welcome to worship and experience community? These are all questions that must be addressed by the 21st century church that desires to grow and thrive in today’s culture. Because this isn’t the world that we used to know.” Mark Nam is the Community-Life Pastor at The Vine Church, an international church in Hong Kong. He is originally from the UK where he graduated from the University of Wales with an honours in law. Mark began working at The Vine as a worship pastor in 2007, recording three albums with Integrity Music under The Vine Band and was instrumental in establishing Worship Central Asia, a school of worship originating from Holy Trinity Brompton in London. Since 2013, Mark has been responsible for the spiritual-development and care of The Vine’s Small-Group communities, that meet across Hong Kong, Kowloon, New Territories and out-lying islands. He also spearheads Family-Life, a ministry of The Vine that aims to bring practical teaching and training focused on Christian values. ★ Support this podcast ★

Diversity is a beautiful thing. People, cultures, perspectives and ideas come in all shapes, sizes, colors and variations, adding tremendous depth and value the tapestry of life we're all part of. And just like people, cultures, perspectives and ideas, personalities also come in all shapes, sizes, colors and variations. This, too, is a beautiful thing, However, problems tend to surface when we fail to understand and appreciate the diversity of personalities and how that diversity impacts and adds value to our environments, relationships and leadership styles. In this month's Group Talk, Carolyn Taketa talks with Amy Jackson and Tom Kang about learning to understand and appreciate the diversity in personality types and how finding value in the nuances of the various temperaments can help you shape effective ministry environments and experiences. Amy Jackson is a managing editor at Christianity Today and oversees the websites SmallGroups.com, ChristianBibleStudies.com, and Gifted for Leadership. She has served as a small group minister and has a M.A. in Christian Formation and Ministry from Wheaton College. Smallgroups.com is a widely used resource for small group ministry leaders with 2.5 million page views per year. You can connect with Amy on Twitter @AmyKJackson. Tom Kang is the Men’s Pastor at Saddleback Church where he provides point leadership for the men at their central campus in Lake Forest, CA. He was originally born and raised in NJ and most recently served as a Teaching Pastor & Campus Pastor at Liquid Church, before coming to Saddleback in 2015. You can connect with Tom on Twitter @kangsta and TheManlyMinute on YouTube. ★ Support this podcast ★

Millennials... Flaky. Inconsistent. Non-Commital. Inauthentic. Insert your own adjective here _______.  All terms frequently used when the millennial generation enters the conversation. However, even for as much as there may be threads of truth woven into stereotype personas, the reality is many millennials are quite the opposite of how they are often portrayed.  Many are dependable, consistent and crave authenticity. The secret lies in learning how to crack the code and speak the cultural language of the millennial, serving them where they are and challenging them to new levels of life and spiritual growth. In this month's Group Talk, Carolyn Taketa talks with millennial pastors Tommy Carreras and Jennifer Ip about their experiences, insights and perspectives on reaching, impacting and developing the millennial generation. Tommy Carreras has been on staff for 2 ½ years at Mission Church in Ventura CA, a four and a half year old church plant, leading small groups and new guest connections. He loves the challenge of designing and implementing strategy around people’s real stories. He says, "my bio would be longer but I am only 25 years old." Jennifer Ip is the Lifegroups Director at Mariners Church in Irvine, CA. Prior to that role, Jen was on staff with CRU, formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ as the director of CRU City Millennials in LA. Jen is also a life coach, specializing in working with millennials. ★ Support this podcast ★

Albert Einstein once said, "everything must be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." When it comes to designing and implementing systems for your church's Small Groups Ministry, you'd be hard pressed to find truer words spoken.  Whether you're a groups ministry veteran or brand new to the groups world, the constant challenge at every level of your ministry will not necessarily be "what" you do, but "how" you do it.  Small Groups systems and strategies are not one-size-fits-all, and having a balanced perspective on how your church does groups is crucial to a healthy ministry. In this month's Group Talk, Carolyn Taketa talks with Will Johnston about understanding small groups systems, determining the best fit for your church and why that is important. Will Johnston is an author, speaker, and consultant on small group ministry, specializing in building and troubleshooting small group systems.  He previously served as the groups pastor at National Community Church, a multi-site congregation in Washington DC. You can connect with Will at willfjohnston.com and on Twitter @willjohnston. ★ Support this podcast ★

Building a team. Developing a playbook. Identifying wins. All fundamentals of any effective football team. But would you believe they're also some of the same foundational principles that will greatly determine success in small group ministry?   In this month's Group Talk, Carolyn Taketa talks with Small Group Network Founder, Steve Gladen, about the core strategies that are crucial on both the football field and in your small group ministry. Steve Gladen has been a small groups pastor for 25+ years. Since 1998, he has been the Pastor of Small Groups at Saddleback Church where he oversees the strategic launch and development of 5,000+ adult small groups on multiple campuses. The founder of the Small Group Network, he has also authored Small Groups With Purpose, which has been translated into seven languages to date, and Leading Small Groups With Purpose. Connect with Steve on Twitter: @stevegladen ★ Support this podcast ★

Neil Sedaka was right. Breaking up IS hard to do. But sometimes, breaking up is necessary. While Neil probably didn't have your small group in mind when he wrote his deceptively sweet heart break anthem in the 60's, he very well could have! Sometimes, the question isn't "if" you should end your small group, but rather "how". What are some indicators that it is time to break up? What if people don't want to break up? If you decide to end, how do you go do it in a healthy, relationally honoring way? If you've found yourself singing the words of another blast-from-the-past Small Group anthem, "Should I Stay or Should I Go?", then this month's group talk is for you! In this month's Group Talk, Carolyn Taketa talks with Allen White about the delicate topic of knowing when it's time to break up with your group, good and bad reasons to end a group and practical tips on how to transition well. Allen has devoted the last 25+ years to helping people find Christ, make meaningful connections, grow in their faith, and find fulfillment in ministry. He has successfully launched hundreds of groups at two churches as the Associate Pastor: New Life Christian Center, Turlock, CA for 15 year and Brookwood Church, Simpsonville, SC for 4 years. Additionally, Allen has had the privilege of coaching over 1,500 churches of all sizes and denominations over the last 11 years. Allen currently lives in Greenville, South Carolina and is a huddle leader for SGN. You can connect with Allen online at allenwhite.org and on Twitter @allenwhite. ★ Support this podcast ★

Because we are all Small Groups Ministry practitioners on some level, it is easy to unwittingly assume that everyone else is just like... "us". They value what we value, think how we think, want what we want and respond how we respond. The truth is, most of us are sitting on the proverbial front row, with rows and rows of "them" behind us... different personalities, different experiences, different perspectives, waiting to be engaged, waiting to be included, and most of the time just waiting on... "us". In this month's Group Talk, Carolyn Taketa talks with Chris Surratt, author of Small Groups For The Rest Of Us, about designing your small groups so that everyone, from the front row to the fringes, are invited into thriving, Christ-centered community. Chris is the Discipleship Specialist for Smallgroup.com at Lifeway Christian Resources, a ministry consultant with The Unstuck Group and author of the new book, Small Groups For The Rest of Us: How To Design Your Small Groups To Reach The Fringes. Most recently, he was the Pastor Of Ministries at Cross Point Church in Nashville, Tennessee, where he oversaw and helped guide small groups and global and local good across five campuses. Before coming to Cross Point in 2009, Chris was on staff at Seacoast Church in Charleston, South Carolina, for fifteen years, serving as a worship arts pastor, campus pastor and on the directional leadership team.  You can connect with Christ on Twitter @ChrisSurratt and on his website ChrisSurratt.com. ★ Support this podcast ★