SG² Steve Gladen on Small Groups

Dive into the balance between opportunity and opposition in ministry, especially for small group leaders facing tough times. Discover the Greek concepts of chronos and kairos, highlighting the need to recognize divine opportunities. Explore the five essential levels of fellowship needed to build authentic connections, progressing from basic sharing to deeper bonds. This discussion encourages leaders to enhance their group's fellowship based on key biblical principles.

Steve Gladen, Global Small Groups Pastor at Saddleback Church, pulls from his 20+ years of small group ministry experience to encourage and equip listeners to lead healthier, growing and more effective small group ministries. In this episode, Steve is joined by co-host Derek and special guests Mark Grunden and Ron Kelleher to talk about 5 Steps to Creating a Workplace Ministry:1 Cast a vision2 Create a leadership team3 Convene a launch event4 Compile study resources5 Continue with trainingShownotes:saddleback.com/workplaceworklifebiblestudy.orgMark Grunden / markg@saddleback.comRon Kelleher / RonK@saddlebackvolunteer.com5 Steps to Starting a Workplace Ministry at your Church ★ Support this podcast ★

1. How do you handle unclear or wrong communication?2. How do you handle worry?3. How do you figure out who's after you?4. How do you handle failure?7 Lessons Learned from Face Plants1. Think through your response and LISTEN2. The response is always done with humility3. Everything we do is being watched by the world4. We must make sure our impact matches our intent5. We can be creative without being offensive6. When dealing with upset people, pray with them and have them pray too7. TEACH -  True, Encouraging, Age Appropriate, Culturally Honoring, How would Jesus respond? ★ Support this podcast ★

Discover the common excuses people face when joining small groups and how to effectively address them. Listen to personal stories that highlight the importance of community and connection within churches. Learn innovative solutions for overcoming barriers, such as child care issues. Gain insights on fostering impactful relationships through strategic outreach and intentional planning. Explore the significance of prioritizing the teachings of Jesus in creating supportive environments for group engagement.

1. How do you handle unclear or wrong communication?2. How do you handle worry?3. How do you figure out who's after you?4. How do you handle failure?7 Lessons Learned from Face Plants1. Think through your response and LISTEN2. The response is always done with humility3. Everything we do is being watched by the world4. We must make sure our impact matches our intent5. We can be creative without being offensive6. When dealing with upset people, pray with them and have them pray too7. TEACH -  True, Encouraging, Age Appropriate, Culturally Honoring, How would Jesus respond? ★ Support this podcast ★

Steve Gladen, Global Small Groups Pastor at Saddleback Church, pulls from his 20+ years of small group ministry experience to encourage and equip listeners to lead healthier, growing and more effective small group ministries. In this episode, Steve is joined by co-host Derek and special guest Christina Dawson to talk about 7 ways CRM can Improve Discipleship. In this episode we break down the following: High Level PerspectivePersonalized ServiceCentral Repository of Information, accessible and sharableData InsightsTime is Our Most Precious CommodityContinual Improvement – adapt or dieSoul Food – nurturing relationships that foster growth and positive impactSHOW NOTES:1. High Level Perspective: - We're all in sales - it's just a question of "what's the product?"  - Clear vision & benefit statement - don't make people guess  - Concise, positive, fun, high energy, memorableEveryone's favorite subject: Themselves!! The more you know about them, the more impactful & engaging you will be. God's tool to move them beyond themselves-Small Groups (our product) - to fill the spiritual void they have from a broken relationship with God. Small Groups bring back (read Acts 2:42-47) community, Biblical knowledge, personal development (Discipleship), serving, evangelism and worship2. Personalized Service  Our world demands real time interaction with deep personalization  Personalization = You Care / You Understand Me = Credibility  Credibility is critical in a noisy, misguided world3. Central Repository of Information, accessible and sharable   A good memory is great but it isn't transferable or scalable (institutional Knowledge)  One source of information for all team members to access  Requires thoughtfulness on the required fields vs. optional fieldsStart small, think in terms of the bare essentials or Minimum Viable ProductToo Much Information or Layout / Architecture = can drown the initiativeShared information shows competence, increases confidence & greatly improves customer experiences4. Data InsightsAbility to spot trends - very powerful in driving outcomesMove from reactive to proactive - address issues earlier Cohorts & Patterns - ability to compare outcomes & experiences over timeIncrease personalization and value to customers / peopleCompetitive advantage - data can bring knowledge & knowledge is gold5. Time is Our Most Precious Commodity Use it wisely & maximize impact Don't waste other people's time - they will reward you through avoidance Learn through data analysis how to improve time management - adjust regularly Serve people with the method they prefer, it's not about what you want or like Focus on building the perfect day & week (activities done every day / week) Don't let things slip - if a day is subpar, make it up the following day6. Continual Improvement - adapt or die  Static approaches die no matter how great they are The world is changing, people are changing and the approach has to stay current Data analysis will spot trends, help reveal required adjustments and highlight areas of application (who or where I need to apply the adjustments)7. Soul Food - nurturing relationships that foster growth and positive impact People are attracted to ideas & other people that have a positive impact on them Align the interaction to provide value / positive impact with every touch Feedback is essential and needs to be regular from a diverse group Try to score or grade user experience or engagement - If you don't measure it, it's very difficult to monitor performance and spot changes (good or bad) ★ Support this podcast ★

Listen is as we go back to February 2021 and the 3 Areas for Your Groups to Shine in Today’s Culture. We still find that this will be relevant in your group's setting today!7 Civilities Listen with your eyes (don’t roll your eyes) acknowledge their viewSleep and hungry—know the right timeSocial media news vs. Good newsNeither side may trivialize or dismiss the concerns of the other.Neither side should define the “other” according to one single characteristic or identity marker.Both sides should aim to help each other understand their own experience and perspective using a type of speech (words and tone) that can be heard by the other.Both sides should accept the fundamental ground rule of life in a free society: the essence of liberty is the right to be different and to act wrongly in the eyes of others—you will need to agree to disagree. ★ Support this podcast ★

Listen in as Pastor Rick Warren talks about the coming trends in small group ministries. This was from our Lobby 2019 Gathering and is still relevant today! Part 2 next week! ★ Support this podcast ★