Small Groups with Purpose: How to Create Healthy Communities

by Steve Gladen

Overview

Over the past fifteen years, small groups have become a vital way to build community in large churches. Nowhere has this been more apparent than at Saddleback Church. Now Steve Gladen, pastor of small groups at Saddleback, shares the secrets of that ministry's incredible success in creating small groups with purpose.

This practical book walks church leaders through the questions they need to answer to develop their own intentional small group strategy. Built around the most commonly asked questions, Small Groups with Purpose outlines the step-by-step process of creating a successful small group ministry. Because it is built upon principles and not methods, this plan can be implemented in any size church. Each chapter ends with a list of questions for readers to answer to help them assess their current situation and their desires for the future. Personal stories, Scripture, and examples ground the discussion and show the system in action.

Pastors and small group leaders will find this book instrumental in making small groups work in their churches.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781441232137
Publisher:	Baker Publishing Group
Publication date:	06/01/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Steve Gladen has been pastor of small groups at Saddleback Church for thirteen years. He oversees 7,000 adult small groups at Saddleback and loves seeing a big church become small through true community developed in group life. He is the coauthor of 250 Big Ideas for Small Groups, Building Healthy Small Groups in Your Church, and Don't Lead Alone. Steve and his family live in Southern California.
Steve Gladen (MDiv, Fuller Theological Seminary) has been executive 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, which has been translated into eleven languages, and Leading Small Groups with Purpose. 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 and his wife, Lisa, have been married for nearly 30 years, have two children, Erika and Ethan, and reside in Orange County, California. Learn more at SteveGladen.com.

Table of Contents

Foreword Rick Warren 7

Acknowledgments 10

Introduction: The Purpose of This Book 13

What Is a Healthy and Balanced Small Group?

1 My Story: And What It Has Taught Me about Ministry 17

2 The Saddleback Difference: The Ten Foundations of Saddleback's Small Group Ministry 22

3 What Did We Learn from the Book of Acts? The Paradigm Shift 37

What Does This Look Like?

4 Is Your Vision Blurry? Define Success Clearly 45

5 It All Starts with Community: Build a Foundation for Health and Balance 55

6 Leading for Spiritual Formation: How to Create a Church of Disciples, Not Attendees 71

7 Don't Lead Alone: Mobilize Your Groups from Sitting to Serving 81

8 The Church with No Walls: Opening the Doors of Your Church 102

9 More than Music: Worship in the Life of Your Groups 115

Step-by-Step, How Can I Do This?

10 Spiritual Health Assessment: Living Life on Purpose 127

11 Helping Groups Become Healthier: Provide a Clear Pathway for Members to Follow 148

12 Leadership Matters: Selecting and Recruiting Leaders 155

13 The Road Ahead: Developing a Simple Training Pathway 166

14 Laying the Foundation: Developing an Organizational Infrastructure That Works 177

What Does This Mean for Overall Church Strategy?

15 Sunday School and/or Small Groups: Understanding How Groups Fit into Your Church 191

16 Making the Most of Every Opportunity: How to Increase Connection 204

17 Exponential Power: Unleashing the Force of the Campaign Strategy 213

Do I Have What It Takes?

18 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me: Lessons from My Journey 225

Notes 235