How the 40 days of purpose led to an explosion of small groups at one church.
by Life Together
Tom Mullins, senior pastor of Christ Fellowship in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, is a former football coach who uses colorful sports stories and analogies frequently in his teachings. Not one to be afraid of cutting edge ideas and strategies, Pastor Mullins and his team at Christ Fellowship recently implemented a new "game plan." And what a game plan it's proved to be.
Successfully transitioning out of a small-groups campaign is as challenging as launching one. Churches that wait until the campaign is over in order to plan the next step will lose momentum and spend valuable leadership equity. Instead, use these four keys to create a smooth transition ...
Steve Gladen and Rick Howerton talk about the history and necessity of small groups in America.
Steve Gladen and Rick Howerton
In the following audio clip, Steve Gladen and Rick Howerton walk through a brief history of Serendipity Publishers and Saddleback Church—two organizations that have been vital to the success of the rising small-groups movement in America today. They also discuss why small groups are so necessary in today's fractured culture, and how they can benefit any church looking to build strong and fruitful ...
The New Year is a prime time for churches to launch 40 Days of Purpose campaigns. And, of course, small groups play a key role in this. Much could be said from the trenches of these campaigns, but after listening to some of the most successful small group champions, we've boiled down their wisdom to five thoughts on what really works.
1. Do it again! "40 Days of Purpose is and was one of the most successful ...
The core philosophy of the Purpose-Driven Small Groups movement
Steve Gladen
I'm often asked what Saddleback Church does differently in our small group strategy. My answer is, "not one thing." Because, in fact, we probably do several things that many other churches also do. But what has been so interesting is to watch how God uses the combination of many different things to reach people and connect them into life-changing small groups.
How small groups can apply the five purposes of the church.
Steve Gladen
At Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, small groups do five things that intentionally relate to each of the five purposes of the church: worship, fellowship, discipleship,ministry, and missions. We believe it is critical to balance the five purposes within every small group.
Obviously, this doesn't mean that you would come to your small group each week and do 15 minutes on each purpose. But ...
Here's how to get everyone in your small groups to serve.
Steve Gladen
Note: Steve Gladen will be the host and keynote speaker for the upcoming Saddleback Small Groups Conferences in 2009. Click here for more information.
Have you ever been playing basketball and had someone take the ball inbounds, dribble it down the court, and shoot it without ever passing the ball? We have a word for people like that: ball hogs! They never work within a team environment. They play ...
This guide has been specially designed to provide orientation and basic training for your church's small-group hosts.
By Jon Ferguson, Heather Zempel, Reid Smith, and others
Note: Click Sharing a Meal to see a free sample of one of this resource's articles.
Most people who attend a small group understand the value of great discussion, meaningful prayer, and uplifting worship. But there are other elements to a great small-group meeting that are often overlooked. Fortunately, many of them can be addressed by a capable small-group host.
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