Group Talk - Small Group Network

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

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

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 G

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 Re

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 ★

The New Group Talk Podcast Welcome to the new "Group Talk Podcast!" In this month's episode you will notice these exciting new updates... An updated intro featuring new music and the new voice of Mike Kozlowski  New Producer Jason Banzhoff highlighting upcoming SGN Events A new outro highlighting the purpose and power of SGN "Huddles" as well as how to connect with the Small Group Network online   A big thank you to Host Carolyn Taketa, Producer Jason Banzhoff and Mike Kozlowski for lending his voice to make all of these exciting new updates possible! This Month's Podcast Most small group ministry leaders would agree that Bible study is a significant part of a small group. Yet, do our groups engage meaningfully with Scripture or are they just bouncing off verses during meetings? How well do we train our group leaders on working through a passage of the Bible and helping members interpret and understand God's Word for themselves? What can we do to increase our engagement with God's Word in groups?  Rev. Dr

Pastor Steve Gladen answers questions submitted from the 2018 SoCal "Lobby Gathering" participants on a variety of small groups ministry issues such as... Leadership development Group leader coaching Creating a small groups church culture Leading up Group multiplication Soul care Future of group life. Guest: Steve has been 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. 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 ★

We would all agree that small group leaders need the support, mentoring, and care that a coaching system can provide, but it continues to be an area of ministry that is challenging, and often a source of confusion and frustration. In this exclusive interview, Host Carolyn Taketa talks with Allen White about issues related to coaching, especially the top 5 common mistakes for small group point people to avoid! Allen White coaches churches in launching exponential groups. In over 25 years of ministry, he has served on staff at two churches: New Life Christian Center in Turlock, CA and Brookwood Church in Simpsonville, SC. He has coached over 1,500 churches across North America. Allen is the author of Exponential Groups: Unleashing Your Church's Potential. 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 ★

Q Do you ever wonder if the issues in your small groups ministry are unique to your environment? Q Are you curious to know if others are dealing with the same challenges? In this podcast, host Carolyn Taketa interviews special guest Amy Jackson where they survey the landscape of small groups ministry by looking at the top issues that arose in 2017 as well as the ongoing popular issues that come up year after year. Amy is the associate publisher of SmallGroups.com, a publication of Christianity Today which has over 875,000 visitors each year and specializes in providing resources for small-group point people. She has been a small-group leader for over 14 years and has served in small groups ministry as a director, minister, trainer, speaker, and coach. 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 Take your small group ministry to the next level by attending the "Lobby Gathering" 2018 in sunny Southern Californi

Q Do you serve as a Small Group Point Person in your local church? Would you like to learn how to maximize your small group ministry budget for this new year? If your answer is yes, then you've come to the right place! In this exclusive Group Talk Podcast episode, host Carolyn Taketa interviews Pastor Steve Gladen regarding the following topics and more.... The framework to understand before crunching the numbers How to do more with less How to prioritize budget items The best ways to ask for more money Founder and leader of the Small Group Network, Pastor Steve Gladen has been the small groups pastor at Saddleback Church since 1998. A widely respected voice in small groups ministry, Steve has been an expert resource for small groups point people for decades. His books, Small Groups with Purpose and Leading Small Groups with Purpose which has now been translated into eleven languages to date. Just click the play button at the top of this post to enjoy this insightful discussion! To subscribe to our Group Ta

Are you dealing with any sticky issues within your small group ministry? If so, you've come to the right place! With more than 20 years of small groups ministry experience, Bill Search has led the discipleship charge in churches from the Midwest to California ranging in size from 1000 to 20,000. He's a frequent contributor to Smallgroups.com and RightNow Media. He has written 2 books: Simple Small Groups and the recently released Essential Guide for Small Group Leaders.       Part 1: Top 5 Sticky Issues in Small Groups (Click HERE to Listen) Politics Sex Non-essential issues Gossip /complaining Alcohol/ substances   Part 2:  Top 5 Sticky Issues for Small Groups Pastors and Directors. (Click HERE to Listen) Relationship with senior leadership Drawing from new trends Defining small group Underpromise and overdeliver Managing your time To subscribe to our Group Talk Podcast, click HERE ★ Support this podcast ★

Have you ever wished that there was a miracle formula for small groups ministry? A silver bullet that would guarantee that everyone in your church would be in a biblical Acts 2 kind of small group where people would grow to love God deeply, where lives would be radically transformed, the marginalized would be served, and non-Christians all around them would come to faith in Christ every day?  As anyone who has been in ministry for longer than a day knows, there are no quick fixes. In fact, Daniel wrote a terrific new book called, “No Silver Bullets” which lays out 5 microshifts that can produce macro changes, lasting movement in the right direction for your groups ministry and church. Bio:  Daniel Im is the Director of Church Multiplication for NewChurches.com and LifeWay Christian Resources since 2014. He serves as Teaching Pastor at The Fellowship, a multisite church in Nashville, TN. Daniel is also the co-author of Planting Missional Churches: Your Guide to Starting Churches that Multiply with Ed Stetzer.

Have you ever wished that there was a miracle formula for small groups ministry? A silver bullet that would guarantee that everyone in your church would be in a biblical Acts 2 kind of small group where people would grow to love God deeply, where lives would be radically transformed, the marginalized would be served, and non-Christians all around them would come to faith in Christ every day?  As anyone who has been in ministry for longer than a day knows, there are no quick fixes. Our guest Daniel Im, wrote a terrific new book called, “No Silver Bullets” which lays out 5 microshifts that can produce macro changes, lasting movement in the right direction for your groups ministry and church. Daniel Im is the Director of Church Multiplication for NewChurches.com and LifeWay Christian Resources since 2014. He serves as Teaching Pastor at The Fellowship, a multisite church in Nashville, TN. Daniel is also the co-author of Planting Missional Churches: Your Guide to Starting Churches that Multiply with Ed Stetzer. H

Q Do you serve in a local church ministry? Are you a small group point person? Are you doing groups in a multisite context? If your answer is yes to any of these questions, then this Small Group Network podcast is for you as it will encourage and equip you regarding general ministry principles, leadership & groups in a multisite context! Jason Williams is a Texan, born and bred. He earned an MBA from University of Texas at Dallas and worked for 10 years in oil & gas and healthcare IT field. Jason joined Chase Oaks Church staff in Plano, TX for 8 years as part of the executive team, teaching team, and was responsible for developing groups ministry across all campuses, including launching a new campus. In fall 2016, Jason joined Saddleback’s staff as the Campus Groups Development Pastor. In 2010, Saddleback started their first multisite campus and currently has 18 campuses with a 19th one in the works for December. Jason develops and oversees the leadership of groups ministry on all campuses. In this ex

If we were to ask you, “what are your top 3 challenges in your small groups ministry?” One of your answers would probably be related to getting new leaders or starting new groups! Whether you are launching a new small groups ministry at your church or growing an existing one, it can only happen when you have new people stepping up to lead or host a group. So what are some practical strategies we can use to start new groups and get new leaders? Adam Workman is the Discipleship Pastor at Sandals Church, a multi-site church in Riverside, CA where he has been serving for 3 years. Previously, he was in groups ministry in Maryland and Pennsylvania. He has been a groups pastor for 14 years. Adam is also the Southern California and Hawaii Regional Leader for the Small Group Network.  Host Carolyn Taketa asks Adam the following questions and more in this exclusive interview… What are some practical strategies we can use to start new groups? What are some practical strategies we can use to get new leaders? Just click