Group Talk - Small Group Network

Q Do you desire to be the best leader you can be? Would you like to strengthen the weaker areas of your leadership? Do you want to influence people like never before and help elevate your team to new heights? If your answer is "Yes," then you’ve come to the right place! Jenni Catron is the author of several books including "The 4 Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership." She is also a leadership coach who consults churches and non-profits to help them lead from their extraordinary best. Jenni has also served as an executive leader at both Menlo Church in Menlo Park , CA with senior pastor John Ortberg and Cross Point Church in Nashville TN with senior pastor Pete Wilson. Jenni blogs at JenniCatron.com and has recognized by Outreach Magazine as one of the thirty emerging influencers reshaping church leadership. Take Jenni's "4 Dimensions Assessment" HERE In this month’s “Group Talk” podcast, host Carolyn Taketa interviews Jenni and asks her the following questions and more in this exciting interview… How do w

Q As a small group point person, how am I cultivating my own relationship with the Lord? Q How do I create a culture of discipleship within my small group ministry? If you or anyone on your team is wrestling with these questions, you’ve come to the right place! Reid Smith has been equipping group leaders for effective disciple-making since 1996. He was a part of the Small Group Network from the beginning, serving as the Area Leader for the Northwest, and then South Florida in 2008 when he began serving in the discipleship ministries at Christ Fellowship church in Palm Beach, FL. Reid has served churches as a pastor, consultant, trainer, and author for such publishers as Christianity Today’s smallgroups.com and ministrygrid.com If you missed part 1 of this podcast, you can find it HERE In part 2 of this month’s “Group Talk” podcast, host Carolyn Taketa interviews Reid and asks him the following questions and more in this exciting interview… How can small group point people ensure that their leaders are being

Q How do you define discipleship? How do you know that people are actually being discipled through small groups? If you or anyone on your team is wrestling with these questions, you’ve come to the right place! Reid Smith has been equipping group leaders for effective disciple-making since 1996. He was a part of the Small Group Network from the beginning, serving as the Area Leader for the Northwest, and then South Florida in 2008 when he began serving in the discipleship ministries at Christ Fellowship church in Palm Beach, FL. Reid has served churches as a pastor, consultant, trainer, and author for such publishers as Christianity Today's smallgroups.com and ministrygrid.com In part 1 of this month’s “Group Talk” podcast, host Carolyn Taketa interviews Reid as he  addresses the following topics in this exciting session… What are the core components of discipleship? Why are small groups essential environments to cultivate discipleship? What are the indicators that show people are actually being discipled thr

Q How do you change culture & lead effective small group ministry when your lead pastor or senior leadership may not be entirely on board? How can you align your small groups (House to house movement) to compliment your weekend services (Temple courts)? If you or anyone on your team is wrestling with these questions, you've come to the right place! Steve Gladen has served as 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. Steve has authored "Small Groups With Purpose," which has been translated into eight languages to date, and "Leading Small Groups With Purpose." Steve is also the Founder of the Small Group Network (SGN) giving influence and oversight to all the SGN initiatives. In this month’s “Group Talk” podcast, Host Eric Falcinella interviews Steve as he answers the above questions and addresses the following topics in this exciting interview… How to lead with humility not enti

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 part 2 of this month’s “Group Talk” podcast, Host Carolyn Taketa asks Jon the following questions and addresses the following topics in this exciting interview…

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

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 podc

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 th

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

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 chall

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

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 f

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 recentl

Challenging seasons of life are inevitable. It is never a question of "if" they will occur, but rather "when". When life gets tough, it is often how we respond to the challenges we're faced with that shape us more than the situation itself. Particularly as a leader, it is in those times when living with vulnerability and authenticity can have the biggest impact on leading with vulnerability. In this month's Group Talk, Carolyn Taketa talks with Laura Copeland about what it means to live and lead authentically in the tough seasons and when life hurts. Laura Copeland has been serving on staff at churches, mostly in small groups ministries for almost 10 years, and she has a desire to see honest, authentic community where people are being transformed by the truths of God. She has an MA in New Testament Studies from Talbot School of Theology and recently joined the small groups team at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, CA. Laura also serves on the SGN Communications team, overseeing the SGN Facebook page. ★ S

Summer is a time when is seems like everyone’s schedule gets turned upside down, making it hard for your groups to meet consistently. However, with just a little creativity and planning, the Summer months could present your groups with a unique opportunity to focus on outreach and connect with the local community in extremely effective ways An effective outreach strategy could very well be lying right in the middle of your current groups and their relationships. In this month’s Group Talk, Nick Lenzi shares some creative strategies his groups recently used to make a significant impact in reaching their community, as well as practical ideas for how your groups can do the same. Nick Lenzi is the Groups Director at Hoboken Grace in Hoboken, NJ. Prior to moving into full time ministry, Nick worked on Wall Street as a Trade Support Analyst. He spends his free time with his wife Erika of 4 years, together they enjoy attending comedy shows, concerts and people watching in New York City. Nick has a passion for seeing

Kay Warren is the co-founder of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, CA with her husband Rick Warren as well as the founder and advocate of the HIV & AIDS initiative at Saddleback and around the world. She is an international speaker, best selling author, and bible teacher. Kay’s latest book, “Choose Joy, because happiness isn’t enough” was published in 2012. After their son, Matthew, took his life in 2013, the Warrens revealed that Matthew had a lifelong struggle with mental illness. Since then, Rick and Kay are committed to raising awareness about mental illness, reducing the stigma many experience and equipping local churches, groups, and families to effectively minister to those living with mental illness. Conference: The Gathering on Mental Health and the Church (Oct. 7-9, 2015) http://mentalhealthandthechurch.com/ blog: kaywarren.com Twitter: @kaywarren1 Facebook: Kay Warren    ★ Support this podcast ★

Many of us have stepped into existing small groups ministries to add new support, leadership and vision to what was already there. But what about creating a groups ministry at a church where one didn’t necessarily already exist?   Ministry buzzwords are a dime a dozen, but actually having to implement ideas and vision to relaunch a groups ministry can be a real challenge. It’s crucial to get your finger on the pulse of a particular church’s culture enough to define reality, contextualize vision and properly frame the conversation around shared desires and goals. But how do you do that?  This month, Andrew Mason breaks down the process he used in relaunching a groups ministry from “ground zero”, sharing practical concepts and actionable strategies that can be scaled for any size church or ministry. Andrew Mason oversees Small Groups at Real Life Church, a multi-site family of churches in Northern, CA. Andrew is the Northern CA Regional Leader for the Small Group Network and founded the website, SmallGroupChur

Are you looking for the silver bullet for your groups ministry? Then keep looking, because this isn't the Group Talk for you. But if you're willing to sit and listen, learn, and digest, this edition of Group Talk will help you think outside of your box. You have something to learn from the Mid-Sized Community movement. Get your notepad ready. ★ Support this podcast ★