SG² Steve Gladen on Small Groups

Small Groups as Family: Clarity, Leadership Pathways, and Multiplication Without Fear (Zoom Q&A with Holy Trinity Kuala Lumpur)Pastor Steve Gladen joins pastors and connect group leaders from Holy Trinity in Kuala Lumpur on a recorded Zoom call to share small group ministry insights shaped by his Saddleback and Pine Lake experience, beginning with how a new believer’s simple Gospel-of-John group led to 19 family members coming to faith—including Steve himself. He emphasizes that churches must define “health” by clarifying what they aim to produce in disciples and recognizing the Bible’s family-system framework (temple courts and house-to-house), where ministry is messy like a hospital, not a hotel. Steve outlines a leadership development pathway using “crawl, walk, run,” availability and capability, and building faith through developmentally appropriate risks, even allowing new believers to start groups if they have friends. He addresses fear around multiplication by explaining shattered family systems and suggests focusing on personal evangelism, sub-grouping within large groups to develop new leaders, and staying close to new groups through early coaching contacts, plus using individual and group health assessments to balance key group purposes.00:00 Welcome and Coaching Offer00:45 Zoom Call Setup02:44 Prayer and Opening03:33 Steve’s Small Group Journey08:24 Acts 2 Model and Misconceptions10:52 Purpose and Group Health18:31 Leadership Development Pathway28:04 Who Should Lead Groups36:38 Multiplication Fears41:20 Nuclear Family Decline42:14 Why Communities Shatter43:52 Rethinking Group Multiplication44:31 Evangelism Plant and Water46:16 Opening the Q&A46:51 Lowering the Bar Safely52:08 Coaching New Leaders56:26 Handling Infrequent Members58:33 Subgrouping Without Forcing01:02:28 Keeping Groups Balanced01:06:42 Wrap Up Prayer and Farewell ★ Support this podcast ★

How you're doing is how your small group ministry is doing. After 40-plus years in ministry, Steve Gladen gets asked one question more than almost any other: how did you last? In this episode he and Derek Olson walk through three areas to check in yourself once the fall launch settles down, and Steve is clear that he's aiming every point at himself first.1. Check your vital signs Four warning signs that your soul is running low:Apathy: you've grown callous about miraclesArrogance: you've grown casual about sinDivisiveness: you've grown cynical about staff and leadershipLaziness: you've grown careless about the disciplines2. Be battle ready Four giants that pull you off center, and what answers each one:Busyness, answered by prayer you keep up before the crisis comesMaterialism, answered by givingIsolation, answered by living in the community you're asking others to joinIgnorance, answered by time in God's Word, even if you start with one verse3. Build your rhythmsDivert daily: time alone with GodWithdraw weekly: SabbathAbandon annually: a retreat away from your ministry bubbleA line worth keeping: "Nobody gets into a spiritual hole with a backhoe. It's always with a spoon."In this episode0:16 Welcome3:26 Why your longevity sets the pace for your ministry6:21 Area 1: Check your vital signs14:52 Area 2: Be battle ready23:27 Area 3: Build your rhythms27:22 Wrap-upGo deeper with All Access If this episode showed you something to work on, don't work on it alone. Small Group Network All Access gives you and your team the curriculum, training, resources, and cohorts to build a healthier ministry and a healthier you. Join here: https://go.smallgroupnetwork.com/plans/1975017Help other small group pastors find the show Subscribe wherever you listen and leave a five-star rating. It costs nothing and helps the show reach more leaders. ★ Support this podcast ★

Attendance, Metrics, and Health: Measuring Discipleship in Small Group MinistryPastor Steve Gladen and host Derek open the fall season of SG Squared by discussing how small group leaders should think about attendance, metrics, and health without letting numbers define their identity. Steve argues that numbers are not bad but are indicators connected to souls and stories, and that quality and quantity are not enemies. He cautions that attendance alone can be a false positive and emphasizes measuring discipleship through individual and group health assessments. Drawing from Saddleback’s approach, he describes an individual health assessment (35 questions) and a shorter group assessment (10 questions) built around worship, fellowship, discipleship, serving, and evangelism, with follow-through steps involving goals, partners, curriculum, and activities. He notes that early assessments showed over 85% self-identified weakness in evangelism and points listeners to his books and Small Group Network resources.00:00 Welcome to SG Squared00:26 Fall Football Banter01:58 Culture Shock in Mississippi03:30 Episode Setup Souls and Identity07:52 Why Numbers Matter10:29 Data as Ministry Indicator11:59 Measuring Discipleship Success15:43 Attendance Versus Health17:53 Building Health Assessments25:01 Books Membership and Wrap Up ★ Support this podcast ★

Ron Kelleher on Kingdom Leadership, Workplace Ministry, and Integrating Faith in the MarketplacePastor Steve Gladen records a special SG Squared episode at the Lobby Gathering with Ron Kelleher, first sharing an update that Ron has been diagnosed with colon cancer and requesting prayers for him and his family. Ron describes his 40-year marriage to Barbara, their two adopted children (including a special-needs son), and how Saddleback became their church home through its special-needs ministry. He recounts a 36-year career at Procter & Gamble spanning sales and multicultural marketing, then early retirement in 2009, seminary at Talbot, and a renewed calling to workplace ministry. Ron has written 701 weekly blog articles at www.ronkelleher.com and discusses his book, Kingdom Leadership: Embodying Christ in the Marketplace (https://a.co/d/0fodzIlS), built around 12 biblical leadership characteristics, highlighting stewardship and prayerful leadership. Steve offers six free autographed copies via email, and Ron shares contact info at [email protected]:00 Prayer Update for Ron00:45 Show Intro at Lobby Gathering01:59 Meet Ron and Family03:23 Career at Procter and Gamble06:38 Finding a Church Home09:11 Early Retirement and Calling13:33 Writing and Online Resources14:54 Kingdom Leadership Book Overview17:40 Key Traits Stewardship and Prayer25:11 Next Book Faith Driven Leadership26:59 Book Giveaway and Contact Info28:32 Final Encouragement and Outro ★ Support this podcast ★

Bill Donahue on Leading Life-Changing Small Groups (Plus Signed Book Giveaway)Recorded at the Lobby Gathering, Pastor Steve Gladen interviews Dr. Bill Donahue about his updated book, How to Lead Life-Changing Small Groups, and offers a giveaway of six signed copies to the first, third, fifth, seventh, ninth, and 11th people who email [email protected] with an address. Donahue shares personal background about his wife Gail, their 38-year marriage, their two adult children, and formative experiences that shaped his views of what is “healthy” and “good.” The conversation highlights key helps for small group leaders: preparation that aims to be personal rather than perfect, shared ownership and participation, and learning to give and receive feedback. Donahue discusses measuring group health beyond attendance and numbers by evaluating relationships, culture, conflict navigation, experiencing Christ’s presence, and the group’s impact outside the circle, including online group considerations, and closes by emphasizing love as the central leadership focus.00:00 Welcome and Giveaway Tease01:09 Meet Bill Donahue02:32 Family and Gail’s Ministry05:59 How They Met and Ministry Beginnings08:10 Early Small Group Failures to Growth10:39 Growing Up and Performance Pressure14:48 Kids, Parenting, and Real Life18:33 New Book Focus and Leader Challenges21:07 Book Tools Overview21:32 Conflict Chapter Deep Dive22:28 Online Groups Pros Cons23:40 Coaching New Leaders23:54 Preparation And Ownership26:31 Measuring Real Progress28:23 Feedback Triggers Explained31:18 Healthy Metrics Inside Outside34:19 Book Giveaway And Thanks35:55 Closing Focus On Love39:12 Final Wrap And Signoff ★ Support this podcast ★