SG² Steve Gladen on Small Groups

SG² Steve Gladen on Small Groups Trailer Bonus Episode 256 Season 1

5 Emotional Refreshments for You & Your Groups (Replay)

5 Emotional Refreshments for You & Your Groups (Replay)5 Emotional Refreshments for You & Your Groups (Replay)

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Equipping Small Group Leaders: Insights from Saddleback Church

In this episode of SG Squared, Steve Gladen, the global pastor of small groups at Saddleback Church, shares his extensive experience to encourage and equip small group leaders. The episode includes the 'Saddleback Scoop,' highlighting the church's shift from fruitfulness to faithfulness, an approach to combat COVID-induced depletion by focusing on all four aspects of personal refreshment: physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual. The 'Network Nugget' segment introduces Saddleback’s first online training course, Align, and discusses its positive impact on participants. Additionally, the podcast touches on new course releases, upcoming events, and the importance of maintaining various forms of personal well-being. The show wraps up with a focus on five emotional refreshments essential for small group leaders and members: support, stability, self-expression, significance, and satisfaction.

00:00 Welcome to F G Squared
00:19 The Saddleback Scoop: Refreshment and Recalibration
07:03 Network Nugget: Align Learning and Cohort Strategy
13:42 Leadership Learning: The Replenishment Cycle
21:45 Trending Topic: Five Emotional Refreshments
32:08 Closing Remarks and Resources
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What is SG² Steve Gladen on Small Groups?

Small group leaders, pastors, and more discussing strategies for growth and community in church groups. The Small Group Network is an international ministry that equips churches to engage in deeper discipleship and community.

James Browning: Hello, and
welcome to F G squared.

Steve Gladen the global pastor of small
groups from Saddleback church polls

from his over 25 years of experience.

To encourage and equip listeners like
you to lead small group ministry.

So let's listen and learn together.

Derek Olson: So we'll jump into the
first part of our Inside Saddleback

show, and that is the Saddleback Scoop.

And this has kind of given you a little
taste of what we're experiencing, what

we're learning in the Saddleback world.

So, Steve.

Let us, give it to us.

Steve Gladen: So, uh, I want to kind
of go through some different parts here

on this episode because I love where,
uh, Pastor Rick has been, uh, moving

the staff and moving our congregation.

And it's been, uh, relevant enough
to, to share with you from this

point of view that the, when
we're talking about refreshment.

Uh, one of the great learnings that we've
been sharing with people, and you know,

some of you may have already known this,
and so you're more brilliant than, than,

than where we're at, but so often we're
trying to, uh, we're trying to get more

spiritual refreshment to replace some
of the other refreshment areas that, uh,

it's just not going to work, and part
of one of the realizations is, is that

spiritual refreshment will not refill you.

emotional or physical emptiness.

And so we've been spending a lot of time
and staff, and then also with our people

is looking at, you know, uh, more, more
Bible study or more scripture memory.

It's great, but it's not going
to replace sometimes the physical

or the emotional emptiness that
you're feeling through COVID.

So, uh, we've got, we've got
a great rundown to give you

in just a, just a moment.

But also understanding that in refreshment
is recalibrating just a little bit.

One of it is because, uh, our
culture is driven by fruitfulness.

I mean, we are driven, uh, you
know, we, we have margin in

our heart, but boy, do we does.

eek drivenness out of us.

Obviously, that's why we're
a purpose driven ministry.

But one of the great recalibrations
we've done or a pivot we've done is

we've been focusing a little bit more
on faithfulness than fruitfulness.

And it kind of helps people understand
that, you know, when refreshment

and depletion is down, when you've
lost so much due to COVID and

there's, you know, you gave us
our list, but, you know, there's.

Other people have different lists, but we
all have lists of, uh, what we have lost.

And when you focus people on saying,
Hey, don't worry so much about

fruitfulness, but keep people focused
on faithfulness and faithfulness is

simply just, I do the right thing,
even though I don't feel like it.

Part of it is, you know, um, You know,
when you're in training and people may

be, uh, uh, you know, just, you know,
feeling depleted, uh, so much more quicker

is just helping them understand that, you
know, Hey, let's, let's just stick on,

you know, the faithfulness part, but then
let's also calibrate it by understanding,

and this is the second half to that, that
phrase is that people are, uh, you're not

gonna You know, when you survey our staff,
they're just emptying a lot quicker.

Uh, and I, I, I run at a higher RPM.

I love that, uh, about my,
uh, how God has wired me.

And I just love to, you
know, crank all the time.

What's it like to not sleep?

Uh, it's, it's, it's, it's.

You know, I do sleep.

I just get it in different pockets
in different places, but it's, you

know, but people do say that they're
emptying a little bit quicker.

And so you have to understand, you
know, when you're feeling that way,

uh, you almost have to ask yourself,
you know, people, uh, can handle

a lot if they know the purpose.

Of what they're dealing with, and you
see this all time in the medical world,

you know, when people are suffering with
an ailment, they're, uh, when they go to

the doctor's office, if they know what
it is, at least they can deal with it

a little bit better than if you're at
the doctor's office and test after test,

after test, after test come out, uh, it's
not this, but we're not sure what it is.

And so when you don't understand, you know
what it is, then it's harder to deal with.

Yeah.

And in this pandemic, we have found
that people have been emptying quicker,

uh, because of this whole piece of, you
know, we just don't know what it is.

And in coaching, uh, one of the things
we've been talking about, especially

with our staff is that, you know, a
lot of times, you know, I'm going to

throttle up and throttle back because,
you know, the end of the season, uh,

of what you're dealing with, but in
this, we still don't know the end.

So, how do you push ahead?

How do you throttle back?

It's, it's all a little bit of a
mystery that, that's out there.

You know, a sociologist did a, a survey,
uh, what was a study on people, and they

would hook an electrode up to their hand
and they would administer pain to them.

And when the person who was conducting
the, the test, uh, would, would

start to administer, you know,
the electrode and, and throttle

up the pain, people would tap out.

Far quicker than if they had the control
to shut it off So when they knew they

could shut off the pain they found out
they could handle 50 percent more Pain

when they were in control of it than
when somebody else was in control of it

And you start to look at covet in this
time Uh, what we're noticing is that you

know, even in our own staff, you know
They, they're, we're not in control.

We're, we're not in control
and that's frustrating for

us and it can wear us down.

So we're gone through a number
of things, understanding that

spiritual refreshment isn't the only
thing that we've got to work on.

Uh, we also look, you know, we're
focusing a little bit more on

faithfulness and fruitfulness.

We're understanding that people
are emptying a lot quicker.

And then Rick just gave, I'm going to
put this in, in the show notes for you.

But Rick just did a great talk to our
staff on just, you know, what to remember

when you're feeling empty or low.

And I don't want to consume a whole
lot of time on the show with this,

but you know, he's got six things
that I would just encourage you to

look at the show notes, uh, because.

It's pretty self intuitive, but the
beautiful thing is, is that, again,

people need to be taught on what
they, uh, are experiencing and put

handles on what their feelings are
so that they can deal with them.

So a lot's been happening
with us at Saddleback.

It's not the, you know, the astronomical
numbers of, you know, what we've talked

about and what we've been doing through
COVID, although a lot of that has been

happening, but it's been a very reflective
time on how do we replenish and how do we.

uh, bring refreshment to our staff
and to our congregation in this

time of so much being missed.

That

Derek Olson: is your Saddleback Scoop.

Like Steve said, make sure and check the
show notes for the six things on what

to remember when you feel empty or low.

It's really good.

On to our network nugget for this show,
and this is, again, what's happening

in the small group network world,
and, uh, as you may have heard, we

recently launched our first ever online
training course called Align Learning

Small Group Ministry Essentials.

And it's been so exciting and
rewarding to see so many people going

through this course and not just
completing it, but sharing testimonies

of what God's doing, uh, in them
and for them through this course.

And so we wanted to share
one of those for you.

And, uh, this testimony from a
friend of the network, uh, named

Rita, Rita, you are awesome.

We love your passion
and the Facebook group.

And she's just like all

Steve Gladen: over.

Have you noticed that?

I have, she's, she's, I have not met her.

I couldn't pick her out of a
lineup, but man, she has got energy

flowing through everything she does.

So Rita, thanks for sharing
this, but here's what she says.

Derek Olson: Uh, quote,
this has put into words.

Everything, all caps, I've been feeling
in my spirit, as well as what our

pastor has been wanting for the last
20 plus years we've been a church.

It's a genius set of how tos that
will enable us to move our church

forward, to move God's kingdom forward.

End quote.

And again, that's from Rita
in Norton Shores, Michigan.

Steve, isn't that great?

Steve Gladen: You know,
we, uh, Rita and I have.

Corresponded that, you know, she's, uh,
at a, in a state of the United States,

that's North of, uh, you know, other
parts of the States of the United States.

So, uh, yeah, she's a, she's a
diehard, uh, the team up North,

uh, in our college football world.

So, and, uh, you know, what can I say?

You love the person you hate
the team they wrote for.

Derek Olson: So, thanks again, Rita.

And again, if you would like to find
more information about our Align

course, just go to smallgroupnetwork.

com forward slash Align.

You can watch the free course
introduction and see if it works for you.

But Steve, there's something else cool
that's kind of popped up out of Align,

and that is this whole cohort strategy
thing you've been doing with churches.

Tell us about that.

Steve Gladen: Yeah, it's, uh, and
again, I just want to, uh, everything

we're going to focus on the network
nugget here is all trying to bring back

the refreshment piece for churches.

He, for you as a small group point
leader and, uh, it all kind of tied

together when we get to the leadership
learning piece, but, uh, you know,

it was, it was, which was my idea.

But, um, Philip down in, um,
Australia, I met him when I was

there a couple of years ago.

He helps, uh, work church of Christ,
uh, in, in that denomination.

And it's one of those things where
he goes, Hey, I'm just going to do a

cohort cohort with this, uh, uh, course.

And I'm like, great.

Uh, I have no idea what he's
talking about, but go ahead.

And he, he worked out the frame and
we're, uh, actually we're working

that now in South Africa, and we're
trying to start one up in Europe.

And so it's a, it's exciting piece.

And if you want more information, like you
said, Derek can get to you, or you can get

it from the website that Derek gave us.

But yeah.

Between, you know, Align and the other
new courses that we have, whether

we're filming and that are in post
production, those are all designed to

give you, uh, some refreshment just
in the intellectual side of who you

are and, and just pouring into you.

Derek Olson: Yeah.

So Steve, speaking of new courses,
we've got Accelerate, uh, that's

in the Hopper and will be released
hopefully in the next few months.

We've also got a course
coming out soon about.

Online small groups and one about
how to do kids small groups.

So look forward to that.

Also coming up in 2021, Steve, we
have, we're going to be in 10 cities

as of now doing a physical accelerate
events and physical align events.

Steve Gladen: Very cool.

I like that.

Uh, it scares me in one way, but I hope
I'm not on every one of those planes.

Uh, but I know Daniel Thomas, who
is our director of events, uh, you

know, sent us something and, uh,
those are already fired up on the, on

the conference part of our website.

And it's just exciting that you can,
uh, look at that and see which one

we're coming to new close to you.

And I, he is also showing that
we have four more in the hopper.

So, uh, Uh, we will do 14 cities
probably in 2021 in, uh, you know, just

in alignment with the big 10 who has
14 teams not doing anything this year.

So we decided we would do something.

Derek Olson: We're going to come
out of COVID with a bang in 2021.

You're going to be traveling a lot, man.

Get ready.

Steve Gladen: The teaching team
will also be traveling a lot too.

So thank God for those certified
trainers that are out there.

Hey, but another cool thing
about refreshment is, uh, we, uh.

Stumbled into the coffee biz.

And so it's very exciting to, uh, you
know, kind of partner with, uh, no

coffee, better or no better coffee
or, or, uh, just know something.

Uh, but Daniel Thomas, give us
the correct title of the biz.

No better coffee, K N O W, no.

Ah, no better coffee.

I just know I like to drink it.

Uh, but anyways, yeah, the network
has four special blends that

are out there for you that'll be
coming up on the website soon.

So, when you're trying to get your coffee
fix, you know, there's no better place

than to get it from the coffee beans that
we get roasted from around the equator.

To our great roaster, uh, that we have
into the products of the four blends.

I'll, I'll leave it up to you to get
onto the website, but we do have four

special blends that are coming out that
are very small group network related.

So we're going to quench that.

Thirst that you have
in refreshment for you.

Derek Olson: Yeah.

So look, uh, be looking on our
social media and website in the near

future for all of this to appear.

And basically we're going to
put community back in coffee.

I love

Steve Gladen: it.

Derek Olson: I

Steve Gladen: love it.

Boom.

And then a piece of refreshment the
network is working on is for our Espanol.

Uh, audience out there and, uh, we just
pulled the trigger and we're just about

finished with a new, uh, updated website
for them and also working towards, uh,

the align that is, uh, going to be in
Spanish and the workbook that, that'll

accompany it along with, uh, my latest
book is coming out in Spanish and

all three of them will be Uh, up and
available, uh, through Kindle direct and

so excited that we're able to get the
resources out to people around the world,

uh, that speak the Spanish language.

And so, uh, love that Latino, uh,
fire that can, that I'm married to.

So,

Derek Olson: so that is your network
nugget on to our leadership learning.

Steve, what do you got for us?

Steve Gladen: Yeah, this is
a, Uh, just a great refresher.

Uh, if you haven't worked with it,
it's the replenishment cycle, uh,

that really fits in well with our
refreshment theme that we have going.

Uh, but they, they work off
an acrostic, uh, called pies.

And I mean, how can you not help but love?

I like this acrostic.

I know a replenishment
cycle that talks about pies.

And I'm like going, Oh, this, this, this
is finally, finally, I can do something.

And with that, but it's not the type
of pies that I'd like to, to eat.

But anyways, um, with, with a basis off
the, is the acrostic of, uh, P I E S.

And this is, this kind of helps connect
the dots between the saddleback scoop

and some of the, uh, network nugget
things that, that we're working on.

But, um, It's good for us to be thinking
through this and the P stands for, you

know, as you're looking for replenishment
and you're looking for refreshment in the

midst of a desert time of trying to go
through COVID, the P stands for physical.

What are you physically working on now?

When COVID first came out, you know, you
heard me on a previous show to saying,

I'm trying to work on social distancing.

Uh, not from people, uh, but
from my refrigerator because

I'm at home all the time.

And, you know, why not eat if
I'm just not doing anything?

And so, you know, I had kids that go to
college and we're like working on them.

Say, Hey, don't get the freshman 15.

And it's like, you know, and
my wife's like going, Hey, to

me, uh, don't get the COVID 19.

And so, uh, I'm not quite there yet.

Oh, dude, come on, man.

That sounds like hurt, but
so there's a physical side.

And so.

Ask yourself the question, how
am I going towards movement?

Because if you are wanting to, um, you
know, you know, work on your refreshments,

that there has to be a physical side.

Our bodies were meant to move.

Uh, you know, and you know, I'm like
the worst, you know, coach in this whole

thing, cause you know, I consider, you
know, every day I do at least one sit

up, uh, when I get out of bed and I do
one crunch when I lay back into bed.

Uh, and that does not count.

Uh, but my wife and I have goals on,
you know, the number of steps and

movements and you know, a couple of
videos that we're working through

in our, in our weight training.

Uh, with that, I would tell you the
video we're watching, but my manhood

is on the line, but I'm doing my
wife's course and I'm just like going.

Crap, I'm terrible.

Uh, but anyway, so there's a
physical component that you got to

be thinking through in this COVID
19 to keep yourself replenished, to

keep yourself, you know, refreshed.

The next thing is the intellectual side.

And part of one of the things that
we started this Uh, all four of

these podcasts was we're trying to
stimulate you and go, okay, where

are you learning intellectually?

And that's the beauty of what Carolyn
brings and what Bill brings and what Nick

brings is that they're, they're completely
different angles from our show too.

And so it's one way that you can, you can
work on that, those intellectual sides.

And I was just listening, uh, last
week to, um, the reading lens.

And just going through, uh, you
know, the book on, uh, you know,

daring, I want to say daring faith.

Greatly.

Yeah.

Daring greatly.

And, uh, it was one of those things
where, you know, I'm just, you know,

outlining these chapters they're going
through and just the number of things

that were commented and taking notes
and going back through the book and

going through, okay, these are things,
these are nuggets I can pick up.

And so it's.

It's just, you know, again, you've got
to ask yourself, how are you, how are

you stimulating yourself intellectually?

And I'm not talking about
just your quiet time.

Uh, it's a very important piece.

I'll kind of play into the next
piece, but on the intellectual

front, how are you pushing yourself?

One of the reasons why we're designing
the courses is again, to help on the

intellectual front, no matter where
you're at on this planet, you can

start to work through those things
and try to, to maneuver through it.

So, um, You know, there's the intellectual
side, the E stands for emotional.

And with that, you know, you
got to say, you know, how am I

taking care of myself emotionally?

A number of great books.

There's one book called a lambs
on the edge and talking about so

much about people in ministry,
how we get on that edge.

And before we know it.

We're falling off the ledge.

And it's important for us to look
at how the Sabbath is playing in.

Rick talks a lot about how you
need to take, uh, time daily, how

you need to retreat weekly, and
how you need to retreat annually.

And he's got it set in, in a, in
a much more pithier, uh, way, uh,

than, than what I just exploited.

But there's a lot of play in the emotional
side of being how to say, you know,

daily, how are you, how are you getting
into that time where in your quiet time.

You're retreating from
this world, uh, weekly.

How are you taking your Sabbath?

And a lot of us, you know, with COVID
we've been off for the weekends, you

know, much of the United States is
firing up their weekend services or

have been in their weekend services.

So you're not having the weekends off.

Like we're still having in
California, which may go

through to the end of the year.

Don't know.

But, uh, but there's also the part
of, you know, how are you retreating?

And, you know, Lisa and I are just.

Uh, planning our, our time away
in October, and we're going to

spend about 10 days away and just,
you know, retreating that way.

So you got to be thinking through
the emotional side, but it's almost

like you got to get that hands
on detoxing, uh, that will help.

Cleanse your soul.

Rick had a great quote this past weekend.

He was talking about how so much of
our time is getting consumed with the

election year coming up in the news media.

And I don't care what
channel you listen to.

Uh, it's just going to take you
down a rabbit hole that's not

going to replenish your soul.

It's not going to give you
the refreshment that you need.

Uh, social media is not
going to do it either.

And I, I know Rick was holding
up his Bible when he was talking

about this and he, and he's like
going, you know, Facebook is not

going to help you in replenishment.

And he goes, you know, why don't
you get your face into this book,

which he was holding the Bible
verse, you know, you know, getting

into Facebook and how much time gets
consumed on social media with that.

But there's the emotional side.

And then the other part of, um, Uh,
of Pies is the spiritual side, and

this is where we've been hit so hard.

Uh, Kay was sharing with our staff, Kay
is Rick's wife, is sharing how in her,

in her quiet time, you know, she was
just reading so much about how singing

plays a part in our spiritual health.

And, and that's one of the things we've
been robbed from a lot is corporate

worship together, uh, with that.

But you gotta be looking at, you know,
the spiritual side of who you are.

That ties in with the emotional.

I know those two overlap quite a bit.

But, you know, with temple courts
taking on different shapes, uh, like

for California, it's not shaping at all
that much, but other parts are, you've,

you've got to be looking at your spiritual
side and how it's, how it's aligning

with the emotional piece of who you are.

So part of that replenishment,
replenishment cycle is pies.

You can probably Google that or
look it up if you want to go deeper

on, on each one of those letters.

But again, it's something in your,
uh, Leader time that when you're

trying to talk to your leaders before
you give them another Bible study

or another passage, which is great.

Start thinking through the, the P, the
I, the E and the S of how you can bring

leadership development into your team.

Derek Olson: That is
your leadership learning.

And Steve, I wonder how many people
who listen to this show are going

to end up eating pie tonight.

After that leadership learning,

Steve Gladen: I got to confess, you know,
you might want to email me, uh, Lisa and

I are going to be going down to Julian,
uh, which, uh, there's a place down there

that makes the most incredible apple pies.

And, you know, I'll be taking your order
and just give me your Venmo account and

I'll bill you for all that, but picking
them up and they're, they're, they're.

Tasty.

Derek Olson: All right.

So on to our trending topic, we're
talking about refreshment in this

episode and we want to share with you
five emotional refreshments that you,

your leaders and your small groups need.

And we're going to jump right
into number one, which is

Steve Gladen: support.

All right.

And that is everybody
I meet needs support.

Now these five emotional refreshments.

are things that you need to be thinking
through for your small group leaders as

they're looking at their people, as you
are looking for the infrastructure of that

you've put into your small group ministry,
and as you're looking for yourself.

So, uh, as Derek was saying,
the first thing right there is

everybody I meet needs support.

And it's interesting that, uh,
this Epidemic has caused an

outbreak of loneliness in people.

And even as you're engaging back
in, people are starting as they're

meeting physically back together
again, they're assessing all the damage

that has happened from COVID in the.

uh, emotional support side of it.

And you know, this is why COVID has
been so deadly to, uh, to our culture

and to all, all around the world
because support has been fractured.

You know, Genesis 2, 18, a scripture
that we love in community, it says,

it's not good for man to be alone.

And that scripture was given
to us in the garden of Eden.

The most perfect.

Sin free area known to mankind and God was
saying, it's not good for us to be alone.

So even in a, in the most perfect
environment God made, he's saying, you

know, we're not designed to, to be alone.

And so often, uh, we used to be born
into community, uh, because of our family

structures, but because of mobility.

Community is something that you choose,
and so when you're looking for support,

people are trying to they're choosing it.

They're not born into it, so it's
not already there for them, but

they're traveling around in there.

There's so many things that I could
run through the five things that we've

taught before on other shows about what
has fractured the support that people

have had in the past generations.

But, so you have to be thinking through
right here, okay, so if people are

choosing community, how can I help
them find community in your church?

And so you've got to be thinking
through the strategic pieces because,

uh, this is something that people need.

And so you've got to make sure, hey,
everyone has support from the one to

maybe the hundreds that you get connected.

Get support.

Okay.

Number two is another S stability.

Yeah.

Everyone I meet needs a stability.

And, uh, this is where, you know, all,
all the pieces of who you are have got to

be centered on a foundation that is firm.

Uh, James one, six and seven
says a doubtful mind will be as

unsettled as a wave of the sea that
is driven and tossed by the wind.

Every decision.

You then make will be uncertain and so
often, you know, we've got to help our

people have the stability that they need.

And again, you look at
what COVID has done.

COVID has shaken the
stabilities that we have known.

And so that's why a lot of church
people are so rocked by this.

Uh, this pandemic is because it
took away something that that they

thought they had forever and ever.

And so, uh, you need that
foundation that will never change

and you got to ask yourself.

You know, what's the final
authority in my life?

Because if, if it's the church,
then when the church is taken away,

you're not going to feel stable.

Uh, you know, I just want to
encourage you to read, uh, Psalm

119 and just look through all of
the benefits that are given to us.

as believers and, you know, start
building your foundation on that

and not just on what the church is
always going to provide for you.

Uh, because when you look at first
century Christians, they, uh, they

appreciated the gathering together,
but they also, you know, we're,

we're working their foundation
on, on Jesus and, and who he is.

I saw a great Facebook, um, posting, and
this is when social media can be good.

But, uh, for Matt, Matt Page,
he was our director of, uh, uh,

Eurasia that helps us, uh, in the,
in the network on the global side.

But, uh, you know, this post
was, are you as passionate

about sharing Jesus with people?

As you are about sharing your
political opinions now, I, you know,

it's a little bit of a punch, but a
lot of times it helps us calibrate,

you know, where's our stability.

Is it in our political party?

Is it in our football team?

Sorry, Derek, I mean, you know,
you and I got to learn from that

one, but where's your stability at?

So, uh, that that's the second
thing I would encourage you to,

to walk through with your teams.

Derek Olson: Number
three, self expression.

Steve Gladen: Yeah.

Everybody I need.

Meet needs self expression, and this
is part of where we talk about in group

life is you don't lead alone because when
you use your giftedness that produces

value inside of you, and so you've got
to help people in your small groups

if you're the small group leader, you
got to help people in your church if

you're into leadership development,
they've got to help find out where their

giftedness is because that's their self
expression that you want to tap into.

And what you got to understand is
that, you know, when you look at

Ephesians 2 10, it says, you know,
the gifts are to benefit your gifts.

Your spiritual gifts are
to help benefit others.

And they will also benefit
you when you use them.

And, and they just aren't just for, you
know, one side or the other, but they're

there to come together for the body.

But a natural by product in you
is that you start to feel valued.

And you will, you got to understand
is that you, you'll never have a role

that is a hundred percent of your
gifting, but the more you can find

what you do to be the majority of your
gifting, the happier you're going to be.

And so part of what you got to be able
to do is everybody needs self expression.

If you want refreshment to rise inside
of your leadership, inside your small

groups, inside your church, it's helping
people find how do they best self

express and then let them pour their
life into that inside your church.

For at Saddleback, we, we use
an acrostic called shape, uh,

which is in our class 301.

It's in our curriculum.

Uh, also just to help people discover.

their shape, where their spiritual
gifts, their hearts, their abilities,

their personalities, and their
experiences all shaped together for

them to have perfect self expression.

Derek Olson: So, so far we've got
support, stability, self expression,

and on to number four, significance.

Steve Gladen: Yeah, and this is
everybody I meet needs significance.

And, um, this is, you know, a full
schedule verse a fulfilled schedule.

And this is where people need purpose.

And so much of our human nature, uh,
is thriving for success, but they

quickly find out that, you know, when
Christ isn't in the center of that, the

significance can be low or very hollow
or their success can be very hollow.

And part of what you want to be able to
do is help them find that significance

that they're longing for and part
of I love going after busy people.

I love going after people that you
would never ever think could contribute

because when they start to use their
self expression that we talked about

in the point before and you help them
dial it into something that is focusing

on the eternal side of, you know, their
life, which is, you know, the life,

you know, beyond their living here on
this planet, that they can play a role

in something that will outlast them.

And that's the beauty of
the small group network.

We're not doing this for us right now.

We're doing this for, to live beyond.

Uh, everybody that is in current
leadership in the network, but we're doing

it, you know, because we want to have
significance to help the kingdom out.

And so that's where you've got to
be helping people understand, are

your eyes set low or are they set on
the horizon of what you're, the big

payoff is going to be in eternity.

And we call those destiny changers.

And we love seeing people that are excited
about changing people's destiny because

of what role they're playing in the
network, in your small group ministry.

In their small group or wherever
they're at in your church.

And number

Derek Olson: five, satisfaction.

Steve Gladen: Yeah.

And satisfaction, uh, kind
of plays into the leadership

learning piece we had on pies.

Uh, your satisfaction will rise when all
four aspects, your, your, your physical

side, your intellectual side, your
emotional side, and your spiritual side.

When those are all in alignment,
you're going to start to discover that.

You know, there, there will be
that synergy that will happen

from the alignment that will
just boost your satisfaction.

And so part of one of the reasons why
we went through that leadership learning

of pies is so that you could apply it
right here to the satisfaction piece.

So, again, think through everybody I meet.

When you're talking about, you know,
uh, you know, the, any topic that

people are facing, but when you meet
people, they're going to need support.

They're going to need stability.

They're going to need self expression.

They're going to need significance and
they're going to need satisfaction.

You get that boiled into your small group.

Uh, ethos, you get that into the small
group ministry ethos, you get that

into your church ethos, and you're
going to find that, you know, in the

midst of a pandemic that's driving
everybody to lean into substance

pieces, whether it be alcohol or drugs
or whatever you name the topic, there

can be things, you know, I joke about
college football, it could be that

could be professional football, they're
pulling their lives into something else.

That can't focus on what's going to
quench their thirst that is before them.

So,

Derek Olson: so that is your trending
topic for this amazing inside

saddleback show Hey a big thanks
again to all you guys for wanting to

spend part of your day with us Thanks
for tuning in and until next time.

Goodbye.

See you there everybody

James Browning: Thank you for listening.

Don't forget to subscribe
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And to dive in deeper get more resources
or join the small group network just

head over to small group network.com.