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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: Welcome to SG squared.
Steve Gladden.
Own small groups.
Derek here with the main
man, Steve g Gladden.
How are you my friend?
Steve Gladen: Hey, we are in the
summertime of fun, blissful parts
here in Southern California.
We are still in, uh, home Hades.
Where, uh, we we're still, we're
still fighting to, uh, get to the
first floor of our house, so we're,
we're hoping construction ends.
You may, you're probably gonna hear some,
hopefully you hear a lot of it while
we're on this, on this show, so, but
we're, we're trying to break out of it.
We're trying to break out of it,
but it's a summertime's a good time.
Derek Olson: Yeah, you've
been moving, you've been doing
some, uh, probably remodeling.
You mentioned countertops.
I do not envy you one bit.
Steve Gladen: Yeah, it was, it was a July
1st, uh, vision to be done in 60 days, and
now we're pressing towards 120, or maybe
not 120, but over close to a hundred.
So it's, it's a little crazy.
It's, it's, it's not, it's
enough for the faint of heart.
So it's, it's a, it's a young
couple's game, I would say.
Derek Olson: So in this exciting
episode, we are getting into the
subject of seven ways your small group
leaders can have the best summer ever.
Steve, before we jump into these
seven things, is there any teaser
you wanna throw in here on this?
Steve Gladen: Well, obviously I'm
not having the best summer ever, so I
thought, well, you know, I was thinking,
you know, how can you help your small
group leaders have the best summer ever?
And I, and I think what I want to do is
summertime is a beautiful time when, uh.
You know, groups go into a
little bit of a different phase.
At some churches, they're, they're off,
uh, for other churches, they, they're
may be continuing on or they'll do like
a four week study and kind of mix it up
with some barbecues or missions trip or
serving the church in a different way.
So summertime is a little bit when you're
into a little bit of a different flow.
What better time than for you as a
small group point person to be able
to inject maybe some different ways so
that you can, uh, use summer as a way to
build into your small group leadership,
your small group leadership team.
Depending on how big your church is,
these will be seven ways it can inject.
You know, that fun summertime piece.
Into, uh, your small group ministry.
And so before you get into the
fall and before you get into some
routines, it's a great opportunity
to, you know, hit the pause button.
But not hit the pause button on, you
know, what you're doing to build into your
leaders and to build a relationship form.
So Derek and I have compiled in
our devious little minds seven
great ways that you can, uh, you
know, make it the best summer ever.
And uh, maybe by the end of
summer, my home will be done.
And so that'll even be
my best summer ever.
Derek Olson: Well, I love the title of
this because really so counter-cultural to
just a lot of mainstream ministry in that.
Who's thinking about small
groups, let alone small group
leaders during the summer.
But that's the key.
If you wanna have vibrant, healthy,
small groups and ministry, you
gotta have dynamic leaders.
And what better way to have
dynamic leaders than to make sure
they're happy during the summer?
So I love the title of this and,
uh, let's just jump right in
if that's okay with number one.
You ready for me to read this?
Steve Gladen: Well, yeah.
Let me just tag onto that because you
just said, you know, you, you pour
into the leaders have dynamic leaders.
Part of what, this is a great
way to build the relationship.
So that you can take those
leaders to that next level too.
So it, it's a reciprocal,
uh, piece that you can do.
So, uh, yeah, but set for number one.
Read it and I'll talk about it.
Derek Olson: one.
This is a big one.
Everybody get ready to write this down.
Memorize this.
Number one, send them a card through the
mail to have coffee or dinner with you.
Break it down, Steve.
Steve Gladen: One of the best things
you can do is build relational
capital with your group leaders.
And so there's a couple
interesting things here.
One is you're sending it through the
mail when most people don't get mail.
Uh, so in in this day, you're going
counterculture and you're sending
'em something through the mail.
The beautiful thing is you can
put a note in there too, to.
Kind of build them up.
But the main thing is capitalize on that.
You're the small group point person.
There is something that God has
anointed you, has, has given you the
mantle to take these leaders and help
them do the best job they can with
the souls that they're caring for.
And so what better way than for you to
be, you know, offered to take 'em out
to a cup of coffee or if you can, if
you have the gift of hospitality and you
wanna bring 'em to your house for dinner.
Or if you wanna meet 'em
someplace for dinner.
But the main thing is I think
most small group point people
underestimate the role that they
play and how people look up to 'em.
So number one is, first off,
just invite 'em to something
and summertime is a great time.
I.
When you can, you know, use different
things and you can do virtually do
almost any night of the week and you
can find something that can work out.
'cause sports have dropped to a
all time low during the summer.
There's no homework with the kids.
So it's a great opportunity for
you to reach out in a special way.
Worst case scenario, they don't
follow up on the coffee, they
don't follow up on the dinner.
When you've written them a note, I can
guarantee they will remember that note
that you sent 'em through the mail.
Derek Olson: And I can affirm that.
I remember being a young volunteer
youth leader in getting some cards like
this in the mail, and I can remember
how big that was to me way back then.
Um, that,
Steve Gladen: Yeah.
Derek Olson: They sent me a
snail mail with my name on
it and wrote me a nice note.
This is so cool.
And it really made me, uh, want
to just keep serving, right?
And then, so I kept that trick
in the back of my pocket as
I became a youth pastor and.
Small group point person, and
remember writing out those notes
and you wouldn't always hear back
from people, but some people would
respond and say, that meant so much.
Thank you very much.
So send the card.
Okay, number two.
Here we go.
Everybody write this down.
Number two, drop by and drop off a summer.
Small group leader kit.
What does this mean to you?
Steve Gladen: Yeah, this is a great
way where you can just, uh, we call
it a Popeye and, uh, not a Popeye,
like, you know, the character, but a
pop by, uh, and you know, just kind
of bring them a little special gift.
Now you can do this with, uh, you
can get as creative as you wanna get.
You may want to just drop by a little
coffee mug, uh, with some flowers in
it, and you can just do the go there.
Here.
Here's the principle behind it.
Before I get into some of the
things that you can do, love
hearing that saw in the background.
Um, but the main thing is you want to do
is you wanna make this, this little pop
by when you're swinging by their place.
Swinging by the work.
Less than three minutes.
All you want to do is be able to
say, Hey, was thinking about you.
Here's a gift excited for you.
And if you want to, you
got the relationship.
You can just do like
a 32nd prayer for 'em.
So the this little thing where
you're stopping by the house
is just quick, unannounced.
You're just here and you wanna make it.
So if they're not home, then
you can just go ahead and you
can just drop it by the door.
Now, obviously sometime is great because
at least up in the Northern Hemisphere.
The sun is out longer, so
it's not as spooky if you're
doing it in the dead of night.
I know here in the wintertime in Southern
California, the sun sets at four 30
and so you're just like going, man,
there's, you know, it's stranger danger.
If somebody knocks on my door at night, I.
But you got the summertime piece, you
can put it there and if you want to,
you can text him ahead of time and say,
Hey, dropping something by it's me.
And, uh, just wanna do that.
So, but what you can do is, I
got a little list right here.
You can make it a movie night theme if you
wanna, you know, b you know, bring 'em,
put some popcorn in there and put a couple
candy snacks and, and if you want to throw
a movie ticket in there or something like
that, uh, you can make it a reading kit.
Uh, you can make it a biblical kit,
you know, where you do different,
you know, themes of characters of
the Bible with a little gift that
ties to it somehow, or a candy bar.
Um, you can, um, if you have a picture,
uh, uh, of them from previous, or, the
great thing is that a Popeye take a
picture with them, because that's gonna
play into the next point here pretty soon.
But the thing is, is.
When you, when you've got this little
kit, when you dropped it by, it
doesn't have to cost much, it's just
something, Hey, I was thinking of you.
I thought of you.
Here it is.
Um, you can go to like a party
city or something like that and you
can, you can do a different little
theme, but the main thing is it's,
it's just a quick little gift.
You swing by under three minutes,
you'll be able to pray with them.
And you wanna make sure you capture a
moment with it to say, Hey man, can I
do a quick selfie with you so I can pray
and I'll flip you the picture so you can
pray for me, and something like that.
But you make it fun, you make it
energetic, but you just pop by.
You just drop by and you
drop off and then you're out.
So it's kind of like shock and awe, but
uh, you know, with, with less damage.
Derek Olson: it's basically an unannounced
surprise attack visit, correct.
Steve Gladen: Yeah, and if you've got
low relationship, don't hesitate to text
him first and say, Hey, I'm gonna be by
your house in less than five minutes.
It's no big deal.
I'm gonna be there less than three
minutes, but I just wanted to say hi.
And it's amazing how
that little interruption.
Can, can play such a big role in you
building a relationship with them.
And, and it's funny, and I don't know if
you've ever experienced this, Derek, when
you and Julie are going out with another
couple, but sometimes the easiest way
to do it is Una announcing, Hey, gotta
tomorrow night's free or tonight's free.
Do you guys want to go do dinner?
Sometimes when you're planning, it's
just like you end up with something
three months out when sometimes
the spontaneous will win the day.
Derek Olson: Yeah, there is something.
Especially exciting about the
spontaneous get together or drop by.
So I love it.
We got number one, send
Steve Gladen: Yeah.
Derek Olson: Number two, the
spontaneous drop by drop off.
And number three, throw everybody
a curve ball with something.
Just kind of real simple here.
Text a text,
Steve Gladen: Bingo,
Derek Olson: text.
Steve Gladen: send 'em a text.
Doesn't cost you anything, especially
if you do it on their birthday, their
kids' birthday, their anniversary.
Uh, if they're married, uh,
you know there's any type of
special date that's to them.
You text them.
And today you can text him
just a little gift card here.
Here's a $5 gift card.
Just wanna pour into you
and see how much I love you.
The main thing is with this text, if
you can hit a heartfelt day, which would
be birthday, anniversary, spiritual
birthday, um, you know, their, their
kid's birthday, something like that.
If you can hit the text on a, on a
special day, bonus points for that.
But the main thing is you
wanna have a heartfelt note.
And part of this is you wanna be
able just to, uh, just share with
them how much you appreciate 'em,
how much you're praying for them.
Uh, if you can put a verse in that, that
is something that will play to them.
That, you know, I came across this
verse in my quiet time while I
was thinking of you, that that's
another bonus part right there.
But the other great thing is, I
don't know if you remember at the,
at the, uh, drop by and drop off.
I said grab a picture of it.
You may wanna do the
text like a month later.
If you do one of those, uh, drop by and
drop offs, if you, um, grab that picture
right then, then what you can do is send
in the text the picture, and you can put
a little gift to it and you can have fun
with if, if you're creative that way.
But the main thing is, is.
Use texting strategically and capitalizing
on a, a heartfelt date if you can.
If nothing else, you
bring a heartfelt note.
Derek Olson: Love it.
Send the text.
And I mean, think about it
as leaders here in ministry.
When's the last time you
just got a random text?
From somebody, specifically a another
ministry leader or someone in your church
just telling you how awesome they appre
you are and how much they appreciate
you and that you're making an impact.
I mean, it's so simple.
Takes 30 seconds to craft and
makes huge returns, right?
Steve Gladen: You know, and
something else, Derek, that they
can do is you can put on the
text, you know, no reply needed.
Because sometimes they go, oh,
I don't know how to answer,
or something like that.
And if they wanna reply,
they're gonna reply.
But again, you're taking the burden off
of them and you're just putting it right
there, just with the heartfelt piece.
So, uh, Derek, I was just thinking
of two people this past week who
have said, I'm thinking of you.
I'm praying for you.
So, you know, to me just, uh, random texts
from group leaders out there, uh, that,
that I know across the United States.
Wish they would remember the time zone,
but hey, the, the heart was there.
Derek Olson: you're
getting a text at 2:00 AM.
Love you, brother.
All right, so we've got send them
a card, drop by and drop off.
Send the text.
Number four.
This might be kind of a California thing.
It says pool party.
Steve Gladen: Well, you can do
a pool party, but uh, I changed
it up just a little bit here.
Uh, uh, if you've got a pool or if you've
got a neighborhood, if you've got a
community pool, you can do something out.
Uh, a lot of times un,
unless you're younger, I.
Not many people will jump in the pool.
But the point is, is you, you,
you bring a barbecue around it.
But one of the things that's gonna be
in the show notes that, uh, we we're
changing this point up a little bit is
you can do Olympic games and go to a park.
So maybe a pool party or an Olympic party.
Uh, the Olympics are coming up in 2028.
Uh, as I was saying that, I'm like going,
I'm not sure when they're coming up.
Uh, maybe that's the presidential
election, but I know every
four years the Olympics do come
up, so you can always do it.
But in the show notes, we've put two
files in there where you can, uh,
put together your own Olympic games.
Now the beautiful thing is these
Olympic games are set up for anybody
young and old that you can compete in.
And so, uh, they're pretty
fun games that you can do.
You can put points to it.
Uh, you can bring all your
leaders together and say.
Hey, bring your family.
We're gonna do a special Olympic games.
If you want to, you
can do a kid's version.
Uh, well, they're all kid friendly.
Um, but you can do a
version just for the kids.
You can give prizes out, you
know, gold, silver, and bronze.
Uh, for the adults you
could do the same thing.
And what I found is, uh, at this
Olympic, uh, games that are in the
notes there, uh, adults can have
a lot of fun with it too, because.
Like one of them is you, uh, use putt
putt, but you have to use your foot.
And so, you know, it just, it neutralizes
the playing field so that whether
you're young, whether you're old,
whether you're an athlete, whether
you're a non-athlete, everybody can win.
But the, the point is.
You're bringing everybody together
and you're making a memory.
Guess what you do at this particular
one, whether it's a pool party
or whether you do the Olympic
games that are in the show notes.
What I want you to do is make sure
that you can capture a picture.
Get a picture of the moment, because
when you share it in your newsletter.
What this is what we did.
Here's the winners on the Olympic
stands and things like that.
The great thing is, is that
everyone goes, Hey, I wanna do
that when that comes back around.
And this is a great way to
infuse memories, infuse fun, and
infuse a great opportunity to
build into your group leaders.
Derek Olson: I've gotta tell this
kid to, uh, not weeded right now.
I'll be right back.
Steve Gladen: Oh, well, you know, as
you know, uh, what what can happen is
that, you know, in my house we have
saws going on and things like that.
Derek's about ready to whoop up
on a kid, and I feel sorry for him
'cause we, we couldn't hear it.
But w with that, I'm gonna
continue on with the show as we go.
Number five.
Do a car wash for your group leaders.
Now, I know this sounds crazy.
Any of you that were in student
ministries, you, you remember doing,
uh, car washes to raise funds, but
this could be a great thing that
you could do with your church.
Uh, number five is just to do a car wash.
Sorry, Derek, I just went on without you.
So, uh, who needs Derek in this show, but.
I need, I do, I need you.
Uh, when you do a car wash
together, it, it's something that,
that, that can pour into them.
Now, uh, this may take a few of your
pastoral staff if you're, uh, got a
large enough staff or maybe you get
some key volunteers that are helping
with your small group ministry that
say, Hey, I wanna, I wanna wash the car.
Or maybe you want them to swing by.
Maybe you go, man, I, I can't
take on washing the car.
But maybe you can say.
Do a drive in.
Do a drive by to us and come over and
we'll give you a special little gift.
Maybe you'll give 'em a little cent
thing for their car, but the point is,
is that give them a reason to come by.
If you can go the.
The gold standard and do a car wash.
Maybe you give 'em a car wash,
uh, you know, uh, gift certificate
or maybe you can do the car wash.
That could be the bonus.
Or if you come by, you know, they
have something for their car and,
and just love on, love on 'em,
and it's just a quick one hour.
You swing by during this one hour
and I've got a special gift for you.
So again.
Make a memory.
This is a way to, to build into them
and it gives you an opportunity in
the fall when you're following up
with group leaders is to have a memory
of what you did during the summer
Derek Olson: So we've got send the card,
drop off and drop by, send the text,
pool party, car wash, and now a number.
Steve Gladen: pool party
slash Olympic games.
Derek Olson: games, right?
Steve Gladen: I.
Derek Olson: Uh, and now
we've got number six.
Summer T-shirt gift through the mail
Steve Gladen: Yeah, so
this is a great one.
Ask someone who does something cool.
Now, if you look at Derek and I
on YouTube, you can see one of
us is cool, one of us has wisdom.
So, uh, you know, the point is go to
the people who are cool or the one that,
that are rad or the people that are
sick, uh, in your, in your ministry.
Derek Olson: or.
Steve Gladen: Get them to help design
a t-shirt that they would wear.
And do the, I do it as
you title, the t-shirt.
You know, the best small group leader.
You can do it, you can lay
logo it on, logo it, logo, eyes
it on your, with your church.
Uh, but the main thing is they're
wearing a t-shirt that's saying Best
small group leader ever, or the best
small group leader or award t-shirt.
But the main thing is, is you do a
fun t-shirt that marks them as one
of the great leaders you mark and,
and it brands it to the church.
It looks cool.
So they would wear it during the summer.
But the thing is they get it in the mail.
And again, it's a not another surprise.
They're not expecting it.
Now, this requires you to know
their T-shirt size ahead of time.
Don't guess that could
be really dangerous.
Uh, but what you wanna make sure you
do is design a t-shirt that you can
send to your group leaders that would,
again, let them know that, hey, I'm the
best small group leader in the world.
Now if they were to church and
there's multiple of those t-shirts.
You know, that's a little bit of fun,
but you know, you get a picture of it
and maybe you can have them meet at
the church and come together and do a
picture on picture day at the church
where they're wearing their T-shirts.
That would be something great too.
But again, it's the element of surprise
and the beauty of a t-shirt that
they can wear during the summertime.
Derek Olson: I like that.
And, uh, yes, have them
request their shirt size.
Don't just automatically send
them the Forex uh, shirt.
Steve Gladen: Except
unless it comes to me.
Derek Olson: Alright.
Steve Gladen: You know, Derek, you know,
one of the things that gave me this
idea is someone, uh, who, who knows,
I'm an Ohio State Buckeyes fan, who they
won the Natty this this past season.
Did you know that, Derek,
that they won the Natty?
I wasn't sure if you were
tracking that or not.
Derek Olson: um, being that
they beat Oregon, I was for
them winning at that point.
Steve Gladen: Every time I watch
the game, I think of you and just
go, Derek would like this game.
But anyways, I do that.
I, I brought, I brought, brought that up
because they sent me a t-shirt, uh, you
know, commemorating that, you know, didn't
ask me, didn't tell me, but, uh, he sent
it through the, the mail and it was just
one of those surprises that I, that I got.
And again, it just, it made me a memory
every time I wear it, uh, you know,
I think of him and pray for him too.
So.
Again, this is a great, great little way.
Derek Olson: That's great.
Yeah.
number seven.
Last but not least, here we go.
Steve Gladen: Let's see if you
can read this in my handwriting.
Derek Olson: do a stadium.
Cool.
Biz Mag
Mag.
Steve Gladen: Magnificent tour.
So one of the things you can do
with your group leaders is over the
summer is if you live near a stadium.
Uh, that, that you may have.
I mean, for us, we have SoFi Stadium,
we have Qualcomm, we have the
Coliseum, we have the Rose Bowl.
We have many different stadiums near us.
Or if you have some cool businesses,
like for us, we have two studios
here, one Blizzard, one riot games
that are both in the gaming industry
that are themed out incredibly well.
But if you've got a factory or a business
that that's got a cool layout or a stadium
and you can do a tour together, uh, one
of the things that is underestimated
is, you know how cool different
things can be like a packing plant.
Or, uh, so many places
that WW will do a tour.
I know, um, if you're in the, uh,
Kentucky area by Bowling Green,
you have the Corvette plant
there that you can tour from gm.
Uh, there's so many, uh, you know,
factories that you can tour, but
if you took them on a tour of that.
It's a great opportunity to
build a memory with them.
And then if you can get 'em some little
widget when you're there, that's great.
Uh, but again, you wanna mark the memory.
Uh, and guess what you're gonna do?
You're gonna take a picture
when you're all on the tour.
And again, this is, they're just
excuses to get your group leaders
together to make a memory so that
you can build the relationship.
By spending time with them, they
see you're a trusted person.
That, that you're a fun person to be with.
That you're, you're, you're more than
just always asking 'em to do something
or report something, but that you're
building something else so that you
can, uh, build that relationship.
So when it you do, when it does
come time to ask for something that
the church needs, they're gonna
be more likely to give it to you.
And so these seven things
wanna encourage you.
Use the summer towards your advantage
to build your small group ministry
in a super, super positive way.
You can go as crazy as you
want to with it expense-wise.
You can minimize it as
much as you want to.
But the main thing is it's you
injecting into them during a
time when they don't expect it.
Derek Olson: I love that.
Number seven is great.
Another thing I would add to that is
you could, if there's not a stadium
or something like that nearby, you
could go, um, in the Seattle area, here
is the, Boeing Museum of Flight, is,
Steve Gladen: Ooh.
Derek Olson: know, a premier, uh.
Museum to experience.
So you could take 'em
to something like that.
If there's something in your area, where
they're looking at stuff, uh, lean and
eyeing at stuff, you get a picture.
You could do a hike, know,
an easy hike together.
Similar if there's a nice
trail, stuff like that.
Steve Gladen: Maybe that
word that I wrote was museum.
And for those of you that are watching
or listening, uh, because I moved, uh,
barely got my computer up, I literally
hand wrote my notes, uh, that Derek and
I were talking about and shot him to him.
And so if he, if he looks
like he is trying to read
hieroglyphics, he definitely was.
But I look forward to having
my printer back, having my
software all installed and.
We'll be ready to cook next month for you.
But anyways, hope you guys
enjoyed this, uh, particular show.
And Derek, any, anything
you wanna wrap up with him,
Derek Olson: Yeah, just click the
show notes, uh, to see, um, the
specific show notes to this episode.
And, uh, again, thanks
everybody for tuning in.
We hope this encouraged you and empowers
you to lead better small groups.
So until next time, have a great summer.
Steve Gladen: have a
great summer everybody.
See ya.
James Browning: Thank you for listening.
Don't forget to subscribe
wherever you listen to podcasts.
And to dive in deeper get more resources
or join the small group network just
head over to small group network.com.