WEBVTT NOTE This file was generated by Descript 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.280 James Browning: Hello, everyone, and welcome back for week three 00:00:03.350 --> 00:00:06.730 of the Help for Host podcast for the Dream Now initiative. 00:00:06.800 --> 00:00:11.010 I'm your friend, James Browning, and this week we will be talking 00:00:11.010 --> 00:00:13.370 about Dreaming Now for your church. 00:00:13.720 --> 00:00:16.459 We're also joined by a very special guest, your friend and 00:00:16.460 --> 00:00:17.969 mine, our pastor of Dream Now. 00:00:18.019 --> 00:00:21.169 Groups and one of the elders here at Saddleback, Steve Gladen. 00:00:21.464 --> 00:00:25.664 Steve Gladen: Hey everybody, it's so great you have made it to the halfway point 00:00:25.664 --> 00:00:30.454 and James how's uh, your group doing, you know, moving into that halfway mark? 00:00:30.529 --> 00:00:32.299 James Browning: We are doing great. 00:00:32.399 --> 00:00:36.659 I love the, downhill momentum we've got going on and all of this, 00:00:36.679 --> 00:00:38.399 Steve Gladen: it's actually been, really impactful. 00:00:38.399 --> 00:00:40.499 I don't know for each one of you and in our small group, 00:00:40.499 --> 00:00:42.659 it's just being able to dream. 00:00:42.659 --> 00:00:46.069 I mean, obviously we've gone through dream for your life and we've gone 00:00:46.069 --> 00:00:47.279 through dream for your family. 00:00:47.619 --> 00:00:52.929 Obviously those have made a huge impact on, on us personally in our small group. 00:00:52.929 --> 00:00:56.229 So it's one of those things where we're going, Oh my, what's 00:00:56.229 --> 00:01:00.389 a, what's in store in this next weekend, dreaming for your church. 00:01:01.064 --> 00:01:01.824 James Browning: That's right. 00:01:01.844 --> 00:01:05.084 So again, congratulations for making it halfway. 00:01:05.434 --> 00:01:10.434 But since we have Steve Gladen here, who is literally the guy who wrote the book 00:01:10.434 --> 00:01:14.234 on small groups, Steve, I wanted to ask you, What should hosts start to look 00:01:14.234 --> 00:01:16.734 at as we begin to conclude this series? 00:01:16.784 --> 00:01:19.014 Steve Gladen: Yeah, you're asking a great question and a lot of times 00:01:19.014 --> 00:01:22.284 we're just kind of motoring through the dream now booklet and just kind 00:01:22.284 --> 00:01:23.614 of going, Hey, what's the next circle? 00:01:23.614 --> 00:01:27.214 What's the next circle that pastor Andy's talking about, but this is 00:01:27.214 --> 00:01:28.784 a great time for you as a host. 00:01:28.844 --> 00:01:32.494 I'm just going to kind of break you up into a few different categories. 00:01:32.494 --> 00:01:37.264 You're like, if you are an existing small group, and that's where my small group is, 00:01:37.264 --> 00:01:42.094 we've been around for a couple of decades and motoring through life and in that. 00:01:42.094 --> 00:01:42.144 Yeah. 00:01:42.464 --> 00:01:46.354 But this is the time in that halfway point when you're going to start to 00:01:46.354 --> 00:01:50.524 put the seed in the ground of just talking about, you know, what's next. 00:01:50.774 --> 00:01:53.894 And if you're an existing small group, we have two amazing 00:01:54.424 --> 00:01:56.024 curricula that is coming out. 00:01:56.034 --> 00:01:59.314 One of them is What's in a Name by Megan Greider. 00:01:59.654 --> 00:02:02.844 And it's a brand new series that we have out. 00:02:03.044 --> 00:02:04.374 It's on the watch page. 00:02:04.414 --> 00:02:05.984 I would encourage you to do that. 00:02:06.324 --> 00:02:10.884 It's got a great workbook that goes with it and a video series that's there. 00:02:11.369 --> 00:02:15.349 And another one that if you're an existing group, that'd be great is, 00:02:15.479 --> 00:02:19.429 uh, whether you know it or not, we've been releasing the book of Mark in 00:02:19.429 --> 00:02:23.499 a great way where you, uh, read the book, read through the book of Mark. 00:02:23.879 --> 00:02:26.009 You get to know a little bit about the context of where you're going 00:02:26.009 --> 00:02:27.599 to have some discussion questions. 00:02:28.484 --> 00:02:32.124 Unfortunately, uh, I, and I say, unfortunately, because a lot of small 00:02:32.124 --> 00:02:36.534 groups love this mark series because there's no homework and you just kind of 00:02:36.734 --> 00:02:40.604 show up to group and you do everything in house, but it's, it's one of the 00:02:40.604 --> 00:02:42.434 popular ones you may want to consider. 00:02:42.684 --> 00:02:45.264 Mark one chapters one through four is already out. 00:02:45.444 --> 00:02:48.234 We're getting ready to release mark five through eight. 00:02:48.584 --> 00:02:51.474 And as an existing group, I encourage you to jump in there. 00:02:52.064 --> 00:02:53.714 If you're a brand new group. 00:02:54.094 --> 00:02:57.564 Uh, this is a good opportunity for you, Dean, to talk to your group 00:02:57.564 --> 00:03:01.484 and to say, Hey, we have, uh, we've enjoyed this DreamNow study. 00:03:01.844 --> 00:03:06.464 And there's two curricula that we have that are especially 00:03:06.464 --> 00:03:07.994 designed for a new group. 00:03:08.254 --> 00:03:10.254 One of them is called Basecamp. 00:03:10.314 --> 00:03:11.424 It's on the Watch page. 00:03:11.814 --> 00:03:16.334 Uh, you can be able to get that and we also have mark one through four. 00:03:16.694 --> 00:03:20.964 Both of those are great introductory studies that your group can move 00:03:20.964 --> 00:03:22.564 at whatever pace you want to do. 00:03:22.794 --> 00:03:27.204 It also be great for, if you're an on, on campus group, if you've been 00:03:27.204 --> 00:03:31.474 at a table for a while and you're listening to this and you're had that 00:03:31.474 --> 00:03:36.314 opportunity to take it into a home, this, these curricula that we've been 00:03:36.324 --> 00:03:38.334 mentioning would, would be great there. 00:03:38.824 --> 00:03:42.524 The main thing is, is that you want to start to be thinking through and just 00:03:42.534 --> 00:03:47.434 planting the seed, like saying, what if we could dream, no pun intended, 00:03:47.694 --> 00:03:50.814 about staying together as a small group? 00:03:51.344 --> 00:03:55.524 And one of the other things I want you to start thinking about as the host, Is, 00:03:55.884 --> 00:04:01.664 right, it won't be too long, we'll be sitting at the end of week 5, and Andy 00:04:01.664 --> 00:04:05.544 will have concluded the dream now, and we're getting ready to head into holy week 00:04:05.544 --> 00:04:09.354 and then to Easter, but I want you to be considering, you know, how are you going 00:04:09.354 --> 00:04:14.334 to be celebrating and we're going to be giving you a couple great things to talk 00:04:14.344 --> 00:04:19.274 about when you're at your celebration that have direct correlation to each 00:04:19.274 --> 00:04:21.054 one of the five circles in dream now. 00:04:21.054 --> 00:04:23.614 So be looking for that excited about that. 00:04:23.824 --> 00:04:27.734 But the main thing is that we want to talk about is just to be start to be 00:04:27.734 --> 00:04:29.944 thinking about, you know, what is it? 00:04:30.379 --> 00:04:34.209 That we we want in the future of our group So planting that seed of what's 00:04:34.229 --> 00:04:37.759 maybe another curricula you want to do and talking about the celebration 00:04:38.019 --> 00:04:41.239 James Browning: Just to follow up, Steve, if you're an existing group, 00:04:41.479 --> 00:04:46.069 you recommend checking out the what's in a name study, which is on the 00:04:46.069 --> 00:04:47.819 saddleback watch page, saddleback. 00:04:47.819 --> 00:04:52.049 com slash watch, scroll down to studies and click through to find 00:04:52.049 --> 00:04:56.749 the study and then the new upcoming mark five through eight journey 00:04:56.809 --> 00:04:58.049 that's on the journey app, right? 00:04:58.059 --> 00:04:59.099 Steve Gladen: Yep, it sure is. 00:04:59.099 --> 00:05:04.489 And it's a great way for your group to, uh, be able to roll through 00:05:04.489 --> 00:05:06.589 it real time in your small group. 00:05:06.699 --> 00:05:09.709 Or if you want to, you can jump ahead and, you know, start to read 00:05:09.709 --> 00:05:11.759 the those chapters and go through 00:05:11.839 --> 00:05:16.034 James Browning: Okay, that sounds great and base camp also on the watch page 00:05:16.084 --> 00:05:18.604 and mark one through four also a journey 00:05:18.764 --> 00:05:21.924 Steve Gladen: Yeah, and it's very applicable for you to use it, whether 00:05:21.924 --> 00:05:25.414 you're a brand new group, or, you know, if you're doing base camp, you can do 00:05:25.414 --> 00:05:29.484 it as a new group, or if you're a new group coming out of the, uh, on campus, 00:05:29.874 --> 00:05:31.834 uh, studies at any one of our campus. 00:05:32.674 --> 00:05:33.104 James Browning: Okay. 00:05:33.114 --> 00:05:37.824 So let's say that you are a newer group, or a group that's been meeting 00:05:37.824 --> 00:05:40.654 on campus and you want to continue on. 00:05:40.664 --> 00:05:44.614 What are some of the tips you would recommend for someone 00:05:44.614 --> 00:05:46.184 who's preparing for a meeting? 00:05:46.344 --> 00:05:50.754 Steve Gladen: Yeah, again, uh, first off, just so excited and so appreciate each one 00:05:50.754 --> 00:05:55.724 of you as you've been just, uh, week, week on and week, weekend and week on, you've 00:05:55.724 --> 00:05:58.814 been, you know, going through the dream now series and I just want to encourage 00:05:58.814 --> 00:06:04.524 you to not deviate from the path that has helped you so much in your group so far. 00:06:05.039 --> 00:06:09.519 One of them is, is that we want you to continue to preview the content, 00:06:09.519 --> 00:06:12.459 you know, you've been reading through the devotionals, you know, make 00:06:12.459 --> 00:06:15.679 sure that you're caught up, you know, on the study part, you know, 00:06:15.679 --> 00:06:16.859 what is it that we're going to do? 00:06:16.879 --> 00:06:18.479 Think through your transitions. 00:06:18.869 --> 00:06:21.789 And then also watch pastor Andy's video. 00:06:22.149 --> 00:06:26.269 Uh, it was in the newsletter that, uh, we sent out to you, and then 00:06:26.279 --> 00:06:27.559 we want you to watch that video. 00:06:27.559 --> 00:06:32.819 And we also want you just to be acquainted with the book, understand what's going 00:06:32.819 --> 00:06:36.549 through, what are the topics of the week that you're going to be talking about. 00:06:36.949 --> 00:06:43.009 And then this is second, but obviously, and it's just not a, you know, a church 00:06:43.359 --> 00:06:47.309 trite statement, but we want you to be praying for your meetings, pray for your 00:06:47.309 --> 00:06:51.589 meetings, pray for your conversations because every time your group gets 00:06:51.589 --> 00:06:53.309 together, it's a divine appointment. 00:06:53.829 --> 00:06:58.679 God has put, you know, a handful of souls in your care that he wants 00:06:58.679 --> 00:07:02.109 you to help navigate and help them with be able to pray for your group, 00:07:02.229 --> 00:07:05.739 you know, name by name, and just praying for the conversations. 00:07:05.819 --> 00:07:09.739 I know that, you know, you as the leader, uh, you don't, you don't have 00:07:09.739 --> 00:07:13.599 to spend a ton of time on this, but you know, your people and just spend that 00:07:13.599 --> 00:07:15.879 extra bit of time before the meeting. 00:07:16.779 --> 00:07:17.199 James Browning: That's right. 00:07:17.229 --> 00:07:21.239 I know in my own small group, there's been times where I've 00:07:21.239 --> 00:07:22.309 been praying ahead of time. 00:07:22.359 --> 00:07:25.319 And honestly, God's kind of placed something on my heart that has 00:07:25.329 --> 00:07:26.839 opened up a lot of discussion. 00:07:27.309 --> 00:07:31.419 And just like we talked about in the last episode, people aren't looking for you 00:07:31.419 --> 00:07:35.879 to be experts, but they are looking for you to be present and to be prepared. 00:07:36.014 --> 00:07:36.314 Steve Gladen: Yeah. 00:07:36.614 --> 00:07:39.644 So as you've been thinking about, you know, what's before the meeting, 00:07:39.654 --> 00:07:40.864 we've kind of went through that. 00:07:41.114 --> 00:07:43.484 Now I want to talk to you about the, the meeting itself. 00:07:43.484 --> 00:07:47.904 And part of you want to do is, you know, after you, you may have be doing a meal 00:07:47.904 --> 00:07:51.834 together and then going into group, you may just have a, you know, a handful 00:07:51.844 --> 00:07:53.824 of snacks, which tend to be a meal. 00:07:53.834 --> 00:07:55.504 At least that's what happens with my small group. 00:07:55.754 --> 00:07:57.744 Even though they're quote unquote snacks. 00:07:58.124 --> 00:08:01.074 Uh, this is when you're heading into this time, you may want to think of 00:08:01.074 --> 00:08:05.694 an icebreaker and, uh, you know, in the newsletter you, we gave you a, 00:08:05.904 --> 00:08:11.104 uh, an icebreaker or two, but also one that you, as we were talking about 00:08:11.104 --> 00:08:14.144 dream now for your church, you may just want to ask your group, what is 00:08:14.144 --> 00:08:15.514 it that you love about the church? 00:08:15.984 --> 00:08:19.894 What is it that you love about the church and what brought you back to the church? 00:08:19.904 --> 00:08:23.874 You know, when you think about Saddleback, because so often we start to take for 00:08:23.874 --> 00:08:27.274 granted that we just go to Saddleback church, but without thinking about. 00:08:27.704 --> 00:08:29.614 What was it that I really like about it? 00:08:29.614 --> 00:08:32.844 And so that would be a great first question there. 00:08:33.454 --> 00:08:35.794 Then the other thing you always want to be thinking through and 00:08:35.794 --> 00:08:39.804 rolling back in your head is make sure you want everyone to talk. 00:08:40.224 --> 00:08:44.534 If you've been into this for a few weeks now, if someone hasn't been showing up 00:08:44.534 --> 00:08:49.554 or talking a lot, uh, make sure that you, you engage them and make sure you think 00:08:49.554 --> 00:08:51.584 it through some time in the meeting. 00:08:51.904 --> 00:08:54.214 How can I get them to share a little bit? 00:08:54.689 --> 00:08:56.449 Uh, about what they're thinking about. 00:08:56.459 --> 00:09:00.269 And so make sure you, you do that and make sure everyone talks. 00:09:00.829 --> 00:09:06.179 Then another point that you may want to do is, uh, just go through and say, what, 00:09:06.329 --> 00:09:08.739 what stood out to you in the message? 00:09:09.319 --> 00:09:13.519 Uh, if you can remember the message and hopefully that is a positive, yes. 00:09:13.769 --> 00:09:16.399 Uh, but you know, what stood out there, look at your notes. 00:09:16.589 --> 00:09:18.619 They, you know, what, what stood out. 00:09:19.709 --> 00:09:23.109 You know, the fourth thing that you may want to be thinking through during your 00:09:23.109 --> 00:09:28.439 meeting is, you know, discuss, just ask them when you are listening to the 00:09:28.439 --> 00:09:33.649 message, discuss with them what dreaming about the church looks like to them. 00:09:33.989 --> 00:09:37.039 And for every person that may be just a little bit different. 00:09:38.209 --> 00:09:43.489 The last thing I want you to jump into is, you know, thinking through as you're, and 00:09:43.489 --> 00:09:44.989 again, as you're going through the book. 00:09:45.534 --> 00:09:49.744 Remember, it's not just about, you know, motoring through the material 00:09:49.744 --> 00:09:53.234 to check the box to say, I got through all the questions in dream. 00:09:53.234 --> 00:09:57.314 Now I got through everything that pastor Andy talked about, but 00:09:57.434 --> 00:09:59.744 be, be sensitive to the room. 00:10:00.004 --> 00:10:02.354 And what do you think is happening in the room? 00:10:02.824 --> 00:10:05.614 So just remember, you don't have to get through all of it. 00:10:05.914 --> 00:10:09.444 There's been many times in my own small group that as we're going through 00:10:09.444 --> 00:10:12.864 something, we may not get through everything in that particular week. 00:10:12.864 --> 00:10:14.704 And we just say, Hey, we'll pick it up next week. 00:10:15.174 --> 00:10:18.504 Uh, I know for some people that are pretty linear and you're like, 00:10:18.504 --> 00:10:20.284 well, man, it's a five week series. 00:10:20.384 --> 00:10:23.154 I gotta get through all five weeks, uh, but we've left a 00:10:23.154 --> 00:10:24.444 little cushion in there for you. 00:10:24.444 --> 00:10:29.774 So feel free if you need to, uh, either, you know, just catch up with everyone 00:10:29.774 --> 00:10:34.024 in the following week or, you know, just say, Hey, you can study it on your 00:10:34.024 --> 00:10:35.724 own if we don't get through everything. 00:10:36.184 --> 00:10:41.334 But the main point is, is don't stifle a great conversation because you're 00:10:41.334 --> 00:10:42.584 just trying to get through the material. 00:10:43.594 --> 00:10:48.534 James Browning: Yeah, I love that and another tip that we frequently give along 00:10:48.534 --> 00:10:50.754 those lines is if your group is larger. 00:10:51.289 --> 00:10:54.849 I don't let the size stifle the conversation either. 00:10:55.199 --> 00:10:57.809 Take the opportunity to subgroup. 00:10:57.809 --> 00:11:02.229 Uh, you know, have your beginning where everyone meets and hangs out and shares 00:11:02.229 --> 00:11:06.389 their snacks, but then maybe have the, all the men's men go to one room, the 00:11:06.389 --> 00:11:11.569 women go to the other, or, or however your group breaks down and then have 00:11:11.569 --> 00:11:13.689 the discussion in smaller size groups. 00:11:14.224 --> 00:11:17.614 And at the end, bring it back together and kind of share what 00:11:17.614 --> 00:11:18.894 you got out of the discussion. 00:11:19.244 --> 00:11:23.774 And a lot of times this allows for, uh, opening up a lot more. 00:11:24.544 --> 00:11:26.494 Steve Gladen: And one of the other things, you know, James, as you're 00:11:26.504 --> 00:11:30.894 talking about subgrouping, uh, you can subgroup for the discussion sometimes too. 00:11:31.154 --> 00:11:35.244 It may be helpful just to throw a little mix into the equation is to, 00:11:35.274 --> 00:11:36.934 uh, subgroup for your prayer time. 00:11:37.364 --> 00:11:40.504 Uh, be able to take your prayer requests and sometimes you can even do 00:11:40.504 --> 00:11:42.134 the prayer requests in the subgroup. 00:11:42.669 --> 00:11:46.359 Uh, and I always like to encourage people to subgroup by gender. 00:11:46.779 --> 00:11:49.939 Uh, obviously if you're in a men's group or a women's group, you're going to 00:11:49.939 --> 00:11:52.849 just subgroup by numbers, uh, with that. 00:11:52.849 --> 00:11:56.889 But a lot of times just people of the same gender will go a little bit 00:11:56.889 --> 00:11:58.509 deeper for different prayer requests. 00:11:58.519 --> 00:12:01.619 And so, uh, I love what you're talking about there, James, because it's a, 00:12:02.019 --> 00:12:06.479 it's a great way just to throw a little bit of spice into what your small group 00:12:06.889 --> 00:12:10.329 has normally been doing throughout these, uh, first few weeks of the. 00:12:10.429 --> 00:12:13.459 James Browning: Why don't you share something for, uh, table 00:12:13.459 --> 00:12:15.279 leaders for on campus groups? 00:12:15.819 --> 00:12:18.069 Steve Gladen: One of the great things I'd really want to encourage you, 00:12:18.069 --> 00:12:21.519 and it actually in your own small group, you can do this idea too, but 00:12:21.549 --> 00:12:26.579 especially for our on campus, uh, hosts that are leading a table, make 00:12:26.579 --> 00:12:31.099 sure you have like an email thread, or a text thread, or a whatsapp thread. 00:12:31.524 --> 00:12:36.074 To be able to just stay in touch with everyone throughout the week doesn't 00:12:36.074 --> 00:12:39.654 have to be anything big but just you know It could be hey just checking in. 00:12:39.654 --> 00:12:45.214 How's everyone doing thumbs up thumbs down But just get some engagement between 00:12:45.214 --> 00:12:49.074 your meetings so that you just know people are alive You can always step that up 00:12:49.074 --> 00:12:52.979 just a little bit And be able just to ask them what's a prayer request that 00:12:52.979 --> 00:12:59.319 they have going into it, or, you know, as you know, you get the email about, 00:12:59.329 --> 00:13:06.729 you know, Andy's video, you could even, uh, you know, Copy that, uh, URL link or, 00:13:06.939 --> 00:13:11.729 you know, a way to watch the video for them, send it to them so that, you know, 00:13:11.729 --> 00:13:13.409 they can watch the video ahead of time. 00:13:13.709 --> 00:13:18.329 Again, it, it's not so much what you're doing, but you gotta make 00:13:18.329 --> 00:13:22.439 sure that you have some type of touch point between the two meetings. 00:13:22.639 --> 00:13:24.379 It'll help the stick factor. 00:13:24.579 --> 00:13:28.129 It'll also help feel much, people feel much more, uh, connected. 00:13:28.529 --> 00:13:31.409 And then also, you know, get to know each other in a special way. 00:13:32.024 --> 00:13:35.714 James Browning: It is a great way to make a big church feel small and personal. 00:13:35.754 --> 00:13:42.514 And that is, I think, something that a lot of people underestimate about just how 00:13:42.514 --> 00:13:45.074 powerful that one quick message could be. 00:13:45.074 --> 00:13:48.914 Even in my own small group, uh, this week, someone was sending out 00:13:48.914 --> 00:13:50.794 a text message asking for prayer. 00:13:50.794 --> 00:13:52.204 They're going through a job interview. 00:13:52.594 --> 00:13:57.534 And so just that quick bit of encouragement is meaningful to that person 00:13:57.534 --> 00:13:58.964 who's going through that job interview. 00:13:59.104 --> 00:13:59.694 Steve Gladen: Super good point. 00:14:00.594 --> 00:14:04.164 James Browning: All right, so as always, if you have any questions or stories 00:14:04.164 --> 00:14:06.124 from Dream Now, we'd love to hear them. 00:14:06.124 --> 00:14:07.754 We'd love to hear your dreams. 00:14:07.974 --> 00:14:10.784 We'd love to hear how God is changing lives. 00:14:10.994 --> 00:14:15.744 Please don't hesitate to send those to us or any questions you 00:14:15.744 --> 00:14:17.294 have at smallgroupsatsaddleback. 00:14:18.274 --> 00:14:22.794 com or your local small group point person, your campus small group pastor. 00:14:23.114 --> 00:14:24.234 Steve, thanks a lot for joining 00:14:24.359 --> 00:14:27.889 Steve Gladen: I'm super excited for each one of you as we're moving through dream. 00:14:27.889 --> 00:14:32.699 Now, the opportunities that you'll see at our church and be able to understand 00:14:32.929 --> 00:14:36.699 if you didn't get a chance to go to the premier night, which was just phenomenal. 00:14:36.939 --> 00:14:39.659 I really want to encourage you to be able to go back online. 00:14:40.449 --> 00:14:46.309 Catch the stream and just under and understand more about Dream Now and the 00:14:46.309 --> 00:14:51.179 initiatives that God has placed on Pastor Andy's heart and where our church is going 00:14:51.179 --> 00:14:52.939 to be going over these next three years. 00:14:53.359 --> 00:14:55.149 James Browning: All right, we'll see you next week 00:14:55.279 --> 00:14:55.569 Steve Gladen: Bye bye.