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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 Gladen on small groups.
Derek here with your main host, the
man, Steve Gladen and Steve today.
We got a very special guest with us.
Don't we?
Steve Gladen: Yeah, actually
we are, we are starting the, a
three part series that I'm really
excited to be able to bring to you.
You know, when you, when you look at small
groups and, uh, I've been in small groups
for, oh my goodness, you know, too many
decades, three, four decades all through
my life and have just enjoyed them.
And they, they resemble
so much of family system.
And one of the things that can happen
in groups is like in so many times
in a family and so many times in a
relationship, things can get stale.
So in this three part episode,
what we're looking at, is we're
looking at some of what I like to
call the spices of small groups.
So if you're a small group leader, if
you are a small group point person, these
things should echo really strong for you.
You're a small group point person.
I encourage you just to take the show
notes that will be listed out and to
get those to your group leaders, or you
can have them listen to this podcast.
But one of the things that I've noticed
in a typical relationship, If you, uh,
if your date night with your spouse
or your significant other, if you're
dating, if you just go to dinner, go to
a movie and just rinse and repeat and
do that every time, uh, which Derek and
I, and our, you know, our wives would,
would just, you know, grimace at if
we just did that week in and week out.
But if that's what you just did
all the time, it would get stale.
And so we're going to be talking in
each one of these episodes about Three
spices you can bring into your small
group life that will just, uh, just
give a little bit of kick to them.
And, uh, this particular show,
we're going to be talking
about how your group can serve.
And then in another show, we're
going to be talking about how your
group can do mission or evangelism.
And then another one, how
your group can have worship.
All these are typically
not done in a group.
Most groups will generally gravitate
towards fellowship and they do that quite
well because they eat and eat and eat.
My group is the same way or
they will gravitate towards, you
know, just solid Bible study.
And, uh, you know, and
our groups love that too.
So without any further ado, let me kind
of get this going because Our first guest,
uh, for this, this particular show is
John Laster and he's at Christ Chapel
in Spring Hill, Tennessee, uh, where
everybody in California goes to live these
days, a suburb of, uh, Nashville, John.
Great to have you on the show.
Say hello to our folks.
Jon Laster: Good morning,
it's good to be here.
I appreciate the opportunity and look
forward to spending some time with you.
Steve Gladen: John, I'm going to brag on
you a little bit because, um, one of the
things that I love and Derek and I were
chatting about this is that you're not the
typical prototype groups person because,
uh, if I remember, right, I don't think
you're on the church payroll at all.
Are you?
Jon Laster: I am on the church payroll.
Steve Gladen: Wow.
You finally got
Jon Laster: I did.
Steve Gladen: Good job.
Jon Laster: I am a,
Steve Gladen: So tell us a little bit.
You started with a church plant with,
with a buddy of yours and give us a little
fast forward on what that looks like.
How many years you've
been doing the church
Jon Laster: yeah, so long story short,
uh, where we're at now, Christ chapel,
my family, and I've been here for
about seven and a half years, we had
been part of a couple other church
plants before next month, uh, actually
in a week and a half, my wife and I
celebrate 20 years of being married.
And for the first time ever
in our marriage, we're part of
a church that has a building.
We have a parking lot.
We don't have to set
up chairs every Sunday.
It's a, it's a little bit like revival.
Is what I would call it.
But we, uh, we started with, uh, Pastor
Jeremy and Shannon seven and a half
years ago, met them to be honest.
Uh, it was kind of funny.
We said, we're done with church planning.
We're never doing this again.
It's great.
Let somebody else do it.
We met them, fell in love with
the vision, the scenario, and, uh,
dove in and we're here ever since
Steve Gladen: You still
have the real estate
Jon Laster: I do.
I, uh, I joke and say that I
worked two full time jobs, so I
might work a little bit more than.
Most would recommend, but we
work hard and party hard too.
So it's all good.
Steve Gladen: there's the reason
why you're on the show is because
there's no one that serves more
than you, uh, both in all the church
plants I've known you through,
through the last couple of decades.
And with that, and, uh, as we, as we
set this up and as Derek and I will
start to, uh, ping you and, uh, kind
of figure out, you know, what are, what
are the top 10 things that small groups
could do or small group point people
could tell their groups to do to be
able to get serving happening in a way.
But first off, let me just
kind of share real quick, a
couple of verses that I love.
One of them is in a first Peter four, 10,
it says, each of you should use whatever
gift you have received to serve others
as faithful stewards of God's grace.
In its various forms and, uh, you
know, a sister scripture with as first
Corinthians, uh, 12, seven and says
a spiritual gift is given to each
of us so we can help each other out.
And, uh, John, I don't know how you would
define serving, but I think one of the
greatest things we can do is make sure
that every person in our small groups
know what their spiritual gift is.
And be able to serve would you concur and
uh, Derek jump in as you can as we are Uh,
going to start to wind, wind into these,
uh, 10 top things that groups can do.
Jon Laster: You know, I've always believed
that you never look more like Jesus than
when you serve people or forgive people.
And, uh, serving to me is doing
something for someone that brings
little or no benefit to yourself.
It's completely serving people
and doing things for them.
Steve Gladen: Yeah, it's fun.
Uh, I can remember a couple
of times of our small group.
We just had, uh, one of our group
members that this week is moving to
Las Vegas and it's breaking our hearts
as we have, uh, seen a number of our.
you know, moving to different states.
And, uh, one of the things I loved
was we came across the memory as we
went through all of our group photos.
And one of our serve opportunities
was this couple is like a hip couple.
And so we let them pick a serve
opportunity for us, uh, to be able to do.
And it was, uh, at a hip hop rally and
Derek, I'm sure you can see me in hip hop.
I mean, if you can look at Derek, if
you're, uh, Not listening, but you're
viewing Derek looks like hip hop.
Uh, I, I look like, um, the hop left
a long time ago and the hip did too.
So, uh, but it was a great
memory, uh, with that.
So, uh, Derek, you want to kick us
off and, uh, you know, kind of help us
dive into these, uh, top 10 with John
because what we want to do is give
group leaders a great opportunity.
to be able to get practical, practical,
practical advice to, uh, help groups
be able to serve in the various
Derek Olson: Well, I want to start off
by saying John isn't, uh, talking, uh,
hollow when he talks about serving.
One of the greatest things you can do
because it doesn't benefit yourself.
John, you and I go way back.
I remember we were basically part of
the powerful chair stacking ministry
all those decades ago at a certain
church, um, where, um, you and I weren't
getting platform time or microphone
time or anything like that, but we
knew how to stack them chairs, baby.
Remember those days?
Jon Laster: Oh, yeah,
Steve Gladen: I love this.
Jon Laster: sure I can still
feel it in my lower back,
Derek Olson: and I were both at
a church plant and, uh, met in
this gym and, uh, man, we would
have the best times together.
I remember those mornings trying
to wake up as we're busting
our backs for the Lord, right?
Jon Laster: right?
Steve Gladen: I just, I just forget
how much in the small group network,
our paths cross, cross each other.
And with that, and Derek, I totally
spaced that setting up the show.
So it's, it's crazy.
That's awesome.
Derek Olson: I love
the topic of this show.
10 ways groups can serve.
Um, give us a picture into
what you guys are doing that.
Christ Chapel with your groups, uh, you
guys are seeing some amazing dynamic
growth in your church from church plant
meeting and theaters and gyms to now You
help them secure their own facility and
that's what's so cool about Your gift
mix and how you've got your real estate
thing going and how it's God's used you
to literally help the church get in a
get a piece of land get in a facility
It's built you guys are there now.
It's so exciting So talk to us about
number one here where, um, you, you've
got a note that says you need to talk
to your pastoral staff and ask them
what areas they feel are the needs where
the groups can serve the local church.
Jon Laster: Sure.
So when you think about a lot of
people, kind of my two career paths
blend together a lot, which is kind
of a, I say, sometimes a blessing
and a curse, but mostly a blessing.
And, um, You think about when you
help someone build a new home,
people think, Oh, that's great.
I don't have to do anything.
I'm going to move in.
Everything's done.
Well, you quickly find
out you don't have blinds.
You don't have cleaning supplies.
You don't have this.
You don't have all these things
that you take for granted living
in your, in your previous place.
So here at the, at the new building,
we've been in this building for six
and a half, uh, seven months now, and
we're still dialing in every Sunday,
what we need to add, what we need
to order, what needs to be moved,
what needs to be hung, what needs to
be rearranged, all of those things.
And as you know, that stuff
happens between Sunday to Sunday.
And there's just a great opportunity
for groups to serve together
their, uh, their current house.
You know, it's just like living in your
home that things always need to be done.
You got kids that are growing
things that need to be changed.
Uh, you know, if you're, you're
Derek, you don't have new kids on the
block posters on your wall anymore.
You're changing it to
something more modern.
And it takes those kind of takes
people to serve and to do those kind of
things here at the, uh, the building.
And there's endless opportunities for, uh.
Great places for people to
serve, which this has been a new
one for us.
To be honest, this is because the
previous six years, it was always
set up teardown for the most part,
or being in a temporary facility.
So this is all new
learning curve for us here,
Steve Gladen: So, Johnny, you
talking about being able to serve
the people in your group, or are
you talking about finding serving
opportunities from the church
Jon Laster: both?
actually, uh, pastor Jeremy
has a saying around here.
It's not either, or it's both.
And I would say that this goes with
that, that your groups together
can serve the local church.
I highly recommend getting in front
of someone on your pastoral staff, if
you have the ability to get in front
of your lead pastor, cause he carries
the, uh, the heavier load and hears
more of what's going on around the
building and the facility and all that.
And, um, you can find ways for
your group to serve together.
If it's sweeping up a parking lot on
Saturday, because we had a storm come
in, we just had tornadoes around here.
There are all kinds of, uh, places
to serve and do things that, but when
I think of serving the local church.
Together as a group, uh, it's, it just,
you can't look more like Jesus than that.
You're serving the house of God.
You're serving things that
are way bigger than you.
Steve Gladen: Yeah, sociologically,
they say that there are people that
like to learn face to face, which
is where groups spend a lot of their
time in living rooms and face to face.
There's people that like
to learn side to side.
And, uh, they're called men.
And, uh, what can happen is that when
your group serves together, there's a
different bit of bonding that happens as
you're going there, but your, your first
point here is so, so overlooked sometimes,
and that is just ask your pastors.
If you're a group leader, just
go ask your pastor saying, what
can we do to help our church?
And there's so many things that,
uh, need to be done around,
uh, the church just like that.
So, all right.
First one is, uh, ask your pastoral staff.
Now, the second thing is a little
bit more where I was going to, uh,
where you're seeing that number
two is serve those in your group.
And, uh, unpack that John and
talk about how that, that plays
Jon Laster: I think this is another one
that sometimes we can look so far ahead.
We skip and overlook what's,
what's right in front of us.
Meaning that you, sometimes
when you think, how can I
serve people in your group?
Do they need help cleaning out an attic?
Do they need mowing their grass?
Are they sick?
Do they need that?
Do we need to run and get groceries?
All those kinds of things.
But I firmly believe one of the
most important ways that you can
serve someone and possibly the most
beneficial is a 45 minute, 3, well, 3.
Four or five, six, seven, 8 cup of coffee
these days, just to hear what's going on
in their life, not to, not to ask them
for anything, nothing more than just
sit across from them and just ask them
how they're doing, how is your marriage,
how is your job, how are those things
going, those things go a long way.
And they kind of bring down the walls
and just help bring unity in your
relationships and, and so forth.
Derek Olson: I love that, John,
because obviously your first point
was stellar serving the local
church, but yeah, right with that.
And even maybe before that is if you're a
small group that's meeting consistently.
Uh, yeah.
Meeting those needs with the people in
your group, especially maybe if you've
got elderly people in the group, like
you said, they need their lawn mode.
Uh, they need a little extra
help.
Steve Gladen: Were you
looking at me, Derek?
When you
Jon Laster: He was
Steve Gladen: I noticed that a little
side eye as he's looking at me, like,
okay, the elderly people in the group.
Okay.
I see how we're
Derek Olson: We're helping them
with a, uh, uh, you know, maybe
somebody can't afford a Thanksgiving
meal or something like that.
Even inviting them over, right.
As a way to serve.
So I love that.
Um, I like what you got
here on number three.
Uh, serve your local
police and fire department.
What's this look like?
Jon Laster: so we have several, uh,
folks in our church that have either
been in military law enforcement, the
fire department, those kinds of things.
And I will be the 1st to tell
you until sitting down and having
a cup of coffee with them and
really understanding their career.
I always thought.
Pastors had it hard.
They see the best and the worst
of everyone, all those things.
And then you get to talk to someone
that's been on the Nashville fire
department for 40 years and hear some
of the things that they have seen.
That comes with a whole nother
load that we don't understand.
And I believe that sometimes, uh,
Again, back to sitting down with someone
for 45 minutes and a 30 cup of coffee
these days now that you can, uh, you
can just help unpack that with them.
And that's serving them.
But as a whole, something we've done here
at church that, Christ Chapel that Pastor
Jeremy is very passionate about is serving
some of the local groups in our community.
One of them is we are out in the
county where our church is at.
We are literally three quarters of
a mile outside of city limits or so.
That might be slightly
exaggerated, but it's very close.
So we are in the county.
We do not have a town or city
police department where we're at.
So we, we have worked to build
a relationship with the Murray
County police department, serve
them lunch, get to know them, just
try to spend some time with them.
One of their officers serve at our church.
on Sundays for safety.
So we get to, you just get to
build more relationship with them.
And I think that that's very important
because a lot of those positions now
have just become very controversial.
The news does a great
job at dividing people.
As we all know, no matter where you
stand on issues, the news and media
is great at trying to divide people.
We've seen that more than ever
in the last four or five years.
And, uh, I just think it's really
important to serve those groups
of people because they get, they,
they can get beat up quite a bit.
Steve Gladen: Yeah, you bring, I mean, you
can almost, you know, roll this out and,
uh, you have listed police and fire, but
you can any one of our first responders.
Uh, you can go through that, especially
if you're in a military town.
Uh, you know, there's all kinds
of opportunities to, uh, you
know, let your light shine.
And again, is this something
that your church can spearhead
or this is something that.
You and your small group, if you're
listening to that, you can just go to
a local firehouse or you can go to your
local police department and just, you
know, be able to, uh, dish show kindness.
And that's, it doesn't
have to be super big.
That can be, you know, uh, a plate
of cookies that can be, you know,
a number of different things that
you can do just to, to show your
appreciation with that can be notes.
Uh can be just about
anything so that'd be great.
So john as we move to number four,
uh, you say find a street Uh, what
kind of street you looking for man?
I mean, uh, this is your real estate
background coming out You know,
you're just looking for you know,
just looking looking for work on any
Jon Laster: Always, always looking
around, uh, you know, there's, I
got jokes for days on this, but any
street you go to in town, more than
likely some rowdy teenager, youth
group, you know, Whoever has possibly
thrown a Derek
has probably thrown some things out.
And, uh, you don't, I firmly believe in
not serving to get attention, but people
will notice when they see people, other
people serving, if that makes sense.
You don't serve to get attention.
You serve to serve.
And sometimes attention comes with
that, but that's a whole nother.
That's probably 0.
10 or 11 that we won't get to, but,
uh, serving your local community or
your town by cleaning up a street,
cleaning up a yard, cleaning up a park,
you don't have to get permission to go
pick up trash at the local dog park.
You really want to get humble, take some
doggy poopoo bags and go clean up from
the folks that didn't take care of their
business as they should that's serving.
And you can do that as a group and draw
straws as to who gets the dirty job.
Steve Gladen: I was gonna say in
los angeles, you know that that may
not be just uh from a dog So, but I,
I, I digress, I digress, you know,
Derek Olson: Or
Steve Gladen: so basically you're saying
you can find any street, do anything.
And again, the church can sponsor this
and, you know, your church, your church
can mobilize all your small groups,
or, uh, you can just, uh, do that on
Jon Laster: Yeah.
All of these things can be done
either, uh, you know, you can
scale it down as small as you want.
Yes.
Some of these can be done as a large
churchwide outreach, but the group
should be serving their people.
They should be serving the local church.
Start there.
I don't think I've ever met a pastor
that's going to say, you know what?
I don't think it's a good idea
for you to go serve somebody.
Steve Gladen: Very good.
Very good.
Derek Olson: so good.
And the other thing to keep hitting
home in all this was serving from my
experience, when a group gets together
and does something that's impactful, man,
just the momentum that has unleashed,
you know, the sense of purpose that
we're moving from, you know, Reading the
Bible as amazing as that is and talking
together to man now we're taking action
and we're changing someone's life and
just like people always feel so excited
like they just Really accomplish something
special and I don't think that can be
understated Just the health and vitality
it like injects into the group, right?
So John, uh, you've got number
five Sponsor a block party.
Um, are you talking to rave here?
What's this?
What is this?
Jon Laster: No, again,
it's a we're in the South.
It's probably a little bit
more of a hoedown, but it's
going to be a great time.
This is something that we have talked
about and talked about doing that.
We're getting ready to finally act
on is to sponsor a block party.
And I, I believe the way our town.
It's set up.
It's largely basically
a large subdivision.
Okay, you can start in one end of
the town and end up on the south
side town and never hit a main road.
It's just the way our area is.
I don't even know if it was designed.
It was just the way it's
a it's all played out.
So there's a lot of neighborhoods that
make one city is what I'm getting at.
Having a group sponsor a block party,
shutting down a street in the neighborhood
and just simply serving, serving hot dogs,
hamburgers, serving food, get a bounce
house, those kinds of things that can look
like an outreach activity, can all look
like fun, have a lot of lipstick on it.
But at the end of the day,
you're serving your community.
You're serving as a group, a
local street in your neighborhood.
And most people live in a
neighborhood around here.
So it's not hard to find
an opportunity to do this.
Steve Gladen: So, so, john, go,
go a little bit deeper into that.
Is this, is this more you're
going into a block party?
Is it pure for fun?
Is, is your group sponsoring doing all
the labor to make a party happen or?
Tell me, tell me the, the,
the out output you're looking
Jon Laster: in the perfect world that
lives in my head, the way this looks like
the key word and key phrase in my head
is that your group sets everything up.
Everyone that's coming just shows up
and brings nothing but themselves.
That serving more, just another layer
of serving where they just show up
and receive when you're doing all the
work, all the legwork, uh, sometimes
people want to show up and clean up
afterward and all that, but all those
things going on are going to lead
to, Hey, where are you guys from?
What do you do?
How, what is this group?
What is it just leads to different things.
And, uh, the goal is that Jesus
is what is all that is center
ground and pointed towards.
Steve Gladen: So you're definitely
serving in building community.
Uh, I remember there was a new
community here that they actually
hired somebody that, uh, did just that.
They would have a three phase, uh,
approach on a new subdivision out here
that they would, um, Bring a big griddle
in and do pancakes in the morning.
So all the neighbors could
get to know each other.
Uh, then they would do a little parade
where they'd have all the kids dress
up with like their parents did for,
for a job and pass off business cards.
Then they do a pizza Friday night thing.
But again, it was to get the
neighborhood neighbors out.
to, to meet each other.
And this seems like it's a, it's a little
bit more, you're just coming to bring
some fun in there and just be a church.
Now, I don't know, is this something
where you'd be overt enough where you'd
want to wear, uh, the same t shirts, uh,
that kind of, uh, you know, sponsored
by, or is it something where you're
just being, just being good people and
seeing what kind of conversation can come
Jon Laster: Being good people,
being relational, uh, it's, it's
funny sometimes, but think about
after you've worked all day long,
your wife has worked all day.
The last thing you sometimes
want to think about at 5 or 6 p.
m.
is dinner or lunch on a Saturday.
You're doing things around the house.
You got things going on.
Serving people is giving them a meal.
They don't even got to think about this
is what we're having to show up and.
Steve Gladen: Number,
number six right here.
Uh, Derek, I don't know.
This is, this is me just, uh,
being fatigued from travel.
Am I on six or are you on
Derek Olson: you go for it.
You're on
Steve Gladen: Okay, man, I'll take it.
All right.
So we're going to gather and pray.
Okay, John, unpack that.
So it seems like a gather and
pray opportunity doesn't seem
like a serve opportunity.
So, so tell me what's going on
in that little, uh, Southern
fried brain right there.
Jon Laster: Southern fried brain.
So getting together with your group
and praying for your local church and
leaders is serving your local body and
probably one of the most beneficial
ways that you can ever serve together.
Um, the cool thing about this is
it doesn't cost you any money.
It doesn't cost you any resources.
You can gather at the church parking lot.
No one has to meet you there.
Uh, I'm sure, I don't know a pastor
in town that's going to run you off
from having a, uh, there might be, but
anyway, I don't know any pastors that
are going to run you off from having
a small prayer session, you In your
parking lot at your church, praying
over leaders, playing over your church,
praying over your local community.
Um, something I I'm very passionate about
that, that hits home to me hard is, uh,
praying for all the pastors in town, that
they will be unified and it's not Well,
this person went to the, cause at the end
of the day, we're in the American church.
It's a whole nother dynamic.
You can guarantee that someone that
has either left your local church
is at the church next to it, going
straight up the highway and around,
you probably can't go to a church
in town and not recognize someone
that you didn't meet somewhere else.
Some, I know that does not sound
encouraging, but it's, it's very accurate.
So.
Pat praying for pastors and unity of
everything pointing back toward Jesus.
I believe is one of the most important
things that, uh, that you can, most
important ways that you can serve.
And you can do that as a group.
There's power in numbers.
Steve Gladen: Yeah, no, I
mean, I mean, I love it.
I mean, we, so often we, we, we forget
this to the, the power of prayer and
too often we're taking prayer requests,
but this is just being proactive to
say, Hey, take your group time, take
your 90 minutes and just, uh, uh, pray
for your church and praise your staff.
Jon Laster: Yeah.
I mean, staff always, you guys know
this being on staff at churches.
Sometimes that can
honestly get overlooked.
They think you're bulletproof.
You're a superhero in some ways you
are, but you, you still have a life.
You still need prayer.
You still have a marriage.
You have kids and, uh, Groups praying for
their leadership is extremely powerful.
Derek Olson: Love it.
Pray, pray, pray.
We got to pray just to make it today.
All right.
Number seven, that didn't go over so well.
Number seven, you've got
served together at local food
pantries or homeless shelters.
What's this look like
in reality, my friend?
What
Jon Laster: So Nashville has become a lot
like Los Angeles and there is a, uh, there
is a fair amount of homeless populations.
It's not uncommon to walk out of
the Ryman and see four or five, six
people that are legitimately homeless,
just laying on the street, sleeping.
And there are so many
different ways to serve them.
There's so many different
congregations, or I'm sorry,
organizations that we have around here.
I don't know if you guys have them
in your neck of the woods, but an
organization called shower up that
it's basically a mobile shower that
you can serve people by giving them
shampoo, soap, all those things.
Obviously.
It's very, uh, honorable.
It's not anything crazy.
It's just a way to, to serve people.
Uh, we have food pantries.
They hand out toiletries.
They hand out, uh, you know, bread,
milk, eggs, all those things.
There are so many groups that your
group can go serve at together.
I think it brings, like, when you do
things like that, I think it brings a,
uh, a sense that all, all these things
kind of bring back a, uh, like a form
and a sense of unity when you're doing
them together, but they also make you
realize, Hey, life could be a lot worse.
It's very humbling to do
those kinds of things.
Steve Gladen: Yeah, I, I mean, when
you're talking about it, I mean, I,
I immediately think of like, we have
a hotel ministry that, uh, goes and,
and helping people have dignity.
But I think at the same time too, um,
especially if you can do things that
are family focused, where you bring
your family, I mean, for a lot of our
kids when they're growing up, you know,
uh, I can remember with my daughter,
it seemed like a bad day was, you
know, trying to accessorize a, a doll.
And if you couldn't do that, you know,
it's, I mean, first world problems, but
when you're, uh, out serving and helping
them get a dose of what reality can be
for actually any one of us, uh, there's
not a moment where we could be upside down
in, in, in need, just like anybody else.
And so being able to go into these
places, uh, is, is, is a strong thing.
And for those that are listening, I
just encourage you to work with the
organizations that are out there.
Sometimes when we, when we try to be
kind, we actually set people back.
And when you're working with the
people that work with these folks,
uh, it kind of helps everybody move
towards a common goal with that.
So, uh, great
Jon Laster: I'll say add,
see if I can add to that.
A lot of times we try to be
entrepreneurial with that kind of thing.
And there are so many organizations
already out there that you can get
side by side with and help that
already has the, the way paid.
They have the systems,
they have what they need.
They just need people to serve.
So I encourage you
to do that.
Steve Gladen: All right, number
eight, find ways to serve your kids,
your teams, your worship teams.
I mean, you know, every church has
different teams that, that make,
uh, the weekend or, or make ministry
happen in, in John, tell, tell
us a little bit about this one.
Jon Laster: So every kid's department
is going to obviously have boogers and
diapers at somewhere at some point,
and those all need to be cleaned up.
Sometimes after I've seen that.
After kids church is over, the day is
over, some of those workers are exhausted.
You get the, you have the opportunity
to serve the kids department,
serve, uh, you know, pick up snacks
from where they've left a mess.
You can pray over the rooms.
Uh, you can serve someone
without them even knowing it.
You can pray for the room
before they get there.
And after they leave, uh, there's
so many different things you can do.
But the kids department is a huge, Wing
and branch of the church that it's going
to constantly need, uh, things to be done.
And it's just a great place to serve.
And you're not, you're not
just sewing into, or you're not
doing just what's in the moment.
You're sewing into things down the road.
I can remember I am 44 years old
and I can still remember my Sunday
school teacher when I was six
years old doing certain things.
And the culture was a little
different than she never got paid.
In fact, it probably cost her money
to serve our Sunday school class.
And I haven't forgotten that.
And that hasn't.
Turn void in my own life.
Like I still remember that
people serving our kids ministry
at the church I grew up in,
Steve Gladen: So for those of you
that are small group point people
listening to this, this, uh, show,
I just want to encourage you, you
know, so often we, we get very myopic.
And we think about our own team and
our groups team and what are we doing?
How can we do, but the more you start
bridging across your church into other
teams that, uh, are the front facing
teams that may need some help or, you
know, just other teams that are, uh,
kind of serving your church, the more
you can reach out and serve them and
bless them is, is, is a great way.
So, uh, John, I, I really resonate with
that in so many different areas of our
church that need things and, uh, The
church not being siloed, but knitting
together is a, is a strong, strong word.
Jon Laster: this is a not good Southern
English, but I'll say it anyway.
And you can edit if you need to, but
there is never not a place to serve.
There's never not an area that
needs people doing and even again,
just praying and supporting.
So there's never not somewhere to serve.
Steve Gladen: Uh, I love
the double negative.
So
Derek Olson: do they say in the south?
They say, uh, y'all, y'all,
all
Jon Laster: all y'all.
all y'all,
I will say too, I will,
I'll, I'll add
Derek Olson: the kids.
Jon Laster: all y'all go serve the kids.
I will say, I say this often here in, uh,
sometimes in a group setting, sometimes
in more of a larger church setting that
I, outside of the folks in our church.
My closest friends that I would go
to if something hit the fan in my
life, I met serving either in a small
group or serving a team on church.
And, uh, the two guys I'm looking
at, I met you serving in some
kind of organization and it's,
uh, it, it doesn't return void.
Derek Olson: Well said.
Okay, to wrap this up, number nine,
you've got connect with a city official.
What's this mean?
Give them a campaign donation?
Steve Gladen: Do not
steer us that direction.
Do not steer us that direction.
Derek Olson: Break it down for us, bro.
Jon Laster: That's Steve's.
I'm going to let him
Steve Gladen: Oh, come on, man.
You can't do anything like
Jon Laster: Oh, I just did.
Steve Gladen: Oh man.
So anyways, one of the things that this
kind of goes with number one, when John
was starting out with is being able to
talk about, you know, talk to your pastor.
One of the things that, uh, every
city, every township, every county,
they, they have some type of
governance that is working there.
And one of the things that, that
can help a, uh, a church build a
bridge with, uh, their community
is connecting with city officials.
And one of the things that we have
done at every one of our campuses is as
soon as we start a campus, um, or, or a
church plant is being able to say, how
can you connect with your city officials
and find out where their needs are at?
Uh, they are always under.
Budgetary constraints, and whenever
you start to build a bridge with the
city and, uh, and john, I really think,
well, actually, both you and Derek, who
have been church planters and have done
that when you start early building the
relationships with the city officials.
It's amazing when you need permits,
you know, when you're going down
the line to build a building, when
you're trying to do things, it's
amazing how much easier it is when the
relational equity is already there.
And so I just want to
encourage you and your groups.
And you know, there's many different
ways, but if you want to find out if
you're, if your church says, I don't
know how your group can serve, you
tell them, contact your city official
and, uh, you, you can make it happen.
So, uh, That's what was behind that one.
And thanks John, for helping me wake
up and go, Oh yeah, that was mine.
That was
Jon Laster: Yeah, you're welcome.
Steve Gladen: All right.
Number, number 10, John,
bring us, bring us on home.
Uh, serve your local church vision.
Um, talk to us about
Jon Laster: So this can be a little bit
different for every church, obviously.
I feel like each church you're, you're
part of has a, A little bit more, they
slant towards something, maybe a little
bit more than, than other areas for ones.
Some could be outreach.
Some could be simply street ministry.
Some could be the homeless, all
those different things, whatever
your, your, this is kind of broad,
but whatever your church's vision.
And again, this is another one to get in
front of your senior leader, your lead
pastor, or someone on pastoral staff and
really hear what is your church's vision?
Why, why are they here?
What is their goal?
What are they trying to do?
to do and find ways to support that.
Sometimes we want things to be
as easy as tell me what to do.
Point me in a direction.
I'll go do it.
And sometimes it takes a little bit more
work and getting creative as a group,
especially if you have five, six, 10
people together, how can you together
serve your churches, uh, local vision?
And again, that can look
different, uh, for every church.
But I think, uh, the one thing
we all do have in common is
pointing people to Jesus.
If that's not part of your church's
goal, there might, I have to probably
say that for another podcast.
I'll just, I'll just, I'll,
I'll, I'll digress right there.
But there's, there's always a way
to serve your church's vision.
Steve Gladen: Well, john, I want to
thank you for helping us spearhead
when Derek and I were getting together
and mapping out these, these shows.
It was one of the things that your
name came to the top of the list of
being able to help us with the serving.
And I would kind of want to start, uh,
bring us back to where we started in first
Peter four, 10 and first Corinthians 12,
seven, that if you're in your small group.
I want to challenge you, make sure
everyone knows their spiritual gift
and are volunteering as an individual
and when you're volunteering as an
individual, they're going to feel value
because they're, they're being, they're
using their gifts where they should.
And as a small group leader, as a
small group point person, you should
be mobilizing all these small groups
to be able to discover, help people
find out where is their gifted.
So that they can serve the church and
then you can branch out into these 10
things that we've been talking about.
So I just want to encourage you that
as you're, you're kind of getting
the first dose of, you know, the
spice of serving that can help bring
your small group to a new area.
I just want to continue to encourage
you to look inside your group, make
sure they have all have their giftings.
recognize, uh, if not do a curriculum
on spiritual gifting so that you can
understand and help people discover
that if they don't know that, but also
be able to take these 10 things and
take them into your group, into the
fabric of your small group ministry.
So Derek, why don't you bring us
on home, John, thanks so much.
Always great to see you on screen.
And, uh, and I just love the
Derek and you connection from
way back when in church planting.
Jon Laster: you guys.
Two of the finest gentlemen I know.
Steve Gladen: Low bar.
Derek Olson: John, thanks for joining us.
It was great to have my fellow
chair stacker on the show.
And that was great insight you shared.
Thanks so much.
And, uh, to everybody else listening, we
want to thank you for tuning in today.
We hope our prayers that this,
uh, episode really encouraged you
and empowered you to lead better,
healthier, small groups in your church.
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