You need to have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, be baptized by immersion at Saddleback Church or another church that we accept, completed Membership CLASS 101, and have signed our membership covenant that is available in your CLASS 101 book.

We ask Small Group Hosts to participate in our Leadership Development Pathway which includes our basic three-hour Host Training 1. Beyond basic training we offer progressively more advanced Leader Workshops in Skills, Character, Health and PEACE. Additionally, twice a year in January and July we ask every small group Host to join us in an All-Church Host Gathering to be trained and motivated by nationally known speakers. Register online for the next scheduled Leader Training 1 by clicking Saddleback Church Events.

Every small group host is assigned a Small Group Community Leader who is your point of contact to Saddleback's small group community and is the source of help, information and resources to help you. Your Community Leader's contact information can be found on your "My Small Group" page at saddlebackfamily.com.

This is a process where your group members can help and do small tasks and functions of your small group. Based on their giftedness, rotate leadership and have members lead a sub group. They can host when you are out of town and then they can be released to do their own group should they choose. Encourage your small group members to attend Saddleback's Leader Training-1 so they can more effectively develop as hosts.

Have a party and celebrate the time you have shared together as a small group. Affirm those that leave and assure them of your prayers. Invite them to return to the group at any time. Schedule your next meeting with those that will be continuing, decide on the study that you will do next, and move on ahead.

Yes we do. We have women leading groups based on the biblical principle that the Pastors have given them the authority, so they are under the covering of that authority to lead that group.

We would suggest, that if a person is asking that question that they may want to lead a seekers group that would be targeted for people that may want to know more about Christ or are open to asking questions or to express doubts, so that there can be a positive open forum. But one of the most effective ways we have found is for someone to champion Missions and Evangelism in the small groups. This would help give a voice to that very need of honoring the open chair and bringing seekers to your group. Also we found that although a group may be doing a study, a seeker can also gain benefit just from the relationships and being around other believers in a group.

We want every small group leader to understand the distinctive principles of Saddleback small groups. Those distinctive principles are covered in Basic Leader Training 1. Also, we believe that leaders are learners and we strive to provide advanced Leader Training and growth opportunities for our leaders. After you complete Basic and Advanced Leader Training, Saddleback provides opportunities for seasoned leaders to sharpen their skills on a twice a year basis in All-Church Host Gatherings in January and July each year.

The answer to this question is contained in your answer to how much time you have to do ministry effectively? We have found that people do one primary and one secondary group or ministry the best. Life stage and family responsibilities will help to determine how many ministries you can do, i.e. an empty nester will have more time to devote to a ministry than a young family with multiple children. We encourage small group leaders to be sure they are involved in a small group or ministry where THEY are being fed spiritually. It is only out of the overflow of what God is doing in your life that you will have the stamina and heart to serve others.

Saddleback's recommended studies can be found by clicking: Saddleback Church Small Group Studies. There are several publishers like NavPress and Serendipity that offer good curriculum. It is very important for you to find curriculum that is doctrinally sound for your small groups. Feel free to contact your Community Leader if you have any questions about curriculum or concerns about a particular curriculum.

We ask you to update your group information on your Host Page that you can access through saddlebackfamily.com/My Host Home Page. Also notify your Community Leader so he can support you with additional members or resources as you need them.

That is totally up to the Host and to the group. The point is to seek God prayerfully about who to invite. Hundreds of lives have been changed because groups have welcomed their unbelieving neighbors, coworkers, friends and family into their groups. Your group can too!

Yes! If you live out of the area we would still love to support you as a Host. We presently have small groups in over 80 cities in Southern California.  Since it is unlikely that we will be able to provide you with a list of potential group members, we would encourage you to pray about which neighbors, friends, coworkers and family members you could invite to join you for six weeks for your first study.

If you would like to form a group as a certain affinity (like Couples, Singles, Women, Men, Single Parents, etc.), let us know when you fill out the online information requested on saddlebackfamily.com/Start a Small Group. However, in most cases your geographic community will provide a "proximate" life stage or lifestyle affinity. Be sure to invite your own friends that you enjoy hanging out with.

If you have a willing heart, a VCR/DVD player, and a few open seats in your living room, you are ready to be a Host. Saddleback's small group material and recordings are "plug and play" so that any one with any level of experience can Host a successful group. If you will take our basic Leader Training 1 course, our pastors and instructors can help equip you to successfully host a small group.

Sure, all you have to do is say you are full or you can subgroup into smaller groups in several areas in the house. Subgrouping can actually be more fun for everyone, but it's really up to you.

People connect in new small groups consisting of 6 to 16 people who provide love, support, friendship, connection and spiritual strength. The format is an informal and comfortable 1½-2 hour gathering at the home of a Host for six weeks. Participants are comprised of people from our church, as well as friends, neighbors, relatives and coworkers who are invited to join in the adventure. Most groups are guided through the study series using DVD programs and study guides.

Small group membership is how Saddleback members and attendees connect and grow in community. In order to serve in ministry, each of us needs to be growing in our spiritual walk and serving out of the overflow of what God is doing in our lives. Small groups give us a forum where we can support each other in building the five biblical purposes into our lives. Ministry is important and it is where we can express our shape for ministry to the body of Christ. Life can be very full and many are needed to serve the church in significant ways. Yet we know the spiritual power that is needed for service to the church will be gained in people's lives as they study in small groups together the things that are most important to God. Sometimes it is just a matter of priorities. We need to be connected and growing before we can be effective in the ministry God has for us. It may require you to set priorities for investment of your time and focus.

It's easy. Go to saddlebackfamily.com and click on Find A Small Group. Enter your ZIP code and the type of group you are looking for. When you find a group that looks promising, click on "Select." You will be given the opportunity to "Join This Group" or "Return to Search Results." If you click Join This Group, your information will be sent to the small group host, and you will be given the contact information of the host. You should contact the host to learn more about the group and arrange to visit a group meeting. Please feel free to try more than one group. With over 2,000 Saddleback Small Groups, there is one for you!

a. Absolutely! Inform your friends, neighbors, family members, coworkers and casual acquaintances about your small group study. Most of Saddleback's study materials are appropriate for both believers and seekers. Pray for God's guidance as you can make an eternal difference in the lives of others.
b. While it is not our desire to attract people away from other Bible believing churches, Saddleback's desire is to both connect "unconnected" people at our church and take our next step to reach our "unchurched" community for Jesus Christ through our small groups.

In its simplest form, a small group is defined as a "Small Group Bible Study". A small group is a subset of the church body that meets on Sunday. Small groups meet in non-church locations such as homes, restaurants, coffee shops, businesses or any location that is convenient for the attendees. They meet morning, noon or night, any day of the week. This follows the pattern of the early church in Acts 5:42 "Day after day, in the temple courts (weekend celebration) and from house to house (small group fellowships), they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ. [NIV]. At Saddleback, we ask small groups to do more than study the Bible. We ask them to accomplish all five of the purposes that Jesus gave us in the Great Commandment (Matt. 22:37-38): Love God (Worship) and love our neighbor (Ministry) and in the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20) Go and Make Disciples (Evangelism), Baptize them (Fellowship) and Teach them (Discipleship). We believe that as we balance the purposes we grow a healthy church. healthy small groups, and healthy followers of Christ.

Your group must register by 1) going to saddlebackfamily.com and 2) click on "Share (Missions)" and 3) click on "Get Started" and 4) Click on either "Local" or "Global" and follow the prompts to register your group and begin the process.  The website answers most questions you will have, but if you have technical questions/problems when trying to navigate the P.E.A.C.E. system, please call the P.E.A.C.E. Help Desk at 949-609-8400.

Please e-mail smallgroups@saddleback.net for an answer within one working day.

Definitely not! The most important things that you need are a desire to serve the members of your group and to grow in your own personal relationship with Jesus Christ. When you take this step of faith, through prayer, God's Holy Spirit will give you what you need to be an effective Host. Saddleback has many video curriculums available that provide expert teaching to your small group. Your host responsibility is to facilitate the discussion around that teaching using provided resources.

a. Leader must have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
b. Leader must be, or have been, baptized by immersion.
c. Leader must complete Class 101 and be a member of Saddleback Church.
d. Leader must commit to completing all remaining CLASSES 201-401 within a reasonable period of time.
e. Leader must complete Leader Training and agree to implement the Leader Values on the Leader Application.
f. Leader must be able to answer that there are no problems with the following areas:
1) Leader must not have current habitual struggles or moral issues (drugs, alcohol, cohabitation, etc.) that would bring shame on the name of Jesus Christ or on Saddleback Church.
2) In addition, there must not be any current marital struggles (i.e. infidelity, separation, divorce in process, etc.)
3) Finally, the leader must support Saddleback Church's Statement of Faith without any reservation or addition.