Small Groups Blog http://www.saddlebackfamily.com/blogs/lakeforestsmallgrouplife/index.html Tue, 07 Feb 2012 02:34:58 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss SiteKick 2007 RSS Server Would you like memory verses, video devotions, scripture reading and other complementary resources for your personal study time?  It's easy. Just go to the 40 Days in the Word study habits page, click on "Grow" and sign up. You can watch daily video devotions, sign up to get daily reminders or verses by text or email, read the Scripture for the week, and access other great ways to get deeper in your study. Don't miss this terrific online resource! http://saddleback.com/blogs/lakeforestsmallgrouplife/great-resources-for-your-40-days-in-the-word-study/ http://sdbk.cc/xrEc1f Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:00:00 GMT As of January 23, 2012: Over 1300 new small groups have formed so far! 2,500 people have signed up to get the Daily verse via email 1,100 signed up to get the Daily verse via text message 75 have signed up to get the Daily verse in Spanish via text message 2,700 have signed up for the Daily 40 Days Email 900 have signed up for the Daily 40 Days text message reminder http://saddleback.com/blogs/lakeforestsmallgrouplife/40-days-in-the-word-is-off-to-a-great-start/ http://sdbk.cc/yzzEJp Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:00:00 GMT Great news! Your small group member can watch the study video and any missed weekend messages online. Here's how they can do that. Just send the links below to your small group members. Study videos - go online to my.saddleback.com. If you have never used My Saddleback, watch the quick "how to" video on the left. You will need to "enable" your group in My Saddleback (just follow the instructions) but once you do that your group members can watch any week's study videos. Weekend messages - go to http://www.saddleback.com/40ditw/ and at the bottom is a blue button for "archived services." Click that and you can watch past weekend messages. http://saddleback.com/blogs/lakeforestsmallgrouplife/what-if-someone-is-out-of-town-one-week-and-misses-a-meeting-or-the-weekend-message-/ http://sdbk.cc/ws9rkc Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:00:00 GMT Before anyone arrives for your meeting, pray for God's direction and guidance in your group, pray that everyone makes it there safely, and pray for each heart to be ready for what God has for them to learn from the study. During your first meeting you'll be going through Pages 1-9 of the workbook. Most home groups will have a brief time for conversation and a snack, start the group with prayer, and maybe even sing a couple of songs to get everyone in a worshipful frame of mind before opening the workbook. Then they'll follow the workbook for that week. End your meeting with letting each person in the group share one thing they would like prayer for and one thing they want to thank God for. This is the last thing on Page 9 this week. Then close your meeting with prayer. One thing to remember - people appreciate when your group starts on time and ends on time. It will take a little clock watching on your part during the meeting but it will be worth it. Don't assume that because people are actively talking that everyone is able to stay past the allotted time. http://saddleback.com/blogs/lakeforestsmallgrouplife/your-first-40-days-in-the-word-small-group-meeting-/ http://sdbk.cc/A5nkAt Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:00:00 GMT Pick up small group materials for your group whether you are getting for the first time or need more for others joining your group. All Hosts - bring a hardcopy printout of your Host eNewsletter (and at Lake Forest you'll get in the priority line for quickest service!) Materials will be available every weekend at your campus through Feb 5, and at the Lake Forest campus ministry center from 9 -5 weekdays. You will get an email from Saddleback when there is someone interested in joining your group. Be sure to call every person who is interested in your group so they can find a group for this important series. Call, email or text each person you have invited, to remind them of the group meeting. Need more people for your group? Five quick ways to grow your small group How to get people to join your small group Get ready by watching the Introductory Small Group Host Training videos and also by reading the "Understanding Your Workbook" section in the front of the 40 Days in the Word workbook. Pray for each person in your group by name, prior to your first small group meeting. Online Hosts please log in to your Community Leaders Group Online Meeting Room for special instructions for Online Groups.   http://saddleback.com/blogs/lakeforestsmallgrouplife/what-should-i-be-doing-this-week-in-my-small-group/ http://sdbk.cc/yL2zkc Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:00:00 GMT The Homework Club serves at-risk kids in Santa Ana.The kids are putting on a play the evening of Thursday, Dec 15 for their families and friends and your group can help in two ways. They need help putting some decorations up in the auditorium for the play. And, they also need some people to bring cookies to give out to the students/families after the play is over. What a great way to express Christ's love at Christmas! To sign up or get more information contact anne.menaldo@sausd.us or phone 949.422.5485. http://saddleback.com/blogs/lakeforestsmallgrouplife/another-great-serving-opportunity-for-your-group/ http://sdbk.cc/tUI2OQ Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:31:00 GMT Did you know that serving those in need is an act of worship to God? Join us on the weekend of December 10th and 11th for "Good Neighbor Weekend" where, in place of our church services, Saddleback Church will be going out to show compassion to our neighbors as our act of worship. Since your small group is currently completing Bill Hybels' "Just Walk Across the Room" curriculum, this will be a great opportunity to put what you're learning into action! The two parts of Good Neighbor Weekend: Serving YOUR Neighbor: We will help equip you and your family to serve your direct neighbors. Wash their car, mow their yard, babysit their kids. Whatever you do, "Just walk across the street!" Serving OUR Neighbors: We have also created several opportunities for your small group to help serve the neighbors of Saddleback Church. Have a heart for kids, seniors, the homeless, or the military? Join us on one of our "Good Neighbor Projects." Begin talking with your family and small group about how you want to be a good neighbor on December 10th and 11th. In the coming weeks, we will put a card in the bulletin that tells you specifically how you can participate in Good Neighbor Weekend. Check out some other great serving ideas here. Join us in showing compassion so that our neighbors can come to know Jesus! http://saddleback.com/blogs/lakeforestsmallgrouplife/is-your-small-group-set-for-good-neighbor-weekend--dec-10--11/ http://sdbk.cc/t8zIjB Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:06:00 GMT One of the big questions we're constantly asked is "What can I study next?"   I have some good suggestions.   In two or three weeks here are a few options that your group can do when the current study is over.  The Purpose of Christmas.  A 3 week study with a book, DVD, and workbook. The Way of a Worshiper.  A great 4 week study with a book, DVD, and workbook. Inside Out Living: What Jesus Says About Living a Blessed Life.  A 6 week study with a DVD and workbook. Talk It Over.  If you want to dig deeper into the weekend message go to http://saddleback.com/resources/talkitover/.  You can download expanded message notes with small group discussion questions and use this for your group meeting.  This is a free resource.  Check your campus for availability. Most of these titles are also available at the Pavilion on the Lake Forest campus. http://saddleback.com/blogs/lakeforestsmallgrouplife/what-to-study-after-just-walk-across-the-room/ http://sdbk.cc/s5iAdd Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:03:00 GMT In part one we shared five ideas for how to build commitment and consistency in your small group. In this article we'll take this discussion to the next level by describing an intentional pathway for everyone in your group. When someone joins your group how do you get them going toward become an involved and invested member of the group? One way to handle this is to recognize that there are different levels of commitment in your group, just like in the church. Your goal is to help each person make greater commitments to the group. Five levels of commitment The first commitment level is the community - the people at this level aren't in your group. Their commitment is zero. They may or may not know about your group, so it's unreasonable to expect that they even show up. Your objective with the people in your community is to get one person or couple at a time to visit the group. Have everyone in your group make a list of your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors. Then pray for them. Then invite them. The second level is the crowd - these are the people that visit your group. They come, they don't come. They're checking it out - they're sort of there and sort of not. When it's convenient, they're there. When something better comes up, they're not. Your objective with the crowd is to get them to make a commitment, to show up regularly, to be prompt and to be part of the group. Give these folks lots of encouragement and positive feedback when they participate. Make sure they get an opportunity to share every week. Include them in everything. More serious commitment The third level is the congregation (or membership) - these are the people who consider themselves members of your group. They have made a commitment to come almost every week and don't miss often. They're actively engaged in the discussions and they are getting involved in helping with some of the things that get done in the group. Your objective with the congregation is to get them to own a responsibility in the group. You can start by getting them in the rotation to "lead" the group. Leading can be as easy as facilitating the meeting - starting it on time, gathering everyone together, asking someone to open in prayer, starting the lesson, directing the discussion, starting prayer requests and asking someone to close in prayer. The fourth level is the committed - these are the people who do the work of the group. They handle one of the purposes, they may offer their house as one of the host homes for the group, they go to leadership trainings at church so they can learn what's expected of the group and how they can help steer the group, they are a greeter, encourager, welcoming person and all-around group booster. You want them to step up and champion one of the purposes like the social connection of meeting reminders or recognizing birthdays or anniversaries; or the person who looks for opportunities for the group to serve, either each other or outside the group; or the person who has a heart for others and finds ways the group can do outreach activities; or maybe someone who handles the worship part of your meetings. You and your co-hosts will be watching the people in your "congregation" closely to see what kind of interests and SHAPE they have, to see what they could be best suited to do in the group. Your job with them is to help mentor them by encouraging and coaching, to help them assume overall group responsibility. The fifth level of commitment The fifth and final level is the commissioned - these are the people who co-host the group and share overall leadership/steering of the group. They get what the group is supposed to be doing and they're instrumental in helping it come about. They could just as easily be the only host of the group. Your assignment with the commissioned is to gently help them get ready to launch their own group, or to take over leadership of the group while you launch a new group. Timing is totally up to you and them. Your prayer is that they will have learned from you and gained experience in the ways to lead the group and raise up leaders in the group. The objective is to raise up everyone over time and at their own pace. It's not hard This pathway doesn't have to be complicated or time-consuming. It only needs you to be thinking about where everyone is in your group, and to raise up some co-hosts to help you develop everyone. Your group may decide to stay together for life. Or, it may be a group that people grow up in and move out of as they graduate into starting a new group. The key is to help everyone grow. We'll talk next time about some of the tools you can use to help people make their next step commitment to the group. If you prefer Twitter-length info, here are the points of this post in 140 characters or less. To get greater commitment in your small group, know where each person is and help them get to the next level. Help people in your small group feel like members and they'll act like members. People who aren't in your small group have zero commitment to it. Start them on the pathway by inviting them to visit. Don't expect a visitor to your small group to be committed to it. Encourage them and ask them to join the group. When someone "joins" your small group, give them something to do so they can "invest" in the group. When a person commits to your small group, make them part of the "leadership team." When someone becomes one of the leaders of your group, give them a bigger purpose. Encourage the purpose team of your small group to become the launch hosts of new groups. http://saddleback.com/blogs/lakeforestsmallgrouplife/building-commitment-to-your-group---part-two/ http://sdbk.cc/qnSfrI Mon, 17 Oct 2011 09:56:00 GMT The Christians in the Workplace study has been postponed until next Spring. We'll be announcing more details on this great small group study after the first of the year. Stay tuned! http://saddleback.com/blogs/lakeforestsmallgrouplife/new-christians-in-the-workplace-study-coming-out/ http://sdbk.cc/qMRhj2 Sun, 16 Oct 2011 17:00:00 GMT That's the weekend when church services are cancelled so we can all be lights in our communities. Start talking about this with your small group now. Start by asking members of your group what they might like to do. One opportunity is feeding the homeless. We'll be feeding homeless in parks around Orange County on Dec 11 and your group could help with preparing food, serving food, or just being a friendly face. Watch a video on this ministry here. You and your group can test drive this ministry on Oct 16, Nov 6 or Nov 13. Just contact BreakfastOutreach@gmail.com to get on the list for more info or to sign your group up to test drive. http://saddleback.com/blogs/lakeforestsmallgrouplife/start-your-group-thinking-now-about-dec-10-11/ http://sdbk.cc/qLvAvH Thu, 06 Oct 2011 05:32:00 GMT Key dates for your calendar: Now - Many small groups are using the financial management series as the study in their group meeting. How to get it: Your small group can use TalkItOver! to discuss the Biblical principles of finances. Simply have your group members download the Discussion Guide and bring it with them to the group meeting. Everything you need is in TalkItOver! Download TalkItOver! here. Oct 15-16 (planned) - the great new six-week study called Christians in the Workplace is being released. Everyone in your group will learn more about how to be an influence wherever they are, and wherever God has placed them. There are important life principles in this study that everyone will find relevant and powerful, even those that aren't employed outside of the home. How to get it: Hosts of existing home groups can purchase the curriculum DVD at Host discount rates of $5 in the Pavilion on the Lake Forest campus, or at the small group table on the Anaheim, Corona, Irvine and Orange campuses. The DVD includes everything you need for your group. Pastor Rick will also be making this curriculum DVD available free to Saddleback people who commit to start a new workplace group. Nov 4 - Men's Uprising - an amazing Friday night and Saturday for all Saddleback men! Dec 2 - CL Gathering with Pastor Rick for all Community Leaders Jan 20 - Host/co-Host Gathering with Pastor Rick Jan 21-22 - start of the new 40 Days in the Word campaign http://saddleback.com/blogs/lakeforestsmallgrouplife/whats-up-and-coming/ http://sdbk.cc/mXwaEF Thu, 06 Oct 2011 05:12:00 GMT Great question! Let's take a moment for a quick refresher. In Matthew 22:37-40 and Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus described five purposes for living and these are also the five purposes for every Saddleback small group - worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry and mission. The key is to balance doing all five of these in your group over time. That means that your group should strive to grow in each area. Worship - our lives are meant to be lived as lives of worship, but in your group worship can take many forms, such as singing, reading the Bible out loud, communion, and prayer. Fellowship - meeting with others to grow together. Every time your group meets you're doing this purpose. Other ways your group can fellowship is through social activities outside of the group - beach parties, rotating host homes, BBQs, camping trips, sports events and other outings. Discipleship - growing to become more like Christ. The small group study you're using in your group is designed to help in this purpose. Other ways include doing a study on a book of the Bible, planning a spiritual retreat as a group, using the Spiritual Health Assessment and group health plan in your group, and discussing spiritual next steps in your group. Ministry - serving each other and the body of Christ. Your group can help in so many different ways in your church and your group. Are you still doing all the work in your group or have you learned that you're supposed to give it all away so that others can be blessed? Study the six-week SHAPE small group curriculum and get everyone serving. Mission - sharing the Good News of Christ with others. This can be as easy as making a list of unsaved friends, praying for them, and inviting them to your group. Or, your group can serve in Local PEACE in the community, or even go on a global PEACE trip. The key is to determine where you are now and then commit to taking the next step. For more ideas on how to do the purposes in your group, browse the other articles in this blog and read 250 Big Ideas, the great idea book every Saddleback attender gets free when you attend Leadership Training 1. http://saddleback.com/blogs/lakeforestsmallgrouplife/what-are-the-purposes-and-how-do-we-do-them-in-our-group/ http://sdbk.cc/r8MUfn Wed, 05 Oct 2011 17:00:00 GMT You have plenty of people in your small group. Now if they would just show up! At any given meeting you're lucky to see half of the people who say they're in the group. The other half give every excuse in the book for not being there - they're not feeling well, their spouse/kids/dog/neighbor/neighbor's dog aren't feeling well, they have to attend an activity at their kid's school, they have company in town, they're getting ready for a trip, or that ever-elusive "something came up." So, your group never gets any momentum going and there's a general feeling that no one cares. In fact, there are meeting days when you want to call and bail out on the meeting yourself. What do you do? Understand that most important lessons are caught, not taught. So instead of laying out a mandate (the "should") you can create a magnet (the "want to"). Which do you think will have more impact on your group members? You're right, the value equation. Your group will be more compelling when it has more value to your members than any alternative. So, here are some quick ways to make your group an "I can't miss this" group: Make your group an encouragement group. Encourage at least one person in every meeting, and make sure everyone is getting encouraged regularly. Try the hot seat exercise where one person sits in the middle and everyone else says something that they like about that person. Make your group a bonding group. Help people get to know each other. If you have new people, go around the group and have people share their testimony, one per week. Maybe invite new people over for dinner outside of group so they know you already when they come to the first meeting. Make your group a caring group. After prayer requests have been shared, have each person pray for the request of the person to their left. If someone has a need, like an upcoming move, plan a date when the group helps them move. Make your group a sharing group. If your group has more than six people, try breaking into sub-groups for discussion and prayer. That allows time for everyone to share. Assign a discussion leader to every sub-group and make sure they know to encourage and reinforce discussion. Communicate an expectation. Don't let it go unsaid. Remind group members in subtle and direct ways that the perfect small group that they long for only comes from commitment and consistency, and that the way to make lifelong friends is to be around the same people a lot. Remember, your group members won't be enticed by a better alternative if your group IS the better alternative. http://saddleback.com/blogs/lakeforestsmallgrouplife/five-ideas-to-build-commitment-in-your-small-group/ http://sdbk.cc/oXVONg Tue, 04 Oct 2011 04:44:00 GMT First, there will not be a small group "campaign" this fall however we will be going through a powerful and timely fall "series" as a church. Get ready for life lessons that will give you and your group new insights into two of the most important aspects of your life! Here are some quick facts: The fall series is based on the writings of the wisest man in the world, King Solomon, in Ecclesiastes and Proverbs. The series starts next weekend, Sept 17-18, and continues through the weekend of Nov 19-20 The series will have two parts: For the first four weeks Pastor Rick will teach on obtaining and managing true wealth, even in a difficult economy. This important and timely series will help you gain new perspectives on your finances and God's economy. For the next six weeks, starting Oct 15-16, Pastor Rick will teach on what it means to be a Christian in our place of work and how we can find new meaning, joy and purpose in our jobs. There are important life principles in this study that you will find relevant and powerful even if you aren't employed outside of your home.  The small group study material for this series: For the first series we suggest that your group use Talk It Over.  You can download this great small group study each week from:  http://saddleback.com/mc/archives/.  The members of your group can also download and print Talk It Over for each week and bring it to your meeting. For the workplace series we are trying to make a DVD and study guide available to our small groups. I will send you more information in this monthly e-newsletter as we get closer.    Second, in January we will start the exciting six week church wide campaign called "40 Days in the Word."  During this campaign we will learn how to read and study the Bible, how to make it come to life, and how to use it as the roadmap that God intended for our lives.  This series starts the weekend of Jan 21-22.  More details coming in November.  Save the Date! Friday, Jan. 20, Pastor Rick is inviting all Saddleback small group Hosts and co-Hosts to a special evening in the Worship Center.  Watch this newsletter for more details. http://saddleback.com/blogs/lakeforestsmallgrouplife/upcoming-for-your-small-group/ http://sdbk.cc/neQqGC Fri, 09 Sep 2011 02:40:00 GMT After many months of preparation we are excited to announce the opening of the Retreat Center at Rancho Capistrano! When we become followers of Christ, we make the decision to surrender ourselves to Him. But what exactly does that look like, and how exactly do we do it? The day of our personal salvation was just the first step to living a life of surrender. There will always be trials and circumstances where we'll be challenged and struggle with trusting God.  Times when the same worries, sins and wounds that we thought we had surrendered, once again rear their ugly heads. We want to rid ourselves of these things and live a life fully trusting, but our effort alone doesn't seem to work. How will these places in our lives be transformed? Join us for our first Decade of Destiny retreat, "From Surrender to Significance-A Life Review." Go to www.saddleback.com/retreats for details, available dates and to register. For questions: Contact Stacey at (949) 609-8119 or staceyw@saddleback.com. http://saddleback.com/blogs/lakeforestsmallgrouplife/bring-your-small-group-to-the-new-retreat-center-/ http://sdbk.cc/oPbjBf Fri, 09 Sep 2011 02:30:00 GMT Have you heard? There's a brand-new small group curriculum coming called "Love Your Neighbor: KINGS WAY." Your Saddleback small group can be one of the few groups to test it out this fall. We're preferably looking for groups that are interested in learning more about loving their Muslim neighbors. This is what it involves: 4 weeks Small Group Study in your group 2 events where you will meet Muslim neighbors (we organize a service project with a meal together and a visit to a mosque)   If your group is interested in learning how best to love your Muslim neighbors then don't miss out on testing this important new study. For more information or to sign up: Come to one of our Information meetings on the Lake Forest campus: September 12th, 7-9pm in Lake Forest campus, Ministry Office TWO, or September 26th, 7-9pm in Lake Forest campus, Plaza Room 102 OR, from any campus just contact us at KelseyK@saddleback.com or 949.609.8464 http://saddleback.com/blogs/lakeforestsmallgrouplife/help-test-a-new-small-group-curriculum/ http://sdbk.cc/opbz9L Fri, 09 Sep 2011 02:19:00 GMT As the Host or co-Host of a Saddleback small group you play an important role in the spiritual health of your group. We have resources to help you. Leader Training 1 (LT1) is our training for all small group Hosts. Leader Training 2 (LT2) Health is training that teaches you how to use a great tool for spiritual health in your small group. In Leader Training 2 Reconciliation you'll learn how to resolve conflict the right way, using biblical principles. Great news! You can take all three of these classes online, either on your home computer or even using your iPad, iPhone, Android tablet or Android smartphone. No matter which campus you attend you are as close to this great training as your computer, tablet or smartphone! Click on any date below for more info and to register. To get the app you need to take this class on your tablet or smartphone, just go to your app store and download the free app, Adobe Connect. Upcoming training: LT1 Sun, Sept 18 - 9am-noon Lake Forest Campus Thurs, Sept 22 - 6:30-9:30 pm ONLINE LT2 Health Wed, Sept 28 - 7-9 pm ONLINE LT2 Reconciliation Thurs, Sept 29 - 7-9 pm ONLINE http://saddleback.com/blogs/lakeforestsmallgrouplife/how-to-have-a-terrific-small-group-experience/ http://sdbk.cc/poSZIc Fri, 09 Sep 2011 02:15:00 GMT Is your small group competitive? Think you can do this? Here's the deal - every small group that brings a bag of food per family for the Food Pantry during the month of August will get recognized in the Small Group Facebook, newsletter and blog. Just send a photo of your group or photos of the families in your group, dropping off bags at the Food Pantry barrels and we'll post the winning groups on Facebook, in this eNewsletter and on the Small Group Life blog. Send your photos to smallgroups@saddleback.com. Winning groups will be instant celebrities, people will come up and want to have their picture taken with you, and everyone will know what a cool group you are, or something like that. http://saddleback.com/blogs/lakeforestsmallgrouplife/bring-it-on---food-pantry-competition-for-small-groups/ http://sdbk.cc/psYQAY Wed, 03 Aug 2011 10:58:00 GMT The Saddleback Church Food Pantry has been blessed with a few opportunities to glean (pick) vegetables this summer. This is a great chance to serve with your entire family and small group, as all ages are welcome.  All of the produce we pick will be given to families in need through our Food Pantry. The farm is located in Irvine and we are going to be gleaning this Saturday, August 6, from 8-11 am. More opportunities will come up in a few weeks. Please email ranam@saddleback.com for details and directions. Also, the organic farm at Rancho Capistrano needs help every Saturday from 8 am - noon. Or, if your group would like to schedule an early evening time during the week to help, please email saddlebackorganicfarm@gmail.com. "'When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.'" Leviticus 23:22 NIV http://saddleback.com/blogs/lakeforestsmallgrouplife/gleaning-opportunities-to-serve/ http://sdbk.cc/pjSuNZ Wed, 03 Aug 2011 10:55:00 GMT