Rick Warren and Small Groups
Unbelievable! A Phenomenon!
That’s how we can describe what God has done with Saddleback Church and its small group ministry.
The ministry has as its foundation the scriptural example of Acts 2:46, “Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple complex, and broke bread from house to house, eating together with glad and humble hearts.” (HCSB).
Rick Warren may be correct in his thinking about the temple courts being ideal for large gatherings. Notice how Jesus took advantage of them in Mark 12:35, "While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts...[teaching about the Messiah being David's son] v. 37...The large crowd listened to him with delight." NIV
Warren teaches that the temple court meetings of the early disciples correspond to the weekend gatherings of a megachurch; the "house to house" groups correspond to small groups in homes, offices, etc.
For example, check out these interesting facts about Saddleback home groups:
- About 3500 small groups exist through the church. There are Saddleback-connected home groups on several continents.
- There are more people in their small group ministry than their weekend gatherings on campus.
- The church hosts conferences on doing small groups. They have a large ranch-style house on site in which small group pastors from other churches can come and stay for a year to be trained in small group oversight.
- Their small group pastor since 1998 has an entire book on this ministry. (Small Groups with Purpose, How to Create Healthy Communities by Steve Gladen) https://www.amazon.com/Small-Groups-Purpose-Healthy-Communities/dp/0801014956/ref=sr_1_2?crid=Z2YYLIGXA90P&keywords=steve+gladen+small+groups+with+purpose&qid=1567803736&s=books&sprefix=Steve+Gladen+%2Caps%2C133&sr=1-2
- Gladen founded the Small Group Network in 2006 (www.smallgroupnetwork.com).
- The approachable Gladen offers his website on the book jacket: www.stevegladen.com.
- The ministry has as its foundation the scriptural example of Acts 2:46, “Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple complex, and broke bread from house to house, eating together with glad and humble hearts.” (HCSB).
- The communion meal at Saddleback Church is done in small groups, not campus gatherings, because the campus meetings are geared more to non-believers who are not qualified to partake. Besides, serving that many thousands is difficult, not feasible, as well as expensive, for the church.
- The staff believes that through small groups, the LARGE church becomes SMALL.
If a pastor is trying to launch small groups, he might do well to remember Pastor Chris Hodges’ disclaimer: “It is easier to have a baby than raise the dead.” (See Church of the Highlands near Birmingham, AL)
https://www.churchofthehighlands.com
Members may or may not be open for such a departure from the norm. New start-ups are like babies, open to new ideas. Some traditionalists are slow to change. 😊 See what the Lord will do. He’s amazing!