Top Ten Reasons You Should Join the PDSGN

FREE !!!

 

10. There is no membership fee! The Purpose Driven Small Group Network is absolutely free.!

9. You will build relationships with your peers – thousands of other Lead Pastors and Small Group Point People across North America. No one doing small group ministry should ever stand alone.

8. You will have access to a wealth of information and resources through our enewsletter, our upcoming website, and through meeting with your peers in “huddles” at locations near you. A short drive in the car and you will  be meeting with your peers near your location.

7. You will have a source of encouragement and support between small group conferences. In these tough economic times, many churches have reduced or eliminated budgets for travel and conferences. The PDSGN is your opportunity to “stay in the loop”.

6. You will have access to thousands of other Pastors and Small Group Point People through our regular monthly column, Ask The Network. Have a question about small group ministry? Here is your chance to ask it.

 

5. You will have access to our job listings in the montly enewsletter. Looking for a job or want to post a job? Members have access to do so, giving them an audience of thousands.

4. You will hear the latest and greatest on small group strategy from our many PDSGN leaders – who come from a variety of denominations and from churches varying in size from under 100 members to 20,000 + members. The PDSGN is full of leaders in the field of small group ministry. These are people in the trenches – leading small group ministries and writing about small groups.

3. You will have opportunities to gather with other PDSGN members during all of Saddleback’s Small Group Conferences at various locatons across the country. Meet with other members in your geographic area as we bring the conference to you!

2. Regular huddles at locations near you, as well as Think Tanks during conferences, provide you with the opportunity to get real world advice from fellow small group practioners. Get the scoop on how other leaders are dealing with typical problems, what small group curriculum they are using, and how they are using the campaign strategy in their churches.

1. As a “special” gift to you, Steve Gladen has agreed to shovel the snow off the driveways of all PDSGN members*! Won’t your friends and neigbors be jealous as Steve shows up at your house to provide this personal service!

JOIN NOW BY CLICKING HERE!

* Steve Gladen snow shoveling offer only good during the month of July and in the southern sections of California and Florida

Save the Date! “Community U” Coming to You!

 

Small Group Conference dates have been set for 2010 and Steve Gladen and the Small Groups Team are hitting the road again! 

A new conference, Community U: Connecting Your People to Your Church and Your Community will show you how to take community to a deeper and wider level. You will experience two intense days of teaching, learning, and growing in an innovative format that will help you to create powerful plans that you can integrate into your church.

The first day, Friday, is aimed at Small Group Point People

Two courses are available:

FOUNDATION TRACK

This is for those of you who are in the initial stages. You are thinking about adding small groups, you have recently added small groups, or your small group ministry isn’t producing the results you had hoped for. Join Saddleback Pastor Steve Gladen as he teaches the “undergrad” course in Community U.

• Learn the strategy behind Saddleback small groups and how we intentionally integrate the five purposes of fellowship, discipleship, ministry, evangelism, and worship into every small group.
• Learn how small groups can:

1. Revolutionize your church’s overall strategy and vision by reinforcing your teaching while building up the body.
2. Better connect every person in your church into the body
3. Disciple people
4. Mobilize people to service
5. Help reach your community
6. Expand your church’s worship experience

ADVANCED LEADERSHIP TRACK

This is the “graduate” level course. You have attended previous Saddleback Small Group Conferences. You’ve learned, you’ve implemented, and you’ve grown – now it’s time to kick it into a higher gear. Seasoned small group pastors will lead informative discussions on how to get from where you are to where God wants your ministry to grow. The Advanced Leadership Track session tackles subjects like:

• How to grow from a plateau
• Spiking new life in a tired relationship team
• Aligning the ministries of your church for small group growth
• Rebuilding infrastructure that works
• Think Tank sessions with other Small Group Point People and PDSG Network leaders for direct exchange of encouragement, information, and resources

This is a highly interactive iron-on-iron sharpening. You’ll go back to your church having worked on the toughest issues with others who are in the trenches. No theory, no concept, just straight forward breakthrough thinking with other Small Group Point Leaders from around the country.

The second day, Saturday, is aimed at both Small Group Point People and their Small Group Leaders. Bring all of your Small Group Leaders for inspiration and instruction. Make it a time of connecting with one another. You could even make this your Small Group Gathering for the year!

Saturday brings more top teaching in two tracks – Advanced and Small Group Leading. This will be accomplished through:

• General Sessions. All attendees meet together for great opening and closing sessions of worship, teaching, and inspiration.
• Workshop Sessions. Small Group Point People will participate in innovative sessions that add additional teaching to prepare you for returning to your churches ready to roll! Small Group Leaders will get the benefit of the wit, wisdom, and amazing teach of Lyman Coleman, the foremost trainer of small group community in the world. Your leaders will leave with great new skills for forming and bonding their groups into vital, biblical, purposeful community.

COMMUNITY U AVAILABLE IN EIGHT LOCATIONS IN 2010!  In addition to seven two-day conferences (see below), we will also be at the Purpose Driven Conference at Lake Forest – a unique “ten in one” conference experience. 

PURPOSE DRIVEN CONFERENCE         Feb 9-12    Lake Forest, Saddleback Campus  [click here for info]

For the first time ever, this year’s Purpose Driven Conference is really ten conferences in one! Now you can bring your entire church team for individual learning experiences. This is a unique hands-on conference that will build and inspire each member of your team. Rick Warren, the Saddleback Team, and leading national pastors will challenge, develop, and expand your vision to be a moving force for God, not only in your church, but also in your community.

• Purpose Driven Church & The P E A C E Plan
• Preaching for Life Change
• Purpose Driven Youth Ministries
• Purpose Driven Children’s Ministries
• Purpose Driven Small Groups
• Worship
• Leading Through Change
• Developing Emotionally Healthy Leadership
• HIV/AIDS/Orphan Care
• Celebrate Recovery
• Also a featured conference: Life as a Pastor’s Wife

TWO DAY “COMMUNITY U” CONFERENCES: [click here for info]

Nashville, TN            April 16/17    Life Point (Smyrna)

Milwaukee, WI         May 21/22    Parkway Church (Oak Creek)

Los Angeles, CA       July 16/17     Mariners Church (Irvine)

St. Louis, MO           Aug. 20/21   Calvary Church (St. Peters)

Seattle, WA             Sept. 24/25   Washington Cathedral (Redmond)

Washington, D.C.    Oct. 15/16     Grace Community Church (Fulton)

Miami, FL                Nov. 4/5       Christ Fellowship Church (W. Palm Beach)

We have created a low-cost high impact conference, and we are bringing it to a location near you. Hope to see you there!

 “Small groups are the most effective way of closing the back door of your church. We never worry about losing people who are connected to a small group” Rick Warren

Two Reflections From the Dallas NEXT Conference

 

Boyd Pelley, founder of Churchteams, and Ron Wilbur, Director of Small Group Operations for Saddleback Church, both attended the recent NEXT Conference in Dallas. Here are their unique observations…

Why Conferences Are So Worth It by Boyd Pelley

Purpose Driven Small Groups wrapped up their 2009 conference year during the past couple of days with a conference in Dallas. I think I have been to every small group conference but one that they have done, just as I have been to every small group conference Willow has done in like 10 years. In addition, I have been to many other conferences as well. Here are the reasons I go to these conferences:

1. To be with and learn from leaders responsible for community life in their church. Whether that means 3 groups or 3000 groups, these are my people. Like Dane Havard from Rabbit Creek church in Anchorage, AK.
2. To share how Churchteams can serve them. Our calling/ministry.
3. To meet current Churchteams clients face to face. Like Bill and Pat Morgan from Beumont and Cindy Burleson from Gillette, Wyoming.
4. To catch up with friends like Ron Wilbur from Saddleback, Jay Daniel from Norfolk, NE and Rick Howerton from Lifeway to name but a few.
5. To learn and be inspired. I loved Steve Gladen’s Saturday morning session on Authenticity. We died laughing and were moved to tears and application of what group life ought to be like.

Honestly, it was conferences that taught me how to think about and do ministry. I have been just one of hundreds, or in some cases thousands, attending church conferences for almost 20 years, and student conferences for a decade before that. A conference inspired me to see that the local church really is the hope of the world. A conference helped forge my convictions that life change happens best in community. A conference introduced me to a world much bigger than where I live day to day. They influence my life.

They will yours as well.

Finally, in the spirit of a football commercial, here’s to you Mr. “God has led me to share my life, learnings, mentors and team through a conference” man. Thank you. It is so worth it.

 

Observations From Dallas by Ron Wilbur 

It was great to see so many of the people who had flown in from 27 states and Canada.

Host church Lake Pointe located the conference in Pier 4:19, a wonderful building that felt like an early 1900’s industrial mill building but was only a dozen years old. Our Lake Pointe hosts – Carter Shotwell, Ty Daughtry, and Angele Barbee – ensured that this was an exceptional experience for everyone, having apparently hand-picked every Lake Pointe volunteer for their friendly and helpful personalities. Okay, they might not have hand-picked them; even though it felt that way. I’m guessing everyone at Lake Pointe is friendly and helpful.

There was an air of expectancy as folks registered on Friday morning. By Friday night, our hotel felt almost like an annex to the conference as groups of people gathered in various parts of the lobby and breakfast area, all with their conference workbooks and all discussing the day’s teaching.

Saturday held so many highlights, starting with a great worship set and Steve Gladen sharing his heart about Authenticity, and ending with Steve leading the attendees to a place of surrender and rededication at the cross.

By Saturday afternoon when the conference ended, those whom God had gathered to come to Dallas had bonded through stories, tears, and conversations. The building was filled with excitement in anticipation of what God has planned next. While many of us arrived as strangers, we all left as family. 

 

 

 

2010 Purpose Driven Conference

Lake Forest, CA
Feb 9-12
Saddleback Church

Purpose Driven Small Groups with Pastor Steve Gladen and the Small Groups Team

 

2010 “Community U” 2 Day Conferences

Nashville, TN
April 16/17
LifePoint Church, Smyrna, TN

Milwaukee, WI
May 21/22
Parkway Church, Oak Creek

Los Angeles, CA
July 16/17
Mariners Church, Irvine

St. Louis, MO
August 20/21
Calvary Community Church, St. Louis

Seattle, WA
September 24/25
Washington Cathedral, Redmond

Washington D.C.
October 15/16
Grace Community, Fulton, MD

Miami, FL
November 4/5
Christ Fellowship, W. Palm Beach

The PDSGN – A Dream Realized

by Cheryl Shireman

The Purpose Driven Small Group Network is the dream of Steve Gladen, Pastor of the Small Group Community of Saddleback Church. After receiving questions from so many Small Group Point People over the years, many ready to throw in the towel, Steve began to wonder how he could help all of these people beyond a short phone conversation or email. As he began to explore possibilities, he realized, beyond an occasional conference, very few of these leaders had contact with any other Small Group Point People – even those that lived just a few miles from each other. At that point, he started to dream of a free Network that would connect all of these people to each other. It is Steve’s goal that no Small Group Point Person ever stands alone. To this end, he created the PDSG Network to connect Small Group Point People across North America so that they might build relationships, encourage one another, and share resources and ideas.

The PDSGN began in 2007. It had a rocky start. There was such an overwhelming response that some people “fell through the cracks” – the very last thing Steve wanted. As more leaders stepped in across the country, however, the Network began to take shape. These men and women became Area Point Leaders, State Point Leaders, and Regional Point People.

There are currently twelve Area Point Leaders. The Area Point Leaders each oversee a group of State Point People in their area. For example, the Midwest Area Point Leader oversees Michigan, Ontario, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, and Kentucky and encourages each of those State Point People.

In turn, the State Point People each encourage Regional Point People in their state or province. For example, the Indiana State Point Person encourages all of the Regional Point People in the state of Indiana. The amount of Regional Point People per state (or province) varies according to the size of the state, but generally, we are aiming for one Regional Point Person per county.

The Regional Point People are the people “in the trenches”. They are the men and women doing the real work of the Network – gathering Small Group Point People in their area for “huddles”. A huddle is an informal gathering of Small Group Point People. It may be as simple as a few people meeting for coffee, or as elaborate as a group meeting during a small group conference. Whatever the venue, the idea is to build relationships, encourage one another, and share resources and ideas. All too often, Small Group Point People are isolated from their peers who do the same work. These huddles give them the opportunity to build personal networks of support by meeting others who live relatively close. Want to know what curriculum others are using? Want to know what other churches are doing about training? Want to know how to start new groups? A huddle is your chance to ask!

Steve’s idea of a network to connect Small Group Point People has taken root and is flourishing. Today, Small Group Point People of varying denominations and backgrounds are joining the Network on a daily basis. Some are serving as State Point People (we still have a few state positions available), some are serving as Regional Point People (want to have your own huddles?), and some are just showing up for coffee. All of them have one goal, however – developing healthy small groups. Our goal, is to help them do so.

Cheryl Shireman is the PDSG Network Coordinator. Interested in becoming a State or Regional Point Person? Contact her at cheryls@saddleback.com  Interested in joining the PDSGN – click on this link and join today!  JOIN PDSGN

 

 

Purpose Driven Small Group Network History

In 2006 God laid it on my heart to start a network for Small Group Point People. My first reaction was, No! Who was I to lead such a network? I didn’t have the time or resources, and I wasn’t even sure if there would be any interest.

 At the same time, our small group team was looking at calls and emails to Saddleback, and three things became clear:

1. Most of the people were volunteers, or if they were paid staff, small groups was just part of what they were doing.
2. Most of the information they needed was foundational.
3. When we would coach them to network with other churches, they didn’t have those outside contacts.

While I continued trying to ignore his prompting, God brought me back to my early days of ministry when I was the one calling Saddleback for help. How could I turn a deaf ear on all of the people needing help?

I launched the PDSG Network in 2007. It started out slow, but we were moving toward making sure that “nobody stands alone” (TM). The worst thing that could happen is for you to be doing ministry in isolation without others walking the journey beside you.

Today the PDSG Network has thousands of churches throughout the US and Canada.  It is managed through a volunteer force of 12 Area Point Leaders, 40 State Point People, 2 Province Point People and hundreds of Regional Point People all who are in the trenches doing the ministry and learning from one another!  Join us and make a difference.

To JOIN the Purpose Driven Small Group Network, click HERE.

Steve Gladen
Pastor of Small Group Community
Saddleback Church