FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONSDo I need
to be a "Bible Expert" to become a Small Group Host?
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.
What do I need to do to become a Saddleback member?
You need to have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, be
baptized by immersion at RRM or another church that we
accept, completed Membership CLASS 101, and have signed our
membership covenant that is available in your CLASS 101 book.
What small group studies are recommended and where can I get
materials?
RRM has a wide range of small group studies available and
recommends that in between major Church emphases like Evangelism for
Life or Evangelical Campaigns that your group select
studies that meet the needs of those in your group. You can find
information on available studies by clicking Small Group Studies.
Each of these studies is available to Small Group Hosts on weekends
on the patio at the Bookstore Pavilion or during the week at the
Ministry Center through the Maturity Team.
Are all of the groups required to study the same material?
Once or twice a year we ask all groups to study the same material
associated with a campaign like Evangelism for Life. Otherwise, we
ask each group to select what they want to study based on the
interest of its members and their spiritual maturity. For available
small group studies click Small Group Studies.
Is curriculum dictated by the church leadership?
Once a year we have a "campaign" like 40 Days of Community
Evangelism in which we ask all groups to study the campaign
subject and materials. Other than that we recommend Saddleback, NavPress
or other solid evangelical small group Bible or "felt need" studies.
What if my group wants to continue and I can't continue to lead?
You can identify a new Host from within the group if there is
someone that is qualified. Your group can determine the Host as long
as they meet our Host requirements. Please read the answers to
questions on Host requirements.
How can I get more people for our group?
You and the members of your group should invite unconnected people
you meet at church, your friends, neighbors, coworkers and family to
join the group. This is the best way to get new members in your
group. Pray before you invite someone new. Ask God to soften his or
her heart and then step out in faith and make the invitation.
In addition, every H.O.S.T home is expected to display the logo
SEARCH FOR THE TRUTH found at the top of this Ministry page.
What do we do when we finish a study?
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.
How should our group handle childcare?
First, make childcare a top priority in order to make it happen. If
there are people who can't afford childcare, others need to step up
to help out. Another thing is that you want to rally together. You
might be able to get a sitter to watch the kids in one part of the
house while the group meets in another room. If there's home nearby,
one person can watch the kids there while the group meets in another
house. You may even try to rotate people out of the group to take
care of the children. There are many childcare options these are
just a few, and more are listed in your Leader Training-1
curriculum.
How do I raise up leaders?
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.
Do we use husband and wife leadership teams?
Yes, we do. We find it very beneficial to have both the husband and
wife lead in couples small groups. Each one brings different gifts
to the leadership position. They each fill in and compliment the
other.
Do you have women leading groups with men in them?
No, we do not. Women leading mixed groups would be in conflict with
biblical principles. t
Do you suggest Small Groups meet once per week?
The short answer is yes, we recommend once a week as the ideal
frequency for a small group to meet. But, we also acknowledge that
groups that meet every other week or monthly can still be effective
as long as they use other mediums to provide ongoing care, nurturing
and leadership development of the group.
What are effective ways to get small groups involved in bringing
seekers on a continual basis?
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.
Are the five purposes carried out over the life of the group,
and, not necessarily on a weekly basis?
That is correct. You want to take a snapshot of your group over a
two or three month period to see that there is health and a balance
of the five purposes. So, a group need not do all five of the
purposes at every group meeting. A key role of the leader is to see
that the five purposes are balanced "over time" and to place
emphasis on areas where the group needs to grow.
Where do you find your study material for your Small Group
leaders?
We empower and encourage this to happen through group members giving
adequate input to where the group needs to go but also to the group
leaders to be able to select. We also have a list of the top two
hundred curriculums that RRM would recommend on our web site.
I'm an experienced small group leader, why do I need to go to
RRM's Basic Leader Training 1?
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, RRM 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.
How do I get my established group to want to grow and multiply?
This starts with the vision, mission and strategy of your group
being very clear to you and to the members of your group.
RRM's Small Group Vision and Mission Statements help small
groups understand why their group exists: 1) Vision: "To see every
person, from the core of our church to the ever-growing community,
connected in a healthy small group." 2) Mission: "To help spiritual
seekers become transformed believers who model Evangelism for Life
and motivate others to do the same." It is also very important to
lead your group members through the stages of leadership
development, from the open chair, to helping people to discover
roles and responsibilities, to the solidification of formal roles
and apprentices being brought up and finding their purpose through sub-grouping. Sub-grouping allows your group to grow larger while
maintaining a good leader to member ratio.
How do I find curriculum for my groups?
Saddleback's recommended studies can be found by clicking:
RRM's Small Group Studies. There are several publishers
like Naval Press 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.
When should my group meet?
Groups meet once a week on Tuesday evening at 6:30 PM. Your
neighbors will become accustomed to your meeting times and may even
start rearranging their schedules in order to join your Small Group
Bible Study.
How long should the average small group meeting last?
A typical small group meeting is two and one half to three hours.
However, it is unique for each group, depending on the type of
group, and should be worked out by agreement of the group members in
the process of developing the Small Group Agreement that covers what
will be done and how it will be done in your small group.
How should time be divided in the group?
The minimum requirements are: 1.) One half hour at
the beginning of the session should be devoted to welcoming new
members and offering prayers for expressed individual need of group
members. 2.) One hour will be devoted to viewing the
DVD and studying (with the aid of study guides) Pope Rusty's most
current message. 3.) Three quarters of an hour for
refreshments and closing prayers.
Should Hosts invite people only from RRM or can we invite
seeker friends?
Inviting neighbors, from other churches and "seekers" is not an
option, it is the central, core point of RRM's Small Group Studies. 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!
I'd like to be a Host, but should I wait until I have more
experience?
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. RRM'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.
What is the format for small groups?
People connect in new small groups consisting of 6 to 12 people who
provide love, support, friendship, connection and spiritual
strength. The format is an informal and comfortable 2½ + hour
gathering at the home of a Host for six weeks. Participants are
comprised of people from our church, friends, neighbors,
relatives and coworkers who are invited to join in the adventure.
Groups are guided through the study series using DVD programs
and study guides.
What if I am involved in another ministry?
Small group membership is how RRM 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.
Can I invite people who don't attend our church?
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.
What is the definition of a small group?
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 regularly on Tuesday evening
every 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. [NKJV]. At RRM, 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):
(1) Love
God (Worship) and (2) love our neighbor (Ministry) and in the
Great
Commission (Matt. 28:19-20) Go and Make Disciples: (1)Baptize
them Evangelism, (2)Teaching them Discipleship. We believe
that as we balance these purposes we grow a healthy church. healthy
small groups, and healthy followers of Christ.
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