Over the past fifteen years, small groups have become a vital way to build community in large churches. Nowhere has this been more apparent than at Saddleback Church. Now Steve Gladen, pastor of small groups at Saddleback, shares the secrets of that ministry's incredible success in creating small groups with purpose.

This practical book walks church leaders through the questions they need to answer to develop their own intentional small group strategy. Built around the most commonly asked questions, Small Groups with Purpose outlines the step-by-step process of creating a successful small group ministry. Because it is built upon principles and not methods, this plan can be implemented in any size church. Each chapter ends with a list of questions for readers to answer to help them assess their current situation and their desires for the future. Personal stories, Scripture, and examples ground the discussion and show the system in action.

Pastors and small group leaders will find this book instrumental in making small groups work in their churches.

From the Inside Flap

Make small groups work in **your church!

**Over the past fifteen years, small groups have become a vital way to build community in large churches. Nowhere has this been more apparent than at Saddleback Church. Steve Gladen, pastor of small groups at Saddleback, shares the secrets of that ministry's incredible success in creating small groups with purpose.

This practical book walks you through the questions you need to answer to develop your own intentional small group strategy. Because it is built on principles and not methods, this step-by-step process can be implemented successfully in any size church. Each chapter ends with a list of questions for you to answer to help you assess your current situation and your desires for the future. Personal stories, Scripture, and examples ground the discussion and show the system in action.

From the Back Cover

Now the pastor behind the phenomenal success of small groups at Saddleback Church shares his secrets with you.

"In this long-awaited book, Saddleback's brilliant pastor of small groups shares the biblical strategy, the secrets, the failures, and the lessons behind the remarkable growth of our small groups. Saddleback may possibly be the only church in America that consistently has thousands more people attend weekly Bible study in groups than attend our weekend services. So much of that is due to the genius of Steve Gladen, a pastor with a passionate heart for Jesus and his body."―Rick Warren, author, The Purpose Driven Life and The Purpose Driven Church

"You absolutely must put a copy of Steve Gladen's book into the hands of your small group leadership. Steve Gladen sees growth happen year in and year out as he marshals support for the leaders of more than 3,500 small groups. This book relates his learnings from over thirteen years of his Saddleback experience. The wisdom he shares here is a gift."--Carl George, founder, Consulting for Growth, Inc.

"Steve Gladen's new book provides us with a pocket GPS to help us find our way to balanced and healthy small groups in the church. Steve's work reflects the wisdom that comes from living out God's emphasis on developing relational community and discipleship among his people. It also conveys an awareness of favorable routes that groups can take, which endorse God's plan for building up the church to become vigorously alive in Christ. The inclusion of illustrative stories and practical, realistic principles of operation make this an enjoyable read and an enthusiastic stimulator of purposeful groups."--Dr. Julie Gorman, author, Community That Is Christian; professor of Christian formation and discipleship, Fuller Theological Seminary

"Jesus and the early church discipled people through small groups. In this book, my friend Steve Gladen mines the Bible and his leadership experience at Saddleback Church for practical advice on how to create healthy small groups at your church."--George O. Wood, general superintendent, Assemblies of God USA

"Whether your church is pioneering a new approach or you've been at it for years, this book has insight for establishing a sound approach to small group ministry, built on Steve's extensive experience. You will find his book practical and encouraging."--Ed Stetzer, coauthor, Transformational Church