Book Review: Small Groups With Purpose

Steve Gladen, pastor of Small Group Ministry at the Saddleback Church, has written a thorough look at small group ministry. I’ve always admired Saddleback’s small group ministry and I’m glad that Gladen has provided a design on how they’ve built and maintained this effective ministry.

Gladen’s book is practical, realistic, and useful. He doesn’t engage in fanciful theologizing (although his model is biblically and theologically grounded), but offers a blueprint for effective small group ministry.

Clearly, Gladen has drunk the Rick Warren Kool-aid. Which makes sense given his context. In fact, one the most helpful parts of this book is how he uses the Saddleback ministry model and mission statement as a way of building his small group strategy. Which probably why his small groups have been so effective.

This is a book that I wish I had when Good Shepherd was launching its ChristCare Small Group ministry, as supplementary material. Gladen provides insights that ChristCare does not.

If I were starting small group ministry over again, I’d definitely still use ChristCare Small Group Ministry, but would also use insights from Gladen.

(NB: Book has been provided courtesy of the author and Graf-Martin Communications Inc. Available now at your favourite bookseller)