We ask Small Group Hosts to participate in our Leadership Development Pathway which includes our basic three-hour Host Training 1. Beyond basic training we offer progressively more advanced Leader Workshops in Skills, Character, Health and PEACE. Additionally, twice a year in January and July we ask every small group Host to join us in an All-Church Host Gathering to be trained and motivated by nationally known speakers. Register online for the next scheduled Leader Training 1 by clicking Saddleback Church Events.

This past week as I was wrestling with a message for the weekend I had to go back to five basic questions I try to answer every time I speak. If you are a speaker these are great questions to ask before you hop on the stage:

1. Who am I speaking to?
   What is the average age of the audience? Are they more blue collar or white collar? Is it a "churched" crowd or more seeker-ish? What is unique about their culture? Jesus tailored his message to his audience; I should to.
2. What is the felt need?
   What common human need am I addressing? If I am not addressing a felt need then the audience won't listen, and my message will be wasted. This is always true; if you did not feel a need to improve your speaking you would not read this post.
3. What is the real need I am addressing?
   Felt needs and real needs seldom line up. The goal of speaking is to catch people's attention by identifying what they are feeling, then lead them gently (or not so gently) to the real need in their lives. (You feel lonely, you need God) 
4. What is the theme of the message?
   Can I boil the message down to one succint statement. If I cannot then I am not ready to speak. And the theme is not the catcy title or the passage of scripture. The theme is the one essential truth that will change people's lives if they can grasp it. 
5. What do I want people to do as a result of hearing this message?
   What action step or steps do you expect people to take as a result of hearing your message? If there are no action steps then there really isn't a reason for me to listen to you. If you are just passing on knowledge then write it down; I'll read it later. 

Several times, including this past weekend, I thought I was done with a message only to realize that I hadn't adequately answered the questions. That's when I find myself on a Saturday taking the message apart piece by piece and putting it back together again. I hate the work of building a message, but I have to remember that my goal as a speaker isn't clever words or stunning logic; my goal is life change.

Hope this helps.

Source: Geoff Surratt

---

Geoff Surratt is the Pastor of Church Planting at Saddleback Church. Before that he served Seacoast Church as Pastor of Ministries. He is the co-author of The Multisite Church Revolution and The Multisite Church Roadtrip as well as the author of Ten Stupid Things that Keep Churches from Growing. Geoff blogs here and Twitters here, but he juggles for no man.

Photo Credit: Fernando

Fitness Coach Tom Wilson demonstrates how using a foam roller can enhance your muscle tissue health and provide relaxation. Watch this 4-minute video and try these simple massage techniques to work out any soreness from exercise or sitting at your desk all day.

More fitness videos with Tom Wilson

In this 11-minute video, Dr. Mark Hyman explains the difference between good and bad carbohydrates, and how they impact your blood sugar and glycemic load. He also gives insight behind the specialized chemical so critical to good health called phytonutrients. This is a must-see video, and he's offered a correlating article for you.

Click here for more from Dr. Hyman

So this whole idea of connection can be slightly confusing but did you know that it is a BIG deal in the Bible?  Back in the day, the people were the church not a building.  And guess what!?  Things haven’t changed!  God still looks at us, his people, as the church.

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, Saddleback 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.

One of the important responsibilities of a ministry leader is the recruitment and development of team members.  But how do you determine the skills of your team or determine the skill gaps in your current ministry team?

The Ministry Skills Assessment, available free below, will help you do that.

It is one of the tools we’ve found helpful at Rockbridge Seminary.  The assessment is designed around the five purposes of the church.  It identifies 35 competencies for effective ministry.   No one person has all of the spiritual gifts or is well developed in every ministry competency.   For example, not every person is gifted in evangelism.  Some have excellent skills in discipleship, but lack skills in worship. That is why a team is needed to minister to the whole body of Christ.

Just because you are weak in a specific ministry skill doesn't necessarily mean you need to strengthen that ability.  Rather than spending time improving skills you rarely use, it is better to work from your strengths.  Your ministry calling may not require the development of certain skills.  The Ministry Skills Assessment can help you evaluate the gifts on your ministry team and where your team may need additional help to meet the needs of your church or ministry.

Here are several ways to use the Ministry Skills Assessment:

1.     Evaluate your personal ministry skills and then design a plan for self-improvement.  Your learning plan may include reading, conferences, taking a class at seminary, or being mentored by a skilled practitioner.

2.     Ask your entire team to take the assessment and compare the strengths and weaknesses of your team.   Where are you strong?  Where are you struggling?  What skills does your team lack?

3.     After taking the assessment discuss with your ministry team what skills they would like to strengthen and design a development plan for your team.

4.     Use the Ministry Skills Assessment to evaluate prospective team members.  This will help you better utilize their giftedness and also to be intentional about expanding the skills of your ministry team.

The Ministry Skills Assessment is free and takes about 10 minutes to complete.  Use the assessment to take your team to the next level.  If you would like more information on the assessment, or to see the national averages of the responses, you may contact ministryskills@rsconnect.org.

Links:

Rockbridge Seminary: www.rockbridgeseminary.org

Ministry Skills Assessment:  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9CRJ9V9

photo source

Procrastination has a high cost. For instance, according to one study by H&R Block, Americans pay an average of $400 a year more because we put off doing our taxes and then, we rush at the last minute and make mistakes that cost us more money.

And the cost of procrastination in ministry can be significantly higher. For us, procrastination isn’t measured in dollars; it is measured in ministries never started, people with needs going unmet, and those who are spiritually lost never hearing the gospel.

The Bible says, “Remember, it’s a sin to know what you ought to do and then not to do it.” (James 4:17 NLT) When God calls you to do something, but you don’t do it, it’s not just a bad strategy or a missed blessing. It is sin.

If God has called you to do something in your ministry and you are not doing it, do it now. Not next month, next week, or even tomorrow – do it right now. Proverbs 21:1 says, "Don’t brag about tomorrow, since you don’t know what the day will bring.” (NLT) None of us is guaranteed a tomorrow. You may not have the opportunity to do what God has called you to do tomorrow. You could be saying you’ll do it someday. That someday is today! One of these days is none of these days. Do it today. Start right now!

I talk to guys who say they’re planning to do something in ministry. And I always want to ask, “When are you going to pull the trigger?” They've been taking aim for years; yet, they never seem to get around to pulling the trigger.

Don’t be like that. You need to pull the trigger. These three words could change your ministry forever: DO IT NOW!

Spend a few minutes RIGHT NOW and write down one thing you know God wants you to do in your ministry. Whatever it is, write it down and then put that note in a place where you can’t miss it -- like on your bathroom mirror or on the refrigerator.

But don’t just write it down. Don’t just read it on your refrigerator. Do it -- now! Every time you catch yourself saying you’ll do it later, it should be a warning light that says you’re procrastinating. There's no better time than now. This is the moment of truth. There's got to be a time in your life when you stop intending and start acting. Stop making excuses.

NASA says that getting the rocket off the launch pad requires the most amount of energy. Once the rocket is in orbit, it takes a lot less energy to keep moving forward. That’s why you need to get started now. The initial thrust will start you moving forward.

Artwork by Kirsten Doukas via CreativeSwap.

---

Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., one of America's largest and best-known churches. In addition, Rick is author of the New York Times best seller The Purpose Driven Life and The Purpose Driven Church, which was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th century. He is also founder of Pastors.com, a global Internet community for ministers.

Copyright © 2011 Rick Warren

In everyday conversation we use the phrase, "In Other Words..." before utilizing a story or idea to provide greater clarity and understanding. In Other Words... simply provides the stories and humor to help illustrate the truth Christian leaders are communicating.

What It Is

In Other Words... is a research service that provides Christian leaders with humor, interesting facts, memorable quotes, and fascinating true stories from current events and headline news... and each entry contains the documented source.

How It Works

In Other Words... utilizes two delivery systems: 1.) a website with over 5,000 entries that are all categorized by topic, and 2.) a two-page email of humor, facts, quotes, and stories sent directly to your inbox two times per month.

What It Costs

For $99 you get three years of full access to the Web site with over 5,000 illustrations, PLUS you will receive a two-page email of new illustrations twice per month. That’s just 63¢ per week for a very helpful research assistant!

We all guard against it. We hope it never happens. But sometime there is going to be a season when something earth-shattering happens in the life of a church body.

The examples are endless: The church treasurer is caught embezzling $40,000 from the mission fund. The worship pastor admits to having an affair with the pianist. Someone stands up in the middle of your sermon and starts shouting out obsenities... ouch!

What do you do when this sort of thing happens? How do you maintain composure in your leadership? The answer may surprise you. It's not about planning your reaction the moment something like this happens. It's about cultivating your heart ahead of time, over time.

Think of it this way: Hold a glass of water, arm stretched out straight. Now, shake your arm vigorously. What spills out? Water - exactly. Why? Because water was IN the glass, when shaken, water came OUT of the glass.

Here are couple ideas to fill your life with the right "water":

~ Stay in the Word for yourself. The key here is "for yourself". Don't always be in the Word for "work". Keep focused on how the scripture is impacting YOUR life. Scripture reminds us of the solid nature of God's character in a shifting, fallible world.

~ Rest. When you're busy and productive, it's counter-intuitive to stop and pause. But if you were trying to cut a tree with a dull blade, you'd be working harder than necessary. Stop and pause to sharpen your saw. Rest provides perspective and capacity.

~ Appreciate what's working. For time and for eternity, it will be the small number of negative people who eclipse the majority of positive people. Don't let your mind be controlled by the minority. Keep a diary of praise reports. Review it first thing each morning when you wake and last thing each evening.

Your turn: Has "it" every hit the fan for you? How did you keep your composure?

---

Scott Couchenour is a certified life coach and founder of Serving Strong, a resourcing and coaching service to ministry leaders. Serving Strong exists to eliminate burnout from the ministry equation. He is also VP of Operations for Cogun, Inc., a company that helps churches expand their ministry facilities through consulting, design coordination, and construction. Scott flies around in an empty nest in Ohio with his wife of over 26 years. He has two grown children. Scott believes in the local church and pursues a God-given passion to enable pastors to serve strong. You can visit Scott's website at www.servingstrong.com and follow him on Twitter.

photo source

Yes! If you live out of the area we would still love to support you as a Host. We presently have small groups in over 80 cities in Southern California.  Since it is unlikely that we will be able to provide you with a list of potential group members, we would encourage you to pray about which neighbors, friends, coworkers and family members you could invite to join you for six weeks for your first study.

Sure, all you have to do is say you are full or you can subgroup into smaller groups in several areas in the house. Subgrouping can actually be more fun for everyone, but it's really up to you.

People connect in new small groups consisting of 6 to 16 people who provide love, support, friendship, connection and spiritual strength. The format is an informal and comfortable 1½-2 hour gathering at the home of a Host for six weeks. Participants are comprised of people from our church, as well as friends, neighbors, relatives and coworkers who are invited to join in the adventure. Most groups are guided through the study series using DVD programs and study guides.

Small group membership is how Saddleback 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.

It's easy. Go to saddlebackfamily.com and click on Find A Small Group. Enter your ZIP code and the type of group you are looking for. When you find a group that looks promising, click on "Select." You will be given the opportunity to "Join This Group" or "Return to Search Results." If you click Join This Group, your information will be sent to the small group host, and you will be given the contact information of the host. You should contact the host to learn more about the group and arrange to visit a group meeting. Please feel free to try more than one group. With over 2,000 Saddleback Small Groups, there is one for you!

a. 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.

Your group must register by 1) going to saddlebackfamily.com and 2) click on "Share (Missions)" and 3) click on "Get Started" and 4) Click on either "Local" or "Global" and follow the prompts to register your group and begin the process.  The website answers most questions you will have, but if you have technical questions/problems when trying to navigate the P.E.A.C.E. system, please call the P.E.A.C.E. Help Desk at 949-609-8400.

Do you go to SSM Orange and you want to deepen your relationship with God? Do you want to go a little deeper then just hearing the weekend message? Then THE OTHER 6 is for you! THE OTHER 6 is a six-day devotional based off of our SSM Orange weekend messages. You can use THE OTHER 6 to help you spend time with God the other six days of the week that you are not at church! Click here to download this week's THE OTHER 6. Just print it out, grab a Bible and you're ready to go!

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.