Small Groups
Groups come in all shapes and sizes—married couples, singles, men, women, have kids, don’t have kids, workplace, under 20, over 40—the list goes on! No matter where you are in life, there’s a group for you.
Ready to dive in or have more questions?
What are small groups?
They are groups of three or more people who meet to talk about life, the weekend message, and what God has been doing in their lives. There’s no set formula for it; it’s simply finding a circle of friends who will be there for you through life’s ups and downs.
Do I have to be a Christian to attend a small group?
No, you do not. Small groups are a great place for you to build relationships while exploring Jesus and his teachings. You can ask questions and be open about any doubts you have — anyone is welcome!
Do I need to bring anything to a small group?
Your small group host will let you know if there’s anything you need to bring. Sometimes it’s just a Bible, notebook, and pen.
How long does a small group meeting last?
An average meeting lasts about an hour and a half, but often includes a time of chatting and eating snacks.
Do small groups provide childcare?
It depends on the group! Some groups pull money together to hire a babysitter for an evening or rotate parents to watch the kids in another room, depending on the kid’s ages. We think your kids can really benefit from watching you invest in a healthy community of people!
Featured Small Groups
- Saddleback Singles ZtoZ
- Each Friday we meet from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm on Zoom, discussing the message from the previous week or other topics based on the current series of Saddleback Church.
Sign Up - Silicon Valley Brunch and Bible Study
- Each Sunday we meet in person in the Silicon Valley area for brunch and discussing the message from the previous week or other topics based on the current series of Saddleback Church.
Sign Up
Small Group Guidelines
- Clear Purpose
- To grow healthy, spiritual lives by balancing the 5 Biblical purposes
- Group Attendance
- To give priority to the group meeting time (call if I am absent or late)
- Safe Environment
- To create a safe place where people can be heard and feel loved so we will be careful with being judgmental, giving quick answers, and offering our simple fixes to complex situations
- Be Confidential
- To keep anything that is shared strictly confidential and within the group (unless someone states they are going to hurt someone else or themselves)
- Conflict Resolution
- To avoid gossip and to immediately resolve any concerns by following the principles of Matthew 18:15-17, which begins with going directly to the person with whom we have an issue
- Spiritual Health
- To challenge and encourage one another to live a healthy and balanced spiritual life that is pleasing to God
- Limit Our Freedom
- To limit our freedom by not serving or consuming alcohol during Small Group meetings or events to avoid causing a weaker believer to stumble and not showing up intoxicated (1 Corinthians 8:1-13, Romans 14:19-21)
- Welcome Newcomers
- To invite our friends who might benefit from this study and warmly welcome newcomers
- Building Relationships
- To get to know one another outside of the group time and pray for each other regularly
- PEACE Motivated
- To work towards understanding how our group can effectively do personal, local, and global PEACE
- Shared Responsibility
- To work with each other and develop group ownership as each one of us helps with group responsibilities (rotate homes, study facilitators, snacks, drinks, collect prayer requests, etc)
Being A Small Group Member
Being A Small Group Host
Being A Community Leader
Featured Training: Leading Like Jesus
These are essential lessons on how to best use the influence that God gave you. Whether it’s at home, in the supermarket, in the classroom, or in the boardroom, these lessons on the heart of leadership will help you navigate what it means to be the leader God made you to be. In this four-week study, each session begins with some discussion questions for your group to lead you into the topic again. There will be video teaching from four Saddleback teachers—Julie Chung, Jeff Gonzalez, Kay Warren, and Rob Jacobs. Each session also includes some application suggestions to help you put the leadership principles you are learning every week into practice. Lessons on leadership, especially when modeled by Jesus, are meant to be utilized, not just heard. The most important part of this study is not the content being taught, but how it is applied. Jesus modeled the perfect example of leadership, of how to use the influence he was given. Let’s spend the next four weeks understanding what Jesus intended as the heart of leadership.
- Leading Like Jesus
- Download the study guide
- Session 1: Leading as a Servant
- In this first session, learn what it means to be a servant leader.
Watch Now - Session 2: Six Qualities of a Respected Leader
- In Session 2, discover the six qualities of a respected leader.
Watch Now - Session 3: Weaknesses in Leadership
- In Session 3, you will learn about weaknesses in leadership and how there are actually benefits to weakness. You don't have to be perfect to be an effective leader.
Watch Now - Session 4: The Six Vows of Leadership
- In the fourth and final session, you will learn about the six vows of leadership and seven ways to grow as a leader.
Watch Now
Featured Training: Getting Your Group Focused
In this five-session study, you and your small group will learn how to develop a purpose driven small group, trekking together as you discover God's purposes for your lives. You will also be introduced to the new Saddleback Individual Health Assessment to help you on your growth journey.
- Getting Your Group Focused
- Download the study guide
- Session 1: Balancing the Purposes
- Balancing the Purposes
Watch Now - Session 2: Growing In Fellowship And Discipleship
- Growing In Fellowship And Discipleship
Watch Now - Session 3: Growing In Ministry And Evangelism
- Growing In Ministry And Evangelism
Watch Now - Session 4: Growing In Worship And Developing A Plan
- Growing In Worship And Developing A Plan
Watch Now - Session 5: Your Assessment And Growth Plan
- Your Assessment And Growth Plan
Watch Now
Featured Training: Growing Your Small Group With Purpose
Whether your group has been meeting for 10 minutes or 10 years, we've designed these next four sessions to help each of you, individually and collectively, unify your group with God's biblical purposes. As Christians, these purposes are the foundation of everything we do.
This study will explore the five purposes of every follower of Christ. We'll talk about how each of the purposes is expressed in your life. We'll also introduce you to tools to assess your strength in each purpose and create a plan to grow the health of your group.
In other words, during our next four weeks together, we're going to begin climbing the mountain and exploring the five purposes along the way. So grab your tools and get ready to climb!
- Growing Your Small Group With Purpose
- Download the study guide
- Session 1: Aim for the Summit
- Aim for the Summit
Watch Now - Session 2: Fellowship and Discipleship
- Fellowship and Discipleship
Watch Now - Session 3: Ministry and Mission
- Ministry and Mission
Watch Now - Session 4: Group Health Planner
- Group Health Planner
Watch Now
