Saddleback Church Discipleship Program

Small Groups are the heart of Saddleback Church We believe small groups of people can change the world. In a small group you'll cultivate meaningful relationships by fellowshipping together, engage with God’s Word and grow in spiritual maturity through discipleship, serve alongside each other in ministry, grow in sharing the love of Christ to those both locally and globally through our PEACE plan, and celebrate all that God has done and is doing by worshipping together. Ready to get connected? Start a Group. Campus: Central Office Team Pastor of Small Groups Steve Gladen Steve has been Pastor of Small Groups at Saddleback Church since February 1998 and serves as an Elder of the church. He oversees the strategic launch and spiritual development of over 7,000 adult small groups on multiple campuses.

The days of finding or creating a discipleship program, then using it for years, is over. Especially in a small church. Our church created and implemented a great a discipleship class last year.

He has authored Small Groups With Purpose, which has been translated into eleven languages to date, Leading Small Groups With Purpose and Planning Small Groups With Purpose (Summer 2018). He has a driving passion to see each church attendee connected to a qualified shepherd and become an integral part of their church body, living purpose driven lives for Christ. He frequently speaks at conferences and consults with church leaders from many denominations both in the United States and around the world. Prior to joining Saddleback, Steve has been on four other church staffs of varying sizes.

He earned a Masters of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary in 1985, and a B.A. In Biblical Studies, with minors in Greek and Philosophy in 1982, from Evangel University. Steve and Lisa have been married since 1989 and have two children, Erika and Ethan.

Campus: Lake Forest Lake Forest 101 Pastor Matt Graybill Matt Graybill was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and is a die hard Philly fan. Before Matt was a pastor he was a Health and Physical Education teacher as well as a football and wrestling coach. Whether in the gym, or living in Africa, Matt has always had a passion for creating community where people can connect and grow in their relationship with Jesus and others. Matt and his wife Beth and their two boys Kallan and Aaron joined the Saddleback team in 2015. You will often find Matt on the patio at Saddleback connecting with people, but when he not there you might find him hiking and camping with his family, or coaching one of his sons at their sporting events. Campus: Lake Forest Lead Small Groups Pastor Steve Yu Steve Yu is Korean-American born in Sao Paulo, Brazil and grew up in the east coast. He appreciates his upbringing in different cultural environments because it has led to many conversations about other people’s background and culture.

One of his favorite ways of connecting with people is eating good food or drinking coffee. He is very passionate about exploring delicious food. As much as he loves connecting with people, he loves spending time with his wife and two kids. As a family, they enjoy playing the video game called “just dance” and family Netflix nights on the weekend.

Fellowship of the ring sourcebook pdf. When Steve has free time, he enjoys training for triathlons and going on date nights with his wife. Campus: Lake Forest Small Groups Pastor Aaron Amaya Aaron Amaya was born and raised in the inland empire. He began pastoring at Saddleback Church in Student Ministries at Saddleback Corona and is currently serving as a pastor with the Lake Forest Small Groups team. Aaron is a big believer that “all movements begin in groups” Aaron has a passion to see the the local church creatively capture the hearts of its community.

Aaron is married to his beautiful wife Crystal and are raising their amazing daughter Laila who is 4 years old. Campus: Lake Forest Small Groups Pastor Ryan Hacker Ryan and his family moved from Northern California when he was 2 years old and his family has been attending Saddleback ever since. He attended BIOLA for his undergraduate degree in Biblical and Theological studies, and will be receiving his Master of Arts in Biblical and Theological Studies-Diversified from Talbot this December.