Ben Reed

Ben Reed is on staff at Saddleback Church as the lead small groups pastor at their Lake Forest campus. Originally from Tennessee, Ben has been in full-time small groups ministry for nearly a decade. He loves to write, drink coffee, and CrossFit, though usually not at the same time.

Jan 6

9 Unintended Benefits of Small Group Life by Ben Reed

Healthy small groups teach us more than they often set out to teach.

Jun 10

9 Truths Nobody Told You About Small Groups by Ben Reed

I don’t know what the hook was that got you “in,” but that won’t be the hook that gets you to stay. Allow me to tell you what nobody else told you when you signed up.

May 27

“Our Church Will Never Grow” by Ben Reed

Basically I was being told, “Evangelism won’t work for us. The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) is for everyone else."

May 6

Nine Statements That Will Destroy Your Small Group by Ben Reed

You don’t want people to dread your small group every week. To feel like they just have to come. To view it as a waste of time. To be the group of which they say, “Don’t join a small group. Mine is terrible.”

Apr 7

How to Get Your Small Group to Like You by Ben Reed

While you may not have "get my small group to like me" written out as an explicit goal in your community efforts, it’s still in the back of your mind, whether you’re a leader or a group member. Nearly everybody wants to be liked. That's not a terrible thing. Caring what others think (while not being dominated by that) shapes our responses, and helps us become more loving and generous.