Nashville—Some people who claim to be Christians haven’t grown spiritually in 30-50 years despite sitting through countless sermons, and one church leader said he believes he knows why.

“They haven’t been challenged in a community to grow spiritually,” noted Steve Gladen, small groups pastor for Saddleback Community Church, during a recent Inside LifeWay podcast.

Many believers interpret church attendance as spiritual growth, he said, adding, “People are finding out that it is all about interfacing with God’s Word, being in community.

“The last couple of decades we’ve been inundated (with) an idea of what church can be and I think we are seeing people say ‘I could care less about big and flashy; I want confessional preaching, I want to see people where they’re at,” Gladen said.

“I think this is true even for (Baby) Boomers who say we know far more than we’ve put into practice and it’s not so much about taking another (spiritual) nugget … it’s about helping people grow. That’s why we’ve got people who have been believers 30, 40, 50 years and they don’t ooze an ounce of the fruit of the Spirit.”

A desire to see people grow in community and a desire to see churches strengthen that community through small groups is one of the reasons Saddleback and LifeWay Christian Resources have joined together to offer conferences on small-group development during 2009 at four locations around the country.

The conferences are designed to help congregations start small-group ministries or improve existing efforts.

“We both have the same passion,” Rick Howerton said during the same podcast. Howerton is director of events and training for Serendipity by LifeWay. “We believe the world can be changed by the power of the Holy Spirit in small groups of people coming together. LifeWay can bring event planning and Saddleback brings expertise and content.”

Howerton and Gladen said without small group interaction it is difficult, if not impossible, for pastors to know if church members are growing spiritually—even pastors of small congregations.

Small groups offer the opportunity for more accountability and connection among members, creating a better environment for learning and maturity, the speakers explained.

“I think God is creating a movement,” Howerton said. “It is no longer a program of the church. It is a movement that almost seems unstoppable. People who have never thought about small groups are asking how (to) get … started. I believe they are sensing down in their spirit there is something miraculous when a group of honest, authentic believers are getting together and asking how the Bible speaks into my life and your life and they are embracing (small groups) in amazing ways.”

In most churches, an estimated 40 to 60 percent of people attending worship each week also participate in small groups. At Saddleback, Gladen said that percentage is 114- to 140 percent, and has been for three years.

“I don’t want to get hung up on the numbers,” he noted. “Our methodology has changed but our principles have stayed the same. … I am more interested in delivering help to churches in a delivery system that is relevant to wherever they are.”

Howerton said one of the most effective and strategic opportunities for small groups is the way the Bible can be studied intensely.

“One of the beauties of small groups is that whenever a person has a concern about their life … they are surrounded by people who are also looking at the Bible and may know more about the Bible than they do,” Howerton indicated.

“So they are drawn into God’s Word and say, ‘Hey, here is the answer to life’s questions,’” he continued. “The Bible becomes not just a proposition for consideration and an understanding of three or four things I didn’t know when I came in here, but people embrac(ing) each other in the Word of God.”

The four small-group ministry conferences will be held Feb. 19-21 at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif.; March 26-28 at Fellowship of The Woodlands in The Woodlands, Texas; April 23-25 at Victory World Church in Norcross, Ga.; and May 14-16 at Vineyard Community Church in Cincinnati. For more information or to register, visit www.LifeWay.com/Next09, or call (800) 254-2022.