Nick Lenzi

“Reading Lenz” Host

724-331-7727

nick@smallgroupnetwork.com

Nick is the Host of our Group Talk Podcast show "Reading Lenz." Nick is also the Dinner Group Director at Hoboken Grace Community Church in Hoboken, NJ.

Daniel Thomas

Events Director

423-534-9321

daniel@smallgroupnetwork.com

Daniel serves as Executive Pastor at Community Church of Mountain City, TN.  Daniel and his family are on a mission to establish roots within their community, fight for peace and serve well.  He serves as our Events Director in laying the groundwork for our “Accelerate!” Small Group Workshops. He loves great coffee and traveling with his wife Tia and two children, Deklan and Aden

Steve Gladen

FOUNDER

949-836-6052

steve@smallgroupnetwork.com

Steve is the Global Pastor of Small Groups at Saddleback Church since 1998. He oversees the strategic launch and development of over 7,000 adult small groups on multiple campuses. He has authored Small Groups With Purpose, which has been translated into eight languages to date, and Leading Small Groups With Purpose. He frequently speaks at conferences and consults with church leaders both in the United States and around the world. 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 purposefully for Christ. Steve is also the Founder of the Small Group Network (SGN) giving influence and oversight to all the SGN initiatives. 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.

Mauricio A Rojas

Latin America Director

Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and The Caribbean Islands

+506-8845-4087

mauricio@smallgroupnetwork.com

To help in this area, please email Mauricio

Mauricio lives in Costa Rica and is a member of the Saddleback Church online community.   His passion is to serve God by supporting and equipping Pastors and Small Group Leaders in Latin America with the tools and training that will allow them to develop healthier Small Groups while growing numerically.  He truly believes that Small Groups can make an impact in peoples lives, engaging them into a more profound relationship with God.  For over 4 years now, Mauricio and his wife have opened their home to host and lead a married couples Small Group.  Mauricio loves new technologies, but more importantly, he enjoys time with family and friends.  He and his wife Susy have two children, Marissa (13) and Isabella (11); they enjoy being outdoors and going out to dinners as a family.

Philip Byers

North America Director

United States of America and Canada

940-453-5779

philip@smallgroupnetwork.com

To help in this area, please email Philip

Philip is the Executive Pastor at Historic church in Dallas, Texas where he pastors the small group ministry. God used small groups to greatly change his life. His greatest passion is to help people discover their identity and calling in Jesus and then live it out! 

Andrea Minor

Connections Coordinator

949-609-8530

andream@saddleback.com

Over 25 years of ministry to small group leaders and staff, and a deep love of her personal small groups led Andrea Minor to SGN to help build and envision leaders and teams to grow and experience life change together. Leadership is Andrea’s first love and watching good leaders become great leaders of small groups ministries is the best part of her job. Serving under Steve and Derek at Saddleback Central is a joy and pleasure and sitting under Rick Warren’s visionary leadership is such a blessing. Andrea has been married to Rex for 37 years and they have 3 married adult children and two darling grandkids.

Carolyn Taketa

“Here to There” Host

818-575-2238

carolyn@smallgroupnetwork.com

Carolyn is the Executive Director of Small Groups at Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village, California. She serves on our Leadership Team and is the host of the Group Talk podcasts.

Jon Laster

Author

615-948-5062

jon@smallgroupnetwork.com

Jon, along with his wife Tina, serve as Ministries Directors at Christ Chapel in Spring Hill, Tennessee. Together they provide oversight and leadership to the leaders and volunteers of several teams, including prayer, small groups, and outreach. Jon is a Real Estate Agent by trade and also leads a SGN Huddle in the Spring Hill area. He is passionate about seeing the impossible come to pass, people walking in forgiveness and becoming more like Jesus. Jon strongly believes in the power of Small Groups and the life changing effect they can have in peoples lives. He is a dedicated Tennessee Titans fan, Nashville Predators fan and music fanatic. Jon and Tina reside in Thompsons Station, TN with their son Cole, daughter Avelyn and beloved french bulldog, Arlo.

Jason Banzhoff

Podcast Producer

240-520-2557

jason@smallgroupnetwork.com

Jason is our Communications Director who produces our Group Talk podcast and oversees our graphic design and social media teams. He is also the Life Group Director of Lifehouse Church in Hagerstown, MD. He has had previous ministry experience in video, production, and social media but found discipleship is what his heart truly desires. Jason is married to his beautiful wife Tirsa, who is a pastor’s daughter from El Salvador.