How Saddleback Church Operates
“How do we work to expand the kingdom of God?”

A comprehensive guide to assist churches and pastors, from the essence of a healthy church to sustainable pastoral alternatives.

This is the latest work by Pastor Kevin Lee, author of “Please Take Care of Online Ministry.”
The author, who introduced the online ministry of Saddleback Church in the United States during the pandemic and provided much-needed pastoral support to Korean churches and pastors, has now shared Saddleback Church's pastoral know-how.
The author, a 1.5 generation Korean-American, has worked in online ministry and is currently serving as an Experience Pastor at Wedeer Campus, a new church founded by the second senior pastor in 2022.


In this book, the author introduces seven principles of Saddleback's continuous growth based on pastoral insights gained from his experience at Saddleback.
This has significant implications not only for pastors in Korean churches, but also for many lay leaders concerned about healthy church communities.
Many churches minister with similar principles and standards, but ultimately, putting those values ​​into practice requires attention to detail, the participation of pastors and believers, and the establishment of a culture. This rich collection of examples and information helps us realize this.

Saddleback Church focuses on forming and maintaining the culture and beliefs of its faculty and staff.
And I believe this is the secret to Saddleback Church's long and healthy growth.
One of the most important parts of becoming a Saddleback Church staff member is reading and pledging the “12 Commandments for Saddleback Staff Members” (for convenience, this book calls them “12 Commandments,” but they actually refer to twelve values).
The following 12 commandments are the attitudes that all Saddleback faculty and staff must promise and keep.

--- p.22

The reason Saddleback Church focuses on new believers rather than existing members is because they know that just as there is a virtuous cycle of growth, there is also a vicious cycle of church decline.
If we focus on meeting the needs of existing believers,
The church is focused inward (internal).
As the saying goes, "the arm bends inward," if the focus bends inward, the threshold of the church will inevitably become higher.
Conversely, as sermons become more profound, they become more difficult for non-believers to understand, and as a result, churches become more difficult places to visit.
At this time, the most toxic phenomenon to the growth and health of the church can arise in the hearts of the believers.
That is precisely what they think: 'It is difficult for our church to bring in non-believers.'
Even though the believer does not say this out loud, he or she intuitively recognizes it and stops evangelizing, which is the beginning of a vicious cycle.

--- pp.50-52

*If I had to pick just one secret to Saddleback Church's explosive growth in just 45 years and its ability to become a globally influential church, I can confidently say it's "small groups."
Of course, it is true that the church has received attention through “The Purpose Driven Life.”
But what was able to capture that great interest and the crowd of believers was neither the passionate worship service overflowing with emotion nor the active volunteer work.
The secret to Saddleback Church's healthy growth is its small group system, which helps church members connect with each other.
Pastor Rick Warren said:
“People come to church to hear the word, but they stay because of the relationships they form with the other believers.” And the church grows with the believers who remain.
No matter how active the evangelism is, no matter how good the sermons are, and no matter how many people are drawn in, if there is no small group system to connect believers, existing believers will go to other churches in search of better words.

--- pp.70-71

If you think about it, there is one more reason why workaholism is promoted in churches.
Because it can do work in the name of God.
“I have to work until my body breaks because I am doing God’s work”, “I will work hard at God’s work without rest while I am alive”, “I should sleep in heaven”, “Satan doesn’t rest, so I can’t rest either”. These are things we often hear in church.
If you've ever had these thoughts or been in a ministry environment where these words are being exchanged, you definitely need to discern whether you're addicted to work or whether you're serving in an environment that rewards workaholism.
I'm not telling you to get out of an environment that promotes workaholism right now.
If that's the case, we need to think about how we can change that culture and create a turning point that promotes change.

--- pp.104-105

The ministers of Saddleback Church also encourage their members to worship together as a couple whenever possible.
Even if you serve as a layperson, it is said, “Offer worship first, and then serve the next worship.”
However, if the minister who gives such advice is seen worshipping apart from his spouse, the authority of his words will not be easily established.
If a minister worships with his or her spouse and shows that he or she serves outside of those times, this is the greatest blessing and teaching he or she can give to the congregation.
They say that it is more effective for parents to teach their children through actions rather than through words.
The same goes for ministers.

--- p.139

There is a strange system in Saddleback Church.
It's about having one-on-one time with your senior manager once a month.
Currently, I have a one-on-one scheduled with my supervisor every first Tuesday of the month at 1:00 PM.
During this time, we share one personal issue and one ministry issue that requires senior help.
For personal issues, you can share difficulties you face at home and freely discuss your private concerns.
Any topic is fine.
It is a time when you can share your biggest concerns and interests at the time.
I believe that one-on-one time with seniors is key to Saddleback Church developing a healthy ministry culture.
It is a system that makes large organizations feel small and allows complex structures to be digested simply.
If there is something that upsets the senior pastor, you can naturally share it with him at a set time each month.

--- pp.168-169

In a ministry environment where ministers do not observe the Sabbath fully, it is extremely difficult to keep the Sabbath on one's own.
It's no different from trying to survive by swimming in the middle of a rough sea with waves crashing against you.
No matter how much an individual tries to rest, if the church keeps contacting them, it will feel more urgent than the invisible command of God.
If you don't acknowledge or respond to that message, it may seem like you're using rest as an excuse to not do your work.
Keeping the Sabbath holy is a culture that the entire church must strive to create, as the harsh gazes of fellow workers can be felt.

--- pp.200-201