MarkHowellLive.com » Book Reviews

Leading Small Groups with Purpose: New from Steve Gladen

Mark Howell — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:50:22 +0000

If you’ve been looking for small group leader training resources, you’re going to want to take a look at Leading Small Groups with Purpose. New from Steve Gladen, this is gem of a resource! Packed with real-life illustrations, how-tos, and ideas…this is a must-have for every leader.

Gladen’s earlier book, Small Groups with Purpose, was an excellent resource for point leaders (whether from the purpose driven camp or not). The same is true for Leading Small Groups with Purpose. The content is so relevant, it works regardless of the type of small group system in use.

Part One–Before You Begin Your Group is just that; some very helpful content that will find its way into your leader training concept. Especially for anyone unfamiliar with the spiritual health assessment and plan, part one will be an eye-opening experience. The simple idea behind the assessment and plan will help many groups take advantage of new understanding about the spiritual development needs of its members. This is a gold mine!

Part Two–What to Do in Your Group is as good a collection of practical tips and ideas as I’ve ever come across. I loved the way this part of the book is organized and your leaders will, too. Ten chapters. Two takes on each of the five purposes (fellowship, discipleship, ministry, mission and worship); there’s both insight into the biblical foundation for each purpose and practical suggestions for application.

Again, don’t dismiss this resource because you’re not purpose-driven! Trust me on this, you’ll finish every chapter thinking, “I’m going to try that idea this week!” Even better, you’ll find yourself wanting to pass the idea on to other leaders. This is a great collection of what-to-do ideas, backed up by some very practical crawl, walk and run how-to-do suggestions for implementation.

Part Three–Keeping Your Group Focused includes the answers to many of the most frequently asked questions about small group ministry. From how to listen well and should we meet during the summer to what to do about late people and gossip in the group, this is just good stuff!

Need an extra bonus? There’s a FREE online small group assessment tool included that you’re going to want to check out (a code inside the book flap provides registration). A $12.50 value, it’s a new tool at www.smallgroupinsights.com. Developed by Dr. Les Parrott, the small group insight profile provides feedback that can be shared with a group. Very interesting! And it’s FREE with the book.

Whether you’re leading a small group or leading a small group ministry, Leading Small Groups with Purpose is a great addition to my must-have list. I loved it and I know you will too!

Building a Discipling Culture: a Must Have Resource

Mark Howell — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:50:08 +0000

I’ve been looking forward to working my way through Building a Discipling Culture by Mike Breen and Steve Cockram. If you read my review of Launching Missional Communities or my 5 part interview with Mike Breen, you know that if anyone has a handle on making disciples in the post-Christian culture of the west, it is Breen and the folks from 3DM.

There are three parts to Building a Discpleship Culture. Part One provides a well written and convincing introduction to the essence of the dilemma–that “no one accidentally creates disciples. Discipleship is an intentional pursuit.” As a small group ministry veteran, I concur with one of their most important conclusions; that while most small groups are “excellent at creating warm and comfortable environments” they are not built to offer challenge.” And without environments that are both highly invitational and highly challenging…discipleship rarely if ever happens.

Part Two takes an extended look at a discipling language; essential when you understand that sociologists agree that “language creates culture.” Interestingly (and if you’ve followed much of the conversation here, you’d know why I love this), Breen has developed a way of talking about discipling using a language called LifeShapes. A series of 8 simple shapes (drawings) represent “a foundational teaching of Jesus or principle from His life.” The 8 basic shapes illustrate what we want people to know and do. Great stuff and very practical.

The first shape provided offers a good example of the power of the idea. Illustrating the principle of continuous breakthrough, a simple circle is used. The chapter explains how kairos moments (“when the eternal God breaks into your circumstances with an event that gathers some loose ends of your life and knots them together in His hands”) can be used to teach a lifestyle of learning. We learn to use kairos moments to observe, reflect, and discuss followed by making a plan, forming accountability, and acting on the plan.

Part Three provides an overview of how to use huddles to disciple people. Important to note that this part leads off with a note from the authors urging that you resist the temptation to start a huddle because you’ve read the material on how to lead one. Instead, they make the recommendation that you first be part of a huddle, so you can personally experience the practice. Making the case that you wouldn’t want to have a person performing open heart surgery because they’d read a book on it, it’s easy to see the wisdom of their caveat. Still, whether you follow this prescription or not, part three of Building a Discipleship Culture is fairly detailed. Covering not only key concepts and sample huddle outlines, there is also a launch guide that provides quite a bit of detail.

If, like many of us, you’re wrestling with Dallas Willard’s two questions every church must answer (i.e., “One, do we have a plan for making disciples? And two, does our plan work?”), Building a Discipling Culture is a must have resource. I highly recommend it.

Review: You Lost Me by David Kinnaman

Mark Howell — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 15:06:48 +0000

The search for ways to connect the 60% who are unreachable with the attractional model is an important part of my mission and certain books offer clues that are clearly part of the hunt. One of the most recent entries in the collection is You Lost Me: Why Young Christians Are Leaving the Church…and Rethinking Faith by David Kinnaman. New from Baker, if you recognize Kinnaman’s name, you might have read unChristian, published in 2007 (with Gabe Lyons).

Kinnaman is the president and majority owner of the Barna Group, known for its body of research. You Lost Me is based on a study of young insiders, “young adults who once thought of themselves as Christians–who have left the church and sometimes the faith.” A series of national public opinion surveys conducted by the Barna Group for the You Lost Me project between 2007 and 2011, along with the findings from two decades of prior national studies, form the basis for the conclusions reached in the book. In “research tailored to understand eighteen to twenty-nine year olds,” participants were asked “to describe their experience of church and faith, what pushed them away, and what connective tissue remains between them and Christianity (p. 21).”

Packed with stories from survey interviews, You Lost Me is very readable and at the same time will call to mind conversations you’ve had with young adults who attend your church (or used to). The book also includes a steady supply of charts, graphs and references to the actual questions that formed the basis of the interviews.

One of the most helpful aspects of the book is Kinnaman’s categorization of three basic groups that the study revealed:

Nomads: Estimated that “about two-fifths of young adults who have a Christian background will go through a period of spiritual nomadism,” nomads still view themselves as Christians but believe involvement in the Christian community is optional.
Prodigals: Consists of young people “who leave their childhood or teen faith entirely.” Kinnaman’s category includes those “who deconvert (including atheists, agnostics, and ‘nones’ (those who say they have no religious affiliation) and those who switch to another faith.” About 11% of dropouts fit this category.
Exiles: In a sense taking their cue from Daniel’s experience (think Old Testament exile), this group wants to “inform and transform the ‘foreign’ culture that surrounds them, rather than withdrawing from it. But many don’t know how. They are trying on new ways of Christ-following that make sense to their communities and careers” and “their rejection of some mindsets and methods common to the North American church stem from this desire (p. 77).”

Part Two identifies and teases out some very important understandings of the “six themes that capture the overall phenomenon of the disconnection between the next generation and the church.” Another of the most helpful aspects of the book is the way Kinnaman takes each of the themes (overprotective, shallow, anti-science, repressive, exclusive, and doubtless) and provides “ways in which the struggles of the next generation ought to shift our thinking and practice (p. 94).” Described as “turns,” I think this feature could be extremely helpful in re-thinking the way many of our programs are designed.

Finally, Part Three offers several key insights derived from the study that will be important in the retooling of our approach. Additionally, the final chapter, Fifty Ideas to Find a Generation, provides a wide-ranging sampling of ideas provided by quite a list of contributors for “how the Christian community might cultivate a ‘new mind’ for understanding and discipling the next generation (p. 213).” The list of ideas includes contributions by Jon Acuff, Francis Chan, Shane Claiborne and many others. Additionally, you can find more resources at www.youlostmebook.org.

You Lost Me is a great addition to the conversation! So much here to wrestle with along with plenty of ideas begging to be tried. If you want to play a part in reaching the 60%, I highly recommend this book.

2011′s Christmas Reading List

Mark Howell — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 11:50:00 +0000

Have you put your Christmas wish list together yet? 2011 has been quite a year and no doubt there’s been a book or two that you’ve missed. Here are a few books I think you should be reading:

Community: Taking Your Small Group Off Life Support by Mars Hill’s Brad House is a definite. If you haven’t picked up this one yet, make sure you add it to your list. This is a great book, complete with plenty to wrestle with. You can read my review right here.

If you’re looking for practical, hands-on tips and ideas about how to do small group ministry…this is not it. At the same time, if you want to be sure you’re wrestling with the questions and formative thinking essential to building a quality small group ministry…Community has made my list as required reading.

If you’re a small group ministry practitioner, Small Groups with Purpose is definitely a must-read. Written by Steve Gladen, Saddleback’s Pastor of the Small Group Community, this book is packed with so much great stuff, it will provoke many important conversations on your team.

There are several things I love about Small Groups with Purpose. First, it’s an inside look at the largest small group ministry in the United States. Size isn’t everything, but to build something like this takes time, wisdom, patience, and leadership. Second, you don’t have to be purpose-driven to really benefit from an understanding of how the model works in grouplife. And third, Part Three, How Can I Do This? is as sweet and complete a blueprint as you’re ever going to come across. You can read my full review right here.

An essential book if you’re interested in the ongoing conversation here about connecting the widening 60% that are unreachable with the attractional model is Rumors of God. Providing a sample of the conversations it will take to share the Gospel with those who are far from God in the 21st century, authors Darren Whitehead and Jon Tyson write with the tone that will be heard as authentic (not artificial), relevant (not dated), and interested in the needs of others (as opposed to self-interested).

Written from the perspective of two Australian born American pastors, Rumors of God provides an invaluable perspective from a next Christians vantage point. You can read my review right here.

A very good look at the way apostolic movements are shaped, On the Verge by Alan Hirsch and Dave Ferguson is an extremely practical and engaging book. I’ve described it as a kind of mashup, combining the efforts of one of the leading missional writers (Hirsch) and one of the leading practitioners (Ferguson).

I found On the Verge to be both challenging and encouraging. It prompted me to reconsider some concepts and examine closely some ideas about reaching the widening 60% that will not be reached with the attractional model that we know. While not a quick read, it’s an important read and one you should give the time to work your way through. You can read my full review right here.

Referenced by many grouplife thought leaders, Small Groups, Big Impact by Jim Egli and Dwight Marable is a book you ought to work your way through. Based on research involving over 3,000 small groups and more than 200 churches in 21 21 countries, the authors looked “at the dynamics that make small groups and small group ministries healthy and growing.”

Egli and Marable have done us all a great service, identifying four factors that make the biggest difference in a group’s growth. You can read my full review right here.

Want do you think? Have a recommendation? You can click here to jump into the conversation.

Review: The Essential Commandment by Greg Ogden

Mark Howell — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 11:50:06 +0000

Looking for discipleship resources? You may want to take a look at The Essential Commandment. Published by IVP, it’s the latest by pastor and author Greg Ogden. If you’re not familiar with Ogden, he’s also the author of Discipleship Essentials and Leadership Essentials.

The Essential Commandment is a thoughtful and practical examination of the Great Commandment. Ogden introduces his premise by pointing out that when Jesus declared that “we are to love God with everything we’ve got and love our neighbors in the same way that we cherish ourselves…He actually thinks we can be like him. Jesus actually believes that it is possible for frail and deeply flawed human beings to focus our complete affection on God and others (p. 13).”

The Essential Commandment is presented in a workbook format that will make it ideal to use as a discipling tool. If you’re working to build fully devoted Christ-followers, the topic itself–the Great Commandment–should prompt the kind of conversation and develop the language that can influence whole systems.

In addition to a thoughtful and thought-provoking set of topics, the book is also arranged in a way that will make it easy to use as a disciple-making tool. Each of the 12 chapters includes

a core truth: serving “as the nugget around which each lesson is built”
a memory verse: allowing “God’s viewpoint on life to slowly become ours”
an inductive Bible study: guiding the “discovery of reality from the only perspective that counts…the Bible”
a reading on one aspect of the Great Commandment: providing a “contemporary discussion of the eternal core truth that will challenge our lifestyle and stimulate our thinking”

I’ve reviewed a number of titles over the last couple years that fit in the discipleship niche and I have to say, I can really see The Essential Commandment turning out to be a very popular choice. It’s definitely one you’re going to want to add to your recommended list.

Community: Taking Your Small Group Off Life Support

Mark Howell — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 11:56:27 +0000

One of the most challenging new books on small group ministry? In my mind it is Community: Taking Your Small Group Off Life Support by Mars Hill’s Brad House.

Published by Crossway, this is not your run-of-the-mill book on groups. Although the subtitle suggests that this is a book for small group leaders, it’s really a very thought-provoking read, focused almost entirely on guiding small group ministry point people toward the reframing of their entire ministry.

Almost immediately you will find in this book something different; something very unusual. There is a thoughtful and thought-provoking quality to the writing. It’s not light reading. Instead, Community is the kind of book that you’ll find yourself re-reading, just to be sure you’ve caught the full meaning. And…if your copy is like mine, it’ll be pretty marked up. There’s a lot here.

Part one is a very thought-provoking examination of the biblical building blocks of community. You’ll find some familiar passages referenced. There are also some interesting connections made that you’ll mark up because you want to remember where you found them.

Part two is a section that grouplife veterans will find intriguing, especially when compared to Randy Frazee’s Connecting Church. There is an approach to mission in Community that is quite inspiring and will be a resource that adds to the missional community conversation.

Part Three, a short 30 page section at the end of the book, drops in a couple very practical ideas that are doable, although quite challenging. There’s also an interesting recounting of the history of grouplife at Mars Hill. I think you’ll find some insights in that final chapter that will help you understand strategic choices that have been made.

The appendix includes a helpful set of planning tools and job descriptions; perfect if you’re at the stage where you’re looking for resources.

You won’t agree with every conclusion. I didn’t. There’ll be some sections that will be read again and again. There’ll even be some statements that will resonate so completely that you’ll embrace the language and concepts as you’re own. I found some humdinger lines that will definitely become part of my way of thinking.

Community is a book you’re going to want to read. In fact, you’re probably going to want to read it with a few of your team members and then argue your way through its conclusions. It’s already added some depth to my thinking and I’m sure you’d benefit as well.

Review: Small Groups, Big Impact

Mark Howell — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 10:50:12 +0000

In late 2010 I had the opportunity to read the final draft of Small Groups, Big Impact by Jim Egli and Dwight Marable. Based on research involving over 3,000 small groups and more than 200 churches in 21 21 countries, the authors looked “at the dynamics that make small groups and small group ministries healthy and growing.”

Interestingly, the book is based on a research project “conducted to answer the question, ‘what are the factors that impact conversion growth through small groups (p. 12).’” The study’s extensive statistical analysis revealed three “distinct growth dynamics,” essential ingredients that must all be present for a group to grow. The study also revealed the “leadership and group characteristics that contributed to small group growth.”

I have to say, I found the premise very interesting. It can be scary, but who doesn’t want a thorough diagnosis? I also found the results to be very helpful in a number of ways. And, the critic in me also found the slimmest opportunity for debate (much like my analysis of the surveys that produced Willow Creek’s Reveal study). More on that later.

First, here are the three dynamics: Conversion Growth, Assimilation, and Group Multiplication. Little surprise here, the surprising discovery was that all three had to present for a group to grow. In other words, one or two without the other(s) means growth is inhibited. These dynamics are also referred to as small group growth outcomes.

Second, and for our purposes perhaps more important, the study probed over 100 behaviors and traits of small group leaders…and identified four factors that make the biggest difference in a group’s growth. The four factors “can be captured in the verbs pray. reach, care and empower.” These four factors, also referred to as small group health dynamics, turn out to play key roles in producing growth outcomes.

The best part: A significant portion of the book, just less than half, is spent examining these small group health dynamics. Each of the four factors is covered in a chapter and it’s way more than an explanation of what it is or why it’s needed. You’ll also find ideas for the how as well as a link to free downloadable resources for each of the factors (making Small Groups, Big Impact an excellent leader training tool!).

You’ll also find helpful chapters on leading a great small group meeting and taking next steps in small group ministry. While you’ll have to apply the concepts in a way that makes sense in your own ministry, I found quite a bit in these two chapters that could make its way into my leader training initiatives.

Where is there room for debate? I’ve really wrestled with the authors’ conclusions about growing your small group system (chapter 8). On the one hand, Small Groups, Big Impact makes an excellent case, based on extensive research, for the importance of the four factors mentioned above in the health and growth of individual groups. In the sense that the health and growth of a collection of individual groups should lead to a growing system, the authors’ also make a great case.

The single area of concern? In my mind, the one area of contention concerns the conclusion there is “no significant causal relationship between how much a church emphasizes small groups and the growth of the church’s small group system (p. 82).” It may be semantics, and I don’t have data from over 3,000 groups in more than 200 churches in 21 countries, but I see way too much anecdotal correlation where senior pastors playing the role of small group champion are an essential ingredient in becoming churches of groups.

Still, I really like and appreciate Small Groups, Big Impact. It can be a great addition to your arsenal as you equip and train small group leaders and I highly recommend it.

101 Great Ideas to Create a Caring Group: A Classic Resource

Mark Howell — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 11:56:43 +0000

Looking for an idea source that will help your small group leaders develop caring groups? You might want to take a look at 101 Great Ideas to Create a Caring Group by Thom Corrigan. A classic resource, first published in 1997, this little gem ought to be on every small group champion’s recommended list.

Assembled in much the same way as Steve Sjogren’s 101 Ways to Reach Your Community, 101 Great Ideas is just that: a simple but very helpful collection of practices designed to inspire more caring groups.

Corrigan, at one time the president of Pilgrimage/NavPress Training, has taught leadership and small group development nationally and internationally. In 101 Great Ideas, he’s separated the practices into four main categories:

Caring for Your Group: a set of leader to member actions that every leader could add to their practice.
Caring in Your Group: a subtle shift in focus, this section offers leader practices that happen primarily during a group meeting that when modeled for members become part of the way group happens.
Caring Outside Your Group: a very helpful set of ideas that will help leaders creatively connect with members in between meetings; an essential practice for developing a caring group.
Caring as a Group: this set is all about practices that make a group more than a regular gathering of acquaintances. Doing the things listed here will weave members together in a way that begins to feel like family.

While every one of these ideas will be intuitive to certain leaders in your small group ministry, every leader will quickly find several easy-to-implement practices that will have immediate impact and help build a caring group. I like 101 Great Ideas to Create a Caring Group, and I bet you will too!

101 Ways to Reach Your Community | A Classic from Steve Sjogren

Mark Howell — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 11:53:35 +0000

One of the most powerful ideas popping up in conversations with churches like The Austin Stone and Community Christian has to do with developing a rhythm in group meeting patterns. For instance, small groups (or missional communities) meeting every week with a pattern of two weeks a month doing what normal small groups do (fellowship, study, prayer, etc.) , one meeting to focus on reaching out to those far from God and one meeting a month to be a blessing to those who have physical needs (food, clothing, etc.).

Sounds interesting, right? The question many will have is how will the groups come up with ideas for the two weeks they’re not doing the normal thing?

How can you help your groups figure out things to do to reach out to those who are far from God? Well, you could order bullhorns and a lifetime supply of gospel tracts. Or…you could order a few copies of Steve Sjogren’s, 101 Ways to Reach Your Community. Published by NavPress, this little book can have big impact!

If you’re not familiar with Sjogren, he’s the founding pastor of Vineyard Community Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. He’s also the author of Conspiracy of Kindness, the very popular book that introduced many to the idea of servant evangelism.

In 101 Ways to Reach Your Community, Sjogren assembles a kind of cook book for servant evangelism recipes. Well organized, there are projects that fit three categories:

Blitzing (“designed to touch a lot of people in a short time”)
Connecting (“providing opportunities for interaction”) and,
Investing (“aimed at encountering people at the more difficult stress points of their lives”).

Each of the 101 projects range in difficulty from soft-drink giveways and trash pickup to school supplies for needy families and shopping assistance for shut-ins. There’s enough here to keep groups going for a long time and there might not be a better way to help groups generate the kinds of stories they’ll tell for the rest of their lives.

101 Ways to Reach Your Community ought to be on all of our desks right now as we plan ways that our small group ministries can truly have community impact.

Understanding World Religions: New on the Next Christians Reading List

Mark Howell — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 10:50:53 +0000

Honestly, if you would have told me 25 years ago that I’d need a resource that would help me understand world religions, I’d probably have rolled my eyes and said, “I have no plans to be a missionary.” And I would have been expressing the mindset of most people I knew. Mind you, I grew up in Southern California and I had Muslim and Buddhist friends, but 25 years ago might as well have been a hundred.

America in the 70s and 80s was really just at the beginning of a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic tidal wave and is a very different place today. In the 70s and 80s, America still had a decidedly Christian worldview. Although the UK and the rest of the Western world had begun to tip, it was still the norm for most Americans to think of other world religions as being “over there.” In 2011 we live in a very different culture, post-Christian America, and developing an understanding of other world religions is essential.

6 weeks ago when Ed Stetzer interviewed Irving Hexham about his new book, Understanding World Religions, it seemed like a natural fit for my Next Christians reading list. After spending the last few weeks looking it over…I can tell you it’s going to turn out to be a great resource.

Understanding World Religions: An Interdisciplinary Approach by Irving Hexham is pitched just right for most of us. Although Hexham, Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Calgary and adjunct professor of World Christianity at Liverpool Hope University has published numerous academic books and articles on the subject, this one really doesn’t have an academic feel. Instead, it has the feel of a fascinating and almost uncensored sit-down conversation with a brilliant story-telling world religion expert.

At just over 500 pages, it’s a thorough presentation of the major world religions. A little surprisingly to me, Hexham spends 60 pages on African religions. Who knew it would make sense to include such a lengthy piece on African witchcraft, sorcery and the Zulu view of God! But…after you work your way through the section…it makes total sense!

There’s also very healthy sections on what Hexham refers to as the Yogic Traditions (Hinduism and Buddhism) as well as what he calls the Abramic Tradition (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). Every section’s makeup is unique and not formulaic in the least; reflecting the unique aspects of each religion. In one of the most engaging aspects of each section, there is also a fascinating collection with a biographical slant about important players within the developing religion.

One of the most interesting aspects of Understanding World Religions proved to be the author’s freedom to offer nearly uncensored opinion. This is a decidedly unique aspect of a religion and provides a spark or two. I can only imagine how effective it will be as a college or continuing education textbook.

Looking for a way to get up to speed on the beliefs and more importantly, on the worldview of representatives of the other major religions? You might want to pick up a copy of Understanding World Religions. It’s no longer an “over there” conversation. This book could be just the thing you’re looking for as you work to get to know your neighbors.