MarkHowellLive.com

One of the most important steps in diagnosing your small group ministry is to accurately assess the health of your coaching system.  Much like your physical body, having a respiratory system is essential…but it has to be a working respiratory system.  Here are what I think are the most important diagnosis questions about coaches:

Have you [...]

One of the great challenges in developing a coaching structure is providing care for existing group leaders.  It’s one thing to connect a new leader with a coach.  It’s another thing entirely to retrofit existing leaders with a coach.  This is true for at least three reasons:

Survival of the fittest: Once an existing leader has [...]

(This is part four of a series.  You can read part one right here.)
Once you’ve developed a clear job description for your coaching team, carefully selected the right people and recruited them skillfully you’re in position to help them get off to a great start in their coaching relationship.  This is a very important step [...]

Looking for a leader training resource?  Finding the Flow: A Guide for Leading Small Groups and Gatherings, by Tara Miller and Jenn Peppers, is one you should take a look at.  New from IVP, it’s full of great leader training ideas, practices, and philosophy.  This is a book length training guide.  At over 240 pages [...]

My copy of Growing Small Group Leaders arrived over the weekend.   If you’re trying to build a coaching structure that works, I’m thinking you’re probably going to want to pick up a copy.  Developed by Seacoast’s leadership development expert Mac Lake, this tool is packed with some very good plug and play training ideas, tips [...]

Caught this great interview of Bill Donahue over at MacLakeOnline.  Good stuff!  Check it out.

In our ongoing look at the top 10 axiomatic beliefs of group life, one area that ought to draw our attention is coaching.  It is logical that a coach would be helpful…even required.  But who makes the best coaches?  It is so common for churches to make that assignment to their elders or deacons.  But [...]

A great conversation yesterday drew an important question.  We’re getting ready for a church-wide campaign and know we’ll need coaches for our newest hosts.  Where can I find new coaches?
Ever asked that one?  It’s a good question.  Important on a couple levels.  First, it is important that your newest hosts have a coach who is [...]

We talk a lot about life-change in small group land.  We often say that the optimal environment for life-change is a small group.  I regularly tell people that the weekend service—even with inspiring worship and practical teaching—is closest in kind to a defibrillator.  You know that thing they use on you when you’re on the [...]

How’s your small group system?  Winning?  Workable?  Wobbly?  Weak?
Is it time for a system checkup?  We’ve all been to the doctor for a checkup.  Most of us have taken our car in for an oil change that includes an “18 point inspection.”  Have you ever put your small group system through a diagnostic checkup?  What [...]