MarkHowellLive.com

“I can’t find enough leaders!” Have you ever said that?  If you have, you’re in good company.  It’s one of the most common complaints of small group ministry point people. Here are the five most common reasons you can’t find enough small group leaders: You’re asking for the wrong thing.  I think this is one [...]

No matter the discussion, whenever I am looking for a strategy that will help meet a particular need…I begin my thinking by acknowledging that there is no problem-free solution to anything.  This is where the thought process begins.  In fact, when I begin a consulting session I often draw this diagram up in the upper [...]

As I mentioned yesterday, the first step in the diagnosis of your small group ministry is a thorough examination of your existing groups. Depending on the number of groups in your system (and whether you’re new on the scene), this may be an easy job or may take you some time. It’s important though, because [...]

One of the amazing stories that came out of the development of 40 Days of Purpose was how the HOST strategy came to be.  Ever heard this one?  It’s pretty crazy.  It’s also a window into the kind of thinking that needs to happen in order to produce exponential results.  This is 1 part legend [...]

You may already be on top of it…but just to be sure, here are five steps you can take today to make sure January is extra effective in 2010. Set the date for a Small Group Connection.  There are three very good connection opportunities every year.  Fall is a great time to launch a church-wide [...]

We’ve been talking about building an exponential group system.  In my last post we wrestled with the idea that a key early step in the journey to exponential is to have brutal honesty about the present…the way things really are right now. Once you’ve developed a clear and honest understanding of where things really are [...]

Yesterday we talked about the core philosophy that drives an exponential group system.  If you missed step one, you can read about having a crowd-to-core philosophy right here. Today I want to talk about step two in the process: Diagnosis: Brutal Honesty About Your Present.   Sounds harsh.  Brutal even.  But without an honest evaluation [...]

I have a friend who recently announced that it was time for changes in their small group ministry.  They went on to say, everything except the semester system and free market model are “up in the air.” Continuing, “I think it’s healthy to re-examine everything you do regularly, but it didn’t take us long to acknowledge [...]

You’re reading this…so you already know that the optimum environment for life-change is a small group.  Right?  After all, that is one of the key axiomatic beliefs of small group ministry enthusiasts everywhere. The question is, “Is it true that a group is the optimum environment for life-change?”  Or are there some factors that must [...]

How can we start some new groups?  We have 14 (or 34, 78, or 103) and we’re stuck on how to add new groups.  What’s the best way to do it?  What are some ways that we’re not thinking of? This is a very frequent question.  And it’s a good one because it’s rooted in [...]