Top 10 Posts of 2015 at MarkHowellLive.com (part one)

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Top 10 Posts of 2015Another great year at MarkHowellLive.com! Thanks for coming along!

Here are the top 10 posts of 2015 (#1 to #5):

#1 – Skill Training: Equip Your Coaches to Develop and Disciple Leaders

A core understanding in my philosophy of small group ministry is that whatever you want to happen at the member level, will have to happen to the leader first.  Once you acknowledge that basic understanding, it automatically follows that you now know most of what the coaches in your system need to do.  This becomes their job description.

#2 – 5 Signs You May Have a Bad Disciple-Making Strategy

You may want to argue with me, but I think there are certain signs that indicate clearly whether you have a bad disciple-making strategy.  With me?  Isn’t obvious that certain results or a lack of results would indicate a bad disciple-making strategy?  Remember, “your ministry is perfectly designed to produce the results you are currently experiencing.”  If you don’t like the results, you must change the design.

I love this line from Winston Churchill.  “However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.”  If you don’t like your results, change the strategy.

3 – 4 Obsessions of the Extraordinary Small Group Pastor

I’ve written quite a bit about small group pastors.  I’ve shared their most important contribution and what they need to know on day one.  I’ve talked about their most common rookie mistakes and biggest problems.

What I haven’t written about is what a small group pastor needs to be preoccupied with, obsessed with, in order to succeed in their role.  With an obvious reference to Patrick Lencioni’s fabulous book, here are the four obsessions:

4 – 7 Things You Must Do TO and FOR Your Small Group Leaders

Can I let you in on a little corner of reality? Small group leaders are no different than the rest of us. A few of them (maybe 5 to 10%) are self-starters and have the internal wiring to take the right steps to grow on their own. The other 90-95% of all small group leaders need someone to develop and disciple them.

This is a very important concept to understand because whatever you want to happen in the lives of the members of your small groups must happen in the lives of your leaders first. No life-change in the leader, no life-change in the member.

5 – How to Make Disciples in Small Groups

I don’t know about you, but I’m determinedto build a thriving small group ministry that makes disciples.  That is the light at the end of the tunnel for me.  It is the end in mind.  It’s not just to connect unconnected people.  That’s important, but only a beginning.  My objective is to make disciples.  And I suspect–since you are still along on this journey with me–that is your objective too!  See also, How to Build a Thriving Small Group Ministry and 5 Things You Need to Know about Connecting Unconnected People.

And if your objective is to make disciples…you must know what it is you are trying to make (i.e., What is a disciple?).  Once you know that little detail, you will be able to lay out a path that leads to that preferred future.

Come back tomorrow to check out $6 to #10!

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