Posts by Mark Howell
Tall Tales and Downright Whoppers That Keep Churches from Launching New Groups
What keeps you from launching more new groups? A few days ago Thom Rainer posted an article that asked a great question: Why don’t more churches have a strategy to start new groups. Good stuff. Can’t wait to see his take. I think the answer to the question is actually pretty simple. Most churches don’t…
Read MoreTop 10 Posts for October, 2013
Miss a day? Here are the top 10 posts for October, 2013. I kept my streak alive with three posts from October, 2013, but 7 of my top 10 most popular posts this month were from my archives! Very cool…I had visitors from 98 countries around the world! Thanks for stopping by! Here are my…
Read MoreDilbert on the Benefit of Meetings
Sometimes it’s too close to the truth…but you still need to laugh:
Read More5 Simple Moves That Will Shift Your Ministry to a New Trajectory
The moves I’m going to suggest are simple. They’re not hard to understand. They’re not even hard to execute. They’re not easy. They will take some work. But they’re not complicated. They’re simple and they will shift your ministry to a new trajectory. Here are 5 simple moves: Choose a cross-cultural church-wide campaign for February,…
Read MoreAre You Prescribing the Recommended Dose
Are you prescribing the recommended dose? Do you know what I mean by recommended dose? Maybe because I finally went to the doctor, but doesn’t it seem obvious that with a little thought every church could determine a recommended dose of activities and practices that would help the kind of people who attend their church…
Read MoreInnovation’s Dirty Little Secret
Downloaded Larry Osborne’s newest book, Innovation’s Dirty Little Secret on Thursday. Almost haven’t been able to put it down! Let’s just call this a must-read for all of us. I’ve recommended two of Larry’s previous books. Sticky Church is a great small group ministry read (whether you’re a fan of sermon based groups or not). And…
Read More5 Powerful Myths That Impact Ministry
They’re out there. They’re sometimes hard to spot too, so nicely disguised as the truth. And the end of the day, though, these myths are very destructive and impact ministry. 5 Powerful Myths That Impact Ministry Myth #1: There is a problem-free solution If we keep looking, keep studying, and meet at least one more…
Read MoreAll In: You Are One Decision Away from a Completely Different Life
Had an opportunity this week to preview All In: You Are One Decision Away from a Completely Different Life, a new DVD-driven study by Mark Batterson. Batterson, the lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington D.C. is no stranger to developing creative resources to help small groups take bold steps together. The Circle Maker and…
Read MoreDo You Have the Right Prescription?
Backstory I’ve had a cold for 15 days. Started with a kind of basic achiness. Became a head cold. Then moved into my chest. Then returned to my head. On and on. Finally went to a walk-in clinic Tuesday morning. They took my temperature, checked my blood pressure, blah, blah, blah. Then the doctor came…
Read MoreThe Best Thing I Learned at re:group Day #2
Today was another great day at re:group. Great breakouts and a really great closing talk by Andy Stanley. Truth be told, probably the real highlight for me was seeing so many of our tribe; grouplife peeps from just about everywhere (even saw my twitter friend @AlviRadjagukguk from Jakarta!). [quote]The best thing I learned today? So…
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