Posts by Mark Howell
New is Easy. Right is Hard.
I am a fan of the next thing. I am always on the lookout for the new idea that opens up opportunities (to connect more people, to identify more leaders, etc.). I am on the lookout for what’s next. You should be too! And…at the same time…I am a realist. I know for sure that…
Read More5 Compromises That Derail Small Group Ministry
I wrote last week about the 5 Commitments that Propel and Sustain Small Group Ministry. Hopefully, that helped confirm that you’re on the right track or set your sights on a modified course. Today I want to walk you through what I believe are the 5 main compromises that derail small group ministry. Here they…
Read More6 Keys to Accelerating Small Group Ministry Growth and Impact
Once you make the decision that small groups will be your primary (or only) delivery system for connection and discipleship it only makes sense to look for ways to accelerate small group ministry growth and impact. 6 keys to accelerating small group ministry growth and impact 1. Your senior pastor must become the primary spokesperson…
Read MoreDon’t Miss This Powerful Study: Glorious Ruin: How Suffering Sets You Free
Spent some time with a new study from LifeWay this week. Glorious Ruin: How Suffering Sets You Free, a DVD-driven study by Tullian Tchividjian (pronounced cha-vi-jin), senior pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, is a six session study on a very timely topic. Full disclosure, it sat in my stack to review for several months. I…
Read MoreThe Power of Sequencing
One of the things at work in churches known for their growth and momentum is what I call the power of sequencing. It’s not always visible. You really have to know what you’re looking for to see it. And once you’ve spotted the strategic practice at work, you’ll notice it’s absence when you look at…
Read MoreQuotebook: Rationalization
Working on something that you know needs to change but just aren’t ready to pull the trigger? I love this line from Peter Block: “The most common rationalization for doing things we do not believe in is that what we really desire either takes too long or costs too much.” The Answer to How Is…
Read MoreYour Thinking Determines Outcomes
Ever wonder why your decisions keep producing outcomes that are less than what you hoped for? Maybe it’s because the thinking that determines your decisions is not based on truth. Maybe it’s only wishful thinking. Albert Einstein said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different…
Read More5 Commitments That Propel and Sustain a Thriving Small Group Ministry
Ever wonder why some small group ministries seem to steadily move to new levels of success and health while others start with a bang and go out with a whimper? Here are 5 commitments that make the difference: 1. Connecting everyone to a small group is a top objective every year. By “everyone” I mean…
Read MoreThis Study Changes the Game: Community: Starting Well in Your Small Group
Had an opportunity to preview a new DVD-driven small group study designed to help new groups get off to a good start. Community: Starting Well in Your Small Group is an 8 session small group study that is designed to be used right out of the gate as a new group begins. An updated version of…
Read MoreQuotebook: The Cost of Change and the Status Quo
Stuck? Turns out that change is a math formula. “Here’s the formula. Change happens when the cost of the status quo is greater than the risk of change: C(SQ) > R(C).” Alan Webber, Rules of Thumb. Webber, along with Bill Taylor, was a founder of Fast Company magazine. His book, Rules of Thumb: 52 Truths…
Read More