Posts by Mark Howell
2013 Summer Reading List
Have your reading planned for the summer? I think there are a few books that you need to be reading to be up on the grouplife conversation. For starters…I think you need to be reading DiscipleShift: Five Steps that Can Help Your Church Make Disciples Who Make Disciples. Trust me…this is one you’re going to…
Read MoreSkill Training: 6 Keys to Keeping Your New Group Going
So you started a new group. You’ve overcome your fears. You’ve gone where you’ve never gone before. And now–believe it or not–you’re enjoying your new friends and looking forward to your next meeting. Who knew that could really happen! The question is, what do you need to do right now to keep your new group…
Read MoreSeven-Mile Miracle
Had an opportunity over the weekend to review Seven-Mile Miracle, a new study from Steven Furtick, founder and lead pastor of Elevation, one of the fastest growing churches in America. A dynamic speaker, Furtick provides a characteristically powerful message in this study. DVD-driven, Seven-Mile Miracle: Experience the Last Words of Christ as Never Before is…
Read MoreMy Top Three Learnings about Small Group Ministry This Year
I’m an experimenter by nature, so I’m always on the lookout for what’s next. Here are the top three things I’ve learned this year. First, joining a small group that meets in a stranger’s living room is not easy. In many instances it’s even harder and requires more courage or desperation than attending a weekend…
Read MoreHere’s a Video for Your Next Leader Training: Awkward Prayer
Need a funny video to lighten the mood in a leader training? I think you’ll like this one! Testing the limits of awkwardness… Can’t see the video? You can watch it right here. Looking for training ideas on prayer? See also, Skill Training: Top 10 Ways to Learn to Pray Together and The Simplest Way to…
Read MoreWas Jesus’ Mission Different Than Ours?
Maybe this is just the ramblings of a sleep deprived traveler…but here’s what I’m wondering: Do you think Jesus’ mission was different than ours? So many of our current conversations find their biblical basis in Matthew 28:18-20 (the Great Commission). It does seem to be our assignment or at least one of our assignments. After…
Read MoreFour Leading Indicators of Small Group Ministries that Make Disciples
In the world of economics, leading indicators are “indicators that usually change before the economy as a whole changes. They are therefore useful as short-term predictors of the economy.” Stock market returns, building permits, and average weekly jobless claims are all leading indicators. Think there might be a set of leading indicators that are short-term predictors of…
Read MoreReview: The Great Omission: Reclaiming Jesus’s Essential Teachings on Discipleship
I’ve read pretty much everything Dallas Willard ever wrote. The Divine Conspiracy might be one of my most marked up, starred, underlined, dog-eared books. Renovation of the Heart and The Spirit of the Disciplines are right on its heels. I’ve bookmarked websites. I’ve printed reams of articles…and they’re just as marked up as any of…
Read MoreMy Top 3 Ninja Ideas for Recruiting Small Group Leaders
Summer is almost here. And right on its heels comes the fall. Ready? Recruited the small group leaders you’ll need to connect all the unconnected people in your congregation? It really is an annual dilemma, isn’t it? Can I tell you something? It’s only a dilemma for the churches that haven’t figured out how to…
Read More7 Assumptions That Shape My Small Group Strategy
A few months back I wrote a post on ten ideas that have shaped my philosophy of ministry. In several recent discussions I’ve realized that I have a collection of assumptions that have a lot to do with the small group strategy we use. There is no problem-free solution. Wise leaders simply choose the set…
Read More