Posts by Mark Howell
Top 10 Posts of February, 2013
Miss anything? Here are my top 10 posts of February, 2013. Very cool…I had visitors from 74 countries in February! Thanks for coming by! New from Beth Moore | The Law of Love: Lessons from the Pages of Deuteronomy (August, 2012) How to Launch Groups Using a Small Group Connection (May, 2008) 10 Essential Small Group…
Read MoreNew from Mark Batterson: The God Anthology: Exploring the Depths of God
Took some time this week to dive into a new DVD-driven study from Mark Batterson, lead pastor of National Community Church, a multi-site church in Washington D.C. When Batterson has a new study, I look forward to previewing it. In my opinion, Batterson regularly tackles theology more creatively than almost anyone else and The God…
Read MoreA “Possibilities” Based Approach
I listened to a fascinating webinar yesterday that featured Roger Martin (Dean of the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Business) and A.G. Lafley (former CEO of Proctor and Gamble). Their talk focused on a way of thinking about possible strategies. After the webinar I downloaded a paper from HBR that detailed some of their…
Read MoreThe Upside of Reluctant Leaders
It’s almost completely counterintuitive, but the best small group leaders tend to be reluctant leaders. The best coaches or community leaders are almost always reluctant leaders. See also, What Makes People Follow Reluctant Leaders. It's almost completely counterintuitive, but the best small group leaders tend to be reluctant leaders. The best coaches or community leaders are…
Read MoreThree Keys to Connecting Beyond the Core and Committed
Working to connect beyond the usual suspects? Beyond the core and committed (to use Saddleback’s terminology)? You may occasionally connect someone from the outer edge of the congregation or crowd with a business as usual strategy…but you won’t connect many. And you won’t connect anywhere near the number you need to…unless you develop an understanding…
Read MoreEssential Reading: The Church in an Age of Crisis
Had a chance this weekend to devour The Church in an Age of Crisis; the newest book from James Emery White. White, the founder and senior pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, is the former president of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and the blogger behind the Church & Culture blog (a must-read for anyone…
Read MoreDilbert on Precedent and the Status Quo
I know most of you won’t understand–actually, I think all of you will understand. Hopefully, we can laugh (while plotting another run at the status quo!
Read MoreWanna Play? What’s Your Best New Idea for Connecting People?
I’ve always been amazed at the real potential to be found in looking at something from another angle, a different point-of-view, a new perspective. That’s probably why I’ve always loved the line from computer theorist Alan Kay: “Perspective is worth 80 IQ points.” One of my favorite reads in recent years was Steven Johnson’s Where…
Read More3 Important GroupLife Lessons from Week 5 of Saddleback’s Church-Wide Campaign
One of the things that I talk about in most consultations is how to leverage your small group ministry as a delivery system for almost everything else. A very frequent question is “If we’re really going to prioritize being in a small group, how can we still raise awareness of the need to serve in…
Read MoreQuotebook: Arriving at the Preferred Destination
Sometimes a great one-liner can be very useful. I love this line from Lewis Carroll: “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” Cheshire Cat, Alice in Wonderland You can see some of my other favorite quotes and one-liners right here.
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