Posts by Mark Howell
4 GroupLife Learnings from Amazon
There are times when I come across something and it literally takes my breath away. I know that probably sounds weird…but it is the truth. When it happens, I almost always want to share the idea with you. This is one of those times. Last Friday I tripped across this article that referenced an Amazon shareholder…
Read MoreFollow Me: A Powerful New DVD-Driven Study and Church-Wide Campaign
Are you truly a follower of Jesus? That is the central question of Follow Me, David Platt’s new Bible study. Based on his new book by the same title, this is a challenging and important study that takes his teaching from Radical to a whole new depth. Anchored by a six session DVD, each of…
Read MoreWrestling with “Why” We Do “What” We Do
I’m re-reading Simon Sinek’s Start with Why right now. It really has so much gold that we can talk about. At the root of the book is the simple and profound idea that “people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you…
Read More4 Important Innovations in Small Group Ministry
I’ve been a student of small group ministry and ministries for almost 25 years. I’ve read everything I could find. Found ways to ask a lot of questions. Even cultivated my own set of confidential informants (okay, that’s not really what they were, but you get the idea). Let’s just say I have been a student and I’m still…
Read MoreUpdate: Even More to Choose from at RightNow Media
Looking for a new study for your small group or Bible study? Need it tonight? Want to check out a larger selection than you can find at your local bookstore? Want to actually preview the study? Want to make this service available to every staff person, every youth teacher, every small group leader and Bible…
Read More4 Key Traits Shared by the Most Effective Small Group Ministries
I’ve been a student of small group ministry and ministries for almost 25 years. I’ve read everything I could find. Found ways to ask a lot of questions. Even cultivated my own set of confidential informants (okay, that’s not really what they were, but you get the idea). Let’s just say I have been a…
Read MoreNew from Jen Hatmaker: The 7 Experiment: Staging Your Own Mutiny Against Excess
Spent some time with a new study from LifeWay today. Based on her 2011 book 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess, The 7 Experiment by Jen Hatmaker is a 9 session DVD-driven study that posits a counter-cultural message: It’s not about what you own…it’s about what owns you. Wrestling with a challenging set of topics, this is a…
Read MoreWhat to Do When Precedent and the Status Quo Stand in the Way
Pardon the interruption. This post may not seem to about launching, building or sustaining a small group ministry, but trust me, it has everything to do with it. Bear with me and I think you’ll come away with what you need for the day. One of the books that has influenced me the most over…
Read MoreFAQ: How Can We Help Groups that Are Struggling to Add Members?
I had a series of great questions yesterday from a new reader. Not only were all three questions very good but I could sense the genuine desire to get the answers that would free up his small group ministry from a troubling logjam. The last question he asked was, “How can you grow groups in…
Read MoreRight Attitudes toward the Inhabitants of the Status Quo
Testing new ideas can be very productive. New ideas can also be a bust. Still, if you keep doing what you’ve always done you’ll connect the people that you’ve always connected. [click to tweet] With me? In our most recent effort to try a new idea in connecting unconnected women we offered a Monday night…
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