Posts by Mark Howell
Don’t Miss Wonderstruck: A Captivating New Book from Margaret Feinberg
Stuck in the humdrum, wake up, get through the day, go to sleep, and repeat tomorrow world? Looking for a way to reawaken the childlike amazement you had the first time you found God’s fingerprints on something? I finally had a chance to take a look at Wonderstruck (the latest from Margaret Feinberg) this week.…
Read MoreJust Give Me a Sign, Any Kind of Sign
I get asked a particular set of questions all the time. Our adult Sunday School attendance has been flat for many years. How can we encourage more of our unconnected adults to join a class? We’ve been stuck at 8 or 9 small groups for 4 years because we don’t have enough leaders. Where can…
Read MoreThree Observations that Made Me a Fan* of North Point’s Closed Group Strategy
Ever found yourself suddenly looking at something you’ve seen many times…and realizing there was actually something else there? Like a Magic Eye 3D image…you suddenly can see the dinosaurs in the background! That’s what happened to me and it caused be to reevaluate North Point’s closed group strategy. If you’ve been along for much of…
Read MoreDon’t Miss This Powerful Study: Five Things God Uses to Grow Your Faith
One of the resources I picked up while I was at Re:Group was Andy Stanley’s Five Things God Uses to Grow Your Faith. Published by Zondervan in 2009, the study is based on five faith catalysts that North Point has identified as the things God uses repeatedly to grow people’s faith. After running across the idea…
Read MoreLearning to Start with Why
I’ve recommended this video so many times…but I don’t think we’ve ever talked about it. If you’re a ministry leader, this is a must watch. Right at the heart of everything we must do is an awareness of the importance of why. Can’t see the video? Click here to watch it.
Read MoreThree Important Distinctives of North Point’s Access Group Strategy
There were quite a few reactions to yesterday’s post about North Point’s Access Group strategy. I recognized three distinctives or clarifications that should help you understand their design: First, North Point’s Access Group strategy isn’t designed to provide additional destinations. Instead, every Access Group is offered as a step between the auditorium and a small group…
Read MoreBreaking: North Point Increases GroupLife Participation by Adding an Easier Next Step
If you’re familiar at all with North Point’s small group strategy, you already know that their primary way of connecting adults into groups is an event called GroupLink*. Offered more frequently in the past, GroupLink is now offered twice a year at two of the best times to connect people (August and January). While all…
Read MoreAndy Stanley on Creating a Culture That’s All About Circles
Had the great privilege of attending the Re:Group conference recently and there was a moment in one of the main sessions that I just can’t get out of my mind. Andy Stanley was speaking. It was a great session. And then suddenly…I couldn’t write fast enough. What he said was just amazingly spot on. Today,…
Read MoreHere’s My 2012 Christmas Reading List
Do you have your Christmas wish list together? Here are my five recommendations for 2012: If anything is a must-read…Deep & Wide absolutely fills the bill. This is Andy Stanley’s explanation of the vision, the values, and the strategy that underpins North Point. My copy is marked up, underlined, starred, and dog-eared. I laughed out…
Read MoreNew from Kyle Idleman: Gods at War: The Battle for Your Heart
Had a chance this weekend to review Gods at War: The Battle for Your Heart that Will Define Your Life, the latest from Kyle Idleman and City on a Hill Studio. They’ve delivered several of the most compelling DVD-driven studies (H20, The Easter Experience, Not a Fan). Gods at War takes a shot at an…
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