Posts by Mark Howell
Help! Successful Small Group Campaign…Now What?
I get questions. Some of them are just too good to keep to myself. Here’s one from yesterday: Hi Mark, I’ve been following your blog for a few months now and it’s been extremely helpful. In fact, because of your blog, this fall we went “open bar” and Saddleback style on our small group strategy…
Read MoreAn Interesting New Resource: Frameworks: How to Navigate the New Testament
If you’ve been following the conversation here for any length of time, you know that I review new small group ministry curriculum and books on a regular basis. You might’ve never made this connection, but most of the resources I review are sent to me by the major publishers, most of whom are regular sponsors…
Read MoreVertical Church: A New DVD-Driven Study from James MacDonald
Spent some time with the newest James MacDonald resource this week. An 8 week study, Vertical Church: What Every Heart Longs For. What Every Church Can Be makes quite a proposition. Neatly divided into two parts, “the first four weeks are a biblical exploration of humanity’s universal longing to experience God’s glory and the role of…
Read MoreWhat Gets You Mad Enough to Punch Someone? Here’s Mine
Luckily (or providentially, depending on your world view) he was on the other side of a board room table. I did have the urge to punch him, though. I was saved by the width of the table. What got me mad enough to punch him? Believe it or not, it was his assumption that small…
Read MoreShallow Small Group: A Video That Sets Up the Value of Authentic Community
Looking for a way to emphasize what groups are really about? Shallow Small Group may be just the ticket! If there’s such a thing as a new classic in small group promotion, this one joins a very short list! Can’t see the video? You can watch it right here.
Read MoreFAQ: How Should We Respond to Objections about Who Can Host?
I get a lot of questions. This one is so important I wanted to share at least part of it with you. Here’s their situation: We have been recruiting hosts using all of your suggestions, principles, scripts, etc. We even said that a non-Christian could host a group. We entirely dropped recruiting group “guides” (this…
Read MoreRightNow Training: A 21st Century Approach to Leadership Training and Development
Looking for a high-quality solution for training and developing leaders? If you haven’t taken a look at RightNow Training…you might be missing out. Developed by the folks at RightNow.org, this resource has a lot to offer. RightNow Training allows you to customize and email training videos directly to your small group leaders (or Bible study…
Read More“You Can’t Make Disciples in a Group,” He Said.
“We all know that groups are about community,” he said. “And everyone knows you can’t make disciples in a group.” “Actually,” I said, “I don’t agree with that. After all, Jesus made disciples in a group. It was the practice of rabbis in his day. You made disciples in a group. They weren’t seated in…
Read MoreWhat in Your Ministry Is Off-Limits for Debate?
I love this edition of the Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast. On the topic of introducing change, this is an essential listen! (See below to listen to the podcast) There’s a lot to digest in the podcast, but the section I listened to several times had to do with a quote about assumptions included in Andy…
Read MoreDisciples Are Rarely Made in Rows
Maybe it depends on your definition of disciple, but in my experience disciples are rarely made in rows. Don’t get me wrong. Rows are good for some things. You can fit more chairs in a room that’s set up theater style…in rows. You can disseminate information to a larger group seated…in rows. You can leverage the…
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