Posts by Mark Howell
5 Incontrovertible Takeaways from Our Recent Small Group Connection
Last week was a great reminder about the power of a small group connection. We had over 1100 people sign up to attend. Over 600 people attended one of five connection events and we launched 45 new groups. The connection process identified over 100 new leaders. Many, many people said on their way out that…
Read MoreGreat New Edition of Leading Life-Changing Small Groups by Bill Donahue
One of the books that shaped my understanding of small group ministry was Leading Life-Changing Small Groups by Bill Donahue. When it was originally published in the mid 90s it quickly became the most important tool in my leader training efforts. With the 3rd edition (published in May, 2012) it’s even better! One of the…
Read MoreFresh Eyes and No Emotional Attachment
Stuck? Can’t figure out why? Or maybe, you can see what needs to change, but you can’t figure out how to even begin. Andy Stanley makes a great point in a talk from the Drive conference where he quoted something that Andy Grove, former CEO of Intel said to Gordon Moore, when they were stuck…
Read MoreTop 10 Posts of April, 2012
Here are my top 10 posts of April 2012. Three interesting things to me this month: First, only one of the top ten articles is from April 2012. I think because I choose an article or two everyday from the over 850 in my archives and tweet and post them to Facebook, I guess it’s…
Read MoreSmall Group Vital Signs
Looking for some serious small group ministry help? Might want to take a look at Small Group Vital Signs. New from Michael Mack, this is a must read if you’re a small group pastor or director and might be ammunition you want your small group leaders to have in their arsenal. Before I even get…
Read MoreDon’t Let the Risk Take Your Eyes off the Opportunity
As I looked at the crowded room, I felt the curious mix of anticipation and anxiety that I always feel when a small group connection is about to begin. To be completely honest, there’s even just a little hint of resignation as I balance the 75 minutes or so against the lives that are just…
Read MoreBecome a Student
Short and sweet today. If you want to hear “well done,” make it your practice to be a learner. In one of Andy Stanley’s best talks from Drive he used the phrase “become a student, not a critic.” Quoting Al Ries, Andy pointed out that “the next generation product almost never comes from the previous…
Read MoreGrowth? Or Control? What’s Your Pleasure?
Sometimes the issues that seem the most complex are really very simple at their essence. For example, I learned a long time ago that when when faced with the choice between several possibilities, there are no problem free solutions and that wise leaders simply choose the set of problems they’d rather have. That simple understanding…
Read MoreLeader Qualification: Raising the Bar, Lowering the Bar, or Open Bar?
Who can lead a group in your system? How are you framing your leader qualification pathway? Are you lowering the bar to help launch more groups and connect more people? Are you raising the bar in order to deliver the kind of leadership that actually makes disciples? Or maybe what you’ve got in the way…
Read MoreWash, Rinse, Repeat, and the Long Run
“How can we move from being a church with groups to a church of groups? How long will it take?” Ever asked that question? Ever wondered whether you could really pull it off? Whether you could stay with it long enough to break the 150% connected barrier? I was talking with a pastor last week,…
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