Posts by Mark Howell
Have the Funeral: a DVD-Driven Study on Forgiveness from James MacDonald
Forgiveness. What a concept. If you’re looking for a solid, biblical look at the subject of forgiveness…you need to take a look at Have the Funeral by James MacDonald. Joining Lifeway’s Platform Series in 2011, this six session study is very solid material. I reviewed another MacDonald study, Always True: God’s Promises When Life is Hard in…
Read MoreRooms: An Interesting New Small Group Experience from Lifeway
Had an opportunity this week to spend some time with an interesting new DVD-driven small group study from Lifeway. Rooms: The Small Group Experience is the first study I’m aware of that was inspired by an award-winning novel (Published in 2010, Rooms was named the Best Inspirational Novel of 2010 by the Reviewers’ Choice Awards).…
Read MoreSMaC Recipe for Small Group Ministry Coaching
Working to build an effective coaching structure? I referred to a new concept from Great by Choice, Jim Collins’ most recent book in a recent post. It turns out to have tremendous application for anyone working on their coaching structure. Let me take a paragraph to bring you up to speed. Then, I’ll show you…
Read MoreFlaws of Biblical Proportions: Great Video from bluefish tv
Need a short video that casts the right vision for small group ministry? One that caught my attention in 2011 was Flaws of Biblical Proportions. Take a look. If you haven’t seen this one, you’ll be figuring out how to use it: Can’t see the video? You can watch it right here. Great stuff, isn’t…
Read MoreLeading Small Groups with Purpose: New from Steve Gladen
If you’ve been looking for small group leader training resources, you’re going to want to take a look at Leading Small Groups with Purpose. New from Steve Gladen, this is gem of a resource! Packed with real-life illustrations, how-tos, and ideas…this is a must-have for every leader. Gladen’s earlier book, Small Groups with Purpose, was an…
Read MoreQuotebook: Henry Ford on the Secret of Success
We’ve talked about this routinely. If you want to have any success connecting beyond the usual suspects, you have learn to see things from their point-of-view. It really is a living out of Philippians 2:4: “Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.” I tripped across this great…
Read MoreHedgehogs, Flywheels, and SMaC Recipes…Curious?
Just finished reading Great by Choice, Jim Collin’s newest. As much as we talk about clarifying the win, I caught something that I just needed to point out to you. If you read Good to Great (Collins’ 2001 best-seller), you recognize the terms hedgehog concept and flywheel effect. If you need a refresher, here’s the basic…
Read MoreIs There a Place for Immersion and Imagination in Community?
First…a little background: I loved Lost. Watched every episode and many of them more than once. Even watched the commercials looking for clues. And I wasn’t alone. Millions watched it with me. Immersed in the story. In early 2011 Ben Arment recommended a book; The Art of Immersion: How the Digital Generation Is Remaking Hollywood,…
Read MoreGather Stories as If Lives Are in the Balance
Yesterday we talked about the 7 numbers that matter most in small group ministry. As important as quantitative measurement is, today we need to talk about gathering stories, the qualitative aspect of small group ministry. Why? Let’s just say that while your ministry intelligence depends on the numbers we gathered yesterday, lives actually hang in…
Read MoreThe 7 Numbers That Matter Most in Small Group Ministry
Do you know what numbers matter most in small group ministry? They might not be what you think. And…it might be a matter of perspective. But for my money, these are the 7 key numbers: Easter adult attendance minus the number of adults connected in groups (the Easter adult attendance number is often used to…
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