Posts by Mark Howell
Review: And: The Gathered and Scattered Church
How would you describe your church? How would you characterize the model your church has adopted? Are you an admittedly attractional church? Are you an externally focused church? Do you have missional aspirations? Are you attractional but want to be missional when you grow up? One of the most challenging and inspiring books I tripped…
Read MoreIntroducing: Bill Donahue and DrBillDonahue.com
Some names within the small group community really need no introduction. This is one of them, but there are some things you may not know. For example, after an 18 year run as one of the early architects and longtime builders of grouplife at Willow Creek Community Church and the Willow Creek Association, Bill stepped…
Read MoreJune’s Most Popular Posts
Need to catch up with the conversation? Here are the most popular posts in June: Top 10 Things To Do This Summer To Maximize Your Fall 10 Essential Small Group Leader Skills Skill Training: Top 10 Ways to Learn to Pray Together The Perils of the Well-Worn Path Book Review: Exponential Breaking the “Mythical” 150%…
Read MoreFile This Under Connection Ideas
I’ve written in the past about how to use special days (like Father’s Day) to launch groups. Just thought I’d give you an update on how it works out when you actually do it. This year on Mother’s Day we launched a strategy to jump start some new women’s small groups. We used the following…
Read MoreAn Open Letter to Senior Pastors
Dear Senior Pastor, Just wanted to take a moment to remind you of a few things. Most of them you probably already know. A few you might’ve forgotten. One might be a complete surprise. First, if you want your church to be a church of groups, if you want your church to a be a…
Read MoreResource: Missional Small Groups
Looking for a way to build a more externally focused edge to your small group ministry? M. Scott Boren’s Missional Small Groups: Becoming a Community That Makes a Difference in the World is a great place to start. I have to admit, I was a little wary when I picked it up. Probably because I…
Read MoreTop 10 Things Our Team Will Be Doing (to Get Ready for the Fall)
Are you on a countdown yet? 94 days for us. 94 days until we launch 40 Days of Purpose (The Sequel). At first glance it seems like plenty of time. Next glance seems like it’s coming too fast and there’s so much to do! Here’s our “to do” list: Recruit 40 launch phase coaches (who…
Read MoreThe Small Group (Office Style)
Love the Office feel Bel Air Drama has given this one! Thanks to Small Group Dynamics for breaking the news: You’ll find more of Bel Air Drama’s videos right here.
Read MoreTop 10 Reasons Taking the Summer Off Is A Bad Idea
Under the heading, “There’s an upside and a downside to everything,” encouraging your groups to “take the summer off” can have some serious downsides. Here are what I think are the top 10 reasons it’s a bad idea: Absence actually doesn’t make the heart grow fonder. Contrary to what you might have heard, time away…
Read MoreNew from Liquid: The Ten (6-10)
Another entry in the Liquid line of DVD-driven small group curriculum hit the streets recently. The Ten (6-10) is part two of their Ten Commandment series and looks at murder, adultery, theft, lies and desire “through the lens of today.” Produced by Mariners Church and published by Thomas Nelson, one of the distinctive elements of…
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