Posts by Mark Howell
How Does Your Fall Ministry Season Look from Here?
Fall. I don’t know about you, but here in Las Vegas I’m looking forward to fall. Temperatures begin to cool off (we’ll soon have daytime temps under 100!) and the plans we’ve made for our fall ministry season will be in full swing! Note: Some of this is still true. Some, due to COVID-19 obviously…
Read MoreQuotebook: Bill Hybels on Leadership Development Plans
“A leadership development plan has to address these three phases: Identifying emerging leaders. Investing in the development of emerging leaders. Entrusting responsibility to emerging leaders.” Courageous Leadership, Bill Hybels The most important role of our Groups Team is to identify, recruit and develop high capacity leaders of leaders. Further Reading: 4 Essential Skills Most New…
Read More7 Traits of Healthy Small Group Ministries
Sometimes you can just look at something and tell that it’s healthy. Other times you’ve got to do some diagnostic poking around. How can you tell if your small group ministry is healthy? There are a number of observable traits that indicate health. 7 Traits of Healthy Small Group Ministries Healthy small groups ministries… 1.…
Read MoreWho Designs Your Next Steps? Starry-Eyed Dreamers or Steely-Eyed Pragmatists?
Who designs your next steps? Starry-eyed dreamers or steely-eyed pragmatists? It makes a difference, you know. Starry-eyed dreamers often design steps that Carl Lewis* wouldn’t attempt. Steely-eyed pragmatists can sometimes design steps that are dismissed by dreamers as lacking challenge. While next steps should be easy, obvious, and strategic…reasonable and doable are clearly in the eye…
Read More4 Ingredients of an Effective “Ask” (that Recruits Small Group Members)
I’m regularly asked, “What is the best way to get the most people involved in our upcoming church-wide campaign?” To answer that question, I wrote what became one of my most popular articles, 5 Keys to Getting Everyone Involved in a Church-Wide Campaign. I won’t go into all 5 keys here, but I will remind…
Read MoreNew from Louie Giglio | relat(able): Making Relationships Work
I spent some time this week with a new study you’re probably going to want to know about. Relatable: Making Relationships Work is the newest study from Louie Giglio and when I read the title and a little bit of a description I knew I needed to take a look at it. Why? Because there are very…
Read MoreQuotebook: Albert Einstein on the Definition of Insanity
As the next ministry season approaches, are you preparing to do the same thing you did last season but expecting different results? To see the rest of my quotebook, click here. Image by Esther Perez
Read MoreTesting a Feature of GroupLife Insider
GroupLife Insider Launched in Fall 2017! Earlier this week I announced a new service I’ll be launching soon. GroupLife Insider, a new member site, will allow me to focus more of my time helping a select group of small group ministry point people. Membership rates will be very affordable and available with a monthly or discounted…
Read MoreThis vs That: 5 Critical Choices That Have Massive Impact
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood.” Robert Frost’s epic line is never more important than when making 5 critical choices that have massive impact…in small group ministry. Have you ever thought about the way some of the tiniest, seemingly insignificant choices can make the biggest differences in outcomes? 5 critical choices that have massive…
Read MoreOoops! Today’s Important Message Didn’t Include the Link!
Hi friends! My blog post this morning went out on time but without a way you could respond! Dohhh! (you can respond right here). This has happened before, but I think this is the first time I’ve ever immediately emailed you to make sure you got everything I intended. GroupLife Insider I really wanted to give…
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