Posts by Mark Howell
Thinking Strategically about the New Year
Over the next few weeks all of us have an opportunity to connect unconnected people. The holiday season prompts a series of activities and the activities lead to a set of feelings (depression and sadness, hopes and dreams). These feelings are almost culture-wide. Few people begin the new year as just another day. Most people…
Read MorePlease Don’t Miss My 2016 Small Group Ministry Coaching Network
Every year I block off six days and several hours a week for six months to personally invest in a very limited group of small group pastors. My Winter/Spring 2016 Small Group Ministry Coaching Network experience is designed to give you the tools and strategies you need in order to build a small group ministry…
Read More10 Questions that Will Help You Analyze Your Small Group Ministry
I reviewed Transformational Groups back in early 2014. It was a very helpful read and my copy ended up very marked up, starred, underlined, and dog-eared. At the time of the review I noted, “Whether you’re new to groups ministry or you’re a seasoned veteran, you’re going to want to digest the information and ideas…
Read More5 Questions You Should Be Asking When Choosing a Small Group Model
I’ve written a number of articles about how to choose a small group model, system or strategy. After all, choosing a small group model is serious business. You want to do it right. Remembering that “your ministry is perfectly designed to give you the results you are currently experiencing1,” you can be sure that your…
Read MoreAdd “The Irresistible Community” to Your Recommended List
I spent some time this week with a new book from one of small group ministry’s most important voices. The Irresistible Community: An Invitation to Life Together is the newest book from Bill Donahue, a popular conference speaker, prolific author and leadership consultant. Most importantly, Bill was “Director of Leader Development & Group Life for the…
Read MoreThinking Thursday: Finding the Problem Is the Hard Part
Instagram Co-Founder Kevin Systrom believes building solutions for most problems is the easy part; the hard part is finding the right problem to solve. Here he opens up about how he and fellow Co-Founder Mike Krieger identified the problems they wanted to solve around sharing photos through mobile devices. He also reminds entrepreneurs to embrace…
Read MoreHere’s a Lesson in Empathy
Empathy is such a big part of designing a small group ministry strategy that actually connects unconnected people. You can’t expect to do much unless you learn how to think like an unconnected person. See also, Do You See What They See? And that’s why I love this video that was shared by Tim Brown,…
Read MoreDo You See What They See?
I suppose I’m known for having a deep passion for connecting unconnected people. And I suspect that some of my friends believe my passion for connecting unconnected people comes at the expense of any serious commitment to genuinely fruitful disciple-making. But I have to tell you, I don’t see it that way. Here’s how I…
Read MoreTop 10 Articles for Small Group Pastors
My Backstory How am I qualified to write anything about being a small group pastor? Here’s how my own story began: I was asked to help with the college ministry at my church in 1983. I knew how to gather a crowd but had no idea how to help them grow in Christ. I learned…
Read MoreDon’t Miss Lasting Impact: 7 Powerful Conversations that Will Help Your Church Grow
I’ve been spending some time with a great new book from Carey Nieuwhof these last couple weeks. Lasting Impact: 7 Powerful Conversations that Will Help Your Church Grow is the newest book from Nieuwhof. With one of the most popular blogs, especially on the topic of reaching unchurched people, his is a familiar name for many…
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