Posts by Mark Howell
Thinking Thursday: Amy Tan: Where does creativity hide?
Novelist Amy Tan digs deep into the creative process, looking for hints of how hers evolved. Can’t see the video? You can watch it right here. Every week I choose a video that I think you need to see and believe will inspire some new thinking. You can find the rest of the collection right…
Read MoreFoundational Teaching: Next Steps for EVERYONE
An important aspect of my philosophy of ministry is the conviction that the most effective churches design next steps for everyone and first steps for their friends. The most effective churches design next steps for everyone and first steps for their friends. Share on X This informs an analysis of the menu of available programs,…
Read MoreNeed to Grow as a Small Group Pastor? Join My 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 More3 Small Group Ministry Missing Ingredients that Lead to a Bad Taste
Years ago my wife and I came home to find our son cleaning up the kitchen. “I baked a chocolate cake today. Want a piece?” The first bite revealed that something wasn’t right, but what was it? The cake was very crumbly and dry. “Did you follow the recipe?” my wife asked with a furrowed…
Read MorePrepare for Easter with The Crucified Life
I spent some time with a new DVD-driven study this week that is almost a one-of-a-kind. The Crucified Life: Seven Words from the Cross is a 7 week study designed to be used during the Lenten season. Part of a three study series (the Christian Life Trilogy), The Crucified Life was developed by Rev. Charlie…
Read MoreThinking Thursday: Daring Greatly to Unlock Your Creativity with Brené Brown
Chase Jarvis welcomes author, scholar, and public speaker Brené Brown to his Seattle studio to discuss how to cultivate creativity. Can’t see the video? You can watch it right here. Every week I choose a video that I think you need to see and believe will inspire some new thinking. You can find the rest…
Read More“We Talk about Connecting Beyond 100%…but It’s Just Not Us.”
Very often, especially right after I post an article like 5 No-Brainer Characteristics of Churches that Actually Connect Beyond 100%, I’ll hear from readers that there church just doesn’t have it in them. “We talk about connecting beyond 100% in small groups…but it’s just not us.” Sometimes they’ll write, “As much as I’d like to…
Read More5 Clues that Point to a Change in Small Group Strategy
There’s no doubt that one of the most toxic small group ministry moves is changing small group systems, models or strategies too frequently or flippantly. It is important to make a three year commitment and pursue it with everything you’ve got when you do decide to change. See also, 5 Toxic Small Group Ministry Moves.…
Read More5 No-Brainer Characteristics of Churches That Actually Connect Beyond 100%
Trust me. I wanted to call these “surprising” or “shocking” characteristics, but I just couldn’t do it. They’re no-brainer characteristics. Still, it is both surprising and shocking that so many churches say that groups are a priority…but just can’t seem to commit to developing the characteristics that make connecting beyond 100% possible. What are the…
Read MoreAdd “Generational IQ” to Your Must Read List
I’ve spent some time with a new book from Haydn Shaw the last couple weeks. If you’re trying to reach Millennials, Generational IQ is a book you’re going to want to add to your stack. Shaw has researched and helped clients regarding generational differences for over twenty years. He is also the author of Sticking Points:…
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