Posts by Mark Howell
Thinking Thursday: Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: Flow, the secret to happiness
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (Chick-Sent-Me-High) asks, “What makes a life worth living?” Noting that money cannot make us happy, he looks to those who find pleasure and lasting satisfaction in activities that bring about a state of “flow.” Every week I choose a video that I think you need to see and believe will inspire some new…
Read More5 Simple Rules of Effective Small Group Ministry
Can I let you in on a little secret? There are actually just a few simple rules of effective small group ministry. And if you can just follow the rules you can build a thriving and effective small group ministry. 5 Simple Rules of Effective Small Group Ministry 1.Always be launching new groups Always be…
Read MoreHow Are You Evaluating Your Small Group Ministry?
How are you evaluating the effectiveness of your small group ministry? Are you simply comparing the current number of groups and the current number of members with some previous snapshot? Or maybe against a goal? Are you maybe comparing your percentage adults connected with some preferred future goal? See also, Start with the End in…
Read MoreWho Is Your Small Group Ministry Designed to Connect?
Who is your small group ministry designed to connect? Have you ever spent any significant time evaluating who your small group ministry is designed to connect? Have you ever evaluated who your small group ministry is actually connecting? What if your ministry is designed to connect a kind of person that is disappearing? What if…
Read MoreAdd The Power of Habit to Your Must-Read List
I first heard about The Power of Habit last December, while listening to the Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast*. Intrigued, I ordered it immediately and began working my way through it. It’s not a new book. It was published in 2012 and has spent over 60 weeks on the New York Times Best-Seller list. But I…
Read MoreThinking Thursday: How to use others’ feedback to learn and grow
(This is a very similar talk to what might have been the most unexpectedly packed with insights talks at this year’s Global Leadership Summit) Most efforts to improve individual and organizational learning focus on teaching people how to give feedback. After years of consulting with organizations around the world on how to manage their most…
Read MoreGlobal Leadership Summit GroupLife Insights Day 2
Last Thursday and Friday I had the privilege of attending the Global Leadership Summit yesterday. It’s an annual event for me and I’ve only missed a few of them since it began in 1995. If it’s not an annual event for you…it should be. The GLS is always inspiring and refreshing. Here are my highlights…
Read MoreWhat Was the Last Thing You Learned?
What was the last thing you learned? I remember hearing in seminary that you could tell by the copyright dates on the shelves of your library when you quit learning. I don’t know whether that’s completely accurate, but I do know this…once you quit learning, you might as well throw in the towel. You can…
Read More7 Things You Should Know about the HOST Strategy (for starting new groups)
When the HOST strategy was introduced by Saddleback in 2002 during the launch of 40 Days of Purpose it truly was a game-changing innovation. The idea that the senior pastor could challenge members of the congregation who had a heart for unconnected people to open up their home for 6 weeks, serve a simple snack,…
Read MoreGlobal Leadership Summit GroupLife Insights Day 1
I had the privilege of attending the Global Leadership Summit yesterday. It’s an annual event for me and I’ve only missed a few of them since it began in 1995. If it’s not an annual event for you…it should be. The GLS is always inspiring and refreshing. Day 1 was just another day at the…
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