Posts by Mark Howell
Thinking Thursday: Seth Godin: The Tribes We Lead
Seth Godin argues the Internet has ended mass marketing and revived a human social unit from the distant past: tribes. Founded on shared ideas and values, tribes give ordinary people the power to lead and make big change. He urges us to do so. Can’t see the video? You can watch it right here.
Read More5 Things You Need to Know about Your Small Group Model
When you choose a small group model, system or strategy there are several things you ought to know. Need to know, really. The model you choose should be based on an informed choice. One of the worst things you can do is flip abruptly or frequently between models. See also, 5 Totally Obvious Reasons Small…
Read MoreSmall Group Ministry Case Study: Choosing Your Customer
If it’s true that your ministry (or program) is perfectly designed to produce the results you are currently experiencing, then the design of your ministry is almost everything. There are several key components of ministry design. According to Peter Drucker, three main components are: Identifying the business you are in. See also, If I Was Starting Today and The…
Read More3 Questions You Should Be Asking about Your Small Group Ministry
You have a set of problems you’d like to solve. Too many unconnected people. Not making enough disciples. Can’t find enough leaders. Sound familiar? Albert Einstein famously said, “If I had an hour to solve a problem I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.” When I think about…
Read MoreQuotebook: Following Jesus Entirely
What do those who follow Jesus’ do? I love this quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s The Cost of Discipleship: “Those who follow Jesus’ commandment entirely, who let Jesus’ yoke rest on them without resistance, will find the burden they must bear to be light. In the gentle pressure of this yoke they will receive the strength to…
Read MoreThinking Thursday: Tracy Chevalier: Finding the story inside the painting
When Tracy Chevalier looks at paintings, she imagines the stories behind them: How did the painter meet his model? What would explain that look in her eye? Why is that man … blushing? She shares three stories inspired by portraits, including the one that led to her best-selling novel “Girl With a Pearl Earring.” Image…
Read MoreSole Proprietor? Or a Builder of a Great Team?
More and more I’m finding myself talking about the importance of a great team in building a thriving small group ministry. Another way I’m saying it is that thriving small group ministries are never built by sole proprietors. Thriving Small Group Ministries Are Never Built by Sole Proprietors The truth is whether you are averaging 100…
Read MoreThink Twice–and Think Again–Before You Approve the New Menu Item
I think it’s fair to say that most of us have complained at one time or another about the cluttered belong and become menu that we’ve inherited. “Whose bright idea was it to let the Precepts class begin in the first place!” “If only they never began approving classroom space for those ABFs back in…
Read MoreThe 4 Best Small Group Ministry Lessons I’ve Learned This Year
Every once in a while I like to jot down the most recent lessons I’ve learned. Sometimes they amount to relearning the same lessons. I love the line that “Smart people learn from their mistakes. But the real sharp ones learn from the mistakes of others.” Maybe you can learn something from mine! Not everything…
Read MoreHoping for Problem-Free
What are the decisions you know you need to make but you just can’t bring yourself to do it? Do you know the list by heart? Is it a long list? What’s keeping you from pulling the trigger? Still searching for a problem-free solution? I’ve made the case for a long time now that the…
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