Posts by Mark Howell
Thinking Thursday: Forget Big Change, Start with a Tiny Habit
What if someone told you to floss only one tooth everyday? Or start the new year, not with grand resolutions, but with a simple challenge.. like ONE pushup a day? BJ Fogg shows us that the key to lasting change does not lie in planning big, monumental changes, but in thinking really, really small. Chosen…
Read MoreQuotebook: Dallas Willard on How to Become Like Christ
If it is true that “whatever you want to happen at the member level, will have to happen to the leader first” there can be no question about what must happen to the leaders in your small group ministry. And by extension, there can be little debate about the role of a coach. And if the…
Read MoreFAQ: What’s the Best Way to Connect a Leader with a Coach?
I do get a lot of questions and this is a very frequent question. Usually this question is one of a rapid-fire list of questions about small group coaching. See also, 20 Frequently Asked Questions about Small Group Coaching. What’s the best way to connect a leader with a coach? The Best Way to Connect…
Read MoreThe Big Misunderstanding that Dooms Most Coaching Structures
I’ve written about small group coaching many times. I’ve focused on coaching because I believe it is a widely misunderstood and frequently under-appreciated yet essential ingredient in building a thriving small group ministry. See also, How to Build a Thriving Small Group Ministry. Now, as challenging and difficult as it is to build an effective coaching…
Read MoreDilbert on Resistance to Change
Sometimes you just need to laugh.
Read MoreThinking Thursday: How Great Leaders Inspire Action
Simon Sinek’s Start with Why has been one of the most influential books in the last 10 years. In this powerful video, Sinek explains the heart of the idea that the book made popular. I’ve watched it 6 or 7 times over the last few years. If you’ve never seen it, you need to watch…
Read MoreIs It Time for a Course Correction?
On a coaching call yesterday I realized that one of my coaching clients was doing several of the things they were doing in a slightly different way than I do them. That is, the strategies they were using were close, but not quite, to what they needed to be doing. Close…but missed it by this…
Read MoreFAQ: When Should We Launch Small Groups in Our Church Plant?
I get a lot of questions. Here’s one I’ve gotten before and never answered on the blog: We launched our church in 2013 and have about 50 adults attending regularly. About 40% of them are connected in church groups like choir and ushering. Do you suggest we start small groups or wait until we raise…
Read MoreTop 10 Posts on Connecting Unconnected People
If it is true that unconnected people are always one tough thing away from never being at your church again (and I think it is), then connecting them ought to be a very high priority for all of us. If it is true that unconnected people are always one tough thing away from never being…
Read MoreKeep It Shut: A New DVD-Driven Study from Karen Ehman
Spent some time this week with a new six session study from Karen Ehman and Proverbs 31 Ministries. Keep It Shut: What to Say, When to Say It, and When to Say Nothing at All “challenges women to dig deep into what the Bible says about the ways we use our words–both in person and online–and…
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