Posts by Mark Howell
Thinking Thursday: Where Good Ideas Come From
Where do good ideas come from? Whether we want to connect people no one else is connecting or make more disciples (or both), it will require someone having a better idea. This talk, based on Steven Johnson’s fascinating book Where Good Ideas Come From, is full of insight and must watch in my opinion. Enjoy!…
Read MoreSkill Training: Equip Your Coaches to Develop and Disciple Leaders
A core understanding in my philosophy of small group ministry is that whatever you want to happen at the member level, will have to happen to the leader first. Once you acknowledge that basic understanding, it automatically follows that you now know most of what the coaches in your system need to do. This becomes their…
Read MoreLagging Indicators of Effective Disciple-Making Small Group Ministries
In the world of economics, “lagging indicators are indicators that usually change after the economy as a whole does.” For example, changes in the unemployment rate are lagging indicators that lag changes in the economy. As the economy improves, more jobs are added and the unemployment rate decreases. The Consumer Confidence Index and the Dow…
Read More5 Signs Your Small Group Ministry Design Is Inadequate
If it’s true that “your ministry is perfectly designed to produce the results you are currently experiencing,” it follows that the results you are currently experiencing clearly indicate whether your design is the right one or the wrong one. See where I’m going with this? It makes sense, doesn’t it? If you don’t like the…
Read MoreA Man and His Marriage: A Great Addition to 33 The Series
Spent some time with A Man and His Marriage this week. The latest in a line of men’s studies called 33 The Series, it was inspired by the Men’s Fraternity material created by Robert Lewis (I reviewed part 1 of the series right here). Like the other studies in this series, A Man and His Marriage can be used in…
Read MoreThinking Thursday: The Paradox of Choice
Building first steps and next steps in your ministry? The Paradox of Choice is a must see TED talk. Can’t see the video? You can watch it right here.
Read More6 Weird Ingredients in Recipes for Stalled Small Group Ministries
If you’ve ever done any cooking, you know that some recipes look good on paper or look good in the picture, but don’t turn out to be as good as they look! They’re a waste of time and leave a bad taste in your mouth! Sometimes recipes that don’t turn out well have mistakes in…
Read More4 Foundational Questions for Small Group Ministries
There are several foundational questions that must be asked and answered in order to determine what your small group ministry will look like. Think every small group ministry has the same end in mind? You might be surprised. Alan Kay pointed out that “Point of view (or perspective) is worth 80 IQ points.” Point of…
Read More8 Things You Need to Know about Small Group Leaders
File this list in the category of “things I know now, but haven’t always known.” You’ve got this filing system too, right? With experience, we learn what we really wish we had known back then. See also, 5 Things I Wish I Had Known about Small Group Leaders. Can I help you skip a step?…
Read MoreThe Making of a Man: A New Men’s Study featuring NFL Great Tim Brown
Spent some time with a new men’s study this week. The Making of a Man, featuring NFL All-Pro and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Brown is a study I think the men in your church will want to know about. Tim Brown will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer in Canton,…
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