Posts by Mark Howell
Boyd Pelley on Churchteams
One of the most common questions in my conversations with small group pastors over the years has been, “How can I help unconnected find a group?” Another very common question has been, “How can I keep a finger on the pulse of the groups in my system?” My answer? Churchteams. Full disclosure, Churcteams has been…
Read More7 Things I’ve Learned about Community
I’ve been at this community building thing a long time. A very long time. Learning about community and more importantly, building our own. The response of our community has played a very important role in our world after the recent death of our son. See also, This Is Why We Need Community. For a variety…
Read MoreBreaking: No Problem-Free Small Group System, Model or Strategy
Recently I gave a short talk to a Small Group Network huddle in Kansas City on the subject of no problem-free small group systems, models or strategies. This is a very important topic because I believe the pursuit of problem-free solutions delays more ministry than anything else. You know this right? At least at the basic…
Read More5 Ingredients that Build Pervasive Community in Your Church
If you believe that unconnected people are always one tough thing away from never being at your church again…you have all the motivation you need to invest in building a pervasive sense of community in your church. If you believe that unconnected people are always one tough thing away from never being at your church…
Read MoreDilbert on Self Awareness
Sometimes you just to laugh. Not when standing near Alice…but you get the idea.
Read More10 Articles on Building Community
Building community has been at the heart of my mission for a very long time. I can’t imagine my life without it. I cannot imagine the loneliness of so many who don’t have what we have. I know that when I do the percentage connected calculation there are many, many people in my church that…
Read MoreQuotebook: The Problem with Isolation
Even after almost three decades of promoting small group ministry and writing about why we need community, I am still amazed and saddened that so many live in a kind of isolation. There is profound wisdom in this quote from Basil, an early church father. “When we live our lives in isolation, what we have is…
Read MoreThis Is Why We Need Community
If you haven’t heard, we lost our youngest son last Thursday when he was killed in a motorcycle accident. Eric was 19. He was full of life. He was known for his amazing smile and the relentless way he included people. Our last conversation with Eric centered on his excitement about next week’s meeting of his small…
Read MoreDoes One of These Strangleholds Have a Death Grip on Your Ministry?
You know that “your ministry is perfectly designed to produce the results you are currently experiencing (Andy Stanley).” You know the well-worn path never arrives at a new destination. You even know Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity: “Doing the same thing again and again and expecting different results.” You know all these things. And at…
Read More7 Practices of an Enduring Small Group Pastor
Want to stay the course in ministry? Want to do more than survive? I think most of us begin ministry with a sense of purpose, a desire to make a difference; an aspiration to inspire others to follow Jesus. In 2000 I bought a Passion CD. I was captivated (and still am) by a few…
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