Posts by Mark Howell
Small Group Myths
Note: This post originally referred to an article on a friend’s blog that no longer exists. Here’s a link to my series by a similar title: 5 Small Group Ministry Myths that Need Busting.
Read MoreHow Serious Are You…About Connecting 150%?
You say you want to be a church of small groups. You say you want to be a church where nobody stands alone. You say you want to connect 150% of your weekend adult worship attendance. All good, pithy, mantras. But what are you really doing to make that happen? How serious are you about…
Read MoreMerry Christmas!
Hey everybody! Just a quick note to say Merry Christmas! This is a busy time for all of us, but really hope you and yours have a Christmas you’ll long remember. Simple or extravagant…praying it is full of the real peace and joy that can only come from a life in Christ! Also, hope for…
Read MoreWeb Cams, Headsets, Tokbox, and More!
Have you begun testing the waters of video conferencing yet? Maybe you’re light years into it and have it all figured out…but if you don’t, can I steer you toward a couple things? Maybe three? In my consulting work, I’m beginning to use video chat to make it better than a conference call. To do…
Read MoreWhat To Do Right Now? (to get where you want to go in 2012)
Note: I’ve updated this article to apply to 2011-12. What do you do when you take a trip? Are you one that takes out a piece of paper and begins jotting down all the things you need to do and then puts all the things in a kind of checklist? Or…do you just jump in…
Read MoreHow To Make the Small Group Ask
Regardless of the strategy you use to invite unconnected people to join a small group or to consider hosting a group in their home, learning how to effectively ask people to take a next step is essential. Done poorly, you’ll get a weak response. Done well, you’ll get a great response. Here are the four…
Read MoreEssential Ingredients for a Meaningful Small Group
I recently got an email from Peter that asked, “What are the essential ingredients to making a great life group and how do I get them?” That is a great question! Let’s take an initial stab…and then open up shop for comments (or further questions) that you might have. The essential ingredients to making a…
Read MoreGetting To There…Personally
Most of us have been on the way somewhere and suddenly had doubts that we were going the right way. You know the feeling. You're driving and the Google map directions don't make sense so you keep going even though you don't come across the street you're looking for. And then the street dead ends. …
Read More4 Keys To Customizing Your Small Group Strategy
In the same way that you have a unique fingerprint…so does your church. You may have “borrowed” the mission statement from another church, but when you look under the hood you’re not the same. You are unique. You’re made unique by the custom combination of passions, gifts and abilities of your members. You’re made unique…
Read MoreNEXT: 2009 Saddleback Small Group Conferences
Already jazzed about four locations in 2009! February 19-21, Lake Forest, CA March 26-28, The Woodlands, TX April 23-25, Norcross, GA May 14-16, Cincinnati, OH You can find out more or register right here. I'll have more on my breakouts when the details become available. For now, put down the dates and join me at…
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