Posts by Mark Howell
What’s the Best Way to Launch New Small Groups?
What’s the best way to launch new small groups? Ever asked that one? I get asked that question a lot…probably more than any other question. And for good reason, after all, who isn’t trying to increase the number of groups (and the number of people in groups) in their church? So what’s the answer? It’s…
Read MoreHow to Build an Effective Coaching Structure, Part Two
If the first principle in building an effective coaching structure is First “What,” Then “Who,” the second is Open Your Eyes to What Doesn’t Work. Although it may seem negative, this is an important step. In the same way that a doctor needs to be able to recognize the symptoms of common medical problems, you…
Read MoreThe 10 Worst Small Group Study Guides
Ok…Carter is crazy…but this is too good to ignore. Looking for your next small group study? Don’t pick from the 10 Worst Small Group Study Guides.
Read MoreWalking the Small Group Tightrope
One of the challenges in small group ministry is coming up with practical leader training. There’s just not a lot out there…and what is out there is not always the nuts and bolts of becoming a better small group leader. One exception? Walking the Small Group Tightrope by Bill Donahue and Russ Robinson. The first…
Read MoreThe Easy/Hard Continuum
All topics are not created equally. Know what I mean? Whether you’re talking about a weekend message series or small group curriculum, the topic you choose determines some things right away. If you think about it, you can see that certain topics would have great appeal to your church members but might repel their neighbors. …
Read MoreEric and Carter
Had a great lunch with Eric Metcalf and Carter Moss of Community Christian Church on Friday! They’re making it happen in Chicago (at nine locations). Lots of cool things happening there. I’ve been a fan of Dave Ferguson’s blog for a while now. These guys are cut from the same cloth. Great to learn from…
Read MoreBalancing the 5 Purposes
One of the distinctives of the purpose-driven small group strategy is that healthy groups balance the 5 purposes. Now, you may not think of your church as purpose-driven…that’s ok. You don’t have to think of your church that way to benefit from an understanding of the benefit of this idea. So what does it mean…
Read MoreExternally Focused Small Groups
What is a win for your small groups? Is it a win if they simply meet regularly? Are you hopeful that they’ll do more than just eat chips and salsa together? Maybe you’re really hoping that the small group is actually a delivery system that leads your members in the direction of real spiritual growth? …
Read MoreHow Healthy Are Your Newest Groups?
New small groups are like babies. They need certain things in order to survive. There are also simple things you can look for to determine their level of health. Human babies are evaluated on five simple criteria on a scale from 0 to 2 to determine health. Appearance (skin color), Pulse (heart rate), Grimace (reflex…
Read MoreAn Early Easter = Great Opportunity!
Have you taken a look at your calendar yet? Easter is very early this year. March 23. That’s important for two reasons. First, it’s only 5 weeks away! But I’m sure you knew that already. The second reason that’s important is that an early Easter leaves almost 10 weeks before summer hits…and that is huge…
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