Deep Roots and Wide Reaches
If you’ve been along for much of the journey here, you know we talk a lot about reaching way beyond crowd’s edge and far into the community. And probably, if you’ve been influenced much by that vision, you’ve had to defend the practice of making it possible for ordinary people to lead groups. I have…
Read MoreTop 10 Posts of September, 2012
Miss a day or two? Here are my top 10 posts of September, 2012. There were visitors from 69 countries in September. Welcome Namibia and Zimbabwe! New from Beth Moore: The Law of Love: Lessons from the Pages of Deuteronomy (August, 2012) How to Launch Groups Using a Small Group Connection (May, 2008) Disciples Are Rarely…
Read MoreNew from Matt Chandler: Creature of the Word
Had a chance this weekend to dig into Creature of the Word: The Jesus-Centered Church by Matt Chandler, Josh Patterson and Eric Geiger. Intrigued by the title, my first thought when I picked up the book was, “What does creature of the word mean?” Turns out it originated in an important understanding from Martin Luther…
Read MoreWin 2 Free Registrations to Re:Group: North Point’s First-Ever Small Groups Conference
The contest is closed. I’ve notified the winner. Stay tuned for my next contest, coming soon. Join Andy Stanley and the North Point Groups team for Re:Group, their first-ever small groups conference! November 12th to 14th at North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia. You’ll be inspired and equipped with the nuts and bolts of…
Read MoreBeware of the Lure of the Status Quo
Think what you’re offering just needs tweaking? What if it turned out that one new product (or service) would have a dramatic impact? What if that innovative experiment opened a window that made two or three more new products possible…and led to an exponential impact? The chart represents Apple’s revenue and profit over time. It…
Read MoreQuotebook: Arriving at the Preferred Future
I love a great quote. And one of my favorite lines concerns what for me is an essential idea. Arriving at the preferred future. A couple years ago I was listening to an Andy Stanley talk about the principle of the path. So good. The line I’ll never forget happened when he said: “Path, not…
Read MoreTop 10 Things I Need to Know about Discipleship
I don’t know about you, but I need to be reminded about certain things on a regular basis. As I think through discipleship, here’s my current list of things I need to know: It takes a disciple to make a disciple. While I sometimes argue that anyone can host a small group (even a non-Christian),…
Read MoreHelp! Successful Small Group Campaign…Now What?
I get questions. Some of them are just too good to keep to myself. Here’s one from yesterday: Hi Mark, I’ve been following your blog for a few months now and it’s been extremely helpful. In fact, because of your blog, this fall we went “open bar” and Saddleback style on our small group strategy…
Read MoreAn Interesting New Resource: Frameworks: How to Navigate the New Testament
If you’ve been following the conversation here for any length of time, you know that I review new small group ministry curriculum and books on a regular basis. You might’ve never made this connection, but most of the resources I review are sent to me by the major publishers, most of whom are regular sponsors…
Read MoreVertical Church: A New DVD-Driven Study from James MacDonald
Spent some time with the newest James MacDonald resource this week. An 8 week study, Vertical Church: What Every Heart Longs For. What Every Church Can Be makes quite a proposition. Neatly divided into two parts, “the first four weeks are a biblical exploration of humanity’s universal longing to experience God’s glory and the role of…
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