Can a Church of 300 Exceed 100% in Groups?
I get a lot of questions. I love getting them and when possible, I love answering them individually. And sometimes they’re so representative of the questions many people have…I just have to answer them here. Here’s one that I think will hit the needs of a lot of people. It came in last week. In…
Read MoreThey Like Jesus But Not the Church…a Great Resource from Dan Kimball
Looking for resources that will help your group members begin to understand the culture in which we live? You may want to take a look at Dan Kimball’s 6 session study, They Like Jesus But Not the Church. Published by Zondervan in 2008, it is nowhere near out of date. Extremely relevant and very much in…
Read MoreThe Teeny Tiny Detail at the Bottom of this Saddleback Page
In a recent article I pointed out 5 Transferable Website Concepts from Saddleback’s Recent Campaign Launch. I believe you can learn a lot about how the most effective small group ministry in America works…if you just keep your eyes open. Can I point out one more super important concept? Honestly, I think I noticed it subliminally,…
Read MoreCelebrating 800: Here are My Favorite Posts (501-800)
In December of 2010 I wrote my 500th post here at MarkHowellLive.com. I celebrated the mile-marker by compiling a list of my 10 favorite posts. Not ranked according to pageviews (the way my monthly top 10 most popular is ranked), but on the basis of my favorites. If you’re wondering what I’m about, you might…
Read MoreSmall Group Leader Expectations: What Should They Be?
There are some pretty challenging dilemmas in small group ministry. And it doesn’t really matter what system or strategy you’ve chosen. Since there are no problem-free solutions…challenging dilemmas just come with the territory. Here’s the one I’m wrestling with: Can you have high leader expectations when you’ve lowered the bar so that more potential leaders will…
Read MoreTop 10 Posts of January, 2012
Here are my top 10 posts for January, 2012. Interesting to note that only two of these posts were written in January. New from Beth Moore| James: Mercy Triumphs (November, 2011) Join Us for GroupLife Midwest 2012 How to Choose a Small Group System or Strategy (October, 2009) How to Launch Groups Using a Small Group Connection…
Read More5 Transferable Website Concepts from Saddleback’s Recent Campaign Launch
Ready to work on something? Don’t just read this. Take at least 2 or 3 minutes and actually look at the links below. You can learn so much about how one of the most effective small group ministries is doing what they’re doing. But…you’ll learn a lot more if you’ll just take a closer look.…
Read MoreHave the Funeral: a DVD-Driven Study on Forgiveness from James MacDonald
Forgiveness. What a concept. If you’re looking for a solid, biblical look at the subject of forgiveness…you need to take a look at Have the Funeral by James MacDonald. Joining Lifeway’s Platform Series in 2011, this six session study is very solid material. I reviewed another MacDonald study, Always True: God’s Promises When Life is Hard in…
Read MoreRooms: An Interesting New Small Group Experience from Lifeway
Had an opportunity this week to spend some time with an interesting new DVD-driven small group study from Lifeway. Rooms: The Small Group Experience is the first study I’m aware of that was inspired by an award-winning novel (Published in 2010, Rooms was named the Best Inspirational Novel of 2010 by the Reviewers’ Choice Awards).…
Read MoreSMaC Recipe for Small Group Ministry Coaching
Working to build an effective coaching structure? I referred to a new concept from Great by Choice, Jim Collins’ most recent book in a recent post. It turns out to have tremendous application for anyone working on their coaching structure. Let me take a paragraph to bring you up to speed. Then, I’ll show you…
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