When Is the Best Time to Launch a Church-Wide Campaign?
Yesterday I kicked off this series by suggesting that of all the ways to launch small groups, nothing compares to the power and potential of a well chosen, strategically timed and skillfully implemented church-wide campaign. Are there other effective methods? Absolutely. Do they pack as big of a punch? No. Definitely…no. But I need to qualify that answer.…
Read MoreHow to Choose the Right Church-Wide Campaign
Of all the ways to launch small groups, nothing compares to the power and potential of a well chosen, strategically timed and skillfully implemented church-wide campaign. All three elements are essential, but when you get all three right…no other strategy comes close. In this article I want to point out three keys to choosing the…
Read MoreReview: Connecting in Communities by Eddie Mosley
Had a chance over the weekend to dig into Connecting in Communities: Understanding the Dynamics of Small Groups by Eddie Mosley. I recently interviewed Eddie about LifePoint’s Discipleship Pathway and was eager to get a look at his new book. I wasn’t disappointed. There’s a lot to like about the newest addition to the small…
Read MoreMore from Josh Walters on Seacoast’s Missional Community Strategy
I began a conversation yesterday with Josh Walters, Seacoast’s Life Group Pastor. One of the most important grouplife trends right now is the development of missional communities. One of the churches on my radar right now is Seacoast Church. They ought to be on yours, too. Mark: You told us yesterday that you started the transition to a…
Read MoreJosh Walters on Seacoast’s Missional Community Strategy
One of the most important grouplife trends right now is the development of missional communities. One of the churches on my radar right now is Seacoast Church. They ought to be on yours, too. Here’s my conversation with Josh Walters, Seacoast’s Life Group Pastor. Mark: I know Seacoast has been moving toward the missional community…
Read MoreTop 10 Posts for February 2011
Here are my top 10 posts for February, 2011. Interesting, only one of these is from 2010. The rest are from January or February. GroupLife Insights from William Vanderbloemen and Justin Lathrop Review: Life’s Toughest Questions (featuring Erwin McManus, from Lifeway’s Platform series) CRAVE: An Exploration of the Human Spirit (a 7 Session Study from…
Read MoreReview: Walking with God in the Desert
Walking with God in the Desert, the newest volume in Ray Vander Laan’s long running Faith Lessons series, is also the newest addition to a growing number of Zondervan produced, church-wide experiences. And if you’re familiar with Vander Laan, you know right away this one will provide a different experience than almost anything else available.…
Read MoreConnecting the Widening 60% (who are unreachable by the attractional model)
In my mind, one of the most important trends to watch (and one that will require our most intentional counter-strategies) is what Tim Stevens calls the shrinking 40% that are still reachable by an attractional model. More to the point, the stats are coming in from many sources that indicate there are serious reasons to…
Read MoreMore from Mindy Caliguire on Spiritual Formation
One of the most current grouplife trends is the integration of spiritual formation practices into small group curriculum. In yesterday’s post we began a conversation with Mindy Caliguire, a leading spiritual formation voice. Here is part two of our conversation: Mark: Dallas Willard, Richard Foster, and maybe John Ortberg (for the everyman in us) are…
Read MoreMindy Caliguire on Spiritual Formation
If you’re following what’s happening in small group ministry, you know that one of the current grouplife trends is the integration of spiritual formation practices into small group curriculum. I’m seeing it as such a big influence that I asked Mindy Caliguire, a leading expert in spiritual formation, to give us some of her insight…
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