Pushing Boundary-Free GroupLife

Pushing Boundary-Free GroupLife

Top 10 Posts on Discipleship and Making Disciples in Groups

February 15, 2016 / Mark Howell / 0 Comments

A fundamental question about small group ministry is, “What have you designed your small groups to do?” or “What have you designed your small groups to make?”

I have always believed that small group ministries with the right design (a) make it easy for unconnected people to get connected and (b) nearly automatic that they enter an environment designed for life-change. Neither design element happens without intentionality. Both design elements require deep empathy for the needs of the customer (both expressed and unexpressed needs). See also, 5 Things I Wish You Knew As You Build Your Small Group Ministry.

Here are my top 10 posts on discipleship and making disciples in groups:

1. Top 10 Things I Need to Know about Discipleship
2. 6 Reasons Our Discipleship Strategies Miss the Mark
3. How to Make Disciples in Small Groups
4. 6 Essential Questions about Making Disciples and Small Group Ministry
5. 5 Signs You May Have a Bad Disciple-Making Strategy
6. 4 Leading Indicators of Small Group Ministries that Make Disciples
7. Lagging Indicators of Effective Disciple-Making Small Group Ministries
8. Skill Training: Equip Your Coaches to Develop and Disciple Leaders
9. 7 Practices for Developing and Discipling Your Coaches
10. 8 Things I Know for Sure about Making Disciples in Small Groups

Image by Russell Yarwood

H3 Leadership Is the Best Book on Leadership I’ve Read in a Long Time

February 12, 2016 / Mark Howell / 0 Comments

I don’t know how it will be for you, but H3 Leadership: Be Humble. Stay Hungry. Always Hustle is a book I just about couldn’t put down! So good! The newest book from Brad Lomenick, is a great read and one I will come back to again and again.

Brad Lomenick is the former Executive Director and key Visionary of Catalyst for 12 years, helping to build it into a dynamic and world changing organization, a community of change makers. He is a leadership consultant, speaker, founder of BLINC, and author of The Catalyst Leader and H3 Leadership. He also has a great blog where he writes about leadership, the next generation, creativity, innovation, social media, teamwork, and personal growth.
H3 Leadership identifies 20 essential leadership habits organized into three distinct filters Lomenick calls “the 3 Hs”: Humble (Who am I?), Hungry (Where do I want to go?) and Hustle (How will I get there?).
I read my copy on a Kindle, but it is still highlighted and bookmarked throughout. I’m not surprised. Actually I noticed in the about this book section that 1413 passages had been highlighted 48956 times! Clearly…I am not the only one thinking this is a great read, packed with powerful insights into leadership.
H3 Leadership begins with a chapter zero that sets the tone for the book. Chapter zero tells the story of the end of Lomenick’s time with Catalyst and the sabbatical that produced the reflection that led to the book. More importantly, chapter zero introduces the idea that “leadership is more than hard work; it is habitual work” and that “the path to being a better leader is paved with the asphalt of the habits we develop.”
Each chapter covers one of the 20 essential leadership habits and every chapter is literally full of great personal stories, quotes and insights from world leaders past and present. Very readable (although I was constantly turning back a page or two to reread something I had just highlighted or bookmarked), I read the first section in one sitting. Couldn’t put it down!
Every chapter also includes a set of very practical takeaway practices, a set of practices that if built into habit will be life-changing. These form the basis for what could be (and should be) a set of powerful daily practices.
Honestly, I cannot recommend H3 Leadership highly enough! This is without a doubt the best book on leadership I’ve read in a long, long time. If you’ve not picked it up yet, stop what you are doing and get it right now. You will be very glad you did.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above may be “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”