PastorHacks

Syncing Folders

Sigh... I've tried numerous ways to sync the "Sermons" folder on my laptop with the "Sermons" folder on iDisk. I want simple, instantaneous folder syncing. Time Machine is great, backups are great, but...

I've lost enough more recent sermons in catastrophic disk happenings to want not to rely completely on backups. 

I want syncing... (Feel free to tell me how to do this if you know!)

I've tried various methods- including this automator action. Not sure yet if it's something I need to run at certain points (which defeats the purpose) or if I can find a way to make it happen automatically. This seems like a screaming need that Mac should address. 

So, imagine my surprise when I saw that Windows will probably have a Mac solution for this before Mac does. 

Windows only (for the moment): Microsoft has thrown open the doors to a "tech preview" of its Live Mesh service, a kind of web-boosted version ofLifehacker favorite folder-syncing tool FolderShare, with a bit of remote desktop connection thrown in. Signing up with a Windows Live ID gets you 5 GB of space to store folders you want to keep in sync, either from computer to computer, or with the Live Mesh desktop itself. I explored the Live Mesh space this morning and took a few screenshots, so let's take a look at what you can do.

Once you've signed up at Mesh.com, you'll arrive at the orbiting-devices-type screen seen above. If you're not just using Live Mesh as a Windows-onlywebtop, you'll want to set up synchronization with your computer. Click over to the big "+" symbol, choose between 32- and 64-bit downloads, then hit "Install" to download the small installation file.

As you can see above, functionality for mobile devices and—drum roll, please—even Mac OS X systems is in the works. Double-click the downloaded file, and the installation is pretty straightforward, as you choose a name for your system. You'll know it's worked when you see a Live Mesh icon in your system tray, and see your computer listed as a sync-ready device:

Syncing folders to your Live Desktop is made pretty easy, at least while you're running the Live Mesh software. Simply right-click on a folder, choose "Add folder to your Live Mesh," then choose a sync style:

I'm not sure if those options are grayed out because it's still a "tech preview," or because none of my documents fit the bill. Regardless, hit "OK," and the folder's contents are sent to the cloud. You'll know it in the future, too, because Live Mesh turns the folder metallic blue on your desktop, and adds a Live Mesh sidebar whenever you open it in Explorer.

Read the rest here from Lifehacker

Front Row Seat

There was a point in my life at which I hated weddings.

I'd do anything I could to get out of going, to leave early... When I think about all the celebrating I missed. Erg. 

I think the main problem was that I wasn't married myself- and I hated just about any and every reminder of that fact. 

Ditto things like dealing with hard issues in people's lives, confrontation, or even other people's sickness- nothing in my life had equipped me or even exposed me to much of that at all. 

So it was good to go into a vocation like ministry where I would deal with all of those on a regular basis :)

I drove home from the wedding the other day, really enjoying this role I get to play in people's lives...

In fact, I think I've always enjoyed actually doing weddings- well, except maybe that first one. The "pressure" to "enjoyment" ratio was way out of whack on that one. 

Good thing it only lasted about 10 minutes. 

On this last one, I think I finally crossed the 90% ratio in terms of pressure to enjoyment- now, it's almost all pure pleasure. I know what I'm doing with these things, I feel like I have something to offer... and most of all, I can relax and enjoy my front row seat. 

As a pastor, I get to see things that most people don't- I regularly stand two feet from men and women as they pledge their lives and their love to one another, tears streaming down their faces. I'm standing there at one of the most significant moments of their lives, helping to create it. And I'm literally the only person in the room who can see the faces of both the bride and the groom, and all their family and friends at once. It's amazing. What once felt like a supreme pressure not to mess it up (after all, who wants to bethat pastor who calls the bride by the wrong name or accidently skips the vows) has now given way to just feeling honored at being invited so close to something so intimate. 

I think that particular framing is also my way forward when it comes to dealing with some of the harder stuff too- I still don't relish the hard issues, the confrontation or the hospital visits and sickness. And I can't imagine anything I'm looking forward to less than the first Evergreen funeral. But...

I know that if I fight involvement in those things internally, I will "mess it up." I'll be less present than needed, I'll look for the easy ways out. I'll do my "job" and move on- and that, frankly, is a half-assed way to approach something as sacred as entre' into the hardest parts of people's lives. 

Better to lean in- to feel honored to sit with someone in their sickness, their moment of grief. To feel the weight of being trusted by God to be present at the birth of that piece of someone's character that is forged in confrontation and (hopefully) resolution. To feel privileged to have a front row seat in the marriages, the arguments, the strife as well as the forgiveness, the growth, and the healing that takes place. 

At least at this point in my life, I can't imagine doing anything else...

How to Stay Mentally Vibrant in Ministry

From MMI and Todd Rhoades

In his book, Practicing Greatness, Reggie McNeal discusses how great leaders need to stay very sharp mentally. Reggie gives us several ways that we can keep our brain chemistry healthy. Some are simple. Others take a little more effort:

• Adequate sleep (a sleep-hungry brain is subject to fuzzy thinking and poor judgment)

• Proper Diet (especially a good amount of protein)

• Moderate your use of alcohol, caffeine, nicotine (don’t use these to ‘medicate your anxiety’

• Adequate exercise (helps physically, but also mentally)

• Daily doses of positive human contact (leaders who are connected are keeping their brains ‘wired’)

• Mental recreation (It helps from making your thoughts dull and tired)

• Muse time (time to ponder, noodle, reflect)

Hmmm... think I'm in trouble. Can't say I'm doing well on ANY of those!

How about you? 

Using Jott with iGTD

Okay- lots of you use iGTD... more and more of you use Jott. 
From TUAW, here's the run down on how to use one to add to-do's to the other:

Jott is a service that allows you to send email and text messages by calling a private phone number. Calling this number allows you to leave a message which then gets dictated and sent to a recipient, including yourself. With the power of Brett's new Jott2iGTD utility and a customized rule you created in Apple Mail, you can leave a message with Jott that is emailed to you, which Mail processes and automatically converts into an iGTD task. Jotting (ha!) down a reminder or idea probably can't get much easier than this, though some setup and file shuffling is involved to get this all running properly.

Read the rest

Creativist reviews Evernote for iPhone

You really need to check out Evernote. The ability to capture pages, thoughts, paragraphs is amazing. not to mention the outstanding mobil access/ With the advent of iPhone 2.0 (cue symphonic swells...), and the Evernot App from the App Store, Evernote is even handier. I dig it. 

John at Creativist is pretty positive, but gives us some critical thoughts as well..

I’m deeply committed to Yojimbo, but I’ve been flirting with Evernote for about three months now. Last week, Evernote rolled out a beautiful new iPhone app with the launch of the app store. Here are a few early impressions of the iPhone app:

• It looks fantastic. It is fun to look at, and easy to understand.
• It is the perfect app to capture ideas as it will seamlessly allow the user to capture an image, a note, or even an audio reminder.
• The interface for viewing your notes isn’t as fun to look at. Text maintains the same formatting and linebreaks as the desktop version, so it doesn’t flow with the small screen. You can zoom in, but then you have to scroll side to side. Granted, it is a beautiful thing to have access to all my notes on the iPhone, but I’d like for them to be a little easier to read and navigate.
• 
  
•  
• Read the rest of the review here
•  
•   

Sacred Rhythms...2

"It's not that I am averse to technology; I too have a cell phone, an office phone, a home phone and an email address, and they are much needed. However, I am aware of longings that run much deeper than what technology can address. I am noticing that the more I fill my life with the convenience of technology, the emptier I become in the places of my deepest longing. I long for the beauty and substance of being in the presence of those I love, even though it is less convenient. I long for spacious, thoughtful conversation even though it is less efficient. I long to be connected with my authentic self, even though it means being inaccessible to others at time. I long to be one who waits and listens deeply for the still, small voice of God, even if it means I must unplug from technology in order to become quiet enough to hear. 

Constant noise, interruption and drivenness to be more productive cut us off from or at least interrupt the direct experience of God and other human beings, and this is more isolating than we realize. Because we are experiencing less meaningful and divine connection, we are emptier relationally, and we try harder and harder to fill that loneliness with even more noise and stimulation. In so doing we lose touch with the quieter and more subtler experiences of God within.

This is a vicious cycle indeed."

- Ruth Haley Barton, Sacred Rhythms

PC-Only- Libra

Now, I'm jealous (and that's a rare thing for a MAC user!)

I love Delicious Library- it's beautiful, useful... and kind of expensive. Now, here's an equally beautiful, equally useful, yet FREE version for PC only.

 

Check out Libra!

Libra is a library software to organize your stuff: Books, Audio CDs, Movies, & Games (for a start). And it does so beautifully, and at an amazing price ($0 for non-commercial use).

Turn your webcam into a barcode scanner Hook up your webcam, and Libra turns it instantly into a barcode scanner. Point your webcam towards the barcode (in any orientation) on the back of your books, DVD's or CD's and Libra will auto-retrieve the product information automatically, and add it to your library. You can use a normal barcode scanner (including CueCats) too.

Lightning speed database Based on a real SQL database engine, Libra enables you to browse, sort or search through your items in lightning speed. You can do sophisticated queries too, like "show me all the books & DVD's tagged with 'fiction' and 'kid's stuff' that are not on loan" (that's a mouthful, isn't it? :) ).

sorting library items

Track who borrowed your stuff Keep track of what your friends borrowed from you, and never lose a single item again. Libra helps you keep detailed record of each loan and reminds you when it's due.

Print beautiful catalogs Once you have built your library collection, print out beautiful pages of your collection to create a catalog. The catalog will serve as a master index of all your items, so that you can track & find your items easily.

Share your collection online Export your library to web pages, and upload them to your web host to share with friends & family. Your friends can now browse through your entire collection, and know if you have a title that they need.

Attention to detail. We spent a great deal of effort in making things look pretty, and if you're running on Windows Vista (not absolutely required), you're in for a eye candy treat. From reflection on book shelves to glowing text on glass windows, we're pushing the limits of beauty on Windows, allowing you to show off your collection with great pride.

books rendered with different skins

Import existing collection Libra comes with import plugins for a number of popular applications, including Microsoft Excel. If you already store your existing data in one of these applications, you can easily import your collection into Libra without re-entering all items. For applications that are not supported currently, keep a lookout in our development forum to see if anyone has implemented the required plugin.

appointment bookends

lifehack.org sings the praises of appointment bookends- hard scheduling (putting it on your calendar!) time before and after appointments to prepare and debrief.

Here are the PastorHack version of prep and the life hack version of debrief-

Prep:

1. Pray (duh.) Ask God what HE wants to happen in the appointment. Ask God to help you hear what the other person is saying to you and help you both to hear what He is saying through their circumstance/story.

2. Review past notes, emails, etc from previous meetings with the person. Remember their personal details. What's his wife's name? What kind of schooling was he pursuing again? I was praying for them in regards to... ,etc.

In terms of meetings involving teams and more than one person, here's some good advice from lifehack:
Gather everything you will need; strive to dazzle your appointment with how prepared you are for them, and how intentionally focused you are. Review any related documents, and make notes of the questions you can get answered during the appointment. Appointments should be people-time, not paper-time.
If you are about to go into a meeting, do a mental roll-call of all the people who will be there, and compile your questions and outstanding items for them, whether related to the subject matter at hand or not. This part of the habit saves so many emails and phone calls in the rest of your week; you are capitalizing on the presence of others in a proactive way.

On the debrief:

Write down your de-brief of whatever memory you need to capture from the appointment. Grab your take-aways and lessons learned; reflect and rejuvenate.

Process your notes and get any new data you’ve captured into your system; file, calendar, replace and delete as you need to: The goal here is that meeting and appointment data by-passes your inbox and is immediately processed. Any new paperwork generated gets done or gets started when fresh in mind.

Get your jump-start on follow-up: Brainstorm all related next-actions related to the appointment or meeting you just had, and calendar what you can, including appointments with yourself— time blocked for those priorities you deem most important.

Use whatever time remains in that half-hour to get something done. Choose from that list of next actions you just wrote down, and do them.

Any other pastor-specific hacks/tips here?

Pinger/Jott Combo

I've blogged before about both Pinger and Jott. Just an update on how I am using/loving both...

Right now Pinger is my go-to when I have about 10 things to get out to people, including a number of groups, and I'm on the run or sitting in traffic. I have Pinger on my "favorites" dial it up, say the name of the person or group I need to get a message to and voila'... off it goes. There are times when I want personal contact and small talk with people. There are times I just need to convey some info without getting into too many conversations and sending an email isn't the best option (like when I'm driving)... Pinger to the rescue!

And the coolness factor just went up about ten-fold. For those of you with Macs, Pinger has Apple Address Book integration for easy and syncing. Very nice- makes keeping Pinger up-to-date a snap.

Jott is my mobile Hipster (I realize if you are new to this blog, that sentence makes no sense whatsoever...).

When I'm out and about and need to capture a thought, a to-do, or even send an email to someone I know doesn't get/like Pinger, I use Jott. Dial the number, say the name (if it's a reminder for myself, I just say "self") and speak... Jott transcribes the message and sends an email, with a link to the original voice file. I don't use Jott for getting things to others quite as much, mainly because the transcription tends to be a little hit-and-miss, but for capturing a thought or to-do for myself when I'm in the car or otherwise unable to write something down in my "ubiquitous capture tool", Jott is very, very cool...

Also- I can Twitter with Jott, add to-do's to my Vitalist inbox, add events to Google Calendar (and since I subscribe to that calendar in iCal, those events almost instantly show up on my iCal). It's quickly becoming an indispensable part of my work flow. 

Avoiding double booking...

Calendar hack

(that I'm desperately trying to remember) -

When you send an email to someone saying "How about meeting at 1pm on Friday?", "pencil" that in on your calendar program with a bunch of question marks (or otherwise tag it "tentative"). That way, in the heat of the scheduling moment when someone else is looking for some of your time, you won't accidentally double book. The question marks also remind me as I review my calendar to confirm with someone...

Why this hack now? Because Bob learns the hard way! (I'll let you know who emails me back first for that 1pm spot on Friday!)

An instrument...

"The presence of God, the discernment of God's speech, is not always easy or pleasant. Sometimes that voice- that voice that is not ours but God's- makes our lives more difficult and painful. Yet in that voice is our life, and that abundantly. It is the preacher's awesome task to be an instrument of that voice within the life of the congregation." 

- Will Willimon, Pastor

Books!

I don't know if this can legitimately go in the category of "less time on tasks, more time with people", but...

There are two ways to keep track of the books you loan out. The easy way and the fun way.

The easy way is simple- a list, either on paper or on your computer (Word file,Backpack list, note in Outlook/Entourage, etc) where you write down what you loan out.

The fun way? Well... don't click unless you have a bit of time...

Continue reading "Books!" »

I cannot tell you (though I'm about to!) how much I love BackPack and how much it has revolutionized certain processes for us. Our worship team publishes their schedule there. The Kids' ministry uses it for everything from listing background checked volunteers to curriculum. Our elders use it for agendas/minutes, finances, etc. 
I use it to know what my staff is working on and (I love this) I can add things to their to-do lists.

I can get my backpack pages on my iPhone and using PackRat, on my laptop even when I'm offline.

Next February, I may actually send a Valentine to my Backpack pages  
(Yes! You can email individual pages. Send an email with a to-do item and *poof*, like magic it's there)

Okay, okay... it's not ministry, just a tool for ministry... but I get excited.

Here's a helpful run down if you still want to know what BackPack is all about and how you can integrate it in with your GTD/workflow...

BackPack and GTD

Two apps help me keep in touch with people- I'll use MAC examples, but you could easily do this with outlook, Gmail/Google Calendar, etc.

I looked and looked and LOOKED for good contact management software that would work for pastors- everything out there either suffered from bloat (doing too many extraneous things) or was way over the top in cost. Nothing I saw did exactly what I wanted, so if there are any software developers out there, I have a million dollar (or perhaps couple thousand dollar) idea...

At any rate, here's my current work around to manage contacting.

I took my list of everyone I wanted to be in my contacting schedule, and made sure they were in my address book.

I did some division (wow- my math teachers were right... you really do use this stuff!) to figure out how many contacts over the Tuesday-Friday week, and came up with contacting everyone once in a six week period.

I opened my calendar, created a new calendar set called "contacting" and began dragging names to days, starting with the A's and moving on. I set each one to repeat in 6 weeks. 

I started a mail file called prayer/contacting.

Everyday I email, call or visit with that days people- when I email, I try to ask about how I can be praying for them and place their reply in my folder. The next time they come around in the schedule, I refresh my memory by looking at past emails/notes from them.

The final step was placing "write/pray for contacts for the day" in my "dailies" or the to-do list I start every day off with.

And voila'! An easy way to make sure that everyone I'm trying to stay in touch with (in this case our whole church) gets contacted regularly.

How about you all- what's your system?

"Christians, especially ministers, so often think that they must always contribute something when they are in the company of others, that this is the one service they have to render. They forget that listening can be a greater service than speaking.

Many people are looking for an ear that will listen. They do not find it among Christians, because Christians are talking where they should be listening. But [the one] who can no longer listen to his brother [or sister] will soon be no longer listening to God either... This is the beginning of the death of the spiritual life, and in the end there is nothing left but spiritual chatter and clerical condescension arrayed in pious words."

-Deitrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together

In developing a workflow, two things have already had an immediate impact- dailies and a couple of extra mail folders.

First, just a general comment- outsourcing my brain has been one of the best things I have ever done :)
Before getting serious about keeping some lists, I would struggle (usually with poor results) to keep large amounts of ideas, action items, emails to write, etc in my head.

My head leaks.

The answer has been simple- all I have to do is remember to do two things- write it down, and then look at it. And with email, the key has been- put it in the right space, look at it at the right time...

Many of you are all over this already, so feel free to skip this one.

Here's what I have been working on...

Continue reading "Workflow..." »

For the last year, I've been using 37 Signals' Highrise. It's an online contact management system that allows me to keep information about contacts and my (and others') interactions with them all in one place.

Basically, I felt the need for this after realizing that 
1. I was forgetting too many vital details in the lives of people in my church community and
2. I was spending too much time spinning my wheels trying to remember "Now, what did we talk about last time???" before meeting with someone.

With Highrise, and simply taking a few minutes to record pertinent info after a significant conversation or meeting, the details are captured and can be reviewed when needed.

Now, clearly, all of this can happen in Address Book/Outlook/whatever. The beauty of Highrise is that it lives online and can be shared among elders and leaders. Now, I don't have to ask my associate pastor to recap every coffee/meeting with people I want to keep current on. I can just check out Highrise and read the notes.

And I don't write EVERYTHING in there. Just stuff that is appropriate/needful for other pastors/elders to see.

Check it out- there's a free plan that allows up to two separate users. You can upgrade as well, though you probably can work around the two-user limit. 

Here's a write-up of how one pastor uses Highrise...

Pastor uses Highrise to keep track of interactions with his congregation

Rev. Andrew Conard, Pastor of Congregational Care at The United Methodist Church, writes in: "I have found Highrise to be an excellent way to keep track of interactions that I have with members and visitors to the congregation both in the hospital, in appointments, at worship and around town. Highrise has become an integral part of my task of providing the best possible care for each person."

Read the rest

I meet with a lot of church planters/potential church planters. It's usually something I enjoy a lot- It's not that I know everything about this gig, but if someone is looking for insight into how we've done what we have, the mistakes/lessons we've learned, some encouragement along the way... well, I've got that. 

One thing I'm looking to do is more intentional coaching with local church planters- I've got some things happening there, but as a supplement, I'm wanting to offer some time to anyone who wants it. I'm making two slots a month available- one is a one-on-one iChat (or Skype if we absolutely have to) with any church planter who's somewhere between core group and year three of their plant. All I want to know is that you've started gathering some folks/have some kind of plan in place- even if the details are very vague. In other words, I'm not looking to talk to folks who might maybe someday be thinking about praying about planting a church. Yeah?

The other time is a video chat on Shapevine.com in one of their Video Chat rooms (room 2 if its available, room 3 if it's not). This one would be me and two church planters who are anywhere along the process just talking church planting- peer coaching if you will. The nice thing with that one is that while there's just the three video slots, any number of people can join in via text/chat...

I'm opening up July/August/Sep now, so if you think this might be interesting to you, grab a slot...

Thanks so much to everyone who offered some ideas for Scheduling. Special thanks to Ed Eubanks who was the first to turn me on to Scheduly.

Absolutely amazing. Okay- not absolutely, it's still a bit beta-y. I had trouble doing a coupe of things- but eventually, got it all set up and it does exactly what I was looking for it to do- Free. 

I can make certain appointment times available, allow people to sign up online, it notifies me/allows me to accept or reject the appointment, AND updates my iCal or Google Calendar. (Outlook, too if you are into that) Awesome. 

If you are looking for something like this, check out Scheduly.

Some of my current (non-digital!) tools...

1. Small Moleskine- this is my prayer journal. I write out sentences or items as I pray. Really helps me focus when my mind wants to wander as well as helping me remember what it was I was praying for a couple of weeks ago. I use a two-page spread per week. As I become more of a prayer warrior, I hope to graduate up a size :)

2. Large Moleskine- this is my note-taking book. Sermons, seminars, books I'm reading- everything goes in here. I used to take notes on my laptop, but man- too many distractions that way. Can't answer an email on your Moleskine and besides- there's something about writing things down physically that helps cement them into your memory. Take notes on everything! Preferably in a place where you'll be able to find them again...

3. The large brown leather-looking notebook- Awesome deal- by the same company that made my hipster. Soft and flexible, refillable, magnetic clasp. I use it for diagramming, mind-mapping kinds of things. Stuff I want to draw/write out but that is so in process, it doesn't need to go into something quite as expensive as a Moleskine. 

4. G-2 Gel pen. The best. Just the best, Jerry. 

Problem: Too much time spent surfing.

Solution: Try two browsers. My friend is an avid internet user and finds watching videos on YouTube far more addictive than preparing an expense report. He needs to use the internet for research and communication, but every time he opens up his browser, he heads to his favorite fun sites instead. I suggested that he use two different browsers. He uses Firefox normally, so he should keep that one for personal surfing. He should then use Internet Explorer for his business surfing. His business browser won’t have any of the bookmarks that his personal browser will, so he won’t be as tempted. By separating the two uses, he can more easily discipline himself to work when he needs to work and play when he has the time. It’s not foolproof, but you need some self discipline... This just decreases how much you need.

I've recently switched all social application stuff over to Flock. So when I want to spend a couple minutes on Facebook, Shapevine, Twitter, etc, I fire up Flock. Now, when I'm trying to get other things done, it's a bit easier to discipline myself- I don't even have those bookmarked on my normal browser. 

 Anyone have other surfing/browser hacks? email ideas@pastorhacks.net

Okay Digital boys and girls, I need a hand. 

Here's what I'm looking for. 

Say I decide to make make a certain number of specific appointment times available with one or two slots to each (I'll tell you what this is about later). 

I don't have an admin, so...

I want people to be able, online to claim one of those slots. 

Bonus points if it automatically notifies me when that happens. 

Mega bonus points if it updates the appointment in my iCal or Google Calendar (either would work). 

Okay, hive-mind. Whatcha got???  

If you haven't checked out Basecamp, by the 37 Signals, you should...

Basecamp offers easy-to-use project management for organization like churches. Have a project involving many departments at your church, like a big summer event involving worship teams, kids ministries, hospitality, adult ministries, etc? 

Basecamp offers a place to consolidate, track and discuss everything you need to do to make that "big rock" happen. 

You should check it out: 

I dig Dockstar...

BackPack and GTD

I cannot tell you (though I'm about to!) how much I love BackPack and how much it has revolutionized certain processes for us. Our worship team publishes their schedule there. The Kids' ministry uses it for everything from listing background checked volunteers to curriculum. Our elders use it for agendas/minutes, finances, etc. 
I use it to know what my staff is working on and (I love this) I can add things to their to-do lists.

I can get my backpack pages on my iPhone and using PackRat, on my laptop even when I'm offline.

Next February, I may actually send a Valentine to my Backpack pages  
(Yes! You can email individual pages. Send an email with a to-do item and *poof*, like magic it's there)

Okay, okay... it's not ministry, just a tool for ministry... but I get excited.

Here's a helpful run down if you still want to know what BackPack is all about and how you can integrate it in with your GTD/workflow...

BackPack and GTD

Contacting

Two apps help me keep in touch with people- I'll use MAC examples, but you could easily do this with outlook, Gmail/Google Calendar, etc.

I looked and looked and LOOKED for good contact management software that would work for pastors- everything out there either suffered from bloat (doing too many extraneous things) or was way over the top in cost. Nothing I saw did exactly what I wanted, so if there are any software developers out there, I have a million dollar (or perhaps couple thousand dollar) idea...

At any rate, here's my current work around to manage contacting.

I took my list of everyone I wanted to be in my contacting schedule, and made sure they were in my address book.

I did some division (wow- my math teachers were right... you really do use this stuff!) to figure out how many contacts over the Tuesday-Friday week, and came up with contacting everyone once in a six week period.

I opened my calendar, created a new calendar set called "contacting" and began dragging names to days, starting with the A's and moving on. I set each one to repeat in 6 weeks. 

I started a mail file called prayer/contacting.

Everyday I email, call or visit with that days people- when I email, I try to ask about how I can be praying for them and place their reply in my folder. The next time they come around in the schedule, I refresh my memory by looking at past emails/notes from them.

The final step was placing "write/pray for contacts for the day" in my "dailies" or the to-do list I start every day off with.

And voila'! An easy way to make sure that everyone I'm trying to stay in touch with (in this case our whole church) gets contacted regularly.

How about you all- what's your system?

Note to Self...

"Christians, especially ministers, so often think that they must always contribute something when they are in the company of others, that this is the one service they have to render. They forget that listening can be a greater service than speaking.

Many people are looking for an ear that will listen. They do not find it among Christians, because Christians are talking where they should be listening. But [the one] who can no longer listen to his brother [or sister] will soon be no longer listening to God either... This is the beginning of the death of the spiritual life, and in the end there is nothing left but spiritual chatter and clerical condescension arrayed in pious words."

-Deitrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together

Workflow...

In developing a workflow, two things have already had an immediate impact- dailies and a couple of extra mail folders.

First, just a general comment- outsourcing my brain has been one of the best things I have ever done :)
Before getting serious about keeping some lists, I would struggle (usually with poor results) to keep large amounts of ideas, action items, emails to write, etc in my head.

My head leaks.

The answer has been simple- all I have to do is remember to do two things- write it down, and then look at it. And with email, the key has been- put it in the right space, look at it at the right time...

Many of you are all over this already, so feel free to skip this one.

Here's what I have been working on...

Continue reading "Workflow..." »

For the last year, I've been using 37 Signals' Highrise. It's an online contact management system that allows me to keep information about contacts and my (and others') interactions with them all in one place.

Basically, I felt the need for this after realizing that 
1. I was forgetting too many vital details in the lives of people in my church community and
2. I was spending too much time spinning my wheels trying to remember "Now, what did we talk about last time???" before meeting with someone.

With Highrise, and simply taking a few minutes to record pertinent info after a significant conversation or meeting, the details are captured and can be reviewed when needed.

Now, clearly, all of this can happen in Address Book/Outlook/whatever. The beauty of Highrise is that it lives online and can be shared among elders and leaders. Now, I don't have to ask my associate pastor to recap every coffee/meeting with people I want to keep current on. I can just check out Highrise and read the notes.

And I don't write EVERYTHING in there. Just stuff that is appropriate/needful for other pastors/elders to see.

Check it out- there's a free plan that allows up to two separate users. You can upgrade as well, though you probably can work around the two-user limit. 

Here's a write-up of how one pastor uses Highrise...

Pastor uses Highrise to keep track of interactions with his congregation

Rev. Andrew Conard, Pastor of Congregational Care at The United Methodist Church, writes in: "I have found Highrise to be an excellent way to keep track of interactions that I have with members and visitors to the congregation both in the hospital, in appointments, at worship and around town. Highrise has become an integral part of my task of providing the best possible care for each person."

Read the rest

I meet with a lot of church planters/potential church planters. It's usually something I enjoy a lot- It's not that I know everything about this gig, but if someone is looking for insight into how we've done what we have, the mistakes/lessons we've learned, some encouragement along the way... well, I've got that. 

One thing I'm looking to do is more intentional coaching with local church planters- I've got some things happening there, but as a supplement, I'm wanting to offer some time to anyone who wants it. I'm making two slots a month available- one is a one-on-one iChat (or Skype if we absolutely have to) with any church planter who's somewhere between core group and year three of their plant. All I want to know is that you've started gathering some folks/have some kind of plan in place- even if the details are very vague. In other words, I'm not looking to talk to folks who might maybe someday be thinking about praying about planting a church. Yeah?

The other time is a video chat on Shapevine.com in one of their Video Chat rooms (room 2 if its available, room 3 if it's not). This one would be me and two church planters who are anywhere along the process just talking church planting- peer coaching if you will. The nice thing with that one is that while there's just the three video slots, any number of people can join in via text/chat...

I'm opening up July/August/Sep now, so if you think this might be interesting to you, grab a slot...

Thanks so much to everyone who offered some ideas for Scheduling. Special thanks to Ed Eubanks who was the first to turn me on to Scheduly.

Absolutely amazing. Okay- not absolutely, it's still a bit beta-y. I had trouble doing a coupe of things- but eventually, got it all set up and it does exactly what I was looking for it to do- Free. 

I can make certain appointment times available, allow people to sign up online, it notifies me/allows me to accept or reject the appointment, AND updates my iCal or Google Calendar. (Outlook, too if you are into that) Awesome. 

If you are looking for something like this, check out Scheduly.

Some of my current (non-digital!) tools...

1. Small Moleskine- this is my prayer journal. I write out sentences or items as I pray. Really helps me focus when my mind wants to wander as well as helping me remember what it was I was praying for a couple of weeks ago. I use a two-page spread per week. As I become more of a prayer warrior, I hope to graduate up a size :)

2. Large Moleskine- this is my note-taking book. Sermons, seminars, books I'm reading- everything goes in here. I used to take notes on my laptop, but man- too many distractions that way. Can't answer an email on your Moleskine and besides- there's something about writing things down physically that helps cement them into your memory. Take notes on everything! Preferably in a place where you'll be able to find them again...

3. The large brown leather-looking notebook- Awesome deal- by the same company that made my hipster. Soft and flexible, refillable, magnetic clasp. I use it for diagramming, mind-mapping kinds of things. Stuff I want to draw/write out but that is so in process, it doesn't need to go into something quite as expensive as a Moleskine. 

4. G-2 Gel pen. The best. Just the best, Jerry. 

Problem: Too much time spent surfing.

Solution: Try two browsers. My friend is an avid internet user and finds watching videos on YouTube far more addictive than preparing an expense report. He needs to use the internet for research and communication, but every time he opens up his browser, he heads to his favorite fun sites instead. I suggested that he use two different browsers. He uses Firefox normally, so he should keep that one for personal surfing. He should then use Internet Explorer for his business surfing. His business browser won’t have any of the bookmarks that his personal browser will, so he won’t be as tempted. By separating the two uses, he can more easily discipline himself to work when he needs to work and play when he has the time. It’s not foolproof, but you need some self discipline... This just decreases how much you need.

I've recently switched all social application stuff over to Flock. So when I want to spend a couple minutes on Facebook, Shapevine, Twitter, etc, I fire up Flock. Now, when I'm trying to get other things done, it's a bit easier to discipline myself- I don't even have those bookmarked on my normal browser. 

 Anyone have other surfing/browser hacks? email ideas@pastorhacks.net

Okay Digital boys and girls, I need a hand. 

Here's what I'm looking for. 

Say I decide to make make a certain number of specific appointment times available with one or two slots to each (I'll tell you what this is about later). 

I don't have an admin, so...

I want people to be able, online to claim one of those slots. 

Bonus points if it automatically notifies me when that happens. 

Mega bonus points if it updates the appointment in my iCal or Google Calendar (either would work). 

Okay, hive-mind. Whatcha got???  

If you haven't checked out Basecamp, by the 37 Signals, you should...

Basecamp offers easy-to-use project management for organization like churches. Have a project involving many departments at your church, like a big summer event involving worship teams, kids ministries, hospitality, adult ministries, etc? 

Basecamp offers a place to consolidate, track and discuss everything you need to do to make that "big rock" happen. 

You should check it out: 

I dig Dockstar...

Highrise

For the last year, I've been using 37 Signals' Highrise. It's an online contact management system that allows me to keep information about contacts and my (and others') interactions with them all in one place.

Basically, I felt the need for this after realizing that 
1. I was forgetting too many vital details in the lives of people in my church community and
2. I was spending too much time spinning my wheels trying to remember "Now, what did we talk about last time???" before meeting with someone.

With Highrise, and simply taking a few minutes to record pertinent info after a significant conversation or meeting, the details are captured and can be reviewed when needed.

Now, clearly, all of this can happen in Address Book/Outlook/whatever. The beauty of Highrise is that it lives online and can be shared among elders and leaders. Now, I don't have to ask my associate pastor to recap every coffee/meeting with people I want to keep current on. I can just check out Highrise and read the notes.

And I don't write EVERYTHING in there. Just stuff that is appropriate/needful for other pastors/elders to see.

Check it out- there's a free plan that allows up to two separate users. You can upgrade as well, though you probably can work around the two-user limit. 

Here's a write-up of how one pastor uses Highrise...

Pastor uses Highrise to keep track of interactions with his congregation

Rev. Andrew Conard, Pastor of Congregational Care at The United Methodist Church, writes in: "I have found Highrise to be an excellent way to keep track of interactions that I have with members and visitors to the congregation both in the hospital, in appointments, at worship and around town. Highrise has become an integral part of my task of providing the best possible care for each person."

Read the rest

Coaching for/Chat with Church Planters

I meet with a lot of church planters/potential church planters. It's usually something I enjoy a lot- It's not that I know everything about this gig, but if someone is looking for insight into how we've done what we have, the mistakes/lessons we've learned, some encouragement along the way... well, I've got that. 

One thing I'm looking to do is more intentional coaching with local church planters- I've got some things happening there, but as a supplement, I'm wanting to offer some time to anyone who wants it. I'm making two slots a month available- one is a one-on-one iChat (or Skype if we absolutely have to) with any church planter who's somewhere between core group and year three of their plant. All I want to know is that you've started gathering some folks/have some kind of plan in place- even if the details are very vague. In other words, I'm not looking to talk to folks who might maybe someday be thinking about praying about planting a church. Yeah?

The other time is a video chat on Shapevine.com in one of their Video Chat rooms (room 2 if its available, room 3 if it's not). This one would be me and two church planters who are anywhere along the process just talking church planting- peer coaching if you will. The nice thing with that one is that while there's just the three video slots, any number of people can join in via text/chat...

I'm opening up July/August/Sep now, so if you think this might be interesting to you, grab a slot...

Scheduly!

Thanks so much to everyone who offered some ideas for Scheduling. Special thanks to Ed Eubanks who was the first to turn me on to Scheduly.

Absolutely amazing. Okay- not absolutely, it's still a bit beta-y. I had trouble doing a coupe of things- but eventually, got it all set up and it does exactly what I was looking for it to do- Free. 

I can make certain appointment times available, allow people to sign up online, it notifies me/allows me to accept or reject the appointment, AND updates my iCal or Google Calendar. (Outlook, too if you are into that) Awesome. 

If you are looking for something like this, check out Scheduly.

Some of my Current Tools

Some of my current (non-digital!) tools...

1. Small Moleskine- this is my prayer journal. I write out sentences or items as I pray. Really helps me focus when my mind wants to wander as well as helping me remember what it was I was praying for a couple of weeks ago. I use a two-page spread per week. As I become more of a prayer warrior, I hope to graduate up a size :)

2. Large Moleskine- this is my note-taking book. Sermons, seminars, books I'm reading- everything goes in here. I used to take notes on my laptop, but man- too many distractions that way. Can't answer an email on your Moleskine and besides- there's something about writing things down physically that helps cement them into your memory. Take notes on everything! Preferably in a place where you'll be able to find them again...

3. The large brown leather-looking notebook- Awesome deal- by the same company that made my hipster. Soft and flexible, refillable, magnetic clasp. I use it for diagramming, mind-mapping kinds of things. Stuff I want to draw/write out but that is so in process, it doesn't need to go into something quite as expensive as a Moleskine. 

4. G-2 Gel pen. The best. Just the best, Jerry. 

Two Browser Hack

Problem: Too much time spent surfing.

Solution: Try two browsers. My friend is an avid internet user and finds watching videos on YouTube far more addictive than preparing an expense report. He needs to use the internet for research and communication, but every time he opens up his browser, he heads to his favorite fun sites instead. I suggested that he use two different browsers. He uses Firefox normally, so he should keep that one for personal surfing. He should then use Internet Explorer for his business surfing. His business browser won’t have any of the bookmarks that his personal browser will, so he won’t be as tempted. By separating the two uses, he can more easily discipline himself to work when he needs to work and play when he has the time. It’s not foolproof, but you need some self discipline... This just decreases how much you need.

I've recently switched all social application stuff over to Flock. So when I want to spend a couple minutes on Facebook, Shapevine, Twitter, etc, I fire up Flock. Now, when I'm trying to get other things done, it's a bit easier to discipline myself- I don't even have those bookmarked on my normal browser. 

 Anyone have other surfing/browser hacks? email ideas@pastorhacks.net

Appointment Setting?

Okay Digital boys and girls, I need a hand. 

Here's what I'm looking for. 

Say I decide to make make a certain number of specific appointment times available with one or two slots to each (I'll tell you what this is about later). 

I don't have an admin, so...

I want people to be able, online to claim one of those slots. 

Bonus points if it automatically notifies me when that happens. 

Mega bonus points if it updates the appointment in my iCal or Google Calendar (either would work). 

Okay, hive-mind. Whatcha got???  

Basecamp

If you haven't checked out Basecamp, by the 37 Signals, you should...

Basecamp offers easy-to-use project management for organization like churches. Have a project involving many departments at your church, like a big summer event involving worship teams, kids ministries, hospitality, adult ministries, etc? 

Basecamp offers a place to consolidate, track and discuss everything you need to do to make that "big rock" happen. 

You should check it out: 

Mail Badger for Apple Mail

I dig Dockstar...