Showing posts with label email. Show all posts
Showing posts with label email. Show all posts

20 Interesting Facts About Today's Kids That You Need to Know

Look into the lives of today's kids and you'll see interesting facts that are a reflection of their native culture.

1. Hybrid automobiles have always been mass produced.

2. They have never licked a postage stamp.

3. Email is “formal” communication, while texts and tweets are "casual" communication.

4. They have grown up treating Wi-Fi as an entitlement.

5. The announcement of someone being the “first woman” to hold a position has only impressed their parents.

6. Cell phones have become so ubiquitous in class that teachers don’t know which students are using them to take notes and which ones are planning a party.

7. Their parents have gone from encouraging them to use the Internet to begging them to get off it.
 
8. If you say “around the turn of the century,” they may well ask you, “which one?”

9. They have avidly joined Harry Potter as they built their reading skills through all seven volumes.

10. The therapeutic use of marijuana has always been legal in a growing number of American states.

11. The eyes of Texas have never looked upon The Houston Oilers.

12. Teachers have always had to insist that term papers employ sources in addition to those found online.

13. Playhouse Disney was a place where they could play growing up.

14. Surgeons have always used “super glue” in the operating room.

15. The Lion King has always been on Broadway.

16. First Responders have always been heroes.

17. CNN has always been available en EspaƱol.

18. TV has always been in such high definition that they could see the pores of actors and the grimaces of quarterbacks.

19. Mr. Jones and Mr. Smith have always been Men in Black, not their next-door neighbors.

20. Amoco gas stations have steadily vanished from the American highway.

This list came from Beloit College.

10 Great Leaders Share How to Get More Done in a Day

If you're like me, there are always more tasks than there is time, so I look for ways to be more productive.

Recently I read an article in Business Insider that shared some of the ways great leaders get more done in a day.

Dustin Moskovitz, one of the co-founders of Facebook and CEO of Asana, doesn't schedule any meetings on Wednesdays.  He says it's an invaluable tool for ensuring he has some contiguous space to do project work.

Beth Doane, founder of an apparel line called Raintees, let's all of her non-scheduled calls go to voice mail.  She sets aside time at the end of the day to sort through the calls and return the ones that are needed.

Jamie Wong, founder of a travel firm called Vayable, schedules three non-work-related activities each week that nothing can interfere with.  She commits to one activity in each of the catergories, "Create," "Love," and "Grow."

Joe Silverman, founder of New York Computer Help, has his own rewards system for achieving goals that he sets.  An example would be to complete a sales goal and get a coffee from Starbucks.

Tracy DiNunzio, founder and CEO of Tradesy, works from home one day a week.  She carves out time blocks throughout the day to focus on whatever is at the top of her to-do-list.

Bobby Harris, founder and president of BlueGrace Logistics, keeps meetings as short as possible.  He never accepts a meeting without a clear agenda and then asks how long they need.  Then he cuts the amount of time in half.  He says to start and stop your meeting on time, every time.

James Borow, co-founder and CEO of Shift, sets aside emails that aren't related to his to-do list.  He says to  treat your email as a to-do list as opposed to just reacting all of the time.

Rob Israel, co-founder of Doc Popcorn, starts each day with a two-word mantra.  He sets aside quiet time each morning to think about what the two words will be...based on what is needed that day.  And example would be the words "peace and play" or "calm and strength."

Lucas Donat, founder and CEO of Tiny Rebellion, gets his hardest work done before other people get up.  4-7 a.m. is the time when he does his hardest work.  He says it allows him to start his day with a sense of accomplishment. 

Robert Kirkman, creator of the comic book and TV series The Walking Dead, creates a sense of false urgency for himself.  He tells himself he has to write 12 pages of script a day, when in actuality he only needs to write 5.  But the sense of urgency he has created causes him to write at least 7-8 pages. 

What are some other productivity tips you use or have read about?  Share them with everyone in the comment section below.

Do You Emotionally Crash After Big Events? Here's 6 Things You Need to Know

You spend weeks or even months planning and preparing for a big event, program or day. 

It finally arrives and everything goes well or even exceeds your expectations.  In spite of that, you wake up the next day and instead of feeling great joy, you feel like quitting.  You are emotionally spent.  You feel like you have nothing more to give.  And you wonder what's wrong...you wonder why you are feeling this way.

Don't worry and don't quit.  What you are experiencing is normal.  Here's five things to know about why you crash.

You're experiencing an emotional let down of going from an exciting, challenging, pressure-filled situation to one that’s less demanding.  When you are in the midst of preparing for the big event, your adrenaline is pumping.  Once the event is over, the sense of urgency and adrenaline rushes you felt slow down or even stop.  This causes a withdrawal.

What to do?  Be aware that this is going to happen.  It will help you understand what you are feeling.

You feel like you are going from exciting work back to a "boring" routine. 

What to do?  Fight this by establishing an ongoing growth routine that will keep you challenged, even when you don't have a "big event" going on.

You are experiencing a form of burnout.  Pulling off a big event takes lots of mental, emotional, and physical effort.  Many times, the amount of energy it takes exceeds the amount of energy you have in reserve.  When this happens, you burn out.  This means when you think about post-event work like follow-up, you feel overwhelmed and you don't think you can pull it off.

What to do?  Set expectations for what you can realistically do before, during, and after the event so you have something left to give after it's over.

You probably have a backlog of regular work that has accumulated while you were pulling off the big event.  The rest of your job didn't stand still and now feeling like you can't catch up is discouraging.

What to do?  Instead of diving right into the work, take time to sit down and list, clarify and prioritize what needs to be done.  This will give you a new sense of direction that is energizing.

Your tank is empty.  As mentioned above, you've spent out all of your energy.  You've got nothing left to give.

What to do?  Take some time off.  If you can't take an extended period of time off, then schedule some short breaks.  Get away from your work and take a walk, exercise, do a hobby you like, spend time with a friend, turn off your email and just relax. 

You reached your goal.  To stay engaged, we require new experiences and challenges. 

What to do?  Find something new to be excited about.  Make time to explore new ideas and opportunities. 

Conclusion...
How you feel and what you do following a big event is just as important in the long run as the event itself.  Knowing what to do with the feelings and burnout you experience will help you move from one big win to a consistent streak of wins.

The floor is yours...
Do you experience this after big events or programs?
How do you respond to these feelings?
What has helped you bounce back after a big event or program?
Share with us in the comment section below.

7 Things Effective Children's Ministry Leaders Do Before Lunch



Routine is a children's ministry leader's best friend.  Effective leaders follow a schedule and are very intentional about how they spend their time.

Morning time sets the tone for the entire day.  How you spend your mornings will largely determine how productive your day is going to be.

Here's 7 things effective children's ministry leaders do every morning.

1. Get up early.  Effective children's ministry leaders get an early start.  You will rarely catch them hitting the snooze button.  

2. Spend time with God.  They start their day by connecting with God through prayer and Bible reading.  Their ministry is an overflow of their relationship with God.

3. Eat something healthy for breakfast.  They realize that the first meal is the most important meal of the day.  They fuel their body with healthy food choices.

4. Read to learn.  Whether it's a book, blog, news feed or website, they make time to grow as leaders.

5. Make a do list.  They make a list of tasks they want to accomplish that day.

6. Block time to check email.  They check their email and respond where needed.  Instead of being controlled by email throughout the day, they have set times to check it. 

7. Tackle the big tasks first.  They prioritize their tasks and work on the most important ones first instead of procrastinating.

Your turn, share with us in the comment section below.
What are some other parts of your morning routine as a leader?
What are some other morning practices you have observed in effective leaders? 

Grow Your Children's Ministry by 13% with This 1 Simple Step

A recent experiment increased attendance in over half of the churches that participated.

What was the key?

1 simple step - an email sent on Saturday inviting their people to come on Sunday.  This resulted in a 13% average week by week attendance boost.

Why send the email on Saturday?  Timing is everything.  Saturday is a low volume and high open rate day for emails.  And with 48% of email openings happening on a mobile device, people don't have to be at work to check their email. 

Why Email Doesn't Work Anymore (and how to really connect with guest families)

We send each guest family a thank you letter and a coupon the child can bring back for a gift on their second visit.

Last week, I was looking at the number of coupons that have been brought back this year and it is significantly less than last year...way significantly less.  And it's not because we've had fewer guest families.  In fact, the number of guest families is way up.

So why the huge drop in returned coupons?  One simple answer.  We switched from sending a physical letter to sending email letters.  The result?  A much smaller return. 

This week we're switching back to sending physical letters.  Here is the interesting thing.  Now that most communication is done electronically, physical letters really stand out and get read.

Think about it.  Besides junk mail coming to your mail box, how many physical letters do you get?  Not many I'm guessing.

And if the letter is handwritten...wow...huge attention grabber.

People receive so many emails today that most get the delete treatment.  We all know what it's like to have a full inbox.  The solution...hit that delete button as fast as you can as you scroll through your emails.

Want to get your correspondence read?  Use physical letters.  Old school is making a comeback!

Go Fish VBS Curriculum Giveaway ($199 value)














Shine is the newest VBS from the team at Go Fish. 

Here are just a few of the new elements they’ve added this year…
  • "Tasty Treats & Funky Beats" rotation where kids not only make a tasty treat, but learn some funky new grooves from some incredible drummers and beatboxers! 
  • Detailed decoration instructions and videos to help you transform your church into an amazing place to shine! 
  • Bible lessons that include a "Digging Deeper" section for older students.  Preschool lessons can be used as a modification for younger elementary students.
Everything you need is in your SHINE Complete Curriculum Kit.  Other than craft supplies and optional decorations, the kit is jam packed with items.

No doubt about it, Go Fish curriculum is different.  However, ask any church that’s tried it and they’ll tell you…once you do VBS the Go Fish way, your children and volunteers will never let you go back!

We're giving away a complete Shine VBS kit ($199 value) to one of our readers .  All you need to do to enter is email us at dalehudsoncm2@gmail.com.  We'll announce the winner right here next Monday.

You can get more information about ordering Shine VBS at this link.

3 Secrets to Writing Emails That Parents Actually Read

Email is still a great way to communicate with parents.  In fact, a recent survey of parents showed that they prefer email communication.

We all get tons of email, don't we.  Don't open your inbox for a few days and the emails begin overflowing. 

The parents you are trying to communicate with get lots of emails as well.  So, how do you get them to read your ministry emails?

Here's 3 secrets...

Maximize the subject line.
Use the subject line to grab their attention.
Keep it 50 characters or less.
Don't use the words need, help, or reminder.
Use words like announcing, invitation, your (ministry name) update, plans for, etc.

Highlight key information.
Highlight or bold key words or phrases.  This will help them catch vital information.

Keep it short. 
If the email is long, parents will check out.
Cut the fluff.  Communicate only essential information.
Use bullet points and short sentences. 

What are some other tips for communicating effectively with parents by email?  Share with us in the comment section below.

Why You Should Diversify Your Communication with Parents

How do you communicate with parents?

Email?
Text?
Facebook?
Website?
Phone?
Take home paper?
Newsletter?
USPS?
YouTube?
Bulletin ads?
Posters in the hallway?
Brochures?
Banners?

No matter how much you try to communicate with parents, each family is unique, so HOW you communicate is just as important as WHAT you communicate.

No one method of communication works 100% of the time.  No one method will reach everyone.

So if you want to connect with as many parents as possible, then diversify your communication.

What tools are you currently using to communicate with parents?  Share with us in the comment section below.

6 Steps to Effective Fall Festival Follow-Up

Churches across the country hosted Fall Festivals this past week.

As a result, many churches saw first-time guest families walk through their doors. 

Now that the event is over the big questions is - How do I get them to return for a weekend service?  How do I engage them with our church and more importantly see them become followers of Christ?

Here's 6 steps that will help you effectively follow up with your Fall Festival guests.

1. Get their contact information. 
If you're going to follow up with them, you obviously have to get their contact information.  Have a plan in place for this.  It might be having them register to enter the event or a drawing for a giveaway during the fall festival or a photo booth where you take their picture and mail it to them later.

2. Give them a great experience.
Make sure your guests have a blast at the event.  If they have a bad experience, follow-up will be futile.

3. Send them an email.
Send them an email the day after the event.  Here's the email we sent out this year.

Dear Parent,

Thank you for being our guest at the 2013 Family Fall Festival. We hope you had a great time. Christ Fellowship is a family made up of people just like you and me, who come together to encourage and support each other on this journey called life.

One of the most exciting and challenging parts of life is being a parent. At Christ Fellowship, we want to help your kids learn more about God and discover the purpose He has for their lives.  We also desire to come alongside parents to provide parenting tools, resources, encouragement and support.

You can get more information about Christ Fellowship by visiting our website at www.goChristFellowship.com or by calling (561) 799-7600. We also invite you to be our guest at any of our weekend services. We're here for you and your family.

Hope to see you this weekend!


4. Send them a letter.
Another option is to send them a letter with the above information or send the email and then a letter the next week with different wording.

5. Call them.
A short...thank you for coming...if we can be of any service to you...phone call is appropriate.  I would encourage you to keep it light and not come across as pushy. 

6. Invite them to your next big event.
Add them to your mailing list and invite them to your next event.  Even if they don't show up for a church service the next weekend, you may see them return for another event.  Keep planting seeds...God will bring the fruit.

3 Simple Ways to Get More Done

Want to get more done?  Here's three simple steps that will increase your productivity. 

Pick up the phone instead of sending an email. 
If the email is more than a short paragraph, it needs to be a quick phone call instead.  Stop writing email "books" and take care of it with a quick phone call.

Eliminate some meetings. 
Don't meet just to meet.  When you do meet, don't spend half your time "shooting the breeze."  Take care of business and dismiss.

Spend your time on big impact items.
The bigger the impact, the more time you want to spend on it.  The less the impact, the less time you want to spend on it.

Pour your time into the things that will produce the biggest results.  Small details matter, but delegate them to others.

Remember the goal is not to be busy...but to be effective.  They're not the same thing.

Your turn.  What are some other simple ways to get more done?  Share with us in the comment section below.

Do You Know the 6 Ways You Can Use Technology to Connect with Parents?

If you want to connect with the parents in your ministry, then technology is your friend.

Here's 6 proven methods you can use to connect with the parents in your ministry through technology.

Twitter.  Create a Twitter account for your children's ministry.  It's a great way to convey a message or interface with parents. 

Facebook.  Start a parent facebook page.   Here's more info. on that.

Text.  Did you know that 98% of text messages get read.  We use text each week to communicate with parents about their child's lesson at church.   Here's more info. on that.

Email.  It may be old technology, but it still works.  Build a list of parent's emails and then use it to send an email with a link to registration for events, a parenting video, upcoming events, and more.

Pinterest.  Create a pinterest page for your ministry.  Post parenting ideas, Bible story reviews, and more.

Mobile app.  You can have your own custom app made for your ministry through companies like Roar.  This is a great way to stay connected with families in your ministry while providing them with a tool to disciple their child.

What other ways can we use technology to connect with parents?  Share your thoughts and ideas in the comment section below.

16 Ways to Lose the Trust of Your Volunteers (and how to avoid it)

Don't return their phone calls or emails.
How to avoid...
  • Return phone calls or emails within 24 hours.  48 hours max.
Don't communicate with them.
How to avoid...
  • Communicate with them weekly.  
  • Find out what method of communication is most effective for your team and use it. 
Don't follow through on your promises.
How to avoid...
  • The moment you make a promise, write it down.  
  • Make it happen.
  • Report back to them that it is complete.
Don't be prepared when you ask them to come to a training session or meeting.
How to avoid...
  • Be prepared and set up before they start arriving.  
  • I recommend being set up and ready to go at least 30 minutes before the meeting starts.  This allows you to be relaxed and able to spend time with your team before the meeting starts.
  • Make it worth their time.  People don't attend a training meeting because they've been to one.
Don't pay your bills on time.
How to avoid...
  • Be above reproach with your finances. 
  • Be known in the community as a person of integrity and someone who pays their bills on time.  If you are not...word will get around.
Don't be above reproach with the opposite sex.
How to avoid...
  • Set clear boundaries about your interaction with members of the opposite sex.
  • If you are married, never ride alone in a car with someone of the opposite sex except your spouse.
  • Have a window where people can see into your office at all times.
  • Be very careful about counseling a member of the opposite sex.  If you have to, then have someone else in the room.  The best scenario is to not counsel anyone of the opposite sex alone.
Don't be prepared for the weekend services.
How to avoid...
  • Be prepared and ready to go way before the service begins.  This allows you to relax and spend time with the kids, parents, and volunteers as they arrive. 
  • Check everything ahead of time.  Object lessons, sound cues, videos, etc.  Never assume it is going to work without testing it.
Don't practice what you preach.
How to avoid...
  • Lead by example.
  • Spend more time working on you than you do on the ministry.
Don't listen to their concerns or ideas.
How to avoid...
  • Not only listen to ideas and feedback, but seek it out.
  • Be more concerned about understanding than about being understood.
  • Remain teachable.  
  • Hold the ministry with open hands.
Don't be available for them in their time of need.
How to avoid...
  • Don't just say you are going to pray for them, actually take time to pray with them.
  • When they are in the hospital, experience a loss, or hurting...be there.  
  • It's not what you will say during those times, it's your presence that will make the biggest difference.
Don't support your Pastor and church leaders. 
How to avoid...
  • Be loyal to your Pastor and church leaders.
  • Don't whine or complain about how tough your job is or how much you are getting paid.
  • Always practice direct communication.  If an issue or question arises between you and your Pastor or direct report, go talk directly to that person instead of having a side conversation with your volunteers.
Don't give them credit for accomplishments.
How to avoid...
  • Push other people into the spotlight instead of yourself.
  • Brag on your volunteers...a lot.
  • Take time to recognize the people who worked behind the scenes to make an event or program successful.
Don't tell the truth.  Lie when needed.
How to avoid...
  • Always tell the truth.  Always.
  • Be a person of your word.
  • Shoulder the blame for mistakes.  Remember... as the leader...the buck stops with you.
Don't deal with sin or disunity.  Just sweep it under the rug or hope it will go away.
How to avoid...
  • Don't participate in or tolerate gossip or disunity. 
  • Deal with sin in a timely, appropriate, and Biblical manner.
  • Protect the unity of the team.  Unity doesn't happen naturally.  You have to fight for it.
Don't lead by relationship, lead by title.
How to avoid...
  • Spend time loving and honoring people.  You get what you give.
  • Include people.  Be collaborative.  
  • Build relationships with people.  Let them know you care more about them than about what they do.
Don't work hard...be lazy.
How to avoid...
  • Develop a strong work ethic.
  • Be a servant leader.
  • When it's time to get hands dirty...lead the way.  Instead of barking orders from the sidelines...be right in the middle of the blood, sweat, and tears.
The floor is yours.  What are other ways children's ministry leaders lose the trust of their volunteers?  Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

Helping Kids Hear God's Voice in the Quiet

Kids are growing up in a world that has very few quiet times.  

Mobile devices buzz almost non-stop with texts, email, tweets, or phone calls.  24/7 television channels are on most of the time in our homes.  Earphones plugged into ipods pipe music into our ears.  In the car, we have music, the dvd player, or the radio cranking.  The noise of the latest "viral video" coming from our iPad or tablet constantly catches our attention.  The sound effects from video games can be heard for hours a day.  The audio from commercials or advertisements come at us like a flood.

The other day, I was reading the story of God speaking to young Samuel and something jumped out at me.  When did Samuel hear God's voice?  It was while he was lying in the "quietness" of his bed.  In the quietness, he was able to clearly hear God's voice.
 
I wonder if kids would hear God's voice more often if provided them with more quiet?

It's something you will have to be very intentional about in our busy, noisy culture.  

You'll have to teach kids to unplug from the noise on a regular basis.  And that's not easy.  Because we all get addicted to the noise, don't we. 

You'll have to help kids find a quiet place.  Somewhere away from the noise.  Maybe in the backyard under a tree.  Maybe in their room.  Maybe in the living room with the tv and computer off.

You'll have to teach kids how to get alone with God.  Alone is where they'll find the quiet place.  

And the quiet place is where they'll hear God's voice as they spend time with Him. 

Effective Fall Festival Follow-Up

Whew....you breathe a sigh of relief.  The Fall Festival is over!  That was a lot of work.  It took many hours of planning, organizing, recruiting, and advertising to pull it off.  Now you're ready to relax.

Hang on.  Before you close the books on the event...don't miss one of the most important elements.  Follow-up.

You probably had lots of new families on your church property for the event.  The big question..."How do I get them to come back for regular services?" 

Here's some tips for effective Fall Festival follow-up.

Make sure they have a good experience at the event.  If people are rude to them, if their kids don't get much candy, or if the festival doesn't match what was advertised...it doesn't matter how much you follow up.  They won't come back. 

Get their contact information.  You can't follow up without it.  Just ask for basic info.  Keep it simple and quick.  People hate filling out long forms.  You'll see ways to get contact information in the follow-up ideas below.

Have a box they can check to receive more info. about the ministry.  It's polite to ask people's permission to send them information.  If you don't, it will feel like a bait and switch. 

Have a table or booth set up with church information, brochures, etc.  Staff it with friendly volunteers who can answer questions.

Have a drawing for some large prizes like a bike, family meal certificate to a local restaurant, movie tickets, etc.  Ask people to register for the drawing. 

Pick the winners for the prize drawing the day after the festival and then notify them.  Have them pick up their prize after a church service.  Tell people when they sign up when the winners will be notified and where they will pick up their prizes.

Have a free photo spot with a professional photographer.  Offer to email them the picture.  

Have people register for a free gift that they receive right on the spot.  It might be something as simple as a full-size candy bar for their kids.  With all the mini-candy bars being passed out, you'd be surprised how many people will give you their contact info. just to get a large candy bar for their child. 

Follow up as quickly as possible.  If you follow up within 48 hours, the likelihood of them returning goes up.

Send them an email thanking them for coming.  Include information about weekend services or other upcoming events.  Keep it short and simple.  If they had their picture taken per above, you can attach it to this email.

Send them a handwritten note on church stationary.  Include a coupon that they can redeem for a free gift the next time they attend the church.  It might be a drink for the parents and a small toy for the kids.

Put them on a mailing list of people you invite to special church events, programs, etc.  (with their permission)

Let them know up front that you are not going to show up on their door step the next week.  People will be hesitant to give you their information if they think you are going to show up at their house unannounced. 

How do you know if your follow-up was effective?  A good measuring stick is how many of those families are part of your church a year later?  Can you write any names down?  The ultimate purpose is to see families reached and discipled.

What are some other ideas you have used to follow up after a festival?
What has worked?  What has not worked?
Share your ideas and input with us in the comment section below.

10 Tips for Better Email Communication

Here are 10 email guidelines I live by.  I learned many of these by trial and error.  Check them out.  It can help your email communication be more effective.

Never confront or correct by email.  This should be done face-to-face. 

Use BCC when emailing a group of volunteers.  This makes the email more personal and respects your volunteers' privacy.

Check your spelling before you hit send.  We learned this the hard way.  We sent out an email to all our volunteers letting them know they could pick up their volunteer shirt.  We accidentally left out the "r" in shirt.  True story.

When someone sends you a task or information, reply with the words "got it."  This lets the person know you received it and you are on it.

Don't forward the cheesy story or email chain.  Spare people the trouble of having to hit delete.

Respond asap...48 hours max.

If it's more than two paragraphs or 4 replies, it should be a phone conversation instead of an email.

If you're not sure about someone's email tone, don't assume the worst.   Pick up the phone and ask them...with a gentle and kind spirit.

Create folders and save emails if there is the slightest chance you might need them later.  You never know when you will need to pull up a past email.  This has saved me on a number of occasions.

Have set times you check email.  If you constantly check email, it can distract you from your tasks and hinder your productivity. 

What other email tips do you use?  Share them with us in the comment section below.

Embrace Brevity



"It is with words as with sunbeams.  The more they are condensed, the deeper they burn." 
 -Robert Southey
 


"The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one word will do."  
-Thomas Jefferson

Embrace brevity...
Make your vision statement 12 words or less.  If it's too long...people won't remember it.

Embrace brevity...
Keep your children's lessons short.  One minute for every year of the child's age with a max of 8-10 minutes.

Embrace brevity...
Say and write things short and simple.  The best communicators know how to translate complex truth into simple, easy to understand language.

Embrace brevity...
Teach one simple truth a month to kids and repeat it over and over and over.  One truth placed in a child's long term memory makes a bigger impact than lots of truth that is placed in a child's short term memory and soon forgotten.

Embrace brevity...
Have children memorize one verse a month.  One verse placed in a child's long term memory makes a bigger impact than lots of verses that are placed in a child's short term memory and soon forgotten.

Embrace brevity...
Keep emails short.  If it's over a paragraph, it's a phone call.

Embrace brevity...
Keep it short when you are speaking to adults.  The Gettysburg address is one of the shortest...but most powerful speeches ever delivered.

Embrace brevity...
Keep lesson series length at 4 weeks or less.  When you go past 4 weeks, kids tend to start loosing interest.

Embrace brevity...
Keep phone calls and appointments short and on task.  Schedule a start and ending time and abide by it.

Embrace brevity...
Use Text and Twitter to communicate with volunteers.  98% of text messages get read.  Why?  They are brief and easy to access.

Embrace brevity...
Train volunteers with short, online videos and 10 minute pre-service huddles.  Aren't you tired of planning long training sessions that only had a handful of people show up for?

Embrace brevity...
Keep staff meetings short and on task.  Schedule a start and ending time and abide by it.

What are some other ways you embrace brevity? 

Posted by Dale Hudson

12 Secrets to Becoming a More Effecient Children's Ministry Leader

Do you want to be more efficient as a Children's Ministry leader?  Feel like there is just not enough hours in a day to get everything done?  Here are 15 secrets that will help you accomplish more in a shorter amount of time.
  1. Set a start and ending time for meetings and abide by it. 
  2. Shorten your meetings by 15 minutes.  You can normally get done in 45 minutes what you think it takes an hour to accomplish.
  3. Know when 85% is good enough.  Sometimes the extra 15% it takes to make something perfect is not worth the return.
  4. Close your door and put up the "do not disturb" sign.  You must carve out uninterrupted time if you are going to accomplish your tasks.  This may mean working from home at times instead of the office depending on what stage of life your family is in.
  5. Live by lists.  Write down your goals and tasks and keep them in front of you. 
  6. Take advantage of bonus time.  There will be instances when bonus time pops up.  It might be a meeting that was cancelled, a delayed flight, or a long car ride.  Take advantage of it.  Be prepared to use this extra time to get things done.
  7. Schedule phone calls and appointments with end times. 
  8. Stay off Facebook during office hours unless it is part of your work.  Unless you are using Facebook to connect with volunteers, reach out to new families, etc. don't get sucked in at work. 
  9. Organize your work space.  Organizing your paper work, desk, etc. will make help you be more productive.
  10. Set deadlines and alarms for your tasks.  If you are like me, I have to intentionally put reminders in place for my tasks.  A great, free tool you can use is www.producteev.com.  
  11. Place your phone on do not disturb.
  12. Only check email at designated times.  Constantly checking your email can be a huge time grabber.  You are right in the middle of an important task and you decide to just glance at your email.  Next thing you know, your attention has been diverted by another task and you don't finish what you were originally working on.
What are some other things you do to be a more efficient leader?  Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Posted by Dale Hudson

Why Your Children's Ministry Can't Afford Not To Use Facebook, Twitter, and Text in 2012


Recent stats show...

Facebook
  • 800 million users and growing exponentially.
  • More than 900 million objects that people interact with (pages, groups, events and community pages).
  • Average user is connected to 80 community pages, groups and events.
  • On average, more than 250 million photos are uploaded per day.
  • More than 350 million active users currently access Facebook through their mobile device.
  • MORE IMPORTANTLY...Your volunteers....parents...church attendees...students...are on Facebook.
Twitter
  • Number of users increased by 59% last year.
  • MORE IMPORTANTLY...Your volunteers....parents...church attendees...students...are on Twitter.
Text
  • Over 5 billion text messages are sent every day.
  • Average student sends over 3,300 text per month.
  • Over 98% of text messages get read.
  • MORE IMPORTANTLY...Your volunteers....parents...church attendees...students...use text.

Check out this short video that shows the importance of using these tools.



If you're not using these tools to communicate, disciple, and connect with the people in your ministry, why not?  Let 2012 be the year you jump in.

You can get tips on how to use these tools at these posts...

Posted by Dale Hudson